http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Sun, 25 May 2014 04:58:49 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/meet-the-survivors-of-left-4-dead-s-arcade-game/1100-6419863/ <figure data-align="right" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2540583-6123787579-l01.j.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540583" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2540583-6123787579-l01.j.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540583"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/1535/15354745/2540583-6123787579-l01.j.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Valve and Taito, a subsidiary of Square Enix, are currently collaborating on <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/left-4-dead-survivors-gets-a-first-trailer/1100-6419718/">Left 4 Dead Survivors</a>, a version of Left 4 Dead redesigned for Japanese arcades. We've seen brief glimpses of the game before, but now we know that it will not feature the groups of four from Left 4 Dead or Left 4 Dead 2, but an entirely new cast of survivors.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The game will still take place in the United States, but the characters are seemingly designed to appeal to a Japanese audience. According to <a href="http://arcadeheroes.com/2014/05/22/left-4-dead-characters-better-cabinet-shot/" rel="nofollow">Arcade Heroes</a>, Kudo Yusuke is a Japanese university student visiting the U.S. when the outbreak starts, as is Haruka Hirose, a Japanese high school student, and Kirishima Sara, a travel guide. And then there's Blake Jordan, the token American and hotel bartender who previously served in the Navy.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In 2006, Taito released Half-Life 2: Survivor for Japanese arcades. As you can see in this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbF0ooRJWkI" rel="nofollow">video</a>, it added flashing arrows that point you in the right direction, points, and other elements that would complement a quicker arcade experience.</p><p style="">If you're waiting on a proper Left 4 Dead sequel, there's good reason to believe that one is on the way. According to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/counter-strike/">Counter-Strike</a> co-creator Minh Le, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/left-4-dead-3-in-development-and-looks-great-counter-strike-co-creator-says/1100-6419832/">Left 4 Dead 3 is in development and is coming along well</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><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></p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sat, 24 May 2014 15:41:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/meet-the-survivors-of-left-4-dead-s-arcade-game/1100-6419863/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/get-thief-batman-arkham-games-tomb-raider-many-more-for-cheap-in-amazon-s-mayhem-sale/1100-6419862/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2540571-5160086378-20345.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540571" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2540571-5160086378-20345.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540571"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1535/15354745/2540571-5160086378-20345.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Amazon is currently holding its huge <a href="http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=amb_link_416943502_2?ie=UTF8&node=7266959011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-5&pf_rd_r=0697FAH97K0K1337Q6H6&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1814829962&pf_rd_i=468642&tag=gamespot-vg-20" rel="nofollow">Digital Games Mayhem sale</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The sale will last until the end of May, and offers as much as 80 percent off of many of its PC game codes and downloads.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Some good deals you might be interested in include <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/thief/">Thief</a>, down from $50 to $25 (or you can get the Master Thief Edition for $27), <a href="/tomb-raider/" data-ref-id="false">Tomb Raider</a>, down from $20 to $8, and the Batman Mega Bundle, which includes all three of the released Arkham games, down from $90 to $22.50.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Other highlights include <a href="/sleeping-dogs/" data-ref-id="false">Sleeping Dogs</a>, down from $20 to $6, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/call-of-duty-black-ops-ii/" data-ref-id="false">Call of Duty: Black Ops 2</a>, down from, $60 to $30, and <a href="/just-cause-2/" data-ref-id="false">Just Cause 2</a>, down from $15 to $4.50.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">You'll need either Steam, Origin, or Uplay to run most of these games, and Amazon will let you browse by your DRM of choice if you want to stick to just one of them.</p><p style="">You can find over a 1,000 items already on sale <a href="http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=amb_link_416943502_2?ie=UTF8&node=7266959011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-5&pf_rd_r=0697FAH97K0K1337Q6H6&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1814829962&pf_rd_i=468642&tag=gamespot-vg-20" rel="nofollow">here</a>, and Amazon says that it will introduce even more promos and bundles before the sale ends.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><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></p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sat, 24 May 2014 14:02:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/get-thief-batman-arkham-games-tomb-raider-many-more-for-cheap-in-amazon-s-mayhem-sale/1100-6419862/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/papers-please-dev-announces-his-next-game-return-of-the-obra-dinn/1100-6419861/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2540546-obra+dinn.gif" data-ref-id="1300-2540546" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2540546-obra+dinn.gif" data-ref-id="1300-2540546"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1535/15354745/2540546-obra+dinn.gif"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Lucas Pope, the developer behind the award-winning indie game <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/papers-please/" data-ref-id="false">Papers, Please</a>, has announced his next project; Return of the Obra Dinn.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In a post to <a href="http://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=40832.0" rel="nofollow">TIGSource</a>, Pope explains the game will use the first-person perspective and take place on an East India Company merchant ship named the Obra Dinn, which sets out from London for "the Orient" with over 200 tons of trade goods.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Six months later it hadn't met its rendezvous point at the Cape of Good Hope and was declared lost at sea," Pope said. "Early this morning of October 14th, 1808, the Obra Dinn drifted into port with sails damaged and no visible crew. As insurance adjustor for the East India Company's London Office, find means to board the ship and recover the captain's logbook for assessment."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Pope said that his goal for the game is to challenge himself to experiment with rendering, story, and a few technical features, so it will be very different from Papers, Please and his other previous games.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The game will be built with Unity 3D, and will aim to emulate the look of old, black and white games for the Mac Plus, Pope's first computer.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"I'm hoping to capture a compelling mystery with suspense and twists in the limited space of an old merchant sailing ship," Pope said. "It won't be the typical 'collect items and look for clues' structure. There's a slightly cool gameplay hook but I won't go into details on that until much later."</p><p style="">Pope's Papers, Please won this years <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/papers-please-wins-grand-prize-in-independent-games-awards-show/1100-6418419/">Seumas McNally Grand Prize</a> at the Independent Game Festival, as well as the Excellence in Narrative and Excellence in Design award.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><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></p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sat, 24 May 2014 12:17:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/papers-please-dev-announces-his-next-game-return-of-the-obra-dinn/1100-6419861/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-wasteland-2-s-opening-movie/1100-6419860/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOQFN6U0hSI" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FxOQFN6U0hSI%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DxOQFN6U0hSI&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FxOQFN6U0hSI%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="">Developer InXile Entertainment has released the opening movie for its post-apocalyptic RPG <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/wasteland-2/">Wasteland 2</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The opening movie uses archival footage and live-action video. It recaps how the world we know destroyed itself in nuclear war, and introduces the heroic Rangers, who roam the wasteland, protecting innocent survivors from criminals, cultists, and cannibals.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Wasteland 2 is the sequel to the 1988 classic from Interplay Entertainment, which went on to create the original <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/fallout/">Fallout</a>. The project took to Kickstarter in 2012 hoping to raise $900,000, and eventually hit nearly $3 million in funding. That sum caused its <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/wasteland-2-scheduled-for-october-2013/1100-6366649/">initial release target</a> of October 2013 to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/wasteland-2-delayed-due-to-kickstarter-success/1100-6411838/">get pushed back</a> as the scope of the game was increased.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">GameSpot recently <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/wasteland-2-early-access-review/1100-6419545/">reviewed the Early Access version of Wasteland 2</a>, finding that it "spectacularly balances the older style of classic PC RPGs and more modern sensibilities."</p><p style="">The full game is slated for release around "the end of August" 2014, on PC, Mac, and Linux.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><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></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table><p style=""> </p> Sat, 24 May 2014 11:32:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-wasteland-2-s-opening-movie/1100-6419860/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/warhammer-40-000-gets-the-unreal-engine-4-treatment-in-space-hulk-deathwing/1100-6419859/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6413978" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6413978/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/space-hulk-deathwing/">Space Hulk: Deathwing</a>, a first-person shooter set in Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 universe, is looking pretty great in its first batch of screenshots.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Based on Games Workshop's classic Space Hulk boardgame (which recently got <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/space-hulk-review/1900-6413794/">its own video game</a>), Space Hulk: Deathwing is being built on the Unreal Engine 4 by Streum On Studio, which previously developed <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e-y-e-divine-cybermancy/">E.Y.E: Divine Cybermancy</a>. As you can see in the screenshots, Unreal Engine 4 looks like a natural fit for the Space Marines' bulky armor and the dark corridors of the Space Hulk where the game is set.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In Warhammer 40,000 fiction, a Space Hulk is a huge collection of wrecked ships, asteroids, and other debris fused together into one enormous body floating in space. In the game, you'll assume the role of Deathwing Librarian, who leads a squad of Space Marine Terminators through the alien-infested Space Hulk. You'll gain Fervor Points as you play, which you can then spend on four skill trees, allowing you to improve your abilities, unlock new powers, and access powerful relics and new weapons.</p><p style="">Publisher Focus Home Interactive has yet to announce a release date.</p><figure data-embed-type="gallery" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2540490-4569135460-25386.jpg,http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2540491-6628410488-25386.jpg,http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2540492-3040017199-25386.jpg,http://static4.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2540493-3744946332-25386.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540490,1300-2540491,1300-2540492,1300-2540493" data-resize-urls="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/square_avatar/1535/15354745/2540490-4569135460-25386.jpg,http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/square_avatar/1535/15354745/2540491-6628410488-25386.jpg,http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/square_avatar/1535/15354745/2540492-3040017199-25386.jpg,http://static4.gamespot.com/uploads/square_avatar/1535/15354745/2540493-3744946332-25386.jpg" data-resized="" data-resize-url=""><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2540490-4569135460-25386.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540490" ><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/square_avatar/1535/15354745/2540490-4569135460-25386.jpg"></a><a href="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2540491-6628410488-25386.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540491" ><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/square_avatar/1535/15354745/2540491-6628410488-25386.jpg"></a><a href="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2540492-3040017199-25386.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540492" ><img src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/square_avatar/1535/15354745/2540492-3040017199-25386.jpg"></a><a href="http://static4.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2540493-3744946332-25386.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540493" ><img src="http://static4.gamespot.com/uploads/square_avatar/1535/15354745/2540493-3744946332-25386.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><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></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sat, 24 May 2014 10:13:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/warhammer-40-000-gets-the-unreal-engine-4-treatment-in-space-hulk-deathwing/1100-6419859/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-testing-candy-crush-saga-inspired-version-of-peggle/1100-6419858/ <figure data-align="right" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2540446-peggle2.jpeg" data-ref-id="1300-2540446" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2540446-peggle2.jpeg" data-ref-id="1300-2540446"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/1535/15354745/2540446-peggle2.jpeg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Electronic Arts is currently testing a version of <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/peggle/" data-ref-id="false">Peggle</a> that has a lot in common with Candy Crush Saga and other free-to-play mobile games.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Like King's <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/93-million-people-play-candy-crush-saga-daily-do-you/1100-6417819/">immensely profitable Candy Crush Saga</a>, this new version of Peggle features a world map and common free-to-play monetization methods. If you lose all your lives, for example, you could either wait for a significant amount of time, or buy more via in-app purchases and continue playing immediately.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">This version of Peggle is currently free to download from the New Zealand and Singapore iTunes App Stores. Mobile game developers often launch games or test new versions of them in smaller territories like New Zealand (Canada and Australia are two other popular testing grounds) and gauge the audience's reaction before rolling them out to bigger territories like North America.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Unfortunately, as <a href="http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/iPhone/Peggle+%28iPhone%29/news.asp?c=59596" rel="nofollow">Pocket Gamer reports</a>, EA didn't only launch this new version of Peggle in those territories, but also removed the original game from the app store.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We're exploring different ways to extend the fun of Peggle on mobile, and we're currently testing a free-to-play version of the game in Singapore and New Zealand," an EA representative told <a href="http://kotaku.com/ea-is-ruining-peggle-1580422686" rel="nofollow">Kotaku</a>. "It's important to note that we haven't finalized gameplay features or business model yet, and this free-to-play version of Peggle is part of a series of tests we'll be conducting in specific markets. We often test these experiences first to see if they resonate with our players."</p><p style="">The older, paid version of Peggle is still available to buy in other territories.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><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></p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sat, 24 May 2014 07:54:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-testing-candy-crush-saga-inspired-version-of-peggle/1100-6419858/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/star-citizen-funding-hits-44-million-milestone/1100-6419857/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2540439-2160252157-Banu_.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540439" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2540439-2160252157-Banu_.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540439"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1535/15354745/2540439-2160252157-Banu_.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/wing-commander/">Wing Commander</a> creator Chris Roberts' <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/star-citizen/">Star Citizen</a> has just reached yet another funding milestone. The game's widely successful crowdfunding campaign has now raised a staggering $44 million, up from $43 million in late April.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In <a href="https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/transmission/13888-Letter-From-The-Chairman-44-Million" rel="nofollow">a letter to the community</a>, Roberts said that his team is hard at work on <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/star-citizen-launches-arena-commander-mode-this-month/1100-6419708/">Arena Commander</a>, a small, multiplayer-focused dogfighting mode that should launch on <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/star-citizen-launches-arena-commander-mode-this-month/1100-6419708/">May 29</a>. "Getting to dogfight in deep space is going to make Star Citizen real for a lot of people," Roberts said. "But I also know that everyone who has supported us to this point already understands. Thank you for getting us here!"</p><p dir="ltr" style="">To mark the occasion, Roberts shared a piece of concept art for what he calls the "negotiation room," a place in one of the games' ships where traders can meet with other players, display their cargo, and make deals.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">All backers who contributed to Star Citizen before this point will get an additional "Stellar Cartography" room added to their hangers once the modular room system launches. This room will serve as a kind of map, featuring a 3D holographic representation of the game's universe that will get more detailed as you explore it.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Roberts revealed that If Star Citizen hits $46 million in funding, backers will get an updated scanning software suite, which could provide them with information on where to find resources.</p><p style="">Star Citizen is due to launch in full sometime in 2015. A total of 453,429 people have backed the project so far.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"> <em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><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></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sat, 24 May 2014 07:07:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/star-citizen-funding-hits-44-million-milestone/1100-6419857/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/hyperkin-retron-5-video-review/2300-6418957/ The Retron 5 console from Hyperkin lets you play old Nintendo and Sega games in new and exciting ways, but it needs additional work in order to reach its full potential. Sat, 24 May 2014 06:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/hyperkin-retron-5-video-review/2300-6418957/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/hyperkin-retron-5-review/1100-6419841/ <p style="">A taste for the classics is on the rise, inspiring people to seek out old games and consoles, but not everyone wants to wade through flea markets or enter into a bidding war on eBay for a 20-year-old Super Nintendo. This is where a hardware company like Hyperkin comes into play. Its line of Retron consoles has given fans of classic games a new way to play NES, SNES, and Sega Genesis cartridges, and its latest console, the Retron 5, introduces support for Famicom, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance games. Everything is powered by an embedded Android operating system, which opens the door for valuable features such as HDMI output, save states, and Game Genie-like cheat codes.</p><p style="">It's a great system with loads of promise, but it also has a few issues that need to be ironed out if Hyperkin wants to please enthusiasts. Luckily, the Retron 5 has an upgradable operating system, so these issues may be resolved down the road. But, as it is today, is Hyperkin's latest console worth the $140 asking price? Let's take a look.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418957" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418957/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">The Retron 5 is a good-looking if unusual console. It has five cartridge slots, six controller ports, and a dock in the back for the included wireless controller. Like a lot of aftermarket consoles, it's outfitted with cheap-feeling plastic, but given its attractive design, it's natural to forget what it's made from and focus on how it looks instead.</p><p style="">The included wireless controller isn't quite as good looking as the console, or as well made, but as a functional piece of hardware, it's fairly sufficient. It communicates with the Retron 5 via Bluetooth, and has a battery that lasts up to eight hours. It would be great if the battery could recharge passively while the controller was docked in the back of the console, but in reality, you have to manually connect it to the system using a rather unusual micro-USB to mini-USB cable. Thankfully, the 10-foot cable offers plenty of slack so you can play games while the controller is charging.</p><p style="">Though it has a few nice features, the controller doesn't quite measure up to the quality of original NES, SNES, and Genesis controllers. Its convex buttons are made of hard plastic and emit an unpleasant, hollow, clicky sound. Instead of implementing a directional pad, Hyperkin opted to install an eight-way thumbstick, similar to what you would find on a Neo Geo Pocket. It works well for some games, but it can be a death sentence when playing difficult games with strict timing and movement requirements. It's also unfortunate that the system can't be turned on with the wireless controller; you have to hold down the power button on the front of the system for five seconds. It's a better controller than those Hyperkin has shipped with past Retron systems, but not by much.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2540210-vlcsnap-00027.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540210" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2540210-vlcsnap-00027.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540210"><img src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/1406/14063904/2540210-vlcsnap-00027.jpg"></a><figcaption>The wireless Retron 5 controller is convenient, but also cut-rate. Stick to official controllers, if you can.</figcaption></figure><p style="">On either side of the system are three ports--one each for NES, SNES, and Genesis controllers. The Retron 5 lets you use any controller that's plugged into the system regardless of the type of game you're playing. So you don't need to unplug your Genesis controller when you want to play an NES game, for example. The controls for different systems remap automatically to other controllers, but you can also remap the button layouts manually within the Retron 5's OS.</p><p style="">Unfortunately, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance games remain single-player experiences. Traditionally, you would have to link two Game Boys together via a link cable, and the Retron isn't currently capable of emulating that arrangement. Thankfully, it does simulate multitaps, so four-player games for every other console are easily arranged, regardless of the mix of controllers you've connected to the Retron.</p><p style="">A quick look at the back of the system reveals an SD card slot that's used for cheat codes, screenshots, firmware updates, and save-state files. There's also a mini-USB port for recharging controllers, an HDMI port, and the AC adapter port. Hyperkin has thoughtfully included outlet adapters for Europe, the UK, Australia, and China.</p><p style="">Most aftermarket retro consoles use problematic emulation methods to do the heavy lifting, which doesn't always work with games that use special chips and circuitry. The Retron 5 is no more pure, in the sense that it still uses emulation to get the job done. Though Hyperkin confidently asserts that the Retron 5 will ultimately support every officially licensed game for the consoles it supports, we found a few exceptions during our tests, including some games that worked perfectly on previous Retron consoles. These include <a href="/street-fighter-alpha-2/" data-ref-id="false">Street Fighter Alpha 2</a> on the Super Nintendo, and the combination of <a href="/sonic-the-hedgehog-2/" data-ref-id="false">Sonic the Hedgehog 2</a> or <a href="/sonic-the-hedgehog-3/" data-ref-id="false">3</a> with <a href="/sonic-and-knuckles/" data-ref-id="false">Sonic & Knuckles</a> for the Sega Genesis. Unlicensed games aren't officially supported, and when we tried to play <a href="/pier-solar-hd/" data-ref-id="false">Pier Solar</a> on the Sega Genesis, it failed to make it past the intro screen. Again, these may just be temporary issues that Hyperkin can fix with a future firmware update.</p><p style="">Unfortunately, though the Retron supports multiple systems, for now, it won't operate if you put in more than one cartridge at a time. With the Retron 3, for example, you could keep a cart in every slot and manually select which one you wanted to play. Hyperkin has said that it's working on an OS setting that will allow you to do the same on the Retron 5, but at the moment, the system will report an error if you insert more than one game.</p><figure data-embed-type="comparison" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2540218-vlcsnap-00030.jpg,http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2540219-vlcsnap-00029.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540218,1300-2540219" data-size="large" data-image-titles="Retron 5 (HDMI),Retron 3 (Composite video)" data-resize-urls="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/1406/14063904/2540218-vlcsnap-00030.jpg,http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/1406/14063904/2540219-vlcsnap-00029.jpg" data-resized="" data-resize-url=""><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2540218-vlcsnap-00030.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540218" title="Retron 5 (HDMI)"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/1406/14063904/2540218-vlcsnap-00030.jpg"></a><a href="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2540219-vlcsnap-00029.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540219" title="Retron 3 (Composite video)"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/1406/14063904/2540219-vlcsnap-00029.jpg"></a><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><p style=""> </p><p style="">If you're used to playing classic games through composite cables, you'll be impressed by how crisp and colorful they look with the Retron 5 and an HDTV, and with HDMI, you don't have to worry about PAL and NTSC incompatibility. Though some people will appreciate the sharp, hi-def pixels coming out of the Retron, you have the option of smoothing them out with a few distinct image filters. No one filter works well for every game, but it's a great option to have, and you may find that some games look surprisingly fresh when the right filter is applied.</p><p style="">Apart from playing thousands of games, perhaps the most useful feature of the Retron 5 is its ability to use save states. These allow you to save at any point during a game and restart right where you left off. It's a convenient feature that makes getting through some of the more difficult games a bit easier, and given that a lot of old cartridges have dead batteries inside, save states can breathe new life into a cartridge that's no longer able to store saved games.</p><p style="">Built-in cheat codes are another valuable feature, and Hyperkin is constructing a large database of codes that it will distribute on its website, but you'll need to supply your own SD card in order to use them. Our tests with an early version of this database were mostly positive, but there's still room for improvement in the cheat section of the Retron 5's UI. There's no way to automatically sort codes, or to activate and deactivate codes en masse, so it can be a bit of a chore when you want to find one code out of a list of a few dozen. Unfortunately, there's no way to enter new codes via the Retron OS, and there's no easy way to edit the cheat database on a PC without manipulating massive and unintuitive XML files.</p><blockquote data-size="large" data-align="center"><p style="">Unfortunately, though the Retron supports multiple systems, for now, it won't operate if you put in more than one cartridge...</p></blockquote><p style="">The Retron 5 emulates games after dumping them to local memory, which includes any saves that are present on the cartridge. Therefore, any new in-game saves you create are also saved locally, but you can also upload them back to the original cartridge. This worked in almost every case, with the exception of <a href="/super-mario-rpg-legend-of-the-seven-stars/" data-ref-id="false">Super Mario RPG</a>, but we also had an issue with a copy of <a href="/the-legend-of-zelda-a-link-to-the-past/" data-ref-id="false">The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past</a>. In this case, the Retron looked as though it were rewriting save files to the cartridge, but it would consistently fail to rewrite one save in particular, which went mysteriously blank, resulting in an empty slot and a save file that remains in limbo on the Retron. Given that you're working with decades-old games with equally old batteries, there's always the inherent risk that this feature will be unreliable, but this is never explicitly spelled out in the OS.</p><p style="">Save states, cheats, and battery backups are tied to specific games, which are identified by cross-referencing the data on a cartridge against a database of known games in the Retron's local memory, which is supposed to account for the entire library across all supported platforms. Unfortunately, when a game can't be identified, you lose access to cheats, and potentially save states too. Oddly, the Retron 5 couldn't properly identify our copy of <a href="/super-metroid/" data-ref-id="false">Super Metroid</a> for the SNES, even though it's a well-known game. This might be due to a poor connection between the cartridge and the Retron, but there's no alternate method for accessing cheats and save states when this occurs.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2540224-vlcsnap-00031.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540224" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2540224-vlcsnap-00031.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540224"><img src="http://static4.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1406/14063904/2540224-vlcsnap-00031.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Taking all of these features and issues into account, it's clear that the Retron 5 is not for everyone. On the one hand, it does things with real cartridges that could previously be accomplished only with PC-based emulators and ROMs. Unfortunately, the promise of a great system is hampered by minor incompatibility issues and half-baked features. The dependence on cart verification is too strict, and the fact that you can have only one cartridge in at a time is disappointing.</p><p style=""> </p><p style="">Speaking as an avid collector and retro-game enthusiast, I'm impressed with the latest Retron, but given its current limitations, it's not yet a full-time replacement for my original consoles. Still, it breathes new life into classic games, and despite its current issues, there are enough benefits to justify adding it to your repertoire of classic gaming hardware. It's currently the most expensive console of its type, but if Hyperkin fixes the issues with the OS and the internal emulators, $140 will be a small price to pay for the new gold standard in retro gaming consoles.</p> Sat, 24 May 2014 06:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/hyperkin-retron-5-review/1100-6419841/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/blizzard-sues-starcraft-2-hackers-for-selling-cheats/1100-6419854/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2540083-sc21.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540083" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2540083-sc21.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540083"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2540083-sc21.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Not content with simply banning cheaters, Blizzard has filed a lawsuit against those responsible for creating and selling a popular line of cheats for <a href="/starcraft-ii-heart-of-the-swarm/" data-ref-id="false">StarCraft II</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The lawsuit was filed on April 19 in a United States District Court in California. According to a copy of the suit obtained by <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/blizzard-sues-starcraft-ii-hackers-copyright-infringement-140521/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">TorrentFreak</a>, Blizzard claims these hacks "not only disrupt or impair the online experience for purchasers of the computer game, but, as set forth more fully herein, cause serious and irreparable harm to Blizzard and its products."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The "ValiantChaos MapHack" cheat is specifically targeted. Sold by way of access to a VIP forum for 62.50 AUD (roughly $58), the hack does a number of things, from showing enemy units that should be hidden to revealing what users' opponents are building to automatically handling certain tasks. It also includes features that make it difficult to be detected, even by those watching a replay of the match.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><span>Blizzard hasn't identified any defendants by name because, at this point, it doesn't actually have their names. Even so, Blizzard claims the hackers agreed to the game's EULA (the long, legalese-laden document you undoubtedly agree to without reading when first playing a new game) and are therefore infringing on its copyright. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style=""><span>"Defendants are well aware that they do not have any license, right, or authority to engage in any of the foregoing infringing activities," the lawsuit states. "It is well-known to the public, and Defendants certainly know, that Blizzard owns the copyright in StarCraft II, and never has authorized Defendants to develop and/or distribute Hacks or other software that modifies StarCraft II or its online components."</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="">Blizzard not only wants an injunction preventing the hackers in question from continuing to distribute hacks, it's also seeking damages and the profits the defendants have made selling hacks (or $150,000 "for each copyright infringed"). And--just for good measure--Blizzard wants the hackers to pay its legal fees, too.</p><p style="">This isn't the first time the StarCraft maker has gone after those creating hacks for its games. In 2010, it <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/blizzard-sues-starcraft-ii-hackers/1100-6282171/" data-ref-id="1100-6282171">went after another group</a> of StarCraft II hackers for copyright infringement, which evidently wasn't a strong enough indication of Blizzard's willingness to take down cheat distributors.</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, 23 May 2014 16:20:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/blizzard-sues-starcraft-2-hackers-for-selling-cheats/1100-6419854/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-top-5-halo-5-is-coming-in-2015-is-far-cry-/2300-6418941/ Halo 5 info lands, an HD pack of Halo 1 - 4 could be in the works, the Xbox One gets external storage, and how has Far Cry 4 caused controversy?! Fri, 23 May 2014 16:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-top-5-halo-5-is-coming-in-2015-is-far-cry-/2300-6418941/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/prior-to-e3-microsoft-trademarks-xbox-cult-classic-phantom-dust-s-name/1100-6419853/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2540057-phantom+dust.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540057" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2540057-phantom+dust.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540057"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2540057-phantom+dust.jpg"></a><figcaption>Image courtesy of Gamasutra</figcaption></figure><p style="">A decade after releasing <a href="/phantom-dust/" data-ref-id="false">Phantom Dust</a> for the original Xbox, Microsoft has filed for a new trademark on the game's title in Europe, possibly signaling the company's intention to reboot the series as previously rumored.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The <a href="https://oami.europa.eu/eSearch/#details/trademarks/012897096" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">trademark</a> (as first reported by <a href="http://gamingeverything.com/microsoft-registers-new-phantom-dust-trademark/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Gaming Everything</a>) was filed for just yesterday by Microsoft and falls into the "game software" and "entertainment services, namely, providing an online computer game" categories.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Microsoft still owns a trademark on the name in the United States even though it was Majesco that published Phantom Dust here in 2005. Originally published by Microsoft in Japan the year prior, it was developed by Microsoft Game Studios and directed by Yukio Futatsugi, the director of Sega Saturn classic <a href="/panzer-dragoon/" data-ref-id="false">Panzer Dragoon</a> and, more recently, Xbox One launch game <a href="/crimson-dragon/" data-ref-id="false">Crimson Dragon</a>. A sort of hybrid of card games and shooters, it earned an 8.5 in <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/phantom-dust-review/1900-6121097/" data-ref-id="1900-6121097">GameSpot's review</a> at the time.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Futatsugi has expressed interest in reviving the series in the past, telling <a href="http://www.usgamer.net/articles/phantom-dust-creator-wants-to-kickstart-a-sequel" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">USGamer</a> last June, "I've been really interested in how the Kickstarter movement has been going, and I think it would be great if it actually stays part of the industry. The reason why I looked into Kickstarter is because I wanted to Kickstart a Phantom Dust game."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">While Kickstarter has shown itself to be a viable avenue for funding cult classics--<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/as-amplitude-funding-passes-800k-harmonix-explains-why-it-went-playstation-exclusive/1100-6419848/" data-ref-id="1100-6419848">just look at Harmonix</a> with <a href="/amplitude/" data-ref-id="false">Amplitude</a>--the site's restrictions on where a project must be based out of would have made it difficult to leverage for the Japan-based Futatsugi. However, he may have found a different approach for getting a new Phantom Dust funded as Crimson Dragon's development concluded.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Late last year, now-Head of Xbox Phil Spencer told <a href="http://kotaku.com/whats-next-for-the-xbox-one-1471212785" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Kotaku</a> that discussions had taken place about the possibility of rebooting Phantom Dust. "We're talking to [Futatsugi] about what we might want to do next with him," Spencer said. "There's some interest out there in some older [intellectual property]. Phantom Dust has come up around whether we would want to reboot that franchise. It's a discussion right now; there's nothing's signed. But we're talking. It does seem like there's a lot of interest around that. And we have a good long relationship with him and I think that would be good."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">A trademark registration on its own is no guarantee that anything is in the works. But with E3 just <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/" data-ref-id="false">a few weeks away</a>, it's entirely possible a new Phantom Dust project will be among the titles Microsoft plans to reveal during its <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-s-e3-briefing-takes-place-june-9-what-are-you-hoping-is-announced/1100-6419449/" data-ref-id="1100-6419449">press conference</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><em>What are you hoping comes of this Phantom Dust trademark application? An HD remake? A sequel? Let us know in the comments below.</em></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, 23 May 2014 15:43:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/prior-to-e3-microsoft-trademarks-xbox-cult-classic-phantom-dust-s-name/1100-6419853/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/thank-god-it-s-free-games-friday-may-23-2014/1100-6419851/ <p style="">Welcome to this week's edition of Free Games Friday, our weekly look at games, demos, and betas that you can enjoy for the same price as a free bus pass. This week we're recommending an excellent arcade-style action game, an iOS racer based on one of last year's console releases, and the closed beta of an upcoming MOBA that we've secured a LOT of codes for. Check out the video below for more details and be sure to let us know what you think of this week's selection in the comments.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418950" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418950/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">Check out the links below to find all of the games mentioned in this week's show.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/sg/app/f1-race-stars/id609011789?mt=8" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">F1 Race Stars</a></p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="https://www.wizardwars.com/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Magicka: Wizard Wars</a></p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="http://www.supercratebox.com/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Super Crate Box</a></p><p style=""><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/wizardwarsgiveaway/" data-ref-id="false">Magicka: Wizard Wars Alpha Code Giveaway</a></p> Fri, 23 May 2014 14:02:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/thank-god-it-s-free-games-friday-may-23-2014/1100-6419851/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/titanfall-pc-s-ctf-mode-cut-why-it-was-dumped-and-why-it-s-now-back/1100-6419850/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418907" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418907/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">Respawn recently <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/titanfall-pc-s-ctf-and-pilot-hunter-mode-playlists-removed/1100-6419698/" data-ref-id="1100-6419698">dropped two playlists from the PC version</a> of <a href="/titanfall/" data-ref-id="false">Titanfall</a>, removing players' ability to choose to exclusively play Capture the Flag or Pilot Hunter matches. This move was criticized by many, as it seemingly provided fewer options to the player without offering something positive in return. Respawn has now provided an explanation for the changes to the game's playlists as it returns the CTF playlist to the game on PC.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In a lengthy post on the <a href="http://www.titanfall.com/news/ctf-matchmaking-update-pc-and-xbox-one" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Titanfall blog</a>, Respawn revealed that less than 1% of players were playing CTF on PC. Low demand in and of itself might seem like no reason to remove a playlist--after all, what's the harm in letting those players interested in CTF continue to play it? But as it turns out, having so few players looking for CTF-only games creates problems.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"With that few players attempting to connect, our matchmaking would just sit there, spinning forever, waiting to find a game to play," the blog explains. "This is a bad experience for the user, and so we had to look at how we fix it. Our first step was removing playlists that were effectively broken. The second step is to continue refinement of our matchmaking. After that first step, though, it's obvious that lots of people were upset -- far more than the player counts on the removed modes led us to believe."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The blog goes on to provide a fairly extensive explanation of how matchmaking works. The way things currently work has resulted in "75% of games having less than a 30% score differential and 15% of games with less than a 5% differential (that's a difference of a few pilots or squads of grunts in Attrition)." Those numbers sound good, but when you begin dealing with players who are divided up into different regions and are looking to play different modes, difficult questions arise about how to handle less popular playlists.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"The problem though, is that even when tens of thousands of people are playing Titanfall at once, there may not be a lot of games forming at any one time, especially during non-peak hours," Respawn says. "This means our absolute 'perfect' match is often hard to come by. This is where the hard part of matchmaking starts. Do you just continue looking for minutes, hoping to find the perfect match? What happens if that perfect match never opens up? What if there's no one in Southeast Asia who is also in the 75th percentile skill that really wants to play Last Titan Standing right now?"</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418838" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418838/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">In response to Respawn yanking the CTF and Pilot Hunter playlists--making it so that the two game modes can only be played in the Variety Pack playlist--some gamers have frequently offered up two suggestions: either allow players to wait as long as it takes for a match, or let them choose to play with players from elsewhere in the world. Respawn calls these "legitimate suggestions," but sees problems with both. What it's instead doing is bringing back the CTF playlist on PC and testing "even wider region searches," so that you'll be matched up with players from "neighboring continents" if nearby players aren't found quickly enough.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Other changes include making it clear in lobbies when players are joining, tracking chat usage to get communicative players together, and "adding a last resort measure to re-balance lobbies that have been constructed from disparate skill groups or couldn't be balanced in time by matchmaking." The latter move should help to ensure players are less likely to end up playing 6v4 when the match could be 5v5.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Respawn also reiterated that it's at work on new games modes, which co-founder Vince Zampella has <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/think-titanfall-lacks-variety-it-s-getting-new-game-modes/1100-6418458/" data-ref-id="1100-6418458">previously talked about</a>, as well as "riffs" on the modes already in the game. The game's <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/titanfall-expedition-dlc-will-be-released-for-xbox-one-and-pc-tomorrow-costs-10/1100-6419619/" data-ref-id="1100-6419619">first downloadable content pack</a> was recently released and is one of <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Agamespot.com+titanfall+dlc&rlz=1C1ASUM_enUS460US460&oq=site%3Agamespot.com+titanfall+dlc&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i58.2944j0j4&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=122&ie=UTF-8#q=site:gamespot.com+titanfall+season+pass&safe=off" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">at least three DLC releases</a> the game will see.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><em>If you're a PC player, are you happy that CTF has returned as its own, dedicated playlist? Whether or not you're still playing Titanfall, what kind of new games modes would you like to see? Let us know in the comments.</em></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, 23 May 2014 13:56:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/titanfall-pc-s-ctf-mode-cut-why-it-was-dumped-and-why-it-s-now-back/1100-6419850/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/disney-cancels-star-wars-attack-squadrons-before-it-even-gets-out-of-beta/1100-6419849/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2539954-squadrons.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539954" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2539954-squadrons.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539954"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2539954-squadrons.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Disney's <a href="/star-wars-attack-squadrons/" data-ref-id="false">Star Wars: Attack Squadrons</a>, a free-to-play PC game that channeled classic Nintendo 64 title <a href="/reviews/star-wars-rogue-squadron-review/1900-2545130/" data-ref-id="1900-2545130">Rogue Squadron</a>, is no more. The developer today canceled the game, just<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/next-star-wars-game-is-free-to-play-and-channels-rogue-squadron/1100-6416762/" data-ref-id="1100-6416762"> five months after announcing it in December 2013</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">A message <a href="http://www.starwarsattacksquadrons.com/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">posted on the game's website </a>informs players of the shutdown. "We want to thank all of the fans who participated in the closed beta of Star Wars: Attack Squadrons," Disney said. "After much consideration, we have decided to cease development so that we can focus on other Star Wars game experiences. We truly appreciate the time you spent engaging in the beta."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Star Wars: Attack Squadrons was going to allow you to pilot classic Star Wars ships such as the X-Wing or TIE Interceptor. Ship customization and multiplayer battles were also planned. The game's dogfighting mode was going to support up to 16 players and even take place in "iconic Star Wars locations."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">First-time developer <a href="http://www.area52games.com/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Area 52 Games</a> was behind Star Wars: Attack Squadrons. It's unclear what impact the game's cancellation had or will have on the studio.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Though Star Wars: Attack Squadrons may be no more, Electronic Arts is moving forward on multiple core Star Wars games. Battlefield developer DICE is making a new<a href="/star-wars-battlefront/" data-ref-id="false"> Star Wars: Battlefront </a>game, while <a href="/dead-space/" data-ref-id="false">Dead Space</a> creator Visceral Games is rumored to be working on an <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-developing-open-world-star-wars-game/1100-6416442/" data-ref-id="1100-6416442">open-world Star Wars game</a>. Former Naughty Dog creative director Amy Hennig <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">recently joined EA to work on this title</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Disney and Lucasfilm announced in April that going forward, "all aspects of Star Wars storytelling moving forward will be connected." As part of this announcement, Lucasfilm confirmed that all future game releases will also be canonical.</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, 23 May 2014 12:58:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/disney-cancels-star-wars-attack-squadrons-before-it-even-gets-out-of-beta/1100-6419849/
http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Sun, 25 May 2014 04:58:49 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/meet-the-survivors-of-left-4-dead-s-arcade-game/1100-6419863/ <figure data-align="right" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2540583-6123787579-l01.j.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540583" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2540583-6123787579-l01.j.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540583"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/1535/15354745/2540583-6123787579-l01.j.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Valve and Taito, a subsidiary of Square Enix, are currently collaborating on <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/left-4-dead-survivors-gets-a-first-trailer/1100-6419718/">Left 4 Dead Survivors</a>, a version of Left 4 Dead redesigned for Japanese arcades. We've seen brief glimpses of the game before, but now we know that it will not feature the groups of four from Left 4 Dead or Left 4 Dead 2, but an entirely new cast of survivors.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The game will still take place in the United States, but the characters are seemingly designed to appeal to a Japanese audience. According to <a href="http://arcadeheroes.com/2014/05/22/left-4-dead-characters-better-cabinet-shot/" rel="nofollow">Arcade Heroes</a>, Kudo Yusuke is a Japanese university student visiting the U.S. when the outbreak starts, as is Haruka Hirose, a Japanese high school student, and Kirishima Sara, a travel guide. And then there's Blake Jordan, the token American and hotel bartender who previously served in the Navy.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In 2006, Taito released Half-Life 2: Survivor for Japanese arcades. As you can see in this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbF0ooRJWkI" rel="nofollow">video</a>, it added flashing arrows that point you in the right direction, points, and other elements that would complement a quicker arcade experience.</p><p style="">If you're waiting on a proper Left 4 Dead sequel, there's good reason to believe that one is on the way. According to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/counter-strike/">Counter-Strike</a> co-creator Minh Le, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/left-4-dead-3-in-development-and-looks-great-counter-strike-co-creator-says/1100-6419832/">Left 4 Dead 3 is in development and is coming along well</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><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></p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sat, 24 May 2014 15:41:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/meet-the-survivors-of-left-4-dead-s-arcade-game/1100-6419863/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/get-thief-batman-arkham-games-tomb-raider-many-more-for-cheap-in-amazon-s-mayhem-sale/1100-6419862/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2540571-5160086378-20345.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540571" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2540571-5160086378-20345.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540571"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1535/15354745/2540571-5160086378-20345.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Amazon is currently holding its huge <a href="http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=amb_link_416943502_2?ie=UTF8&node=7266959011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-5&pf_rd_r=0697FAH97K0K1337Q6H6&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1814829962&pf_rd_i=468642&tag=gamespot-vg-20" rel="nofollow">Digital Games Mayhem sale</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The sale will last until the end of May, and offers as much as 80 percent off of many of its PC game codes and downloads.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Some good deals you might be interested in include <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/thief/">Thief</a>, down from $50 to $25 (or you can get the Master Thief Edition for $27), <a href="/tomb-raider/" data-ref-id="false">Tomb Raider</a>, down from $20 to $8, and the Batman Mega Bundle, which includes all three of the released Arkham games, down from $90 to $22.50.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Other highlights include <a href="/sleeping-dogs/" data-ref-id="false">Sleeping Dogs</a>, down from $20 to $6, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/call-of-duty-black-ops-ii/" data-ref-id="false">Call of Duty: Black Ops 2</a>, down from, $60 to $30, and <a href="/just-cause-2/" data-ref-id="false">Just Cause 2</a>, down from $15 to $4.50.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">You'll need either Steam, Origin, or Uplay to run most of these games, and Amazon will let you browse by your DRM of choice if you want to stick to just one of them.</p><p style="">You can find over a 1,000 items already on sale <a href="http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=amb_link_416943502_2?ie=UTF8&node=7266959011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-5&pf_rd_r=0697FAH97K0K1337Q6H6&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1814829962&pf_rd_i=468642&tag=gamespot-vg-20" rel="nofollow">here</a>, and Amazon says that it will introduce even more promos and bundles before the sale ends.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><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></p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sat, 24 May 2014 14:02:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/get-thief-batman-arkham-games-tomb-raider-many-more-for-cheap-in-amazon-s-mayhem-sale/1100-6419862/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/papers-please-dev-announces-his-next-game-return-of-the-obra-dinn/1100-6419861/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2540546-obra+dinn.gif" data-ref-id="1300-2540546" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2540546-obra+dinn.gif" data-ref-id="1300-2540546"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1535/15354745/2540546-obra+dinn.gif"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Lucas Pope, the developer behind the award-winning indie game <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/papers-please/" data-ref-id="false">Papers, Please</a>, has announced his next project; Return of the Obra Dinn.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In a post to <a href="http://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=40832.0" rel="nofollow">TIGSource</a>, Pope explains the game will use the first-person perspective and take place on an East India Company merchant ship named the Obra Dinn, which sets out from London for "the Orient" with over 200 tons of trade goods.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Six months later it hadn't met its rendezvous point at the Cape of Good Hope and was declared lost at sea," Pope said. "Early this morning of October 14th, 1808, the Obra Dinn drifted into port with sails damaged and no visible crew. As insurance adjustor for the East India Company's London Office, find means to board the ship and recover the captain's logbook for assessment."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Pope said that his goal for the game is to challenge himself to experiment with rendering, story, and a few technical features, so it will be very different from Papers, Please and his other previous games.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The game will be built with Unity 3D, and will aim to emulate the look of old, black and white games for the Mac Plus, Pope's first computer.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"I'm hoping to capture a compelling mystery with suspense and twists in the limited space of an old merchant sailing ship," Pope said. "It won't be the typical 'collect items and look for clues' structure. There's a slightly cool gameplay hook but I won't go into details on that until much later."</p><p style="">Pope's Papers, Please won this years <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/papers-please-wins-grand-prize-in-independent-games-awards-show/1100-6418419/">Seumas McNally Grand Prize</a> at the Independent Game Festival, as well as the Excellence in Narrative and Excellence in Design award.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><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></p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sat, 24 May 2014 12:17:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/papers-please-dev-announces-his-next-game-return-of-the-obra-dinn/1100-6419861/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-wasteland-2-s-opening-movie/1100-6419860/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOQFN6U0hSI" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FxOQFN6U0hSI%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DxOQFN6U0hSI&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FxOQFN6U0hSI%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="">Developer InXile Entertainment has released the opening movie for its post-apocalyptic RPG <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/wasteland-2/">Wasteland 2</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The opening movie uses archival footage and live-action video. It recaps how the world we know destroyed itself in nuclear war, and introduces the heroic Rangers, who roam the wasteland, protecting innocent survivors from criminals, cultists, and cannibals.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Wasteland 2 is the sequel to the 1988 classic from Interplay Entertainment, which went on to create the original <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/fallout/">Fallout</a>. The project took to Kickstarter in 2012 hoping to raise $900,000, and eventually hit nearly $3 million in funding. That sum caused its <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/wasteland-2-scheduled-for-october-2013/1100-6366649/">initial release target</a> of October 2013 to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/wasteland-2-delayed-due-to-kickstarter-success/1100-6411838/">get pushed back</a> as the scope of the game was increased.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">GameSpot recently <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/wasteland-2-early-access-review/1100-6419545/">reviewed the Early Access version of Wasteland 2</a>, finding that it "spectacularly balances the older style of classic PC RPGs and more modern sensibilities."</p><p style="">The full game is slated for release around "the end of August" 2014, on PC, Mac, and Linux.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><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></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table><p style=""> </p> Sat, 24 May 2014 11:32:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-wasteland-2-s-opening-movie/1100-6419860/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/warhammer-40-000-gets-the-unreal-engine-4-treatment-in-space-hulk-deathwing/1100-6419859/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6413978" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6413978/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/space-hulk-deathwing/">Space Hulk: Deathwing</a>, a first-person shooter set in Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 universe, is looking pretty great in its first batch of screenshots.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Based on Games Workshop's classic Space Hulk boardgame (which recently got <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/space-hulk-review/1900-6413794/">its own video game</a>), Space Hulk: Deathwing is being built on the Unreal Engine 4 by Streum On Studio, which previously developed <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e-y-e-divine-cybermancy/">E.Y.E: Divine Cybermancy</a>. As you can see in the screenshots, Unreal Engine 4 looks like a natural fit for the Space Marines' bulky armor and the dark corridors of the Space Hulk where the game is set.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In Warhammer 40,000 fiction, a Space Hulk is a huge collection of wrecked ships, asteroids, and other debris fused together into one enormous body floating in space. In the game, you'll assume the role of Deathwing Librarian, who leads a squad of Space Marine Terminators through the alien-infested Space Hulk. You'll gain Fervor Points as you play, which you can then spend on four skill trees, allowing you to improve your abilities, unlock new powers, and access powerful relics and new weapons.</p><p style="">Publisher Focus Home Interactive has yet to announce a release date.</p><figure data-embed-type="gallery" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2540490-4569135460-25386.jpg,http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2540491-6628410488-25386.jpg,http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2540492-3040017199-25386.jpg,http://static4.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2540493-3744946332-25386.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540490,1300-2540491,1300-2540492,1300-2540493" data-resize-urls="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/square_avatar/1535/15354745/2540490-4569135460-25386.jpg,http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/square_avatar/1535/15354745/2540491-6628410488-25386.jpg,http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/square_avatar/1535/15354745/2540492-3040017199-25386.jpg,http://static4.gamespot.com/uploads/square_avatar/1535/15354745/2540493-3744946332-25386.jpg" data-resized="" data-resize-url=""><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2540490-4569135460-25386.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540490" ><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/square_avatar/1535/15354745/2540490-4569135460-25386.jpg"></a><a href="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2540491-6628410488-25386.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540491" ><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/square_avatar/1535/15354745/2540491-6628410488-25386.jpg"></a><a href="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2540492-3040017199-25386.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540492" ><img src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/square_avatar/1535/15354745/2540492-3040017199-25386.jpg"></a><a href="http://static4.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2540493-3744946332-25386.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540493" ><img src="http://static4.gamespot.com/uploads/square_avatar/1535/15354745/2540493-3744946332-25386.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><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></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sat, 24 May 2014 10:13:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/warhammer-40-000-gets-the-unreal-engine-4-treatment-in-space-hulk-deathwing/1100-6419859/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-testing-candy-crush-saga-inspired-version-of-peggle/1100-6419858/ <figure data-align="right" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2540446-peggle2.jpeg" data-ref-id="1300-2540446" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2540446-peggle2.jpeg" data-ref-id="1300-2540446"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/1535/15354745/2540446-peggle2.jpeg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Electronic Arts is currently testing a version of <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/peggle/" data-ref-id="false">Peggle</a> that has a lot in common with Candy Crush Saga and other free-to-play mobile games.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Like King's <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/93-million-people-play-candy-crush-saga-daily-do-you/1100-6417819/">immensely profitable Candy Crush Saga</a>, this new version of Peggle features a world map and common free-to-play monetization methods. If you lose all your lives, for example, you could either wait for a significant amount of time, or buy more via in-app purchases and continue playing immediately.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">This version of Peggle is currently free to download from the New Zealand and Singapore iTunes App Stores. Mobile game developers often launch games or test new versions of them in smaller territories like New Zealand (Canada and Australia are two other popular testing grounds) and gauge the audience's reaction before rolling them out to bigger territories like North America.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Unfortunately, as <a href="http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/iPhone/Peggle+%28iPhone%29/news.asp?c=59596" rel="nofollow">Pocket Gamer reports</a>, EA didn't only launch this new version of Peggle in those territories, but also removed the original game from the app store.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We're exploring different ways to extend the fun of Peggle on mobile, and we're currently testing a free-to-play version of the game in Singapore and New Zealand," an EA representative told <a href="http://kotaku.com/ea-is-ruining-peggle-1580422686" rel="nofollow">Kotaku</a>. "It's important to note that we haven't finalized gameplay features or business model yet, and this free-to-play version of Peggle is part of a series of tests we'll be conducting in specific markets. We often test these experiences first to see if they resonate with our players."</p><p style="">The older, paid version of Peggle is still available to buy in other territories.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><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></p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sat, 24 May 2014 07:54:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-testing-candy-crush-saga-inspired-version-of-peggle/1100-6419858/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/star-citizen-funding-hits-44-million-milestone/1100-6419857/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2540439-2160252157-Banu_.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540439" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2540439-2160252157-Banu_.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540439"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1535/15354745/2540439-2160252157-Banu_.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/wing-commander/">Wing Commander</a> creator Chris Roberts' <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/star-citizen/">Star Citizen</a> has just reached yet another funding milestone. The game's widely successful crowdfunding campaign has now raised a staggering $44 million, up from $43 million in late April.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In <a href="https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/transmission/13888-Letter-From-The-Chairman-44-Million" rel="nofollow">a letter to the community</a>, Roberts said that his team is hard at work on <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/star-citizen-launches-arena-commander-mode-this-month/1100-6419708/">Arena Commander</a>, a small, multiplayer-focused dogfighting mode that should launch on <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/star-citizen-launches-arena-commander-mode-this-month/1100-6419708/">May 29</a>. "Getting to dogfight in deep space is going to make Star Citizen real for a lot of people," Roberts said. "But I also know that everyone who has supported us to this point already understands. Thank you for getting us here!"</p><p dir="ltr" style="">To mark the occasion, Roberts shared a piece of concept art for what he calls the "negotiation room," a place in one of the games' ships where traders can meet with other players, display their cargo, and make deals.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">All backers who contributed to Star Citizen before this point will get an additional "Stellar Cartography" room added to their hangers once the modular room system launches. This room will serve as a kind of map, featuring a 3D holographic representation of the game's universe that will get more detailed as you explore it.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Roberts revealed that If Star Citizen hits $46 million in funding, backers will get an updated scanning software suite, which could provide them with information on where to find resources.</p><p style="">Star Citizen is due to launch in full sometime in 2015. A total of 453,429 people have backed the project so far.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"> <em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><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></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sat, 24 May 2014 07:07:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/star-citizen-funding-hits-44-million-milestone/1100-6419857/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/hyperkin-retron-5-video-review/2300-6418957/ The Retron 5 console from Hyperkin lets you play old Nintendo and Sega games in new and exciting ways, but it needs additional work in order to reach its full potential. Sat, 24 May 2014 06:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/hyperkin-retron-5-video-review/2300-6418957/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/hyperkin-retron-5-review/1100-6419841/ <p style="">A taste for the classics is on the rise, inspiring people to seek out old games and consoles, but not everyone wants to wade through flea markets or enter into a bidding war on eBay for a 20-year-old Super Nintendo. This is where a hardware company like Hyperkin comes into play. Its line of Retron consoles has given fans of classic games a new way to play NES, SNES, and Sega Genesis cartridges, and its latest console, the Retron 5, introduces support for Famicom, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance games. Everything is powered by an embedded Android operating system, which opens the door for valuable features such as HDMI output, save states, and Game Genie-like cheat codes.</p><p style="">It's a great system with loads of promise, but it also has a few issues that need to be ironed out if Hyperkin wants to please enthusiasts. Luckily, the Retron 5 has an upgradable operating system, so these issues may be resolved down the road. But, as it is today, is Hyperkin's latest console worth the $140 asking price? Let's take a look.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418957" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418957/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">The Retron 5 is a good-looking if unusual console. It has five cartridge slots, six controller ports, and a dock in the back for the included wireless controller. Like a lot of aftermarket consoles, it's outfitted with cheap-feeling plastic, but given its attractive design, it's natural to forget what it's made from and focus on how it looks instead.</p><p style="">The included wireless controller isn't quite as good looking as the console, or as well made, but as a functional piece of hardware, it's fairly sufficient. It communicates with the Retron 5 via Bluetooth, and has a battery that lasts up to eight hours. It would be great if the battery could recharge passively while the controller was docked in the back of the console, but in reality, you have to manually connect it to the system using a rather unusual micro-USB to mini-USB cable. Thankfully, the 10-foot cable offers plenty of slack so you can play games while the controller is charging.</p><p style="">Though it has a few nice features, the controller doesn't quite measure up to the quality of original NES, SNES, and Genesis controllers. Its convex buttons are made of hard plastic and emit an unpleasant, hollow, clicky sound. Instead of implementing a directional pad, Hyperkin opted to install an eight-way thumbstick, similar to what you would find on a Neo Geo Pocket. It works well for some games, but it can be a death sentence when playing difficult games with strict timing and movement requirements. It's also unfortunate that the system can't be turned on with the wireless controller; you have to hold down the power button on the front of the system for five seconds. It's a better controller than those Hyperkin has shipped with past Retron systems, but not by much.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2540210-vlcsnap-00027.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540210" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2540210-vlcsnap-00027.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540210"><img src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/1406/14063904/2540210-vlcsnap-00027.jpg"></a><figcaption>The wireless Retron 5 controller is convenient, but also cut-rate. Stick to official controllers, if you can.</figcaption></figure><p style="">On either side of the system are three ports--one each for NES, SNES, and Genesis controllers. The Retron 5 lets you use any controller that's plugged into the system regardless of the type of game you're playing. So you don't need to unplug your Genesis controller when you want to play an NES game, for example. The controls for different systems remap automatically to other controllers, but you can also remap the button layouts manually within the Retron 5's OS.</p><p style="">Unfortunately, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance games remain single-player experiences. Traditionally, you would have to link two Game Boys together via a link cable, and the Retron isn't currently capable of emulating that arrangement. Thankfully, it does simulate multitaps, so four-player games for every other console are easily arranged, regardless of the mix of controllers you've connected to the Retron.</p><p style="">A quick look at the back of the system reveals an SD card slot that's used for cheat codes, screenshots, firmware updates, and save-state files. There's also a mini-USB port for recharging controllers, an HDMI port, and the AC adapter port. Hyperkin has thoughtfully included outlet adapters for Europe, the UK, Australia, and China.</p><p style="">Most aftermarket retro consoles use problematic emulation methods to do the heavy lifting, which doesn't always work with games that use special chips and circuitry. The Retron 5 is no more pure, in the sense that it still uses emulation to get the job done. Though Hyperkin confidently asserts that the Retron 5 will ultimately support every officially licensed game for the consoles it supports, we found a few exceptions during our tests, including some games that worked perfectly on previous Retron consoles. These include <a href="/street-fighter-alpha-2/" data-ref-id="false">Street Fighter Alpha 2</a> on the Super Nintendo, and the combination of <a href="/sonic-the-hedgehog-2/" data-ref-id="false">Sonic the Hedgehog 2</a> or <a href="/sonic-the-hedgehog-3/" data-ref-id="false">3</a> with <a href="/sonic-and-knuckles/" data-ref-id="false">Sonic & Knuckles</a> for the Sega Genesis. Unlicensed games aren't officially supported, and when we tried to play <a href="/pier-solar-hd/" data-ref-id="false">Pier Solar</a> on the Sega Genesis, it failed to make it past the intro screen. Again, these may just be temporary issues that Hyperkin can fix with a future firmware update.</p><p style="">Unfortunately, though the Retron supports multiple systems, for now, it won't operate if you put in more than one cartridge at a time. With the Retron 3, for example, you could keep a cart in every slot and manually select which one you wanted to play. Hyperkin has said that it's working on an OS setting that will allow you to do the same on the Retron 5, but at the moment, the system will report an error if you insert more than one game.</p><figure data-embed-type="comparison" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2540218-vlcsnap-00030.jpg,http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2540219-vlcsnap-00029.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540218,1300-2540219" data-size="large" data-image-titles="Retron 5 (HDMI),Retron 3 (Composite video)" data-resize-urls="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/1406/14063904/2540218-vlcsnap-00030.jpg,http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/1406/14063904/2540219-vlcsnap-00029.jpg" data-resized="" data-resize-url=""><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2540218-vlcsnap-00030.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540218" title="Retron 5 (HDMI)"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/1406/14063904/2540218-vlcsnap-00030.jpg"></a><a href="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2540219-vlcsnap-00029.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540219" title="Retron 3 (Composite video)"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/1406/14063904/2540219-vlcsnap-00029.jpg"></a><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><p style=""> </p><p style="">If you're used to playing classic games through composite cables, you'll be impressed by how crisp and colorful they look with the Retron 5 and an HDTV, and with HDMI, you don't have to worry about PAL and NTSC incompatibility. Though some people will appreciate the sharp, hi-def pixels coming out of the Retron, you have the option of smoothing them out with a few distinct image filters. No one filter works well for every game, but it's a great option to have, and you may find that some games look surprisingly fresh when the right filter is applied.</p><p style="">Apart from playing thousands of games, perhaps the most useful feature of the Retron 5 is its ability to use save states. These allow you to save at any point during a game and restart right where you left off. It's a convenient feature that makes getting through some of the more difficult games a bit easier, and given that a lot of old cartridges have dead batteries inside, save states can breathe new life into a cartridge that's no longer able to store saved games.</p><p style="">Built-in cheat codes are another valuable feature, and Hyperkin is constructing a large database of codes that it will distribute on its website, but you'll need to supply your own SD card in order to use them. Our tests with an early version of this database were mostly positive, but there's still room for improvement in the cheat section of the Retron 5's UI. There's no way to automatically sort codes, or to activate and deactivate codes en masse, so it can be a bit of a chore when you want to find one code out of a list of a few dozen. Unfortunately, there's no way to enter new codes via the Retron OS, and there's no easy way to edit the cheat database on a PC without manipulating massive and unintuitive XML files.</p><blockquote data-size="large" data-align="center"><p style="">Unfortunately, though the Retron supports multiple systems, for now, it won't operate if you put in more than one cartridge...</p></blockquote><p style="">The Retron 5 emulates games after dumping them to local memory, which includes any saves that are present on the cartridge. Therefore, any new in-game saves you create are also saved locally, but you can also upload them back to the original cartridge. This worked in almost every case, with the exception of <a href="/super-mario-rpg-legend-of-the-seven-stars/" data-ref-id="false">Super Mario RPG</a>, but we also had an issue with a copy of <a href="/the-legend-of-zelda-a-link-to-the-past/" data-ref-id="false">The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past</a>. In this case, the Retron looked as though it were rewriting save files to the cartridge, but it would consistently fail to rewrite one save in particular, which went mysteriously blank, resulting in an empty slot and a save file that remains in limbo on the Retron. Given that you're working with decades-old games with equally old batteries, there's always the inherent risk that this feature will be unreliable, but this is never explicitly spelled out in the OS.</p><p style="">Save states, cheats, and battery backups are tied to specific games, which are identified by cross-referencing the data on a cartridge against a database of known games in the Retron's local memory, which is supposed to account for the entire library across all supported platforms. Unfortunately, when a game can't be identified, you lose access to cheats, and potentially save states too. Oddly, the Retron 5 couldn't properly identify our copy of <a href="/super-metroid/" data-ref-id="false">Super Metroid</a> for the SNES, even though it's a well-known game. This might be due to a poor connection between the cartridge and the Retron, but there's no alternate method for accessing cheats and save states when this occurs.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2540224-vlcsnap-00031.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540224" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2540224-vlcsnap-00031.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540224"><img src="http://static4.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1406/14063904/2540224-vlcsnap-00031.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Taking all of these features and issues into account, it's clear that the Retron 5 is not for everyone. On the one hand, it does things with real cartridges that could previously be accomplished only with PC-based emulators and ROMs. Unfortunately, the promise of a great system is hampered by minor incompatibility issues and half-baked features. The dependence on cart verification is too strict, and the fact that you can have only one cartridge in at a time is disappointing.</p><p style=""> </p><p style="">Speaking as an avid collector and retro-game enthusiast, I'm impressed with the latest Retron, but given its current limitations, it's not yet a full-time replacement for my original consoles. Still, it breathes new life into classic games, and despite its current issues, there are enough benefits to justify adding it to your repertoire of classic gaming hardware. It's currently the most expensive console of its type, but if Hyperkin fixes the issues with the OS and the internal emulators, $140 will be a small price to pay for the new gold standard in retro gaming consoles.</p> Sat, 24 May 2014 06:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/hyperkin-retron-5-review/1100-6419841/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/blizzard-sues-starcraft-2-hackers-for-selling-cheats/1100-6419854/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2540083-sc21.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540083" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2540083-sc21.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540083"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2540083-sc21.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Not content with simply banning cheaters, Blizzard has filed a lawsuit against those responsible for creating and selling a popular line of cheats for <a href="/starcraft-ii-heart-of-the-swarm/" data-ref-id="false">StarCraft II</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The lawsuit was filed on April 19 in a United States District Court in California. According to a copy of the suit obtained by <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/blizzard-sues-starcraft-ii-hackers-copyright-infringement-140521/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">TorrentFreak</a>, Blizzard claims these hacks "not only disrupt or impair the online experience for purchasers of the computer game, but, as set forth more fully herein, cause serious and irreparable harm to Blizzard and its products."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The "ValiantChaos MapHack" cheat is specifically targeted. Sold by way of access to a VIP forum for 62.50 AUD (roughly $58), the hack does a number of things, from showing enemy units that should be hidden to revealing what users' opponents are building to automatically handling certain tasks. It also includes features that make it difficult to be detected, even by those watching a replay of the match.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><span>Blizzard hasn't identified any defendants by name because, at this point, it doesn't actually have their names. Even so, Blizzard claims the hackers agreed to the game's EULA (the long, legalese-laden document you undoubtedly agree to without reading when first playing a new game) and are therefore infringing on its copyright. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style=""><span>"Defendants are well aware that they do not have any license, right, or authority to engage in any of the foregoing infringing activities," the lawsuit states. "It is well-known to the public, and Defendants certainly know, that Blizzard owns the copyright in StarCraft II, and never has authorized Defendants to develop and/or distribute Hacks or other software that modifies StarCraft II or its online components."</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="">Blizzard not only wants an injunction preventing the hackers in question from continuing to distribute hacks, it's also seeking damages and the profits the defendants have made selling hacks (or $150,000 "for each copyright infringed"). And--just for good measure--Blizzard wants the hackers to pay its legal fees, too.</p><p style="">This isn't the first time the StarCraft maker has gone after those creating hacks for its games. In 2010, it <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/blizzard-sues-starcraft-ii-hackers/1100-6282171/" data-ref-id="1100-6282171">went after another group</a> of StarCraft II hackers for copyright infringement, which evidently wasn't a strong enough indication of Blizzard's willingness to take down cheat distributors.</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, 23 May 2014 16:20:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/blizzard-sues-starcraft-2-hackers-for-selling-cheats/1100-6419854/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-top-5-halo-5-is-coming-in-2015-is-far-cry-/2300-6418941/ Halo 5 info lands, an HD pack of Halo 1 - 4 could be in the works, the Xbox One gets external storage, and how has Far Cry 4 caused controversy?! Fri, 23 May 2014 16:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-top-5-halo-5-is-coming-in-2015-is-far-cry-/2300-6418941/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/prior-to-e3-microsoft-trademarks-xbox-cult-classic-phantom-dust-s-name/1100-6419853/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2540057-phantom+dust.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540057" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2540057-phantom+dust.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2540057"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2540057-phantom+dust.jpg"></a><figcaption>Image courtesy of Gamasutra</figcaption></figure><p style="">A decade after releasing <a href="/phantom-dust/" data-ref-id="false">Phantom Dust</a> for the original Xbox, Microsoft has filed for a new trademark on the game's title in Europe, possibly signaling the company's intention to reboot the series as previously rumored.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The <a href="https://oami.europa.eu/eSearch/#details/trademarks/012897096" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">trademark</a> (as first reported by <a href="http://gamingeverything.com/microsoft-registers-new-phantom-dust-trademark/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Gaming Everything</a>) was filed for just yesterday by Microsoft and falls into the "game software" and "entertainment services, namely, providing an online computer game" categories.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Microsoft still owns a trademark on the name in the United States even though it was Majesco that published Phantom Dust here in 2005. Originally published by Microsoft in Japan the year prior, it was developed by Microsoft Game Studios and directed by Yukio Futatsugi, the director of Sega Saturn classic <a href="/panzer-dragoon/" data-ref-id="false">Panzer Dragoon</a> and, more recently, Xbox One launch game <a href="/crimson-dragon/" data-ref-id="false">Crimson Dragon</a>. A sort of hybrid of card games and shooters, it earned an 8.5 in <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/phantom-dust-review/1900-6121097/" data-ref-id="1900-6121097">GameSpot's review</a> at the time.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Futatsugi has expressed interest in reviving the series in the past, telling <a href="http://www.usgamer.net/articles/phantom-dust-creator-wants-to-kickstart-a-sequel" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">USGamer</a> last June, "I've been really interested in how the Kickstarter movement has been going, and I think it would be great if it actually stays part of the industry. The reason why I looked into Kickstarter is because I wanted to Kickstart a Phantom Dust game."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">While Kickstarter has shown itself to be a viable avenue for funding cult classics--<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/as-amplitude-funding-passes-800k-harmonix-explains-why-it-went-playstation-exclusive/1100-6419848/" data-ref-id="1100-6419848">just look at Harmonix</a> with <a href="/amplitude/" data-ref-id="false">Amplitude</a>--the site's restrictions on where a project must be based out of would have made it difficult to leverage for the Japan-based Futatsugi. However, he may have found a different approach for getting a new Phantom Dust funded as Crimson Dragon's development concluded.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Late last year, now-Head of Xbox Phil Spencer told <a href="http://kotaku.com/whats-next-for-the-xbox-one-1471212785" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Kotaku</a> that discussions had taken place about the possibility of rebooting Phantom Dust. "We're talking to [Futatsugi] about what we might want to do next with him," Spencer said. "There's some interest out there in some older [intellectual property]. Phantom Dust has come up around whether we would want to reboot that franchise. It's a discussion right now; there's nothing's signed. But we're talking. It does seem like there's a lot of interest around that. And we have a good long relationship with him and I think that would be good."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">A trademark registration on its own is no guarantee that anything is in the works. But with E3 just <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/" data-ref-id="false">a few weeks away</a>, it's entirely possible a new Phantom Dust project will be among the titles Microsoft plans to reveal during its <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-s-e3-briefing-takes-place-june-9-what-are-you-hoping-is-announced/1100-6419449/" data-ref-id="1100-6419449">press conference</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><em>What are you hoping comes of this Phantom Dust trademark application? An HD remake? A sequel? Let us know in the comments below.</em></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, 23 May 2014 15:43:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/prior-to-e3-microsoft-trademarks-xbox-cult-classic-phantom-dust-s-name/1100-6419853/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/thank-god-it-s-free-games-friday-may-23-2014/1100-6419851/ <p style="">Welcome to this week's edition of Free Games Friday, our weekly look at games, demos, and betas that you can enjoy for the same price as a free bus pass. This week we're recommending an excellent arcade-style action game, an iOS racer based on one of last year's console releases, and the closed beta of an upcoming MOBA that we've secured a LOT of codes for. Check out the video below for more details and be sure to let us know what you think of this week's selection in the comments.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418950" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418950/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">Check out the links below to find all of the games mentioned in this week's show.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/sg/app/f1-race-stars/id609011789?mt=8" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">F1 Race Stars</a></p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="https://www.wizardwars.com/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Magicka: Wizard Wars</a></p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="http://www.supercratebox.com/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Super Crate Box</a></p><p style=""><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/wizardwarsgiveaway/" data-ref-id="false">Magicka: Wizard Wars Alpha Code Giveaway</a></p> Fri, 23 May 2014 14:02:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/thank-god-it-s-free-games-friday-may-23-2014/1100-6419851/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/titanfall-pc-s-ctf-mode-cut-why-it-was-dumped-and-why-it-s-now-back/1100-6419850/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418907" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418907/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">Respawn recently <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/titanfall-pc-s-ctf-and-pilot-hunter-mode-playlists-removed/1100-6419698/" data-ref-id="1100-6419698">dropped two playlists from the PC version</a> of <a href="/titanfall/" data-ref-id="false">Titanfall</a>, removing players' ability to choose to exclusively play Capture the Flag or Pilot Hunter matches. This move was criticized by many, as it seemingly provided fewer options to the player without offering something positive in return. Respawn has now provided an explanation for the changes to the game's playlists as it returns the CTF playlist to the game on PC.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In a lengthy post on the <a href="http://www.titanfall.com/news/ctf-matchmaking-update-pc-and-xbox-one" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Titanfall blog</a>, Respawn revealed that less than 1% of players were playing CTF on PC. Low demand in and of itself might seem like no reason to remove a playlist--after all, what's the harm in letting those players interested in CTF continue to play it? But as it turns out, having so few players looking for CTF-only games creates problems.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"With that few players attempting to connect, our matchmaking would just sit there, spinning forever, waiting to find a game to play," the blog explains. "This is a bad experience for the user, and so we had to look at how we fix it. Our first step was removing playlists that were effectively broken. The second step is to continue refinement of our matchmaking. After that first step, though, it's obvious that lots of people were upset -- far more than the player counts on the removed modes led us to believe."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The blog goes on to provide a fairly extensive explanation of how matchmaking works. The way things currently work has resulted in "75% of games having less than a 30% score differential and 15% of games with less than a 5% differential (that's a difference of a few pilots or squads of grunts in Attrition)." Those numbers sound good, but when you begin dealing with players who are divided up into different regions and are looking to play different modes, difficult questions arise about how to handle less popular playlists.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"The problem though, is that even when tens of thousands of people are playing Titanfall at once, there may not be a lot of games forming at any one time, especially during non-peak hours," Respawn says. "This means our absolute 'perfect' match is often hard to come by. This is where the hard part of matchmaking starts. Do you just continue looking for minutes, hoping to find the perfect match? What happens if that perfect match never opens up? What if there's no one in Southeast Asia who is also in the 75th percentile skill that really wants to play Last Titan Standing right now?"</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418838" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418838/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">In response to Respawn yanking the CTF and Pilot Hunter playlists--making it so that the two game modes can only be played in the Variety Pack playlist--some gamers have frequently offered up two suggestions: either allow players to wait as long as it takes for a match, or let them choose to play with players from elsewhere in the world. Respawn calls these "legitimate suggestions," but sees problems with both. What it's instead doing is bringing back the CTF playlist on PC and testing "even wider region searches," so that you'll be matched up with players from "neighboring continents" if nearby players aren't found quickly enough.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Other changes include making it clear in lobbies when players are joining, tracking chat usage to get communicative players together, and "adding a last resort measure to re-balance lobbies that have been constructed from disparate skill groups or couldn't be balanced in time by matchmaking." The latter move should help to ensure players are less likely to end up playing 6v4 when the match could be 5v5.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Respawn also reiterated that it's at work on new games modes, which co-founder Vince Zampella has <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/think-titanfall-lacks-variety-it-s-getting-new-game-modes/1100-6418458/" data-ref-id="1100-6418458">previously talked about</a>, as well as "riffs" on the modes already in the game. The game's <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/titanfall-expedition-dlc-will-be-released-for-xbox-one-and-pc-tomorrow-costs-10/1100-6419619/" data-ref-id="1100-6419619">first downloadable content pack</a> was recently released and is one of <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Agamespot.com+titanfall+dlc&rlz=1C1ASUM_enUS460US460&oq=site%3Agamespot.com+titanfall+dlc&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i58.2944j0j4&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=122&ie=UTF-8#q=site:gamespot.com+titanfall+season+pass&safe=off" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">at least three DLC releases</a> the game will see.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><em>If you're a PC player, are you happy that CTF has returned as its own, dedicated playlist? Whether or not you're still playing Titanfall, what kind of new games modes would you like to see? Let us know in the comments.</em></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, 23 May 2014 13:56:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/titanfall-pc-s-ctf-mode-cut-why-it-was-dumped-and-why-it-s-now-back/1100-6419850/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/disney-cancels-star-wars-attack-squadrons-before-it-even-gets-out-of-beta/1100-6419849/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2539954-squadrons.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539954" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2539954-squadrons.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539954"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2539954-squadrons.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Disney's <a href="/star-wars-attack-squadrons/" data-ref-id="false">Star Wars: Attack Squadrons</a>, a free-to-play PC game that channeled classic Nintendo 64 title <a href="/reviews/star-wars-rogue-squadron-review/1900-2545130/" data-ref-id="1900-2545130">Rogue Squadron</a>, is no more. The developer today canceled the game, just<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/next-star-wars-game-is-free-to-play-and-channels-rogue-squadron/1100-6416762/" data-ref-id="1100-6416762"> five months after announcing it in December 2013</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">A message <a href="http://www.starwarsattacksquadrons.com/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">posted on the game's website </a>informs players of the shutdown. "We want to thank all of the fans who participated in the closed beta of Star Wars: Attack Squadrons," Disney said. "After much consideration, we have decided to cease development so that we can focus on other Star Wars game experiences. We truly appreciate the time you spent engaging in the beta."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Star Wars: Attack Squadrons was going to allow you to pilot classic Star Wars ships such as the X-Wing or TIE Interceptor. Ship customization and multiplayer battles were also planned. The game's dogfighting mode was going to support up to 16 players and even take place in "iconic Star Wars locations."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">First-time developer <a href="http://www.area52games.com/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Area 52 Games</a> was behind Star Wars: Attack Squadrons. It's unclear what impact the game's cancellation had or will have on the studio.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Though Star Wars: Attack Squadrons may be no more, Electronic Arts is moving forward on multiple core Star Wars games. Battlefield developer DICE is making a new<a href="/star-wars-battlefront/" data-ref-id="false"> Star Wars: Battlefront </a>game, while <a href="/dead-space/" data-ref-id="false">Dead Space</a> creator Visceral Games is rumored to be working on an <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-developing-open-world-star-wars-game/1100-6416442/" data-ref-id="1100-6416442">open-world Star Wars game</a>. Former Naughty Dog creative director Amy Hennig <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">recently joined EA to work on this title</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Disney and Lucasfilm announced in April that going forward, "all aspects of Star Wars storytelling moving forward will be connected." As part of this announcement, Lucasfilm confirmed that all future game releases will also be canonical.</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, 23 May 2014 12:58:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/disney-cancels-star-wars-attack-squadrons-before-it-even-gets-out-of-beta/1100-6419849/
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