Arma 3 Updated Review

The most famous of the classic blunders, we're told, is getting involved in a land war in Asia. Arma III should be at a healthy remove then, centered as it is around the battle for a fictional Mediterranean archipelago. It certainly plays all the right cards: vaguely foreboding news montages, not-so-vague allusions to real-world conflicts, and realistic weaponry and other military miscellanea. Here is the modern shooter, dressed for success.

But what's to be said for the wisdom of appending a campaign mode to a game that has traditionally been appreciated as a multiplayer creative suite? There's a blunder for the modern era. The Arma series is known foremost as a platform: a malleable assembly of characters and military objects, and rules to govern their behavior. Modding enthusiasts leverage in-game editors and a relatively ungated code structure to produce their own playable content in lieu of formal designs, and to great effect. It was odd, then, to see some lamenting the relegation of Arma III's campaign to three downloadable post-release entries. There's a stubborn canard that asserts a video game's single-player campaign, if offered, must be its nominal flagship, even when in practice it's a secondary (or tertiary) concern for player and developer alike.

The topography of Altis gives way to roads and towns in a way that looks natural.

But a campaign was promised, and so a campaign must be delivered. NATO forces are in the midst of a drawdown on the island of Stratis, when the once-friendly local forces lash out in a surprise attack. A multistage affair ensues, playing out in a dull triptych: Survive. Adapt. Win. The grunt tasked with doing that surviving, adapting, and winning is one Corporal Kerry, who reacts to every order he's given with a beleaguered protest ("You want me to do what??"), which is a curious trait for a soldier with a non-zero amount of experience. You, as Kerry, take on an escalating part in an escalating war, eventually graduating from a follower role on Stratis' meager 20 square kilometers to commanding a squad on Altis and its staggering 270 square kilometers. There are a few vague allusions to an overarching plot involving a British black-ops group and some suspicious earthquakes, but neither plot point stakes much of a claim on the proceedings.

The campaign is a strange beast, torn between an earnest attempt to render the tedium and dispassionate remove that color modern warfare, and the Hollywood bombast that colors Modern Warfare a la Call of Duty. This is the sort of conflict where acronyms (NATO, FIA) fight acronyms (CSAT, AAF) over acronyms (LZs, OPs). But it's also the sort where trite wartime quotes fill the interstitial screens, and where the only attempt to characterize the enemy force is an epithet--"greenback"--that's occasionally spat. Arma III is content to let you idle while an ally goes through a lengthy, inaudible, and ultimately inconsequential discussion with a checkpoint guard, or direct you to report in to characters whose only purpose is to refer you over to talk to your commanding officer a few yards away. It restricts your character's movement speed to a controlled jog--elbows in, gun stock squarely nestled on the shoulder--and sends you humping across the hills and valleys of Altis for miles without encountering anything worth loosing a round at. Then an electric guitar wails, a bomber starts strafing your position, and you're forced to bug out at the same ponderous pace that you entered with seconds ago.

Arma III's in-game editor packs a lot of features.

The fractured nature of Arma III's campaign makes for an uneven experience at best, but that variability does have an accentuating effect when things fall into a more natural stride. For one, there's a real fragility to Kerry and his unit. So when Bohemia dangles the carrot of an escape helicopter before you at the end of one grueling mission, and then snatches it away with an untimely bit of antiaircraft fire, Kerry's horror-struck pleas of "no no No No NO!" take on a bitter pathos. The introduction of the island of Altis is another high point, presenting a rigorous mission that sees Kerry attempting to rearm and regroup after being stranded behind enemy lines. When Arma III isn't trying to show off a fancy new military gadget or weave in its half-baked tale of black-ops intrigue, when it's leaning on the more tangible drama of a botched rescue or frantic coms chatter, it simmers in a way most shooters can't.

It helps that your forces aren't punctuating every explosion with a string of expletives, of course. But for the better part of the campaign I supplied my own. Not two skirmishes into the Survive campaign's relatively tame first level, it seems I'd already died more times than I had in the entirety of Dark Souls, and that game's motto is "Prepare to Die." I'd hop off five-foot-tall ledges and crumple into a bloody heap. I'd get gunned down while looking at the full screen map, after being prompted to look at the map. I'd open up the help menu for instructions on some trial-by-fire task, and get killed while reading them. I'd succumb to razor-accurate shots fired by enemies in distant hills, enemies who never seemed to have a scope on their guns when I eventually overcame them. Some of these instances were learning experiences, and not soon repeated. Others felt like side effects of the campaign's delay and piecemeal release schedule--what Arma veteran would have welcomed a long-awaited mode that leads with a thorough introduction to controls he or she is already familiar with?

The campaign is a strange beast, torn between an earnest attempt to render the tedium and dispassionate remove that color modern warfare, and the Hollywood bombast that colors Modern Warfare a la Call of Duty.

Arma III uses the full keyboard for its array of possible actions, split between personal affairs like toggling flashlights and binoculars, and issuing orders to your squad. Much of the heavy lifting is foisted on the mousewheel, of all things, which scrolls through contextual actions for almost anything that's to be done in the game. The controls alternate between instrumental and overly finicky, but they never cease to be an aspect of Arma III that requires constant attention. The unwieldiness does lend combat a certain gravitas, however. Most modern shooters grant an athletic flourish to the act of killing; here, the satisfaction of downing an enemy comes from the knowledge that he won't be shooting at you anymore, not in how adroitly you head-shotted him.

There isn't such a positive spin to be put on Arma III's artificial intelligence, however. It's particularly damning, because the strategic underpinnings require a close coordination with squadmates that the game's engine isn't prepared to give. Teammates follow commands at their leisure, if they follow them at all. During one marathon trek across the island, I reached my destination with only two of my eight-man squad in tow. Looking back from the top of our hilltop destination, I could chart the lost squad members like dropped breadcrumbs--one trapped on a rock, four frozen solid in the middle of a field, and the last determined never to leave the two-story building he'd wandered into of his own volition. All attempts to order a regroup returned a chorus of firm but vexing "Negative." So much for "no man gets left behind," then.

Succinct.

Though Arma III's campaign may be a bit of a dud, the rest of the game remains more than capable of carrying a payload. There are the packaged showcases, which are one-off missions that introduce the game's more varied weapons, vehicles, and techniques in isolation. There's a firing range that offers a bit of shooting gallery-style diversion. What's of more significance is the multiplayer, which bolsters the mission-running experience by supplanting the artificial intelligence with human allies that need less babysitting. They aren't always any more helpful than the AI (and they're a tad more likely to frag you), but they're better company, and one good session is worth trawling the server browser for a little while. A capable human team can achieve the closest thing to agility that Arma III's punctilious controls allow, leapfrogging between bits of cover and sweeping buildings with a collective conscience.

Better still is the library of mods, packed with thousands of player-created variants that run the gamut from atomic tests and rally races to fully-scripted missions and dynamic war simulations. You can take on a gauntlet of snipers, playing off the variable lines of sight that Altis' hills and valleys proffer. You can attempt a recreation of the real-life Neptune Spear mission that takes some curious artistic liberties. Chief among the offerings is Wasteland, a survivalist affair that highlights Arma III's talent for brooding, deliberate engagements, where discretion begins to really feel like the better part of valor. Or you could simply wander the islands, grabbing a few pictures to put alongside the towns, salt flats, and castles that litter the map's expansive topography.

In any direction you go, there's loosely structured fun to be had. It's there where the islands Bohemia Interactive have created are put through their paces, stretched and warped by the collective whim of the internet, unconstrained by the expectations that burden the words "modern warfare."

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http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Fri, 04 Apr 2014 05:03:55 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/soma-the-new-horror-game-from-the-creators-of-amnesia-aims-to-go-deeper/1100-6418755/ <p style="">With its upcoming game SOMA, Frictional Games is leaving behind the world of <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/amnesia-the-dark-descent/" data-ref-id="false">Amnesia</a> and venturing into a new setting and new thematic territory. This horror sci-fi game delves into themes of consciousness, and instead of assaulting you with a barrage of jump scares, SOMA goes for a slow buildup, trying to get inside your head. I recently had a chance to play a section of this combat-free first-person adventure, and discovered a few details about its story and setting.</p><p style="">You play as Simon, a man who has found himself in an abandoned science facility. According to Thomas Grip of Frictional Games, "He's not an amnesiac character, but something weird has happened to him that has made him end up in this place, and that's a big mystery, but I can't talk to you about that right now. What's sort of cool with the mystery is that you could actually figure it out directly, but I don't think that many people will think in those directions and want to consider that possibility."</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418121" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418121/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">The places you explore can help you solve that mystery, if you take the time to examine them closely. Said Grip, "We put a ton of effort into making every area a sort of narrative playground. There's tons and tons of small clues for the player to figure out." I love environmental storytelling, so when I played SOMA, I wanted to examine every sign and every schematic to see what they might have to tell me about the strange facility and what had taken place there. But the game is also designed to pull in players who don't want to investigate every little detail. Grip said, "We're designing it for a player that reads nothing, listens to nothing, just runs through. He should get the main gist of the story. It's not that we want to cater to players like this, but it's just that if we have that as a sort of goal, then we are sure that we have more active storytelling."</p><p style="">Much of the story remains shrouded in mystery, but a few tidbits emerged from my time with the game. Something strange has happened with the robots in the science facility I explored. At one point, I made my way through an area that a couple had once shared, but the woman had hanged herself, leaving behind a message that said, "Whatever that was, it wasn't Carl, I want you to know that. Nothing about that thing was even close to OK." Nearby, a human-sounding voice emanated from a trapped robot, leading me to suspect that somehow the consciousnesses of humans were becoming imprisoned in the metal bodies of automatons.</p><blockquote data-size="large" data-align="center"><p style="">There were noises that sounded like distant screams, and I wasn't sure if I was hearing what I thought I was hearing or if my imagination was making more of the muffled ocean sounds than was actually there.</p></blockquote><p style="">Like the technology in another horror game I recently played, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/alien-isolation/" data-ref-id="false">Alien: Isolation</a>, the computer terminals and other machinery in SOMA look clunky and dated, but still, given the presence of robots and hints in text logs of the existence of an artificial intelligence that had gone rogue, I initially suspected that the facility I was exploring was in space, or perhaps on some alien world. But when the facility became flooded with water, and Grip then skipped ahead to an underwater section that comes an hour or two later in the game, it became clear that SOMA is actually set beneath the surface of one of Earth's own oceans.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/78/787590/2496505-screen_screenshot_040.png" data-ref-id="1300-2496505" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/78/787590/2496505-screen_screenshot_040.png" data-ref-id="1300-2496505"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/78/787590/2496505-screen_screenshot_040.png"></a><figcaption>What's lurking in the darkness?</figcaption></figure><p style="">It was as I made my way across the ocean floor that SOMA really started to scare me. There were noises that sounded like distant screams, and I wasn't sure if I was hearing what I thought I was hearing or if my imagination was making more of the muffled ocean sounds than was actually there. The murky depths of the ocean seemed like a fitting metaphor for the depths of the human psyche that Grip is keen to explore with the game. Later, making my way through the flooded wreckage of the lambda station, I encountered the jiangshi, a mysterious ghostly threat you must run or hide from. If one is nearby, the visuals and sounds are distorted by staticky disruptions, as if the proximity of the jiangshi is interfering with the frequency of Simon's mind.</p><p style="">The section of SOMA that I played really was a slow build, letting the atmosphere and sounds create a sense of psychological fear rather than relying on gore or jump scares. With sinister glee, Thomas Grip said to me, "This is an atmospheric sample of the game, just planting seeds in your mind, and then later on, four or five hours into the game, we get to the really creepy stuff!" I admit that I'm scared to return to SOMA's unsettling world, but I also look forward to spending more time in its environments and looking at all the little details that will help me piece together its narrative. SOMA is aiming for a release on the PC and PlayStation 4 in early 2015.</p> Fri, 04 Apr 2014 05:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/soma-the-new-horror-game-from-the-creators-of-amnesia-aims-to-go-deeper/1100-6418755/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/soma-new-gameplay-preview/2300-6418121/ Carolyn Petit explores SOMA, the new story-driven, first person horror title from the makers of Amnesia. Fri, 04 Apr 2014 05:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/soma-new-gameplay-preview/2300-6418121/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-elder-scrolls-online-has-5-0952187-10-58-possible-character-variations/1100-6418770/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2497270-eso.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2497270" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2497270-eso.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2497270"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2497270-eso.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="/the-elder-scrolls-online/" data-ref-id="false">The Elder Scrolls Online</a> characters are bound to be unique. Bethesda announced in a <a href="http://www.bethblog.com/2014/04/03/the-elder-scrolls-online-by-the-numbers/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">new infographic</a> that there are 5.0952187*10^58 possible character variations, which is "so many that we don't have room to show you the full number," Bethesda said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The developer has previously described the character creation system for The Elder Scrolls Online as "very robust." You can define your character's physique (overweight, skinny, etc.), as well as their height, width of shoulders, size of hands, thickness of arms, and facial composition, among other elements.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The new MMO is available today on PC, while the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-elder-scrolls-online-xbox-one-and-ps4-release-date-is-two-months-after-pc/1100-6416658/" data-ref-id="1100-6416658">Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions will follow sometime in June</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The Elder Scrolls Online infographic also reveals statistics like 5 million people played the beta, which is equivalent to the population of Norway or the number of Big Macs eaten every day around the world. There are also 61 million items in the game and 40.656 million weapon variations.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Finally, The Elder Scrolls Online features 10,202 non-player characters and 2235 in-game books. Bethesda also notes that since May 2011, developers at Zenimax Online drank 162,784 cups of coffee, weighing in at 5087 pounds of coffee beans.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418109" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418109/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 04 Apr 2014 04:36:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-elder-scrolls-online-has-5-0952187-10-58-possible-character-variations/1100-6418770/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ffxiv-beta-on-ps4-open-to-everyone-this-weekend/1100-6418769/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1197/11970954/2454644-ffxiv_pub_patch2.2_19.png" data-ref-id="1300-2454644" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1197/11970954/2454644-ffxiv_pub_patch2.2_19.png" data-ref-id="1300-2454644"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1197/11970954/2454644-ffxiv_pub_patch2.2_19.png"></a></figure><p style="">Square Enix has opened up its PlayStation 4 beta for <a href="/final-fantasy-xiv-online-a-realm-reborn/" data-ref-id="false">Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn</a> to everyone this weekend.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The beta started at 09:00 BST/01:00 PT this morning, and will run until 09:00/01:00 PT on Monday April 7.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The beta will be running on the actual game servers, so it's possible to join your friends playing the game on PlayStation 3 or PC. Square Enix adds that any characters created or progress made in this beta will carry over the full version of the game, which is released on April 14.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">To get involved, the 11GB client can now be downloaded from the PlayStation Store. You'll also have to register an account with Square Enix to get started.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The successful relaunch of Final Fantasy XIV is one of the<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/square-enix-rethinks-its-bid-to-appeal-to-the-mass-market-after-bravely-default-success/1100-6418665/"> main reasons Square Enix expects to return to profit this year</a>.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6414801" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6414801/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Martin Gaston is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/squidmania" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @squidmania</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 04 Apr 2014 04:33:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ffxiv-beta-on-ps4-open-to-everyone-this-weekend/1100-6418769/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/fire-pro-wrestling-creator-masato-masuda-passes-away-at-48/1100-6418767/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2497264-fire+pro+wrestling.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2497264" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2497264-fire+pro+wrestling.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2497264"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1493/14930800/2497264-fire+pro+wrestling.jpg"></a><figcaption>Cover art for 1996's Super Fire Pro Wrestling X Premium.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Masato Masuda, creator of the Fire Pro Wrestling series, has passed away. He was 48.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The news was confirmed by Grasshopper Manufacture boss Goichi "Suda51" Suda, who spoke of him time working with Masuda in the 90s. "He was 48 years old, still young," <a href="http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1s18ufv" rel="nofollow">wrote Suda on Twitter</a>. "I genuinely pray for his happiness in the next world."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"He was one of the greatest creators of video games and he was my direct teacher," added Suda.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The series--a hit in Japan--started in 1989 with <a href="/fire-prowrestling-combination-tag/" data-ref-id="false">Fire Pro Wrestling Combination Tag</a> for the PC Engine. The series saw releases on the SNES, Saturn, Game Boy Advance, Dreamcast, and the PlayStation 2.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Recently, an Xbox Live Arcade version of Fire Pro Wrestling was released in 2012.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Thank you for giving us our favorite Fire Pro Wrestling. You are the god of it," concluded Suda.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6303627" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6303627/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Martin Gaston is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/squidmania" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @squidmania</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 04 Apr 2014 04:12:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/fire-pro-wrestling-creator-masato-masuda-passes-away-at-48/1100-6418767/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-shows-off-how-it-believes-the-cloud-will-change-gaming-forever/1100-6418766/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxHdUDhOMyw" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2Fvideoseries%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26list%3DUU-zjH-e5XBzMpy_VtwIGRxQ&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DQxHdUDhOMyw%26list%3DUU-zjH-e5XBzMpy_VtwIGRxQ%26index%3D1&amp;image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FQxHdUDhOMyw%2Fhqdefault.jpg&amp;key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&amp;type=text%2Fhtml&amp;schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Microsoft hasn't held back from <em>talking</em> about how offloading computational efforts to the cloud will advance gaming, but now they are finally <em>showing</em> us what that looks like. In short, this system allows developers to offload processing to remote servers, which in theory frees up local hardware to improve things like rendering.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">This week during Microsoft's developer-centric Build conference in San Francisco, the company showed off a custom tech demo illustrating the system running on PC hardware. Importantly, what we're seeing here in the video above is not Xbox One footage and the demo is merely a prototype.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Still, as we see in the video, the PC that's not connected to Microsoft's Azure server network seriously struggles when the building begins to collapse. Meanwhile, the connected rig is able to achieve a far more steady frame-rate throughout.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Microsoft says that tapping into the power of the cloud for gaming will allow for "news kinds of experiences that have never been possible."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">We're already seeing some of this come to life, as Respawn Entertainment's Xbox One game <a href="/titanfall/" data-ref-id="false">Titanfall</a> offloads some <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-cloud-servers-absolutely-essential-to-titanfall/1100-6418222/" data-ref-id="1100-6418222">computational efforts to the cloud</a>. Microsoft released a new video (below) highlighting how the cloud improves the Titanfall experience, though much of what is said is <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-cloud-servers-absolutely-essential-to-titanfall/1100-6418222/" data-ref-id="1100-6418222">already known</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The video from Microsoft's Build conference was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/ArekkzG" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">captured by YouTube user Arekkz Gaming</a>. You can watch the entire presentation at <a href="http://channel9.msdn.com/?wt.mc_id=build_hp" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Microsoft's website</a>.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418132" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418132/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 04 Apr 2014 04:10:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-shows-off-how-it-believes-the-cloud-will-change-gaming-forever/1100-6418766/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/more-info-on-xbox-one-external-storage-coming-soon-says-major-nelson/1100-6418765/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2497258-6878368302-21292.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2497258" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2497258-6878368302-21292.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2497258"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1493/14930800/2497258-6878368302-21292.jpg"></a><figcaption>This is a picture of an Xbox One controller, because finding a good image to represent external storage is tough.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Xbox One support for external storage is inching closer, with Microsoft spokesperson Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb saying that the much-requested feature will be "coming soon".</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/xboxone/comments/21ye2f/xbox_one_momentum/" rel="nofollow">Writing on Reddit</a>, Hryb said that the Xbox One would soon support the ability to keep games on external storage. He added that he would need to check about whether the console could also support media held on an external drive.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Hryb also added that he will confirm whether there will be a limit--such as how the Xbox 360 can't format a USB stick partition higher than 32GB--when there is more information.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The comments follow Microsoft saying in March that it was <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-rolls-out-huge-xbox-one-update-teases-external-storage-support/1100-6418114/">working on supporting external storage</a>. Xbox One planning chief Albert Penello also recently said that Microsoft <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-external-storage-aims-to-be-open/1100-6418143/">intends for external storage on the console to be "open"</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The next Xbox One system update, due in April, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/about-time-xbox-one-friend-notifications-to-return-in-next-update/1100-6418374/">will bring friend notifications back to the console</a>.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6412699" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6412699/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p style=""> </p> Fri, 04 Apr 2014 03:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/more-info-on-xbox-one-external-storage-coming-soon-says-major-nelson/1100-6418765/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-smash-bros-for-wii-u-and-3ds-info-coming-next-week/1100-6418764/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1197/11970954/2453996-smashmar13.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2453996" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1197/11970954/2453996-smashmar13.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2453996"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1197/11970954/2453996-smashmar13.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> Nintendo will reveal fresh <a href="/super-smash-bros-for-wii-u/" data-ref-id="false">Super Smash Bros. for Wii U</a> <a href="/super-smash-bros-for-nintendo-3ds/" data-ref-id="false">and 3DS</a> information next week.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The company will hold a Nintendo Direct event on Tuesday April 8 at 15:00 PT/23:00 BST, where it will talk about the latest Smash Bros. title.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Might we get a release date? Nintendo is yet to confirm when we'll see the game, outside of some point in 2014. The latest entry in the popular brawling series is a a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/a-smashing-collaboration-for-next-smash-bros/1100-6383790/" data-ref-id="1100-6383790">collaborative effort between Sora Ltd. and Namco</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In recent days, we've also heard that <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/luigi-is-really-going-to-suck-in-the-new-smash-bros-for-wii-u-and-3ds/1100-6418667/">Luigi will get the Poltergust</a>, that the game will feature <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/super-smash-bros-for-wii-u-3ds-will-feature-lots-of-zelda-items/1100-6418717/">many items from The Legend of Zelda</a>, and that Pikachu's <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-overhauling-pikachu-s-iconic-thunder-attack-for-new-super-smash-bros-on-wii-u-and-3ds/1100-6418749/">thunder attack will be overhauled</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6416628" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6416628/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p style=""> </p> Fri, 04 Apr 2014 02:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-smash-bros-for-wii-u-and-3ds-info-coming-next-week/1100-6418764/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/unboxing-the-amazon-fire-tv-and-controller/2300-6418142/ Danny and Shaun open up the Amazon Fire TV and give their first hands-on impressions of the streaming device and its controller. Thu, 03 Apr 2014 16:49:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/unboxing-the-amazon-fire-tv-and-controller/2300-6418142/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-new-star-wars-game-is-the-ps4-xbox-one-pow/2300-6418136/ Xbox co-creator explains the console power divide, Mario Kart dev praises Wii U, and a new Star Wars game is happening! But guess who's working on it? Thu, 03 Apr 2014 16:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-new-star-wars-game-is-the-ps4-xbox-one-pow/2300-6418136/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/mario-kart-8-time-for-a-montage/2300-6418137/ We mash up new footage from Cheep Cheep Beach, Royal Raceway, Electrodrome, and Mario Kart Stadium. Thu, 03 Apr 2014 15:02:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/mario-kart-8-time-for-a-montage/2300-6418137/ http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/mlb-14-the-show-review/1900-6415718/ <p style="">MLB 14: The Show is in a tricky position. It's got no competition to speak of now that 2K Sports has canned its long-running baseball franchise. The Show hits a last-gen console and won't see a PlayStation 4 release for another month. And so for the first time in memory, The Show feels like it's somewhat resting on its laurels. Or maybe like cover athlete Miguel Cabrera, it's confident in its Win Above Replacement, even this late in a console cycle. Because when there is nobody else stepping up to the plate, you don't have to swing for the fences.</p><p style="">Nevertheless, MLB 14 is the most robust, gorgeous-looking baseball simulation to date. There's a satisfying weightiness to MLB 14, a physicality to the crack of the bat or a diving catch for a line drive. The Show makes you earn every on base, every double play, and every strikeout, and it creates a sense of elation when you succeed, the intensity of the joy matched only by the intensity of the devastation you feel upon botching a play. Getting on base requires a keen eye and quick calculations: guessing the pitch, adjusting your aim, picking a swing type, and getting the timing just right all happen nearly simultaneously. If you're playing in the outfield, it's your job to make a split-second decision. Can you chase down a line drive, while picking the direction and power for the throw to second to stop the runner? There's a tension that comes with every pitch because once the action moves, it moves fast, and it's do or die.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2457123-bat_control%5B1%5D.png" data-ref-id="1300-2457123" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2457123-bat_control%5B1%5D.png" data-ref-id="1300-2457123"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/536/5360430/2457123-bat_control%5B1%5D.png"></a></figure><p style="">MLB 14 is not an easy game; at its default settings, it requires perfect timing and lightning reflexes. Happily, Sony San Diego has included so many customization options that you can create the baseball experience that suits you. Praising difficulty sliders and tweaking options sounds weird, but they're worth commending because they work so well. I can fine-tune The Show to make any aspect of it easier, or more difficult, in a way that doesn't breaks the game. Though cranking everything down lets a skilled player rack up some huge leads, it's still very much an enjoyable and entertaining baseball experience.</p><p style="">While MLB 14 is hardly just a simple roster update, it contains noticeably fewer new features than MLB games from previous years. Last year's game boasted an entirely new adaptive difficulty mechanic to ease new players in, and expanded the franchise to be a baseball nerd's dream come true. Of course those features remain, and nothing substantial has gone missing, but the new additions to MLB 14 don't feel as important to the core of the game like a revamped Franchise mode, new swinging mechanics, and modified difficulty system do. This year's hooks aren't as substantial, given the series' reputation for reinvention.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2457127-miggy_create_player%5B1%5D.png" data-ref-id="1300-2457127" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2457127-miggy_create_player%5B1%5D.png" data-ref-id="1300-2457127"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/536/5360430/2457127-miggy_create_player%5B1%5D.png"></a></figure><p style="">There are certainly additions to this year's ballgame, however, most noticeably player lock. The concept of player lock has been featured in other sports games: you pick one athlete and control only him through the course of the game. What makes MLB's player lock different from Madden's or <a href="/nba-2k14/" data-ref-id="false">NBA 2K14</a>'s is that it can be turned on and off in different game modes. If you want to play a full nine innings as the entire Blue Jays lineup for a month, then switch midseason to focus on shortstop Jose Reyes, and then change back to the full team for the playoffs, you can do that. You're not locked into a separate game mode or full season, and you have the freedom to jump around as you see fit. It's a level of freedom that becomes increasingly satisfying through the course of a season, especially in Franchise mode, because the experience of playing different fielding positions is unique and different from other team sports. Taking the mound and controlling the pitches may be the classic way to play baseball, but there is a nerve-racking excitement to taking an infield position and making those split-second decisions that mean the difference between a double play and losing the lead.</p><p style="">Thankfully, the presentation in The Show remains stellar, offering lively, informative commentary that holds more humor than you might expect. If you're playing one team through an entire season, you're going to hear a lot of the same stuff. But there are different chunks of dialogue for everything, from the showcase, to minor league games, to the post-season. The lighting in the stadiums and the camera angles used can often make MLB 14 look like an actual MLB broadcast. The all-star players look incredible, clearly getting the most love, though every player in the game looks close to his real self, better than most of the sports game competition manages.</p><p style=""> </p><blockquote data-align="center" data-size="large"><p style="">The presentation in The Show remains stellar, offering lively, informative commentary that holds more humor than you might expect.</p></blockquote><p style="">Focusing your attention on a single player has long been central to the Road to the Show mode, and that mode returns as well. Creating a brand-new player, taking him through the minor leagues and into the majors, and earning that spot on the lineup is a long, tough journey that comes with a sense of accomplishment far greater than jumping into the cleats of an already established slugger. This time around, Road to the Show borrows elements from games like NBA 2K14, with a three-game showcase to start you off. Play well in the showcase, and your draft stock rises. Players still have the option to choose which team drafts them, but they have to work extra hard at their position if there's already an all-star filling that slot.</p><p style="">The other new feature, quick counts, solves a major issue with The Show: video baseball takes forever to play. A game of football or basketball takes about half an hour, but you can get into pitcher-dominated standoffs for hours in MLB 14. Quick counts jumps you in deep in the count, simulating the first few pitches based on the players' stats and abilities. It cuts the game time in half, allowing you to get further into a season, and finally makes The Show a game you can play at your leisure, without having to invest a substantial block of time.</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2457130-showcase_in-game%5B1%5D.png" data-ref-id="1300-2457130" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2457130-showcase_in-game%5B1%5D.png" data-ref-id="1300-2457130"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/536/5360430/2457130-showcase_in-game%5B1%5D.png"></a></figure><p style="">Online players can use quick counts to speed up player-versus-player matches, though I found full games of baseball to be the least interesting offering online, when compared to the shorter, more multiplayer-friendly matches like Home Run Derby and the newer online modes. Community challenges add a new customizable minigame aspect to The Show. Kind of like in a massively multiplayer online version of HORSE, you can create scenarios and goals and then challenge other players. Set the game up to have bases loaded, a deep count, two outs, and two runs down in the bottom of the ninth, and dare the rest of the world to do anything, from striking out the last batter, to hitting a grand slam. Creating the challenges can feel a bit like being MLB's devious Jigsaw, but the challenges come with a caveat: you have to be able to complete them before you can post them. So not only are they a fun addition, but they serve as a badge of honor in the community, and a sort of backward version of sharing replays.</p><p style="">Community challenges and player lock might not be enough to make MLB 14 feel like a brand-new ballgame, and with a PS4 version on the way, it would not be unwise to hold off to see how the game improves in the jump to the next generation. But The Show is still a fantastic representation of baseball, capturing the thrill and grand scale of the national pastime.</p><p style=""> </p> Thu, 03 Apr 2014 13:18:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/mlb-14-the-show-review/1900-6415718/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/family-guy-mobile-game-gets-release-date-has-you-rebuilding-quahog-after-insane-chicken-fight/1100-6418760/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEZKlDrx16o" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FbEZKlDrx16o%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DbEZKlDrx16o&amp;image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FbEZKlDrx16o%2Fhqdefault.jpg&amp;key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&amp;type=text%2Fhtml&amp;schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">FOX and developer TinyCo. today announced that their <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/first-images-and-some-gifs-of-family-guy-s-take-on-the-simpsons-tapped-out/1100-6418298/" data-ref-id="1100-6418298">upcoming mobile game Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff</a> will launch for iOS and Android on April 10. The game is free to download and, like so many other mobile games, is supported by microtransactions.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">After Peter and Ernie the giant chicken get into another one of their <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4WGQmWcrbs" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">infamous brawls</a>, lovely Quahog is destroyed and players must rebuild the town.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2496915-quest.png" data-ref-id="1300-2496915" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2496915-quest.png" data-ref-id="1300-2496915"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/1179/11799911/2496915-quest.png"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">With Quahog in ruins, you'll need to help Peter rally all the Family Guy characters (even Meg, even though no one likes her) to rebuild the city. Throughout the game you'll be tasked with putting a stop to alien invasions, religious cults, and "more calamities" that threaten to further destroy Quahog.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Some of your other tasks include helping Peter achieve his lifelong dream of becoming a pirate, traveling through the multiverse with Stewie and Brian, assisting Quagmire in finding the long lost Gold Digger Island, and getting revenge on Ernie the Giant Chicken.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Developer TinyCo. worked alongside FOX and Family Guy production studio Fuzzy Door to create Family Guy: The Quest For Stuff. The game also features the show's voice talent and many of the scenes and stories were written by the show writers themselves.</p><p style="">We recently got a chance to visit TinyCo.'s office in San Francisco and we'll have much more on Family Guy: The Quest For Stuff soon.</p><p style="">Family Guy: The Quest For Stuff arrives in the wake of another FOX mobile game, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheSimpsonsTappedOut" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">The Simpsons: Tapped Out</a>. That game has been a huge success for publisher Electronic Arts, generating <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-mobile-won-t-kill-consoles/1100-6417662/" data-ref-id="1100-6417662">more than $130 million in revenue</a> from microtransactions to date.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Thu, 03 Apr 2014 13:13:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/family-guy-mobile-game-gets-release-date-has-you-rebuilding-quahog-after-insane-chicken-fight/1100-6418760/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/titanfall-the-power-of-the-cloud-trailer/2300-6418132/ Developers from Respawn Studios and Xbox discuss how cloud computing helps take Titanfall to the next level. Thu, 03 Apr 2014 13:10:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/titanfall-the-power-of-the-cloud-trailer/2300-6418132/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/ftl-advanced-edition-now-playing/2300-6418131/ Benito and Jan fire up FTL: Advanced Edition to check out the new features. Thu, 03 Apr 2014 12:40:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/ftl-advanced-edition-now-playing/2300-6418131/

http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Fri, 04 Apr 2014 05:03:55 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/soma-the-new-horror-game-from-the-creators-of-amnesia-aims-to-go-deeper/1100-6418755/ <p style="">With its upcoming game SOMA, Frictional Games is leaving behind the world of <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/amnesia-the-dark-descent/" data-ref-id="false">Amnesia</a> and venturing into a new setting and new thematic territory. This horror sci-fi game delves into themes of consciousness, and instead of assaulting you with a barrage of jump scares, SOMA goes for a slow buildup, trying to get inside your head. I recently had a chance to play a section of this combat-free first-person adventure, and discovered a few details about its story and setting.</p><p style="">You play as Simon, a man who has found himself in an abandoned science facility. According to Thomas Grip of Frictional Games, "He's not an amnesiac character, but something weird has happened to him that has made him end up in this place, and that's a big mystery, but I can't talk to you about that right now. What's sort of cool with the mystery is that you could actually figure it out directly, but I don't think that many people will think in those directions and want to consider that possibility."</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418121" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418121/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">The places you explore can help you solve that mystery, if you take the time to examine them closely. Said Grip, "We put a ton of effort into making every area a sort of narrative playground. There's tons and tons of small clues for the player to figure out." I love environmental storytelling, so when I played SOMA, I wanted to examine every sign and every schematic to see what they might have to tell me about the strange facility and what had taken place there. But the game is also designed to pull in players who don't want to investigate every little detail. Grip said, "We're designing it for a player that reads nothing, listens to nothing, just runs through. He should get the main gist of the story. It's not that we want to cater to players like this, but it's just that if we have that as a sort of goal, then we are sure that we have more active storytelling."</p><p style="">Much of the story remains shrouded in mystery, but a few tidbits emerged from my time with the game. Something strange has happened with the robots in the science facility I explored. At one point, I made my way through an area that a couple had once shared, but the woman had hanged herself, leaving behind a message that said, "Whatever that was, it wasn't Carl, I want you to know that. Nothing about that thing was even close to OK." Nearby, a human-sounding voice emanated from a trapped robot, leading me to suspect that somehow the consciousnesses of humans were becoming imprisoned in the metal bodies of automatons.</p><blockquote data-size="large" data-align="center"><p style="">There were noises that sounded like distant screams, and I wasn't sure if I was hearing what I thought I was hearing or if my imagination was making more of the muffled ocean sounds than was actually there.</p></blockquote><p style="">Like the technology in another horror game I recently played, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/alien-isolation/" data-ref-id="false">Alien: Isolation</a>, the computer terminals and other machinery in SOMA look clunky and dated, but still, given the presence of robots and hints in text logs of the existence of an artificial intelligence that had gone rogue, I initially suspected that the facility I was exploring was in space, or perhaps on some alien world. But when the facility became flooded with water, and Grip then skipped ahead to an underwater section that comes an hour or two later in the game, it became clear that SOMA is actually set beneath the surface of one of Earth's own oceans.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/78/787590/2496505-screen_screenshot_040.png" data-ref-id="1300-2496505" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/78/787590/2496505-screen_screenshot_040.png" data-ref-id="1300-2496505"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/78/787590/2496505-screen_screenshot_040.png"></a><figcaption>What's lurking in the darkness?</figcaption></figure><p style="">It was as I made my way across the ocean floor that SOMA really started to scare me. There were noises that sounded like distant screams, and I wasn't sure if I was hearing what I thought I was hearing or if my imagination was making more of the muffled ocean sounds than was actually there. The murky depths of the ocean seemed like a fitting metaphor for the depths of the human psyche that Grip is keen to explore with the game. Later, making my way through the flooded wreckage of the lambda station, I encountered the jiangshi, a mysterious ghostly threat you must run or hide from. If one is nearby, the visuals and sounds are distorted by staticky disruptions, as if the proximity of the jiangshi is interfering with the frequency of Simon's mind.</p><p style="">The section of SOMA that I played really was a slow build, letting the atmosphere and sounds create a sense of psychological fear rather than relying on gore or jump scares. With sinister glee, Thomas Grip said to me, "This is an atmospheric sample of the game, just planting seeds in your mind, and then later on, four or five hours into the game, we get to the really creepy stuff!" I admit that I'm scared to return to SOMA's unsettling world, but I also look forward to spending more time in its environments and looking at all the little details that will help me piece together its narrative. SOMA is aiming for a release on the PC and PlayStation 4 in early 2015.</p> Fri, 04 Apr 2014 05:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/soma-the-new-horror-game-from-the-creators-of-amnesia-aims-to-go-deeper/1100-6418755/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/soma-new-gameplay-preview/2300-6418121/ Carolyn Petit explores SOMA, the new story-driven, first person horror title from the makers of Amnesia. Fri, 04 Apr 2014 05:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/soma-new-gameplay-preview/2300-6418121/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-elder-scrolls-online-has-5-0952187-10-58-possible-character-variations/1100-6418770/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2497270-eso.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2497270" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2497270-eso.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2497270"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2497270-eso.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="/the-elder-scrolls-online/" data-ref-id="false">The Elder Scrolls Online</a> characters are bound to be unique. Bethesda announced in a <a href="http://www.bethblog.com/2014/04/03/the-elder-scrolls-online-by-the-numbers/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">new infographic</a> that there are 5.0952187*10^58 possible character variations, which is "so many that we don't have room to show you the full number," Bethesda said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The developer has previously described the character creation system for The Elder Scrolls Online as "very robust." You can define your character's physique (overweight, skinny, etc.), as well as their height, width of shoulders, size of hands, thickness of arms, and facial composition, among other elements.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The new MMO is available today on PC, while the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-elder-scrolls-online-xbox-one-and-ps4-release-date-is-two-months-after-pc/1100-6416658/" data-ref-id="1100-6416658">Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions will follow sometime in June</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The Elder Scrolls Online infographic also reveals statistics like 5 million people played the beta, which is equivalent to the population of Norway or the number of Big Macs eaten every day around the world. There are also 61 million items in the game and 40.656 million weapon variations.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Finally, The Elder Scrolls Online features 10,202 non-player characters and 2235 in-game books. Bethesda also notes that since May 2011, developers at Zenimax Online drank 162,784 cups of coffee, weighing in at 5087 pounds of coffee beans.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418109" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418109/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 04 Apr 2014 04:36:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-elder-scrolls-online-has-5-0952187-10-58-possible-character-variations/1100-6418770/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ffxiv-beta-on-ps4-open-to-everyone-this-weekend/1100-6418769/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1197/11970954/2454644-ffxiv_pub_patch2.2_19.png" data-ref-id="1300-2454644" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1197/11970954/2454644-ffxiv_pub_patch2.2_19.png" data-ref-id="1300-2454644"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1197/11970954/2454644-ffxiv_pub_patch2.2_19.png"></a></figure><p style="">Square Enix has opened up its PlayStation 4 beta for <a href="/final-fantasy-xiv-online-a-realm-reborn/" data-ref-id="false">Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn</a> to everyone this weekend.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The beta started at 09:00 BST/01:00 PT this morning, and will run until 09:00/01:00 PT on Monday April 7.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The beta will be running on the actual game servers, so it's possible to join your friends playing the game on PlayStation 3 or PC. Square Enix adds that any characters created or progress made in this beta will carry over the full version of the game, which is released on April 14.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">To get involved, the 11GB client can now be downloaded from the PlayStation Store. You'll also have to register an account with Square Enix to get started.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The successful relaunch of Final Fantasy XIV is one of the<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/square-enix-rethinks-its-bid-to-appeal-to-the-mass-market-after-bravely-default-success/1100-6418665/"> main reasons Square Enix expects to return to profit this year</a>.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6414801" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6414801/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Martin Gaston is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/squidmania" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @squidmania</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 04 Apr 2014 04:33:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ffxiv-beta-on-ps4-open-to-everyone-this-weekend/1100-6418769/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/fire-pro-wrestling-creator-masato-masuda-passes-away-at-48/1100-6418767/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2497264-fire+pro+wrestling.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2497264" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2497264-fire+pro+wrestling.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2497264"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1493/14930800/2497264-fire+pro+wrestling.jpg"></a><figcaption>Cover art for 1996's Super Fire Pro Wrestling X Premium.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Masato Masuda, creator of the Fire Pro Wrestling series, has passed away. He was 48.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The news was confirmed by Grasshopper Manufacture boss Goichi "Suda51" Suda, who spoke of him time working with Masuda in the 90s. "He was 48 years old, still young," <a href="http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1s18ufv" rel="nofollow">wrote Suda on Twitter</a>. "I genuinely pray for his happiness in the next world."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"He was one of the greatest creators of video games and he was my direct teacher," added Suda.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The series--a hit in Japan--started in 1989 with <a href="/fire-prowrestling-combination-tag/" data-ref-id="false">Fire Pro Wrestling Combination Tag</a> for the PC Engine. The series saw releases on the SNES, Saturn, Game Boy Advance, Dreamcast, and the PlayStation 2.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Recently, an Xbox Live Arcade version of Fire Pro Wrestling was released in 2012.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Thank you for giving us our favorite Fire Pro Wrestling. You are the god of it," concluded Suda.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6303627" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6303627/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Martin Gaston is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/squidmania" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @squidmania</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 04 Apr 2014 04:12:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/fire-pro-wrestling-creator-masato-masuda-passes-away-at-48/1100-6418767/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-shows-off-how-it-believes-the-cloud-will-change-gaming-forever/1100-6418766/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxHdUDhOMyw" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2Fvideoseries%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26list%3DUU-zjH-e5XBzMpy_VtwIGRxQ&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DQxHdUDhOMyw%26list%3DUU-zjH-e5XBzMpy_VtwIGRxQ%26index%3D1&amp;image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FQxHdUDhOMyw%2Fhqdefault.jpg&amp;key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&amp;type=text%2Fhtml&amp;schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Microsoft hasn't held back from <em>talking</em> about how offloading computational efforts to the cloud will advance gaming, but now they are finally <em>showing</em> us what that looks like. In short, this system allows developers to offload processing to remote servers, which in theory frees up local hardware to improve things like rendering.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">This week during Microsoft's developer-centric Build conference in San Francisco, the company showed off a custom tech demo illustrating the system running on PC hardware. Importantly, what we're seeing here in the video above is not Xbox One footage and the demo is merely a prototype.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Still, as we see in the video, the PC that's not connected to Microsoft's Azure server network seriously struggles when the building begins to collapse. Meanwhile, the connected rig is able to achieve a far more steady frame-rate throughout.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Microsoft says that tapping into the power of the cloud for gaming will allow for "news kinds of experiences that have never been possible."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">We're already seeing some of this come to life, as Respawn Entertainment's Xbox One game <a href="/titanfall/" data-ref-id="false">Titanfall</a> offloads some <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-cloud-servers-absolutely-essential-to-titanfall/1100-6418222/" data-ref-id="1100-6418222">computational efforts to the cloud</a>. Microsoft released a new video (below) highlighting how the cloud improves the Titanfall experience, though much of what is said is <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-cloud-servers-absolutely-essential-to-titanfall/1100-6418222/" data-ref-id="1100-6418222">already known</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The video from Microsoft's Build conference was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/ArekkzG" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">captured by YouTube user Arekkz Gaming</a>. You can watch the entire presentation at <a href="http://channel9.msdn.com/?wt.mc_id=build_hp" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Microsoft's website</a>.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418132" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418132/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 04 Apr 2014 04:10:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-shows-off-how-it-believes-the-cloud-will-change-gaming-forever/1100-6418766/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/more-info-on-xbox-one-external-storage-coming-soon-says-major-nelson/1100-6418765/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2497258-6878368302-21292.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2497258" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2497258-6878368302-21292.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2497258"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1493/14930800/2497258-6878368302-21292.jpg"></a><figcaption>This is a picture of an Xbox One controller, because finding a good image to represent external storage is tough.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Xbox One support for external storage is inching closer, with Microsoft spokesperson Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb saying that the much-requested feature will be "coming soon".</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/xboxone/comments/21ye2f/xbox_one_momentum/" rel="nofollow">Writing on Reddit</a>, Hryb said that the Xbox One would soon support the ability to keep games on external storage. He added that he would need to check about whether the console could also support media held on an external drive.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Hryb also added that he will confirm whether there will be a limit--such as how the Xbox 360 can't format a USB stick partition higher than 32GB--when there is more information.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The comments follow Microsoft saying in March that it was <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-rolls-out-huge-xbox-one-update-teases-external-storage-support/1100-6418114/">working on supporting external storage</a>. Xbox One planning chief Albert Penello also recently said that Microsoft <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-external-storage-aims-to-be-open/1100-6418143/">intends for external storage on the console to be "open"</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The next Xbox One system update, due in April, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/about-time-xbox-one-friend-notifications-to-return-in-next-update/1100-6418374/">will bring friend notifications back to the console</a>.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6412699" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6412699/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p style=""> </p> Fri, 04 Apr 2014 03:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/more-info-on-xbox-one-external-storage-coming-soon-says-major-nelson/1100-6418765/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-smash-bros-for-wii-u-and-3ds-info-coming-next-week/1100-6418764/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1197/11970954/2453996-smashmar13.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2453996" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1197/11970954/2453996-smashmar13.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2453996"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1197/11970954/2453996-smashmar13.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> Nintendo will reveal fresh <a href="/super-smash-bros-for-wii-u/" data-ref-id="false">Super Smash Bros. for Wii U</a> <a href="/super-smash-bros-for-nintendo-3ds/" data-ref-id="false">and 3DS</a> information next week.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The company will hold a Nintendo Direct event on Tuesday April 8 at 15:00 PT/23:00 BST, where it will talk about the latest Smash Bros. title.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Might we get a release date? Nintendo is yet to confirm when we'll see the game, outside of some point in 2014. The latest entry in the popular brawling series is a a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/a-smashing-collaboration-for-next-smash-bros/1100-6383790/" data-ref-id="1100-6383790">collaborative effort between Sora Ltd. and Namco</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In recent days, we've also heard that <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/luigi-is-really-going-to-suck-in-the-new-smash-bros-for-wii-u-and-3ds/1100-6418667/">Luigi will get the Poltergust</a>, that the game will feature <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/super-smash-bros-for-wii-u-3ds-will-feature-lots-of-zelda-items/1100-6418717/">many items from The Legend of Zelda</a>, and that Pikachu's <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-overhauling-pikachu-s-iconic-thunder-attack-for-new-super-smash-bros-on-wii-u-and-3ds/1100-6418749/">thunder attack will be overhauled</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6416628" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6416628/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p style=""> </p> Fri, 04 Apr 2014 02:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-smash-bros-for-wii-u-and-3ds-info-coming-next-week/1100-6418764/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/unboxing-the-amazon-fire-tv-and-controller/2300-6418142/ Danny and Shaun open up the Amazon Fire TV and give their first hands-on impressions of the streaming device and its controller. Thu, 03 Apr 2014 16:49:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/unboxing-the-amazon-fire-tv-and-controller/2300-6418142/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-new-star-wars-game-is-the-ps4-xbox-one-pow/2300-6418136/ Xbox co-creator explains the console power divide, Mario Kart dev praises Wii U, and a new Star Wars game is happening! But guess who's working on it? Thu, 03 Apr 2014 16:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-new-star-wars-game-is-the-ps4-xbox-one-pow/2300-6418136/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/mario-kart-8-time-for-a-montage/2300-6418137/ We mash up new footage from Cheep Cheep Beach, Royal Raceway, Electrodrome, and Mario Kart Stadium. Thu, 03 Apr 2014 15:02:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/mario-kart-8-time-for-a-montage/2300-6418137/ http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/mlb-14-the-show-review/1900-6415718/ <p style="">MLB 14: The Show is in a tricky position. It's got no competition to speak of now that 2K Sports has canned its long-running baseball franchise. The Show hits a last-gen console and won't see a PlayStation 4 release for another month. And so for the first time in memory, The Show feels like it's somewhat resting on its laurels. Or maybe like cover athlete Miguel Cabrera, it's confident in its Win Above Replacement, even this late in a console cycle. Because when there is nobody else stepping up to the plate, you don't have to swing for the fences.</p><p style="">Nevertheless, MLB 14 is the most robust, gorgeous-looking baseball simulation to date. There's a satisfying weightiness to MLB 14, a physicality to the crack of the bat or a diving catch for a line drive. The Show makes you earn every on base, every double play, and every strikeout, and it creates a sense of elation when you succeed, the intensity of the joy matched only by the intensity of the devastation you feel upon botching a play. Getting on base requires a keen eye and quick calculations: guessing the pitch, adjusting your aim, picking a swing type, and getting the timing just right all happen nearly simultaneously. If you're playing in the outfield, it's your job to make a split-second decision. Can you chase down a line drive, while picking the direction and power for the throw to second to stop the runner? There's a tension that comes with every pitch because once the action moves, it moves fast, and it's do or die.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2457123-bat_control%5B1%5D.png" data-ref-id="1300-2457123" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2457123-bat_control%5B1%5D.png" data-ref-id="1300-2457123"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/536/5360430/2457123-bat_control%5B1%5D.png"></a></figure><p style="">MLB 14 is not an easy game; at its default settings, it requires perfect timing and lightning reflexes. Happily, Sony San Diego has included so many customization options that you can create the baseball experience that suits you. Praising difficulty sliders and tweaking options sounds weird, but they're worth commending because they work so well. I can fine-tune The Show to make any aspect of it easier, or more difficult, in a way that doesn't breaks the game. Though cranking everything down lets a skilled player rack up some huge leads, it's still very much an enjoyable and entertaining baseball experience.</p><p style="">While MLB 14 is hardly just a simple roster update, it contains noticeably fewer new features than MLB games from previous years. Last year's game boasted an entirely new adaptive difficulty mechanic to ease new players in, and expanded the franchise to be a baseball nerd's dream come true. Of course those features remain, and nothing substantial has gone missing, but the new additions to MLB 14 don't feel as important to the core of the game like a revamped Franchise mode, new swinging mechanics, and modified difficulty system do. This year's hooks aren't as substantial, given the series' reputation for reinvention.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2457127-miggy_create_player%5B1%5D.png" data-ref-id="1300-2457127" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2457127-miggy_create_player%5B1%5D.png" data-ref-id="1300-2457127"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/536/5360430/2457127-miggy_create_player%5B1%5D.png"></a></figure><p style="">There are certainly additions to this year's ballgame, however, most noticeably player lock. The concept of player lock has been featured in other sports games: you pick one athlete and control only him through the course of the game. What makes MLB's player lock different from Madden's or <a href="/nba-2k14/" data-ref-id="false">NBA 2K14</a>'s is that it can be turned on and off in different game modes. If you want to play a full nine innings as the entire Blue Jays lineup for a month, then switch midseason to focus on shortstop Jose Reyes, and then change back to the full team for the playoffs, you can do that. You're not locked into a separate game mode or full season, and you have the freedom to jump around as you see fit. It's a level of freedom that becomes increasingly satisfying through the course of a season, especially in Franchise mode, because the experience of playing different fielding positions is unique and different from other team sports. Taking the mound and controlling the pitches may be the classic way to play baseball, but there is a nerve-racking excitement to taking an infield position and making those split-second decisions that mean the difference between a double play and losing the lead.</p><p style="">Thankfully, the presentation in The Show remains stellar, offering lively, informative commentary that holds more humor than you might expect. If you're playing one team through an entire season, you're going to hear a lot of the same stuff. But there are different chunks of dialogue for everything, from the showcase, to minor league games, to the post-season. The lighting in the stadiums and the camera angles used can often make MLB 14 look like an actual MLB broadcast. The all-star players look incredible, clearly getting the most love, though every player in the game looks close to his real self, better than most of the sports game competition manages.</p><p style=""> </p><blockquote data-align="center" data-size="large"><p style="">The presentation in The Show remains stellar, offering lively, informative commentary that holds more humor than you might expect.</p></blockquote><p style="">Focusing your attention on a single player has long been central to the Road to the Show mode, and that mode returns as well. Creating a brand-new player, taking him through the minor leagues and into the majors, and earning that spot on the lineup is a long, tough journey that comes with a sense of accomplishment far greater than jumping into the cleats of an already established slugger. This time around, Road to the Show borrows elements from games like NBA 2K14, with a three-game showcase to start you off. Play well in the showcase, and your draft stock rises. Players still have the option to choose which team drafts them, but they have to work extra hard at their position if there's already an all-star filling that slot.</p><p style="">The other new feature, quick counts, solves a major issue with The Show: video baseball takes forever to play. A game of football or basketball takes about half an hour, but you can get into pitcher-dominated standoffs for hours in MLB 14. Quick counts jumps you in deep in the count, simulating the first few pitches based on the players' stats and abilities. It cuts the game time in half, allowing you to get further into a season, and finally makes The Show a game you can play at your leisure, without having to invest a substantial block of time.</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2457130-showcase_in-game%5B1%5D.png" data-ref-id="1300-2457130" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2457130-showcase_in-game%5B1%5D.png" data-ref-id="1300-2457130"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/536/5360430/2457130-showcase_in-game%5B1%5D.png"></a></figure><p style="">Online players can use quick counts to speed up player-versus-player matches, though I found full games of baseball to be the least interesting offering online, when compared to the shorter, more multiplayer-friendly matches like Home Run Derby and the newer online modes. Community challenges add a new customizable minigame aspect to The Show. Kind of like in a massively multiplayer online version of HORSE, you can create scenarios and goals and then challenge other players. Set the game up to have bases loaded, a deep count, two outs, and two runs down in the bottom of the ninth, and dare the rest of the world to do anything, from striking out the last batter, to hitting a grand slam. Creating the challenges can feel a bit like being MLB's devious Jigsaw, but the challenges come with a caveat: you have to be able to complete them before you can post them. So not only are they a fun addition, but they serve as a badge of honor in the community, and a sort of backward version of sharing replays.</p><p style="">Community challenges and player lock might not be enough to make MLB 14 feel like a brand-new ballgame, and with a PS4 version on the way, it would not be unwise to hold off to see how the game improves in the jump to the next generation. But The Show is still a fantastic representation of baseball, capturing the thrill and grand scale of the national pastime.</p><p style=""> </p> Thu, 03 Apr 2014 13:18:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/mlb-14-the-show-review/1900-6415718/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/family-guy-mobile-game-gets-release-date-has-you-rebuilding-quahog-after-insane-chicken-fight/1100-6418760/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEZKlDrx16o" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FbEZKlDrx16o%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DbEZKlDrx16o&amp;image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FbEZKlDrx16o%2Fhqdefault.jpg&amp;key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&amp;type=text%2Fhtml&amp;schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">FOX and developer TinyCo. today announced that their <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/first-images-and-some-gifs-of-family-guy-s-take-on-the-simpsons-tapped-out/1100-6418298/" data-ref-id="1100-6418298">upcoming mobile game Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff</a> will launch for iOS and Android on April 10. The game is free to download and, like so many other mobile games, is supported by microtransactions.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">After Peter and Ernie the giant chicken get into another one of their <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4WGQmWcrbs" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">infamous brawls</a>, lovely Quahog is destroyed and players must rebuild the town.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2496915-quest.png" data-ref-id="1300-2496915" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2496915-quest.png" data-ref-id="1300-2496915"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/1179/11799911/2496915-quest.png"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">With Quahog in ruins, you'll need to help Peter rally all the Family Guy characters (even Meg, even though no one likes her) to rebuild the city. Throughout the game you'll be tasked with putting a stop to alien invasions, religious cults, and "more calamities" that threaten to further destroy Quahog.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Some of your other tasks include helping Peter achieve his lifelong dream of becoming a pirate, traveling through the multiverse with Stewie and Brian, assisting Quagmire in finding the long lost Gold Digger Island, and getting revenge on Ernie the Giant Chicken.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Developer TinyCo. worked alongside FOX and Family Guy production studio Fuzzy Door to create Family Guy: The Quest For Stuff. The game also features the show's voice talent and many of the scenes and stories were written by the show writers themselves.</p><p style="">We recently got a chance to visit TinyCo.'s office in San Francisco and we'll have much more on Family Guy: The Quest For Stuff soon.</p><p style="">Family Guy: The Quest For Stuff arrives in the wake of another FOX mobile game, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheSimpsonsTappedOut" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">The Simpsons: Tapped Out</a>. That game has been a huge success for publisher Electronic Arts, generating <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-mobile-won-t-kill-consoles/1100-6417662/" data-ref-id="1100-6417662">more than $130 million in revenue</a> from microtransactions to date.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Thu, 03 Apr 2014 13:13:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/family-guy-mobile-game-gets-release-date-has-you-rebuilding-quahog-after-insane-chicken-fight/1100-6418760/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/titanfall-the-power-of-the-cloud-trailer/2300-6418132/ Developers from Respawn Studios and Xbox discuss how cloud computing helps take Titanfall to the next level. Thu, 03 Apr 2014 13:10:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/titanfall-the-power-of-the-cloud-trailer/2300-6418132/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/ftl-advanced-edition-now-playing/2300-6418131/ Benito and Jan fire up FTL: Advanced Edition to check out the new features. Thu, 03 Apr 2014 12:40:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/ftl-advanced-edition-now-playing/2300-6418131/

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Mario Kart 8 devs praise power of Wii U -- "It's a very pretty game"

Thanks to the power of the Wii U, Nintendo's Mario Kart 8 will deliver a visually impressive racing game the likes of which fans of the franchise have never seen, according to the game's designers.

"We're working with HD for the first time, and we really wanted to take advantage of that," Mario Kart 8 producer Hideki Konno said in a roundtable interview attended by GameSpot. "The last console version was Mario Kart Wii, which was released in 2008, so it was about six years ago. And during those six years, we were able to incorporate a lot of technology in our development process, but especially on the graphics side. So we put a lot of effort into making this a good looking game--it's a very pretty game."

Multiplayer has always been a major part of the Mario Kart series, but fans will no doubt recall the substantial drop in frame-rate in Mario Kart Wii when playing a local split-screen game. But now with the Wii U, however, Mario Kart 8 will sustain an enjoyable level of graphical fidelity even during multiplayer matches, Konno said.

"This time with the power of the Wii U we really made an effort to keep that graphic quality high regardless of how many ways we were splitting the TV into," he said.

For his part, Yabuki pointed out that the power of the Wii U allowed Nintendo to create better-looking character animations, to the level and range and of things that "we've never seen before" in the Mario Kart series, he said. But that's only the beginning.

"We've also been able to show movement on the [karts and bikes] that we haven't seen before," he said. "We're seeing bounding, we're seeing different parts of the kart move, we're seeing dirt on the tires, we're seeing skidmarks left on the course--again I think we've done a good job of utilizing that graphical power."

"Using the power of the Wii U, we were able to create a Mario Kart title that feels right, and the controls feel like they're perfect for this game."

Mario Kart 8 launches May 30. For more, check out GameSpot's recently published hands-on preview.

Filed under:

Mario Kart 8

Wii U

Nintendo

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Xbox One can run Windows 8.1's new universal apps

Microsoft's new universal apps will be able to function across all Windows devices--including the Xbox One.

The company announced the new app framework during its Build 2014 conference in San Francisco, showing off the latest updates to Windows Phone and Windows 8.1.

Microsoft says it will provide tools for developers to tweak the UI and features to whatever platform the application is running on. This includes developers being able to incorporate Kinect support when porting to Xbox One, for instance

Despite the new universal applications being able to run on all platforms, Microsoft adds that developers will be able to charge users to access the apps on each platform--you could theoretically have to pay twice if you want it to run on Xbox One and PC, then. But it is also possible for developers to sell an application once and allow it to run on every Windows platform.

Microsoft adds that apps which use the cloud to sync information should also be able to carry that across platforms.

Elsewhere in Microsoft's Build 2014 conference, the company announced that Cortana really is its digital assistant for Windows Phone 8.1, and that the Start Menu is coming back to Windows.

Filed under:

PC

Microsoft

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Microsoft cuts jobs following Phil Spencer's promotion to Head of Xbox

Just days after Microsoft promoted games veteran Phil Spencer to the new position of Head of Xbox, the company has cut an unspecified number of positions. Microsoft confirmed the move in a statement, but didn't say why the job cuts were necessary or what departments were hit.

"At Xbox, our goal is to constantly create new fun, social, and interactive entertainment experiences. As part of our commitment to this goal, we are always evaluating our development priorities, and there are times when decisions need to be made to realign plans and refocus our efforts," a Microsoft representative told VG247.

"Microsoft Studios continues to grow as an overall organization as we focus and invest in key priority areas that will drive future profitable growth."

Reports of the Microsoft Studios job cuts began to surface today via tweets from affected employees.

Speaking with GameSpot at GDC, Spencer said news about downsizing is more a reflection of the size and scope of AAA games today rather than an indicator of the vibrancy of the market. As part of the normal development cycle for big-budget games, studios staff up and then shed employees when they are not needed. This not not atypical, he said.

Filed under:

Xbox One

Xbox 360

PC

Microsoft

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DICE promises to fix Battlefield 4 rubber-banding woes

DICE's latest Battlefield 4 promise is that it will fix the rubber-banding issue that many users have complained about since the shooter's launch last year.

The issue, when it happens, flings players around the map when servers are feeling the strain, and is more prevalent in 64-player matches.

"We're unhappy with our server performance," said DICE, "so we'll be upgrading the hardware as soon as possible, investing more to deliver a better experience."

There is no current timeframe for when this patch might see the light of day, but it sounds more like a server-side fix rather than an update that users will have to download to their own machines.

"As soon as we know the exact timetable, we'll let you know the ETA. Reducing lag for these players is absolutely a top priority for us to solve and we expect to have the solution very soon."

Filed under:

Battlefield 4

Xbox One

PlayStation 4

PC

Dice

Electronic Arts

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