(Some Of) The Big Stuff:
More talk of resolution this week, as the PlayStation 4 version of Rockstar Games' upcoming open-world action game Grand Theft Auto V will run at 1080p, according to a new report. The game's 1080p visuals are described as "glimmering." Find out for yourself when the game launches on November 18 for PS4, as well as Xbox One--PC version coming next year..
Very soon you'll be able to get an Xbox One for $350. Ahead of the busy holiday shopping season, Microsoft this week announced a $50 price cut for the Xbox One. The price drop, effective November 2 (that's tomorrow!), is good for all Xbox One systems, including the special-edition bundles that come with copies of Sunset Overdrive, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, and Assassin's Creed Unity.
On Tuesday, Sony released the PlayStation 4's long-awaited and feature-rich 2.0 Update, codenamed Masamune. Among the long list of new features introduced in the update is Share Play, which lets you virtually play couch co-op with a friend. Read more about how it works here.
The Other Stuff (Stories We Like, But Didn't Cover With a Standalone Post):
Lego Minifigures Online developer Funcom announced this week that it is teaming with huge online retailer Amazon to offer the upcoming MMO for Fire TV and various Fire tablets. The game, which is already available on PC, will come to Amazon's devices by the end of the year.
What does Left 4 Dead developer Turtle Rock's upcoming 4v1 shooter Evolve look like on Xbox One? I'm glad you asked, because the studio this week released the first footage of the game running on Xbox One--and it does not disappoint. Watch it right now. We sat down with the studio to learn all about the game, which you can play today on Xbox One, PS4, and PC through an alpha.
Minecraft developer Mojang this week confirmed that the final version of its upcoming PC collectible card game, Scrolls, will launch sometime in November. The game was previously in beta, and had been for many months. The November release date comes with the standard game development warning, however. "We're not going to release it until it's ready, if you know what I mean," Mojang's Owen Hill said.
And now for something completely different. Bayonetta director Hideki Kamiya visited Valve's headquarters in Seattle recently, and he even posted a picture to prove it. WHAT CAN IT MEAN? The only logical conclusion to reach is that Kamiya is working on Half-Life 3 this has nothing to do with Half-Life 3.
Have you been waiting to play BioShock Infinite? If so, next week might be the time to jump in. 2K Games announced this week that BioShock: The Complete Edition will be released on November 4 for Xbox 360 and PS3. It includes the main game and all of its DLC for $40.
Are you hungry for cake? Now you probably are. In celebration of the PlayStation Access YouTube channel reaching 300,000 subscribers, someone (presumably Sony's head chef) baked the team a cake modeled after the PlayStation 4 and DualShock 4 controller. It was a chocolate cake, a moist chocolate cake, according to Sony's Hollie Bennett. In this case, despite what you may have heard, the cake is not in fact a lie.
Retailer Best Buy has announced midnight launch plans for next week's Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, and they are quite extensive. Best Buy, like other retailers, will sell the game at exactly 12:01 AM Eastern at its stores across the US (more than 800 in all) on November 3. November 3 because that's the day the Day Zero edition goes on sale. Best Buy has also announced that, similar to Walmart, you will not need to have previously preordered Advanced Warfare to buy the game at midnight. Woo hoo!
This War of Mine, the game from a team of Polish developers that aims to show the other side of war, got a release date and a new trailer this week. The game will launch on November 14 through Steam and Games Republic for $20, and you can see a new trailer below. If you're not familiar with the game, here's a primer. You do not play as a soldier like in Call of Duty or Battlefield, but rather you control a group of civilians trying to survive a city under fire. You struggle with food and medicine, and you're in constant danger. "The game provides an experience of war seen from an entirely new angle," its developer 11 bit studios writes.
A new study from the folks at SuperData reveals some gender trends about gaming. Via Joystiq, the report showed that men play more MMOs and FPS games, while women--on average--generally gravitate toward mobile games and RPGs. Does this match up with your own personal experiences?
Rugby 2015, the debut of the franchise for current-generation consoles, has been delayed. The game was previously expected to launch by the end of the year, but that is no longer the case, as developer HB Studios announced this week that the game is now coming in 2015. No reason for the delay was announced. When it is released, Rugby 2015 will be available for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, PS Vita, and PC.
Tough times ahead for Call of Duty, as one analyst believes the series has peaked, and Advanced Warfare will sell 40 percent fewer copies than Ghosts and a whopping 70 percent fewer copies than Black Ops II. Analysts are not always right, however. We'll find out soon enough, as Advanced Warfare launches next week. Are you buying a copy this year?
Heads up, retro game fans. Prince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner announced this week that he has donated a collection of design notes, drawings, correspondence, business records, and software related to his best-known works (Karateka, Prince of Persia, and The Last Express) to The Strong museum in Rochester, New York. The works will be available to researchers at the The Strong's research library, and also to the public in future exhibits.
Video game charity Extra Life announced this week that it has now raised $5.4 million thanks to the coordinated, worldwide efforts of recent charity live-stream marathons. GameSpot played 100 games in 100 hours to raise money, and lots of other sites and studios held campaigns, too. Donations continue to pour in, Extra Life says, and you can do your part until December 31.
In other charity-related news, video game retailer GameStop announced this week that it has renewed its partnership with the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital for its annual "Thanks and Giving" campaign. What this means for you is that when you shop at GameStop this holiday, you'll have a chance to donate to St. Jude at the point of purchase. Last year, GameStop raised more than $1 million through the initiative, and it is aiming higher this year. As a thank you to customers who decide to donate, GameStop will give you a 10 percent off coupon you can use the next time you buy a used game at the retailer.
Fueled by the massive success of Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, the free-to-play game based on the celebrity, publisher Glu Mobile hit a record for single-quarter revenue for the latest period. Oh, the power of celebrity! It's only a matter of time before other celebrities follow suit, I'd have to imagine.
In other Kim Kardashian news, Zynga founder Mark Pincus snapped a stealthy selfie with Kanye West and his wife, Kim Kardashian, during a World Series game last week. He also took a photo of West, Kardashian, and Barry Bonds. Just incredible. Go Giants!
That's it for this week. Have a great weekend!
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