Legendary modder Durante, who single-handedly fixed the internal rendering issues that blighted the PC release of Dark Souls with his tool DSFix, has now turned his attention to Dark Souls II with his new tool: GeDoSaTo.
You might need a bit of PC know-how in order to get it all up and running, but GeDoSaTo enables downsampling on all graphics cards, which renders the game at a very high resolution and then squashes that picture to fit on your display, which creates an incredibly sharp image. GeDoSaTo also allows for texture modding, rendering effects, ambient occlusion, and other post-processing and anti-aliasing effects.
GeDoSaTo is being developed as a general tool that can apply to many DirectX games, but Durante has released an early version to coincide with the PC release of Dark Souls II. There's lots more information about the tool in a fascinating post on PC Gamer.
Meanwhile, Bandai Namco has established an official thread on the Steam forums to collate some of the teething problems users have been experiencing, including game crashes on startup and controller woes. Fixes should be on the way.
All things considered, the PC port of Dark Souls II is considered to be the best way to play From Software's thrilling adventure. And with Durante's efforts, it looks like it might only get better with time.
Sony is taking the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita on the road for a new nationwide tour that it is calling "Road To Greatness."
The multi-city event kicks off today at the Stagecoach Music Festival in Indio, California, and makes stops at other music events like Rock on the Range (May 16-18) and Summerfest (June 25-July 6) , as well as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series May 9-10 in Kansas City.
The full schedule is below, and more events will be added in the future, Sony says. Right now, there are only two events scheduled for locations east of the Mississippi River: the Beale Street Music Festival (Memphis, TN) and Rock on the Range (Columbus, OH).
As part of the Road To Greatness tour, you'll get to go hands-on with "dozens" of new and unreleased PS4 and PS Vita games (none were named) and also compete in tournaments to win special PlayStation prizes.
Sony's Road To Greatness tour comes after Microsoft already held a far more extensive worldwide tour leading up to the launch of the Xbox One in November. Microsoft's tour hit dozens of cities in the United States as well as many international destinations.
Written By Kom Limpulnam on Kamis, 24 April 2014 | 19.51
Gamespot's Site MashupApple sold 43.7 million iPhones in the past three months -- How many did you buy?Evolve - Sixth Channel 4 v 1 TrailerXbox One/PS4/PC game Evolve gets a cool interactive gameplay trailerUbisoft: "Right now there is no such thing as a Watch Dogs 2"MGS 5: Ground Zeroes' PlayStation mission will be coming to Xbox, Xbox mission coming to PlayStationHere's when Dark Souls 2 PC will unlock on Steam todayZynga player decline continues, original founder no longer chief product officerRed Faction: Guerilla Highlights - The Shaun MethodGS News - First Call of Duty Image Revealed; China Bans Violent Games!There's a Trap in the New Skylanders GameGS News Update: China reveals censorship rules for console gamesSony All Access pass for Planetside, EverQuest, and more delayed againThe number of Chinese gamers surpasses the number of American citizensGTA 5 jetpacks could soon be a realityGS News Update: Reaching 1080p on Xbox One "tougher" compared to PS4 for upcoming RPG Lords of the Fallen
http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Thu, 24 Apr 2014 05:35:30 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/apple-sold-43-7-million-iphones-in-the-past-three-months-how-many-did-you-buy/1100-6419177/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2515773-iphone.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515773" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2515773-iphone.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515773"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2515773-iphone.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">On Wednesday, Apple reported fiscal second-quarter earnings for the three-month period ended March 29, revealing iPhone sales were up and iPad sales were down.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">For the quarter, Apple sold a whopping 43.7 million iPhones, up from 37.4 million during the same period last year. iPad sales were 16.35 million, down from 19.4 million last year.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Overall, Apple posted $45.6 billion in revenue and a net profit of $10.2 billion for the quarter. This is up from revenue of $43.6 billion and profit of $9.5 billion last year.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We're very proud of our quarterly results, especially our strong iPhone sales and record revenue from services," Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement. "We're eagerly looking forward to introducing more new products and services that only Apple could bring to market."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">To put Apple's numbers into context, Activision Blizzard--one of the biggest game publishers around--hauled $4.34 billion in revenue for the <a href="http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/ACTI/3056887694x0x724014/9b1383c9-ac48-4600-800a-536e7f7a9d96/ATVI_Q4_2013_Earnings_Release_with_tables.pdf" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"><em>entire 2013 year</em></a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Here's some highlights from Apple's latest quarter:</p><ul><li dir="ltr"><strong>iPhone:</strong> 43.7 million sold, compared to 37.4 million last year.</li><li dir="ltr"><strong>iPad:</strong> 16.35 million sold, compared to 19.4 million last year.</li><li dir="ltr"><strong>Mac:</strong> 4.14 million sold, compared to 3.95 million last year.</li><li dir="ltr"><strong>iTunes/Software/Services:</strong> $4.57 billion in revenue, up from $4.11 billion last year.</li><li dir="ltr"><strong>Accessories:</strong> $1.42 billion in revenue, up from $1.38 billion last year.</li></ul><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Thu, 24 Apr 2014 05:05:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/apple-sold-43-7-million-iphones-in-the-past-three-months-how-many-did-you-buy/1100-6419177/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/evolve-sixth-channel-4-v-1-trailer/2300-6418484/ Check out this new trailer that combines all five perspectives of the 4 v 1 match and features commentary by Aaron "Ayesee" Chambers and Chris Ashton. Thu, 24 Apr 2014 05:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/evolve-sixth-channel-4-v-1-trailer/2300-6418484/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-ps4-pc-game-evolve-gets-a-cool-interactive-gameplay-trailer/1100-6419176/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m97O1dQAyhc" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2Fm97O1dQAyhc%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dm97O1dQAyhc&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2Fm97O1dQAyhc%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">2K Games today released a pretty neat interactive gameplay trailer for its upcoming 4v1 Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC multiplayer shooter <a href="/evolve/" data-ref-id="false">Evolve</a>. The trailer lets you switch between six different channels to see how an entire Evolve match plays out.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Your viewing options are: Griffin the Trapper, Markov the Assault, Hank the Support, Val the Medic, or the Goliath monster. You can also watch a sixth channel, which combines all five perspectives and features commentary from the game's developers. We have embedded one of the trailers above, but you'll <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/EvolveGame" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">need to visit the game's YouTube channel </a>to see all six perspectives.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Developed by<a href="/left-4-dead/" data-ref-id="false"> Left 4 Dead </a>creator Turtle Rock Studios, Evolve is powered by the CryEngine. It is a team-based game that has four players competing as hunters against a fifth player, the monster. The hunters view the game from a first-person perspective, while the monster sees the world in third-person. Turtle Rock Studios said this setup represents the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-ps4-and-pc-game-evolve-promises-evolution-of-multiplayer/1100-6417655/" data-ref-id="1100-6417655">"evolution of multiplayer."</a></p><p style="">You can find out for yourself when Evolve launches later this year. 2K Games parent company Take-Two Interactive <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/thq-dissolved/1100-6402838/" data-ref-id="1100-6402838">acquired Evolve from THQ for $10.8 million </a>during its bankruptcy auction last year.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Thu, 24 Apr 2014 05:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-ps4-pc-game-evolve-gets-a-cool-interactive-gameplay-trailer/1100-6419176/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ubisoft-right-now-there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-watch-dogs-2/1100-6419175/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1365/13658182/2515727-watch_dog_spidertank.png" data-ref-id="1300-2515727" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1365/13658182/2515727-watch_dog_spidertank.png" data-ref-id="1300-2515727"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1365/13658182/2515727-watch_dog_spidertank.png"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Ubisoft's much-anticipated open-world action game <a href="/watch-dogs/" data-ref-id="false">Watch Dogs</a> launches in just over a month, but don't expect to hear about a sequel anytime soon.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Right now there is no such thing as a Watch Dogs 2," creative director Jonathan Morin told<a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-04-24-watch-dogs-2-would-certainly-not-take-as-long-to-make" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="2014-04"> Eurogamer</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><em>If</em> Ubisoft were to make a sequel, Morin assured fans that it wouldn't take as long to come to market because the developer already has an established foundation to build upon.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"It's certainly not going to be the same amount of time if we ever embark on such a journey," Morin said. "A big part of it was defining whatever Watch Dogs is. Once you have that starting point, then what becomes interesting is what players want more of--what comes next?"</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Morin went on to say that <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-delayed-to-spring-2014/1100-6415591/" data-ref-id="1100-6415591">Ubisoft's decision to delay Watch Dogs</a>, which affected the publisher financially, is evidence that the company believes in the franchise and wants it to thrive.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Especially with the delay we have just been really concentrating on getting it [the original Watch Dogs] launched," he said. "After that we'll see where it goes - I think Ubisoft is showing more and more that they're willing to take the time for it to be right."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">A potential Watch Dogs sequel would go deeper into the original game's themes of hyperconnectivity and hacking, Morin suggested.</p><p style="">Watch Dogs launches <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-release-date-announced-for-everything-except-wii-u/1100-6417977/" data-ref-id="1100-6417977">May 27 </a>for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC. The <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-for-wii-u-definitely-not-canceled/1100-6418164/" data-ref-id="1100-6418164">Wii U version will come sometime later</a>. For more on Watch Dogs, check out its <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-multiplayer-explained-in-9-minute-developer-walkthrough-video/1100-6419161/" data-ref-id="1100-6419161">recently released nine-minute multiplayer demo</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Thu, 24 Apr 2014 04:25:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ubisoft-right-now-there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-watch-dogs-2/1100-6419175/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mgs-5-ground-zeroes-playstation-mission-will-be-coming-to-xbox-xbox-mission-coming-to-playstation/1100-6419174/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2449464-mgsvgz_ss_bc_ss_dejavu_1.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2449464" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2449464-mgsvgz_ss_bc_ss_dejavu_1.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2449464"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/536/5360430/2449464-mgsvgz_ss_bc_ss_dejavu_1.jpg"></a><figcaption>Psycho Mantis, coming soon to Xbox platforms.</figcaption></figure><p style="">The PlayStation and Xbox missions for <a href="/metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroes/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroes/">Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes</a> will be released for all platforms, Hideo Kojima has announced.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Speaking on the <a href="http://www.konami.jp/kojima_pro/station/en/" rel="nofollow" data-mce-href="http://www.konami.jp/kojima_pro/station/en/">latest Kojima Station</a>, the Metal Gear Solid creator revealed that the Sony exclusive Deja Vu mission (where you play as MGS1-era Solid Snake) and Microsoft exclusive Jamais Vu mission (where you play as Raiden) will be released for the other platform on May 1.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The DLC will be free, and will be added into the game via a patch.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">During the broadcast, Kojima also revealed that over Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes players have racked up over 504 years of cumulative playtime, and that 50 percent of players have now achieved an S rank in the game's main mission.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Following the launch of Ground Zeroes in March, Kojima Productions has said that Metal Gear Solid: The Phantom Pain <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/metal-gear-solid-5-the-phantom-pain-to-reduce-cutscenes-in-favour-of-pure-game-storytelling/1100-6418805/" data-ref-id="1100-6418805" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/metal-gear-solid-5-the-phantom-pain-to-reduce-cutscenes-in-favour-of-pure-game-storytelling/1100-6418805/">will reduce its emphasis on cutscenes in favour of "pure game storytelling"</a>.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6417769" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6417769/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><table data-max-width="true" class="mceItemTable"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Martin Gaston is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/squidmania" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/squidmania"> Twitter @squidmania</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow" data-mce-href="mailto:news@gamespot.com">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table><p style=""><br /></p> Thu, 24 Apr 2014 03:45:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mgs-5-ground-zeroes-playstation-mission-will-be-coming-to-xbox-xbox-mission-coming-to-playstation/1100-6419174/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/here-s-when-dark-souls-2-pc-will-unlock-on-steam-today/1100-6419173/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2452196-bastille04.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2452196" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2452196-bastille04.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2452196"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/416/4161502/2452196-bastille04.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">The PC version of <a href="/dark-souls-ii/" data-ref-id="false">Dark Souls II</a> will unlock on Steam today, <a href="http://bandainamcous.tumblr.com/post/83636457098/dark-souls-ii-will-unlock-on-steam-at-the" rel="nofollow">Bandai Namco has announced</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The unlock time will be April 24 at 15:00 PDT, 18:00 EDT, 23:00 BST, or whatever corresponding time that is in your local region. The game is due to go on sale worldwide tomorrow, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/dark-souls-2-on-pc-gets-a-one-week-delay-in-the-uk-but-will-it-affect-the-steam-release/1100-6419011/" data-ref-id="1100-6419011">except for the UK where physical copies have been delayed for an additional week</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The PC version of Dark Souls II looks set to be the one to get, running at a full 60fps and in 1080p if your machine can handle it. There's still room for crippling bugs caused by a poor port, of course, but Bandai Namco has repeatedly assured customers that the PC version of Dark Souls II will arrive in much better shape than its predecessor.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Those who preorder Dark Souls II on Steam will also get downloads for the game's soundtrack, an artbook, and a digital comic, alongside early in-game access to 10 weapons and shields.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418189" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418189/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Martin Gaston is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/squidmania" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @squidmania</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Thu, 24 Apr 2014 02:30:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/here-s-when-dark-souls-2-pc-will-unlock-on-steam-today/1100-6419173/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/zynga-player-decline-continues-original-founder-no-longer-chief-product-officer/1100-6419172/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2515744-3798960330-mark-.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515744" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2515744-3798960330-mark-.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515744"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1493/14930800/2515744-3798960330-mark-.jpg"></a><figcaption>Don Mattrick and Mark Pinus, just chilling out.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Social giant Zynga has revealed its gloomy financial results for the first quarter of 2014, and the company's founder has announced he's stepping down as chief product officer.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Mark Pincus has decided to move on from his operational role as Chief Product Officer at Zynga to focus on serving as Chairman of the Board of Directors," said former Xbox boss turned Zynga CEO Don Mattrick in a letter to employees.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Alongside the reshuffle, Mattrick also revealed that Zynga had 28 million daily active users for the quarter, a boost of 1 million from the previous three months. But the company has lost almost half of its daily players since this time last year, when it had 53 million of them.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">How about monthly active users, then? 86 million this quarter, down from 150 million this time last year.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Mattrick, who was brought on as Zynga CEO in an attempt to reverse the company's declining fortunes, pointed to the growing success of Zynga Poker and Words with Friends.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"In Q1 our teams delivered a solid start to the year against our strategic frame of growing and sustaining our franchises, creating new hits and driving efficiencies," said Mattrick.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We have established a strong base for 2014 and believe we are pacing well for a year of growth."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Mattrick says that the company spirits have been buoyed by the recent release of FarmVille 2: Country Escape, which has seen over 4 million installs since its launch.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We are pleased with the team's execution and encouraged by the early indicators we are seeing," he adds.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In the midsts of all this, Mattrick also announced the hiring of former Microsoft man Alex Garden as President of Zynga Studios.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Garden, who also founded Homeworld and Company of Heroes developer Relic Entertainment, has been working in the games industry for over two decades. "I met Alex 25 years ago when he began his career working as a game tester for Distinctive Software, which I founded in 1982," said Mattrick. "He is an exciting hire for us as we focus on growing and sustaining our franchises, creating breakthrough entertainment experiences and developing more creative leadership across Zynga."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Overall, Zynga made $168 million in revenue, a 36 per cent drop from the same period last year. Zynga also made a net loss of $61 million for the last three months, down from a net income of $4 million.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Martin Gaston is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/squidmania" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @squidmania</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p style=""> </p> Thu, 24 Apr 2014 01:45:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/zynga-player-decline-continues-original-founder-no-longer-chief-product-officer/1100-6419172/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/red-faction-guerilla-highlights-the-shaun-method/2300-6418485/ Chris and Maxwell sub in this week on The Shaun Method to celebrate Earth Day in Red Faction: Guerilla with crazy hammer time fun. Wed, 23 Apr 2014 17:52:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/red-faction-guerilla-highlights-the-shaun-method/2300-6418485/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-first-call-of-duty-image-revealed-china-ba/2300-6418482/ China is censoring a bunch of games, 2014's Call of Duty character render image is unveiled, and Lords of the Fallen might not be 1080p on Xbox One. Wed, 23 Apr 2014 16:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-first-call-of-duty-image-revealed-china-ba/2300-6418482/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/there-s-a-trap-in-the-new-skylanders-game/1100-6419171/ <p style="">The magic of Skylanders--at least for its young target audience--has always been in how it mixes the physical and the virtual. For a kid, it's exciting to have physical, quality figurines to play with in the real world, before taking virtual avatars of those same characters on adventures within a game. It's a recipe that has worked well with the previous Skylanders games, but for the next installment in the series, publisher Activision and developer Toys For Bob are adding a new element that, according to executive producer Jeff Poffenbarger, will help bring "life to toys."</p><p style="">And how will the new game--Skylanders Trap Team--bring life to inanimate objects? It will attempt to do it through the power of... speakers. Trap Team will come with a new physical portal (dubbed the Traptanium Portal) that has a built-in speaker that allows you to hear the voices of bosses you capture within the game. Once you've captured a boss, you can then use that boss as a fully playable character in your adventures, swapping between your Skylander and the boss at any time.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/225/2256286/2515504-stt_console_portal-glow_blue_final_hires.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515504" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/225/2256286/2515504-stt_console_portal-glow_blue_final_hires.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515504"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/225/2256286/2515504-stt_console_portal-glow_blue_final_hires.jpg"></a><figcaption>Portal Master Snap Shot astride the new Traptanium Portal.</figcaption></figure><p style=""> </p><p style="">Poffenbarger demonstrated this new mechanic to me during a recent interview about Skylanders Trap Team. Using one of the new Skylander types being introduced in the game--the Portal Masters--he fought a boss named the chompy mage. Once defeated, the captured mage was "teleported" to the Traptanium Portal, and his audio dialogue, which had been booming from the television, was now coming out through the portal's tiny speaker (Chompy Mage complained about the cramped new place he found himself in). It was an interesting effect, and for the most part was a neat gimmick that helped with the illusion that a virtual creature was now somehow contained within the real-world portal. Kids will most likely love it.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/225/2256286/2515505-stt_water_tiki_trap_final_hires.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515505" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/225/2256286/2515505-stt_water_tiki_trap_final_hires.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515505"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/225/2256286/2515505-stt_water_tiki_trap_final_hires.jpg"></a><figcaption>A water elemental Trap.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Skylanders games, of course, are all about the companion toys, so there will be a new toy type that you'll need to buy to be able to capture in-game bosses. These new toys are called traps, and they need to be inserted into the portal to capture a defeated boss. Traps have elemental alignments, and you'll only be able to capture a boss using the appropriate elemental trap.</p><p style="">Skylanders Trap Team's starter pack will come with two traps (as well as one of the new Portal Masters, the new portal, and a regular-size Skylander), and Poffenbarger says you'll be able to complete the game with just the starter pack toys. Thankfully, Poffenbarger says an individual trap can hold multiple bosses, and as was the case with the earlier games, all previous toys will again be compatible for use with the new portal.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">But if the experience of previous Skylanders games are anything to go by, relying on just the starter pack toys will mean there'll be areas and missions you simply won't be able to access. And with only two traps, you'll only be able to get a fraction of the bosses that's available in Trap Team. If you're a huge Skylanders fan or a parent of one, then this hobby just became a little more expensive thanks to the addition of this new toy type.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Skylanders Trap Team will be released on October 5, 2014 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Wii U, and 3DS.</p><p style=""> </p> Wed, 23 Apr 2014 16:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/there-s-a-trap-in-the-new-skylanders-game/1100-6419171/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-update-china-reveals-censorship-rules-for-/2300-6418479/ Blocked content includes anything that promotes or incites obscenity, drug use, violence, or gambling; games also can't harm public ethics or China's culture and traditions. Wed, 23 Apr 2014 14:31:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-update-china-reveals-censorship-rules-for-/2300-6418479/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-all-access-pass-for-planetside-everquest-and-more-delayed-again/1100-6419170/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6416063" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6416063/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">Sony Online Entertainment's All Access membership plan, which grants access to many of the company's MMOs for one price, has once again been delayed, this time until "on or about" April 29.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We've moved the All Access date to April 29th," states a <a href="https://twitter.com/j_smedley/status/458635093976682496" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">tweet</a> sent out by SOE president John Smedley. "This is the most complicated change to our billing system ever, so we need to get it 100%."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The latest update to the official <a href="https://forums.station.sony.com/soe/index.php?threads/the-revised-soe-all-access-program-faq.11500063040/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">All Access FAQ</a> seems less certain of that date, opting to say the membership is planned for launch "on or about April 29th." It was originally scheduled to hit earlier this month, but has now been delayed three times.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">As first <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/soe-shutting-down-four-mmos-including-star-wars-clone-wars-adventures/1100-6417333/" data-ref-id="1100-6417333">announced in January</a>, All Access takes the place of individual memberships to SOE's games. For a single $15-per-month subscription, players get the highest tier memberships for all "eligible" SOE games on PC, a list which consists of <a href="/planetside-2/" data-ref-id="false">Planetside 2</a>, <a href="/dc-universe-online/" data-ref-id="false">DC Universe Online</a>, and upcoming MMOs like <a href="/everquest-next/" data-ref-id="false">EverQuest Next</a> and <a href="/everquest-next-landmark/" data-ref-id="false">Everquest Next Landmark</a>, in addition to classic titles <a href="/everquest-trilogy/" data-ref-id="false">EverQuest</a>, <a href="/everquest-ii-extended/" data-ref-id="false">EverQuest II</a>, and <a href="/vanguard-saga-of-heroes/" data-ref-id="false">Vanguard: Saga of Heroes</a>. <a href="/dragons-prophet/" data-ref-id="false">Dragon's Prophet</a> will also eventually be a part of All Access, but specifics for that game are still being worked out.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In addition to access to the various games, All Access members will receive a monthly allotment of 500 Station Cash (used to purchase various in-game items and bonuses, depending on the game), a 10% discount on marketplace purchases, and the benefits of unspecified promotions that will take place throughout the year. PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 players will not be able to make use of the All Access pass, save for the 10% marketplace discount.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">As is often the case with MMO subscriptions, discounts will be offered to members who opt for long-term plans (with 3-, 6-, and 12-month plans being available). Existing memberships for any of the participating games will be converted into All Access subscriptions once they become available.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSmokingManX" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Wed, 23 Apr 2014 14:24:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-all-access-pass-for-planetside-everquest-and-more-delayed-again/1100-6419170/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-number-of-chinese-gamers-surpasses-the-number-of-american-citizens/1100-6419166/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2515500-screen+shot+2014-04-23+at+2.29.35+pm.png" data-ref-id="1300-2515500" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2515500-screen+shot+2014-04-23+at+2.29.35+pm.png" data-ref-id="1300-2515500"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1534/15343359/2515500-screen+shot+2014-04-23+at+2.29.35+pm.png"></a><figcaption>Credit: Games Marketing Summit</figcaption></figure><p style="">Speaking on a panel at the 2014 Games Marketing Summit in San Francisco, market research company EEDAR revealed that, according to their research, the number of gamers in China surpasses the total number of citizens in the United States.</p><p style="">The panel was focused on marketing trends in the gaming industry and featured representatives from Microsoft, Sony, EEDAR, and Ubisoft. The exact numbers according to a slide said, "There are 1.6 Chinese gamers for each American Citizen (517M vs. 317M)."</p><p style="">Of that 517 million person Chinese gaming audience:</p><ul><li>147M are core gamers</li><li>28% play more than 1 hour/day</li><li>9.7% have spent money</li><li>Core genres = 70% of revenue</li></ul><p style="">Just last year, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/china-lifts-13-year-console-ban/1100-6415060/" data-ref-id="1100-6415060">China lifted a 13-year ban on console gaming systems</a>, however the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/china-reveals-censorship-rules-for-console-games-nothing-that-promotes-drug-use-or-violence-will-be-allowed/1100-6419151/" data-ref-id="1100-6419151">Chinese gaming censorship rules are more than a little strict</a>.</p><p style="">Of course, this doesn't mean there's going to be any immediate change in the direction game development takes, and gaming piracy still runs rampant through large parts of Asia, which makes it a difficult area to work in. But as China opens up, we'll likely start to see incremental changes both in the types of games we play and what type of audience they're targeted at.</p><table data-max-width="true"><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong>Justin Haywald is a senior editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/JustinHaywald" rel="nofollow"> Twitter @JustinHaywald</a></strong></p><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Wed, 23 Apr 2014 13:57:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-number-of-chinese-gamers-surpasses-the-number-of-american-citizens/1100-6419166/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gta-5-jetpacks-could-soon-be-a-reality/1100-6419168/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2515439-gtav.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515439" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2515439-gtav.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515439"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2515439-gtav.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Rockstar may be planning to introduce a new way of getting around in <a href="/grand-theft-auto-v/" data-ref-id="false">Grand Theft Auto V</a>, if newly discovered references in the game's code are any indication.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Posting on the <a href="http://www.se7ensins.com/forums/threads/gta-v-confirmed-jet-pack-skiing-in-game-code.1124033/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Se7enSins forums</a>, user Chr0m3 x MoDz revealed the existence of strings of text in the game's code that mention a jetpack, something which is not a part of GTA V as it exists today. While some might assume these are outdated references to something that was scrapped during development, the post indicates these references did not exist prior to the 1.12 update released earlier this month.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Speculation suggests a jetpack could be included as part of a future DLC release or expansion pack. It would not be the first time players were able to make use of a jetpack in the GTA series--<a href="/grand-theft-auto-san-andreas/" data-ref-id="false">San Andreas</a> players might remember getting their hands on one that allowed them to fly around and use a handful of weapons back in 2004.</p><p style="">Since its launch last year, Rockstar has continued to update Grand Theft Auto V's online component, Grand Theft Auto Online, to iron out problems and introduce new content. The developer announced earlier this month that heists would finally be coming to GTA Online <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gta-5-s-online-mode-finally-gets-heists-later-this-spring/1100-6418724/" data-ref-id="1100-6418724">sometime this spring</a>. We also know <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gtav-story-dlc-coming-in-2014/1100-6416619/" data-ref-id="1100-6416619">downloadable content expanding the story</a> of Michael, Franklin, and Trevor--the game's three protagonist--is on the way this year, though specific details have yet to be announced.</p><p style="">Grand Theft Auto V is currently only available on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Fans have been <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gta-5-pc-petition-approaching-700-000-signatures-it-s-been-216-days-since-the-console-version-arrived/1100-6419106/" data-ref-id="1100-6419106">petitioning for a PC release</a>, but Rockstar has yet to officially announce a version of the game for any additional platforms.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSmokingManX" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Wed, 23 Apr 2014 13:19:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gta-5-jetpacks-could-soon-be-a-reality/1100-6419168/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-update-reaching-1080p-on-xbox-one-tougher-/2300-6418477/ CI Games executive producer says it is easier to confirm 1080p for PlayStation 4 by the time the game releases in fall. Wed, 23 Apr 2014 13:17:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-update-reaching-1080p-on-xbox-one-tougher-/2300-6418477/
Gamespot's Site MashupApple sold 43.7 million iPhones in the past three months -- How many did you buy?Evolve - Sixth Channel 4 v 1 TrailerXbox One/PS4/PC game Evolve gets a cool interactive gameplay trailerUbisoft: "Right now there is no such thing as a Watch Dogs 2"MGS 5: Ground Zeroes' PlayStation mission will be coming to Xbox, Xbox mission coming to PlayStationHere's when Dark Souls 2 PC will unlock on Steam todayZynga player decline continues, original founder no longer chief product officerRed Faction: Guerilla Highlights - The Shaun MethodGS News - First Call of Duty Image Revealed; China Bans Violent Games!There's a Trap in the New Skylanders GameGS News Update: China reveals censorship rules for console gamesSony All Access pass for Planetside, EverQuest, and more delayed againThe number of Chinese gamers surpasses the number of American citizensGTA 5 jetpacks could soon be a realityGS News Update: Reaching 1080p on Xbox One "tougher" compared to PS4 for upcoming RPG Lords of the Fallen
http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Thu, 24 Apr 2014 05:35:30 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/apple-sold-43-7-million-iphones-in-the-past-three-months-how-many-did-you-buy/1100-6419177/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2515773-iphone.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515773" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2515773-iphone.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515773"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2515773-iphone.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">On Wednesday, Apple reported fiscal second-quarter earnings for the three-month period ended March 29, revealing iPhone sales were up and iPad sales were down.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">For the quarter, Apple sold a whopping 43.7 million iPhones, up from 37.4 million during the same period last year. iPad sales were 16.35 million, down from 19.4 million last year.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Overall, Apple posted $45.6 billion in revenue and a net profit of $10.2 billion for the quarter. This is up from revenue of $43.6 billion and profit of $9.5 billion last year.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We're very proud of our quarterly results, especially our strong iPhone sales and record revenue from services," Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement. "We're eagerly looking forward to introducing more new products and services that only Apple could bring to market."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">To put Apple's numbers into context, Activision Blizzard--one of the biggest game publishers around--hauled $4.34 billion in revenue for the <a href="http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/ACTI/3056887694x0x724014/9b1383c9-ac48-4600-800a-536e7f7a9d96/ATVI_Q4_2013_Earnings_Release_with_tables.pdf" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"><em>entire 2013 year</em></a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Here's some highlights from Apple's latest quarter:</p><ul><li dir="ltr"><strong>iPhone:</strong> 43.7 million sold, compared to 37.4 million last year.</li><li dir="ltr"><strong>iPad:</strong> 16.35 million sold, compared to 19.4 million last year.</li><li dir="ltr"><strong>Mac:</strong> 4.14 million sold, compared to 3.95 million last year.</li><li dir="ltr"><strong>iTunes/Software/Services:</strong> $4.57 billion in revenue, up from $4.11 billion last year.</li><li dir="ltr"><strong>Accessories:</strong> $1.42 billion in revenue, up from $1.38 billion last year.</li></ul><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Thu, 24 Apr 2014 05:05:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/apple-sold-43-7-million-iphones-in-the-past-three-months-how-many-did-you-buy/1100-6419177/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/evolve-sixth-channel-4-v-1-trailer/2300-6418484/ Check out this new trailer that combines all five perspectives of the 4 v 1 match and features commentary by Aaron "Ayesee" Chambers and Chris Ashton. Thu, 24 Apr 2014 05:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/evolve-sixth-channel-4-v-1-trailer/2300-6418484/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-ps4-pc-game-evolve-gets-a-cool-interactive-gameplay-trailer/1100-6419176/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m97O1dQAyhc" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2Fm97O1dQAyhc%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dm97O1dQAyhc&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2Fm97O1dQAyhc%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">2K Games today released a pretty neat interactive gameplay trailer for its upcoming 4v1 Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC multiplayer shooter <a href="/evolve/" data-ref-id="false">Evolve</a>. The trailer lets you switch between six different channels to see how an entire Evolve match plays out.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Your viewing options are: Griffin the Trapper, Markov the Assault, Hank the Support, Val the Medic, or the Goliath monster. You can also watch a sixth channel, which combines all five perspectives and features commentary from the game's developers. We have embedded one of the trailers above, but you'll <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/EvolveGame" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">need to visit the game's YouTube channel </a>to see all six perspectives.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Developed by<a href="/left-4-dead/" data-ref-id="false"> Left 4 Dead </a>creator Turtle Rock Studios, Evolve is powered by the CryEngine. It is a team-based game that has four players competing as hunters against a fifth player, the monster. The hunters view the game from a first-person perspective, while the monster sees the world in third-person. Turtle Rock Studios said this setup represents the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-ps4-and-pc-game-evolve-promises-evolution-of-multiplayer/1100-6417655/" data-ref-id="1100-6417655">"evolution of multiplayer."</a></p><p style="">You can find out for yourself when Evolve launches later this year. 2K Games parent company Take-Two Interactive <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/thq-dissolved/1100-6402838/" data-ref-id="1100-6402838">acquired Evolve from THQ for $10.8 million </a>during its bankruptcy auction last year.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Thu, 24 Apr 2014 05:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-ps4-pc-game-evolve-gets-a-cool-interactive-gameplay-trailer/1100-6419176/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ubisoft-right-now-there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-watch-dogs-2/1100-6419175/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1365/13658182/2515727-watch_dog_spidertank.png" data-ref-id="1300-2515727" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1365/13658182/2515727-watch_dog_spidertank.png" data-ref-id="1300-2515727"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1365/13658182/2515727-watch_dog_spidertank.png"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Ubisoft's much-anticipated open-world action game <a href="/watch-dogs/" data-ref-id="false">Watch Dogs</a> launches in just over a month, but don't expect to hear about a sequel anytime soon.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Right now there is no such thing as a Watch Dogs 2," creative director Jonathan Morin told<a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-04-24-watch-dogs-2-would-certainly-not-take-as-long-to-make" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="2014-04"> Eurogamer</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><em>If</em> Ubisoft were to make a sequel, Morin assured fans that it wouldn't take as long to come to market because the developer already has an established foundation to build upon.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"It's certainly not going to be the same amount of time if we ever embark on such a journey," Morin said. "A big part of it was defining whatever Watch Dogs is. Once you have that starting point, then what becomes interesting is what players want more of--what comes next?"</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Morin went on to say that <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-delayed-to-spring-2014/1100-6415591/" data-ref-id="1100-6415591">Ubisoft's decision to delay Watch Dogs</a>, which affected the publisher financially, is evidence that the company believes in the franchise and wants it to thrive.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Especially with the delay we have just been really concentrating on getting it [the original Watch Dogs] launched," he said. "After that we'll see where it goes - I think Ubisoft is showing more and more that they're willing to take the time for it to be right."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">A potential Watch Dogs sequel would go deeper into the original game's themes of hyperconnectivity and hacking, Morin suggested.</p><p style="">Watch Dogs launches <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-release-date-announced-for-everything-except-wii-u/1100-6417977/" data-ref-id="1100-6417977">May 27 </a>for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC. The <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-for-wii-u-definitely-not-canceled/1100-6418164/" data-ref-id="1100-6418164">Wii U version will come sometime later</a>. For more on Watch Dogs, check out its <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-multiplayer-explained-in-9-minute-developer-walkthrough-video/1100-6419161/" data-ref-id="1100-6419161">recently released nine-minute multiplayer demo</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Thu, 24 Apr 2014 04:25:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ubisoft-right-now-there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-watch-dogs-2/1100-6419175/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mgs-5-ground-zeroes-playstation-mission-will-be-coming-to-xbox-xbox-mission-coming-to-playstation/1100-6419174/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2449464-mgsvgz_ss_bc_ss_dejavu_1.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2449464" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2449464-mgsvgz_ss_bc_ss_dejavu_1.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2449464"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/536/5360430/2449464-mgsvgz_ss_bc_ss_dejavu_1.jpg"></a><figcaption>Psycho Mantis, coming soon to Xbox platforms.</figcaption></figure><p style="">The PlayStation and Xbox missions for <a href="/metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroes/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroes/">Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes</a> will be released for all platforms, Hideo Kojima has announced.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Speaking on the <a href="http://www.konami.jp/kojima_pro/station/en/" rel="nofollow" data-mce-href="http://www.konami.jp/kojima_pro/station/en/">latest Kojima Station</a>, the Metal Gear Solid creator revealed that the Sony exclusive Deja Vu mission (where you play as MGS1-era Solid Snake) and Microsoft exclusive Jamais Vu mission (where you play as Raiden) will be released for the other platform on May 1.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The DLC will be free, and will be added into the game via a patch.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">During the broadcast, Kojima also revealed that over Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes players have racked up over 504 years of cumulative playtime, and that 50 percent of players have now achieved an S rank in the game's main mission.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Following the launch of Ground Zeroes in March, Kojima Productions has said that Metal Gear Solid: The Phantom Pain <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/metal-gear-solid-5-the-phantom-pain-to-reduce-cutscenes-in-favour-of-pure-game-storytelling/1100-6418805/" data-ref-id="1100-6418805" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/metal-gear-solid-5-the-phantom-pain-to-reduce-cutscenes-in-favour-of-pure-game-storytelling/1100-6418805/">will reduce its emphasis on cutscenes in favour of "pure game storytelling"</a>.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6417769" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6417769/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><table data-max-width="true" class="mceItemTable"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Martin Gaston is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/squidmania" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/squidmania"> Twitter @squidmania</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow" data-mce-href="mailto:news@gamespot.com">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table><p style=""><br /></p> Thu, 24 Apr 2014 03:45:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mgs-5-ground-zeroes-playstation-mission-will-be-coming-to-xbox-xbox-mission-coming-to-playstation/1100-6419174/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/here-s-when-dark-souls-2-pc-will-unlock-on-steam-today/1100-6419173/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2452196-bastille04.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2452196" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2452196-bastille04.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2452196"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/416/4161502/2452196-bastille04.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">The PC version of <a href="/dark-souls-ii/" data-ref-id="false">Dark Souls II</a> will unlock on Steam today, <a href="http://bandainamcous.tumblr.com/post/83636457098/dark-souls-ii-will-unlock-on-steam-at-the" rel="nofollow">Bandai Namco has announced</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The unlock time will be April 24 at 15:00 PDT, 18:00 EDT, 23:00 BST, or whatever corresponding time that is in your local region. The game is due to go on sale worldwide tomorrow, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/dark-souls-2-on-pc-gets-a-one-week-delay-in-the-uk-but-will-it-affect-the-steam-release/1100-6419011/" data-ref-id="1100-6419011">except for the UK where physical copies have been delayed for an additional week</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The PC version of Dark Souls II looks set to be the one to get, running at a full 60fps and in 1080p if your machine can handle it. There's still room for crippling bugs caused by a poor port, of course, but Bandai Namco has repeatedly assured customers that the PC version of Dark Souls II will arrive in much better shape than its predecessor.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Those who preorder Dark Souls II on Steam will also get downloads for the game's soundtrack, an artbook, and a digital comic, alongside early in-game access to 10 weapons and shields.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418189" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418189/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Martin Gaston is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/squidmania" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @squidmania</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Thu, 24 Apr 2014 02:30:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/here-s-when-dark-souls-2-pc-will-unlock-on-steam-today/1100-6419173/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/zynga-player-decline-continues-original-founder-no-longer-chief-product-officer/1100-6419172/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2515744-3798960330-mark-.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515744" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2515744-3798960330-mark-.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515744"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1493/14930800/2515744-3798960330-mark-.jpg"></a><figcaption>Don Mattrick and Mark Pinus, just chilling out.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Social giant Zynga has revealed its gloomy financial results for the first quarter of 2014, and the company's founder has announced he's stepping down as chief product officer.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Mark Pincus has decided to move on from his operational role as Chief Product Officer at Zynga to focus on serving as Chairman of the Board of Directors," said former Xbox boss turned Zynga CEO Don Mattrick in a letter to employees.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Alongside the reshuffle, Mattrick also revealed that Zynga had 28 million daily active users for the quarter, a boost of 1 million from the previous three months. But the company has lost almost half of its daily players since this time last year, when it had 53 million of them.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">How about monthly active users, then? 86 million this quarter, down from 150 million this time last year.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Mattrick, who was brought on as Zynga CEO in an attempt to reverse the company's declining fortunes, pointed to the growing success of Zynga Poker and Words with Friends.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"In Q1 our teams delivered a solid start to the year against our strategic frame of growing and sustaining our franchises, creating new hits and driving efficiencies," said Mattrick.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We have established a strong base for 2014 and believe we are pacing well for a year of growth."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Mattrick says that the company spirits have been buoyed by the recent release of FarmVille 2: Country Escape, which has seen over 4 million installs since its launch.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We are pleased with the team's execution and encouraged by the early indicators we are seeing," he adds.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In the midsts of all this, Mattrick also announced the hiring of former Microsoft man Alex Garden as President of Zynga Studios.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Garden, who also founded Homeworld and Company of Heroes developer Relic Entertainment, has been working in the games industry for over two decades. "I met Alex 25 years ago when he began his career working as a game tester for Distinctive Software, which I founded in 1982," said Mattrick. "He is an exciting hire for us as we focus on growing and sustaining our franchises, creating breakthrough entertainment experiences and developing more creative leadership across Zynga."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Overall, Zynga made $168 million in revenue, a 36 per cent drop from the same period last year. Zynga also made a net loss of $61 million for the last three months, down from a net income of $4 million.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Martin Gaston is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/squidmania" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @squidmania</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p style=""> </p> Thu, 24 Apr 2014 01:45:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/zynga-player-decline-continues-original-founder-no-longer-chief-product-officer/1100-6419172/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/red-faction-guerilla-highlights-the-shaun-method/2300-6418485/ Chris and Maxwell sub in this week on The Shaun Method to celebrate Earth Day in Red Faction: Guerilla with crazy hammer time fun. Wed, 23 Apr 2014 17:52:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/red-faction-guerilla-highlights-the-shaun-method/2300-6418485/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-first-call-of-duty-image-revealed-china-ba/2300-6418482/ China is censoring a bunch of games, 2014's Call of Duty character render image is unveiled, and Lords of the Fallen might not be 1080p on Xbox One. Wed, 23 Apr 2014 16:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-first-call-of-duty-image-revealed-china-ba/2300-6418482/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/there-s-a-trap-in-the-new-skylanders-game/1100-6419171/ <p style="">The magic of Skylanders--at least for its young target audience--has always been in how it mixes the physical and the virtual. For a kid, it's exciting to have physical, quality figurines to play with in the real world, before taking virtual avatars of those same characters on adventures within a game. It's a recipe that has worked well with the previous Skylanders games, but for the next installment in the series, publisher Activision and developer Toys For Bob are adding a new element that, according to executive producer Jeff Poffenbarger, will help bring "life to toys."</p><p style="">And how will the new game--Skylanders Trap Team--bring life to inanimate objects? It will attempt to do it through the power of... speakers. Trap Team will come with a new physical portal (dubbed the Traptanium Portal) that has a built-in speaker that allows you to hear the voices of bosses you capture within the game. Once you've captured a boss, you can then use that boss as a fully playable character in your adventures, swapping between your Skylander and the boss at any time.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/225/2256286/2515504-stt_console_portal-glow_blue_final_hires.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515504" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/225/2256286/2515504-stt_console_portal-glow_blue_final_hires.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515504"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/225/2256286/2515504-stt_console_portal-glow_blue_final_hires.jpg"></a><figcaption>Portal Master Snap Shot astride the new Traptanium Portal.</figcaption></figure><p style=""> </p><p style="">Poffenbarger demonstrated this new mechanic to me during a recent interview about Skylanders Trap Team. Using one of the new Skylander types being introduced in the game--the Portal Masters--he fought a boss named the chompy mage. Once defeated, the captured mage was "teleported" to the Traptanium Portal, and his audio dialogue, which had been booming from the television, was now coming out through the portal's tiny speaker (Chompy Mage complained about the cramped new place he found himself in). It was an interesting effect, and for the most part was a neat gimmick that helped with the illusion that a virtual creature was now somehow contained within the real-world portal. Kids will most likely love it.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/225/2256286/2515505-stt_water_tiki_trap_final_hires.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515505" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/225/2256286/2515505-stt_water_tiki_trap_final_hires.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515505"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/225/2256286/2515505-stt_water_tiki_trap_final_hires.jpg"></a><figcaption>A water elemental Trap.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Skylanders games, of course, are all about the companion toys, so there will be a new toy type that you'll need to buy to be able to capture in-game bosses. These new toys are called traps, and they need to be inserted into the portal to capture a defeated boss. Traps have elemental alignments, and you'll only be able to capture a boss using the appropriate elemental trap.</p><p style="">Skylanders Trap Team's starter pack will come with two traps (as well as one of the new Portal Masters, the new portal, and a regular-size Skylander), and Poffenbarger says you'll be able to complete the game with just the starter pack toys. Thankfully, Poffenbarger says an individual trap can hold multiple bosses, and as was the case with the earlier games, all previous toys will again be compatible for use with the new portal.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">But if the experience of previous Skylanders games are anything to go by, relying on just the starter pack toys will mean there'll be areas and missions you simply won't be able to access. And with only two traps, you'll only be able to get a fraction of the bosses that's available in Trap Team. If you're a huge Skylanders fan or a parent of one, then this hobby just became a little more expensive thanks to the addition of this new toy type.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Skylanders Trap Team will be released on October 5, 2014 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Wii U, and 3DS.</p><p style=""> </p> Wed, 23 Apr 2014 16:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/there-s-a-trap-in-the-new-skylanders-game/1100-6419171/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-update-china-reveals-censorship-rules-for-/2300-6418479/ Blocked content includes anything that promotes or incites obscenity, drug use, violence, or gambling; games also can't harm public ethics or China's culture and traditions. Wed, 23 Apr 2014 14:31:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-update-china-reveals-censorship-rules-for-/2300-6418479/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-all-access-pass-for-planetside-everquest-and-more-delayed-again/1100-6419170/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6416063" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6416063/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">Sony Online Entertainment's All Access membership plan, which grants access to many of the company's MMOs for one price, has once again been delayed, this time until "on or about" April 29.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We've moved the All Access date to April 29th," states a <a href="https://twitter.com/j_smedley/status/458635093976682496" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">tweet</a> sent out by SOE president John Smedley. "This is the most complicated change to our billing system ever, so we need to get it 100%."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The latest update to the official <a href="https://forums.station.sony.com/soe/index.php?threads/the-revised-soe-all-access-program-faq.11500063040/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">All Access FAQ</a> seems less certain of that date, opting to say the membership is planned for launch "on or about April 29th." It was originally scheduled to hit earlier this month, but has now been delayed three times.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">As first <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/soe-shutting-down-four-mmos-including-star-wars-clone-wars-adventures/1100-6417333/" data-ref-id="1100-6417333">announced in January</a>, All Access takes the place of individual memberships to SOE's games. For a single $15-per-month subscription, players get the highest tier memberships for all "eligible" SOE games on PC, a list which consists of <a href="/planetside-2/" data-ref-id="false">Planetside 2</a>, <a href="/dc-universe-online/" data-ref-id="false">DC Universe Online</a>, and upcoming MMOs like <a href="/everquest-next/" data-ref-id="false">EverQuest Next</a> and <a href="/everquest-next-landmark/" data-ref-id="false">Everquest Next Landmark</a>, in addition to classic titles <a href="/everquest-trilogy/" data-ref-id="false">EverQuest</a>, <a href="/everquest-ii-extended/" data-ref-id="false">EverQuest II</a>, and <a href="/vanguard-saga-of-heroes/" data-ref-id="false">Vanguard: Saga of Heroes</a>. <a href="/dragons-prophet/" data-ref-id="false">Dragon's Prophet</a> will also eventually be a part of All Access, but specifics for that game are still being worked out.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In addition to access to the various games, All Access members will receive a monthly allotment of 500 Station Cash (used to purchase various in-game items and bonuses, depending on the game), a 10% discount on marketplace purchases, and the benefits of unspecified promotions that will take place throughout the year. PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 players will not be able to make use of the All Access pass, save for the 10% marketplace discount.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">As is often the case with MMO subscriptions, discounts will be offered to members who opt for long-term plans (with 3-, 6-, and 12-month plans being available). Existing memberships for any of the participating games will be converted into All Access subscriptions once they become available.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSmokingManX" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Wed, 23 Apr 2014 14:24:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-all-access-pass-for-planetside-everquest-and-more-delayed-again/1100-6419170/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-number-of-chinese-gamers-surpasses-the-number-of-american-citizens/1100-6419166/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2515500-screen+shot+2014-04-23+at+2.29.35+pm.png" data-ref-id="1300-2515500" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2515500-screen+shot+2014-04-23+at+2.29.35+pm.png" data-ref-id="1300-2515500"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1534/15343359/2515500-screen+shot+2014-04-23+at+2.29.35+pm.png"></a><figcaption>Credit: Games Marketing Summit</figcaption></figure><p style="">Speaking on a panel at the 2014 Games Marketing Summit in San Francisco, market research company EEDAR revealed that, according to their research, the number of gamers in China surpasses the total number of citizens in the United States.</p><p style="">The panel was focused on marketing trends in the gaming industry and featured representatives from Microsoft, Sony, EEDAR, and Ubisoft. The exact numbers according to a slide said, "There are 1.6 Chinese gamers for each American Citizen (517M vs. 317M)."</p><p style="">Of that 517 million person Chinese gaming audience:</p><ul><li>147M are core gamers</li><li>28% play more than 1 hour/day</li><li>9.7% have spent money</li><li>Core genres = 70% of revenue</li></ul><p style="">Just last year, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/china-lifts-13-year-console-ban/1100-6415060/" data-ref-id="1100-6415060">China lifted a 13-year ban on console gaming systems</a>, however the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/china-reveals-censorship-rules-for-console-games-nothing-that-promotes-drug-use-or-violence-will-be-allowed/1100-6419151/" data-ref-id="1100-6419151">Chinese gaming censorship rules are more than a little strict</a>.</p><p style="">Of course, this doesn't mean there's going to be any immediate change in the direction game development takes, and gaming piracy still runs rampant through large parts of Asia, which makes it a difficult area to work in. But as China opens up, we'll likely start to see incremental changes both in the types of games we play and what type of audience they're targeted at.</p><table data-max-width="true"><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong>Justin Haywald is a senior editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/JustinHaywald" rel="nofollow"> Twitter @JustinHaywald</a></strong></p><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Wed, 23 Apr 2014 13:57:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-number-of-chinese-gamers-surpasses-the-number-of-american-citizens/1100-6419166/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gta-5-jetpacks-could-soon-be-a-reality/1100-6419168/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2515439-gtav.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515439" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2515439-gtav.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515439"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2515439-gtav.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Rockstar may be planning to introduce a new way of getting around in <a href="/grand-theft-auto-v/" data-ref-id="false">Grand Theft Auto V</a>, if newly discovered references in the game's code are any indication.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Posting on the <a href="http://www.se7ensins.com/forums/threads/gta-v-confirmed-jet-pack-skiing-in-game-code.1124033/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Se7enSins forums</a>, user Chr0m3 x MoDz revealed the existence of strings of text in the game's code that mention a jetpack, something which is not a part of GTA V as it exists today. While some might assume these are outdated references to something that was scrapped during development, the post indicates these references did not exist prior to the 1.12 update released earlier this month.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Speculation suggests a jetpack could be included as part of a future DLC release or expansion pack. It would not be the first time players were able to make use of a jetpack in the GTA series--<a href="/grand-theft-auto-san-andreas/" data-ref-id="false">San Andreas</a> players might remember getting their hands on one that allowed them to fly around and use a handful of weapons back in 2004.</p><p style="">Since its launch last year, Rockstar has continued to update Grand Theft Auto V's online component, Grand Theft Auto Online, to iron out problems and introduce new content. The developer announced earlier this month that heists would finally be coming to GTA Online <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gta-5-s-online-mode-finally-gets-heists-later-this-spring/1100-6418724/" data-ref-id="1100-6418724">sometime this spring</a>. We also know <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gtav-story-dlc-coming-in-2014/1100-6416619/" data-ref-id="1100-6416619">downloadable content expanding the story</a> of Michael, Franklin, and Trevor--the game's three protagonist--is on the way this year, though specific details have yet to be announced.</p><p style="">Grand Theft Auto V is currently only available on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Fans have been <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gta-5-pc-petition-approaching-700-000-signatures-it-s-been-216-days-since-the-console-version-arrived/1100-6419106/" data-ref-id="1100-6419106">petitioning for a PC release</a>, but Rockstar has yet to officially announce a version of the game for any additional platforms.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSmokingManX" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Wed, 23 Apr 2014 13:19:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gta-5-jetpacks-could-soon-be-a-reality/1100-6419168/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-update-reaching-1080p-on-xbox-one-tougher-/2300-6418477/ CI Games executive producer says it is easier to confirm 1080p for PlayStation 4 by the time the game releases in fall. Wed, 23 Apr 2014 13:17:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-update-reaching-1080p-on-xbox-one-tougher-/2300-6418477/
Written By Kom Limpulnam on Minggu, 20 April 2014 | 19.51
Gamespot's Site MashupCandy Crush Saga settles dispute with CandySwipe "amicably"Putt-Putt and Pajama Sam just as hardcore as Dark Souls according to Steam tagsGRID teases new racing gameSOE President doesn't dodge questions about similarities between H1Z1 and DayZCel Damage HD launching on PS4, PS3, and PS Vita April 22Media mogul Rupert Murdoch tries on Oculus RiftReport: New Prince of Persia using Rayman Legends engine in developmentCan We Build a Gaming PC on a Console Budget?PS4-exclusive Resogun local co-op DLC teasedWatch Dogs sequel eBook picks up where the game endsGlitchspace Early Access ReviewBorderlands 2: Headhunter 5 - Sir Hammerlock vs. the Son of Crawmerax ReviewSkullgirls' first male character, Big Band, arrives next weekGS News Top 5 - PlayStation 4 sells more consoles than Xbox One + The Next Civilization Is In Space!BioShock movie could be back in development
http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Sun, 20 Apr 2014 05:33:44 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/candy-crush-saga-settles-dispute-with-candyswipe-amicably/1100-6419093/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6416938" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6416938/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">The independent developer of CandySwipe is withdrawing its opposition to King's <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/candy-crush-saga/">Candy Crush Saga</a> after initially accusing the mobile developer of copying its game.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Back in February, after King pursued copyright claims against games with the word "candy" or "saga" in their titles, president of Runsome Apps Albert Ransom wrote an open letter that pointed out the similarities between his game, CandySwipe, and Candy Crush Saga, which was released two years after CandySwipe.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"When you attempted to register your trademark in 2012, I opposed it for 'likelihood of confusion' (which is within my legal right) given I filed for my registered trademark back in 2010 (two years before Candy Crush Saga existed)," Ransom said. "Now, after quietly battling this trademark opposition for a year, I have learned that you now want to cancel my CandySwipe trademark so that I don't have the right to use my own game's name."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Ransom alleged that King purchased the rights to a game called Candy Crusher, which allowed it to challenge his own trademark containing Candy.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">However, earlier this week, Ransom replaced the open letter posted to <a href="http://www.candyswipe.com/king.html" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">his website</a> with the following message:</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"I am happy to announce that I have amicably resolved my dispute with King over my CandySwipe trademark and that I am withdrawing my opposition to their mark and they are withdrawing their counterclaim against mine. I have learned that they picked the CANDY CRUSH name before I released my game and that they were never trying to take my game away. Both our games can continue to coexist without confusing players."</p><p style="">Back in March, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/the-banner-saga/">The Banner Saga</a> developer <a href="http://stoicstudio.com/stoic-update" rel="nofollow">Stoic</a> also said it reached an agreement with King, which enables both parties to protect their respective trademarks. King has since abandoned its efforts to trademark the word "candy."</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sat, 19 Apr 2014 16:40:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/candy-crush-saga-settles-dispute-with-candyswipe-amicably/1100-6419093/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/putt-putt-and-pajama-sam-just-as-hardcore-as-dark-souls-according-to-steam-tags/1100-6419092/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2508992-steamhardcore1.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508992" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2508992-steamhardcore1.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508992"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1535/15354745/2508992-steamhardcore1.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Earlier this week, Tommo Inc. and Night Dive Studios announced that they're bringing to Steam 28 games from Humongous Entertainment, known for kid-friendly, edutainment and adventure games from the '90s.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Some titles like Putt-Putt Joins the Parade, Freddi Fish and The Case of the Missing Kelp Seeds, and Pajama Sam: No Need to Hide When It's Dark Outside, are already available to download, but you'll be surprised where you'll find them on Steam.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Some users have tagged the Humongous Entertainment games as "<a href="http://store.steampowered.com/tag/en/hardcore" rel="nofollow">Hardcore</a>" using Steam's tagging system, meaning they're now featured alongside games like <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/dark-souls/">Dark Souls</a>, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/dayz/">DayZ</a>, and <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/arma-iii/">Arma III</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">While this case is fairly harmless (and funny), it isn't the first time Steam users have abused the tagging system. <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/valve-curbs-abusive-steam-tags-after-games-were-tagged-with-not-a-game-hipster-garbage/1100-6417780/">Shortly after it was introduced</a>, several users tagged <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/gone-home/">Gone Home</a> with "not a game," <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/superbrothers-sword-and-sworcery-ep/">Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP</a> with "hipster garbage," and Indie Game: The Movie with "Phil Fish sucks." Valve has since introduced a way to downvote and report offensive tags.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">If you're nostalgic for the Humongous Entertainment games, there are many more coming in the next couple of months. Here's the Steam release schedule:</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><strong>April 17</strong></p><ul><li dir="ltr">Putt-Putt Joins the Parade</li><li dir="ltr">Freddi Fish and The Case of the Missing Kelp Seeds</li><li dir="ltr">Pajama Sam: No Need to Hide When It's Dark Outside</li><li dir="ltr">Spy Fox in: Dry Cereal</li><li dir="ltr">Putt-Putt and Pep's Balloon-o-Rama</li><li dir="ltr">Freddi Fish and Luther's Maze Madness</li></ul><p dir="ltr" style=""><strong>May 1</strong></p><ul><li dir="ltr">Putt-Putt Goes to the Moon</li><li dir="ltr">Freddi Fish 2: The Case of the Haunted Schoolhouse</li><li dir="ltr">Pajama Sam 2: Thunder and Lightning Aren't so Frightening</li><li dir="ltr">Spy Fox 2: Some Assembly Required</li><li dir="ltr">Putt-Putt and Pep's Dog on a Stick</li><li dir="ltr">Freddi Fish and Luther's Water Worries</li></ul><p dir="ltr" style=""><strong>May 5</strong></p><ul><li dir="ltr">Putt-Putt Travels through Time</li><li dir="ltr">Freddi Fish 3: The Case of the Stolen Conch Shell</li><li dir="ltr">Pajama Sam 3: You Are What You Eat from Your Head to Your Feet</li><li dir="ltr">Spy Fox 3: Operation Ozone</li><li dir="ltr">Putt-Putt and Fatty Bear's Activity Pack</li></ul><p dir="ltr" style=""><strong>May 29</strong></p><ul><li dir="ltr">Putt-Putt Enters the Race</li><li dir="ltr">Putt-Putt Joins the Circus</li><li dir="ltr">Freddi Fish 4: The Case of the Hogfish Rustlers of Briny Gulch</li><li dir="ltr">Pajama Sam 4: Life Is Rough When You Lose Your Stuff!</li><li dir="ltr">Spy Fox in: Cheese Chase</li></ul><p dir="ltr" style=""><strong>June 6</strong></p><ul><li dir="ltr">Putt-Putt: Pep's Birthday Surprise</li><li dir="ltr">Freddi Fish 5: The Case of the Creature of Coral Cove</li><li dir="ltr">Pajama Sam's Sock Works</li><li dir="ltr">Spy Fox in: Hold the Mustard</li><li>Pajama Sam's Lost & Found</li></ul><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sat, 19 Apr 2014 15:02:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/putt-putt-and-pajama-sam-just-as-hardcore-as-dark-souls-according-to-steam-tags/1100-6419092/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/grid-teases-new-racing-game/1100-6419091/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtmH9bldhmE" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FEtmH9bldhmE%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DEtmH9bldhmE&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FEtmH9bldhmE%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">The official GRID Twitter account posted a short video titled "Brace Yourselves...Racing is Coming," teasing a coming announcement on April 22.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">That's all we know until then, but yesterday Codemasters' Community Manager Ben Walk made clear that, whatever the company announces, it's not going to be a mobile game. "Can officially confirm that next Tuesday's announcement will NOT have the words Android or iOS in them," he said on Twitter.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/grid-2/">GRID 2</a> was released in May 2013, and was well received by critics. <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/grid-2-review/1900-6409247/">GameSpot's review</a> found that it offered a fantastic blend of arcade and simulation racing. Codemasters also develops and publishes other racing games like the <a href="/dirt-3/" data-ref-id="false">Dirt</a> and <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/f1-2013/" data-ref-id="false">F1</a> series.</p><p style="">Be sure to check back with GameSpot on April 22 for more details on Codemasters' future plans for the GRID series.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sat, 19 Apr 2014 13:56:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/grid-teases-new-racing-game/1100-6419091/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/soe-president-doesn-t-dodge-questions-about-similarities-between-h1z1-and-dayz/1100-6419090/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2508945-0264688991-25028.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508945" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2508945-0264688991-25028.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508945"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1535/15354745/2508945-0264688991-25028.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">President of Sony Online Entertainment John Smedley took to <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/h1z1/comments/23c82f/answering_h1z1_questions_i_saw_including_why_is/" rel="nofollow">Reddit</a> to answer some questions about the recently announced <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/h1z1/">H1Z1</a>, and he didn't tiptoe around the game's similarities to the hugely successful <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/dayz/">DayZ</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Not going to give some politically correct dodgy b.s. answer," he said. "H1Z1 is a survival in a Zombie Apocalypse game. So is Day Z. They have made a brilliant game (first I might add). They have a great vision for it and can count myself and most of the people on our team as fans and contributors."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Smedley then went on to describe how H1Z1 is different because it lets players build structures, forts, and towns to protect themselves from zombies.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"So sure. We're another Zombie Apocalypse game," Smedley said. "Call it what it is. But our goal is to make ours fun, accessible, hard core and super, super deep."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Some other interesting details Smedley revealed about H1Z1:</p><ul><li dir="ltr">It will be available in Early Access for $20 (but you can also just wait for it to come out as free-to-play).</li><li dir="ltr">You can play it in both first and third-person.</li><li dir="ltr">Vehicles are in third-person only, but this could change.</li><li dir="ltr">The game will have an emphasis on getting food, growing, and protecting it.</li><li dir="ltr">The game will not have playable female characters at early access release.</li></ul><p style="">For more on H1Z1, you can catch up with <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/h1z1/">our previous coverage</a>, and watch 50 minutes of Game Designer Jimmy Whisenhunt and Technical Director Tom Schenck playing the game on <a href="http://www.twitch.tv/h1z1/b/520748817" rel="nofollow">Twitch</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sat, 19 Apr 2014 12:09:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/soe-president-doesn-t-dodge-questions-about-similarities-between-h1z1-and-dayz/1100-6419090/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/cel-damage-hd-launching-on-ps4-ps3-and-ps-vita-april-22/1100-6419089/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2508918-9878354314-13915.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508918" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2508918-9878354314-13915.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508918"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1535/15354745/2508918-9878354314-13915.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Cel Damage HD, a graphically-enhanced version of the original 2001 release, is coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Vita this Tuesday, April 22.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Cel Damage HD will cost $10, and as a Cross-Buy title, you'll be able pay once to play it on all devices. In addition, PlayStation Plus members can get the game for a 10 percent discount during the first week following release.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Originally developed by Pseudo Interactive for Xbox, PlayStation 2, and GameCube, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/cel-damage/">Cel Damage</a> was a vehicle combat game much like Twisted Metal, only with cel-shaded graphics and a Looney Tunes approach to weapons and gameplay. It was not well received by GameSpot at the time, getting a score of 5.7 in <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/cel-damage-review/1900-2825349/">our review</a>.</p><p style="">Cel Damage HD will feature six playable characters, 13 arenas, 10 cars and more than 30 power-ups. It will be developer Finish Line's first game.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sat, 19 Apr 2014 10:44:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/cel-damage-hd-launching-on-ps4-ps3-and-ps-vita-april-22/1100-6419089/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/media-mogul-rupert-murdoch-tries-on-oculus-rift/1100-6419088/ <figure data-align="right" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2508908-murdoch.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508908" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2508908-murdoch.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508908"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/1535/15354745/2508908-murdoch.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Rupert Murdoch, founder of the world's second-largest media company, News Corp, took the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset for a spin this week.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Murdoch, News Corp's Chief Technology Officer Paul Cheesbrough, and Chief Executive Officer Joel Klein saw the Oculus Rift during an "amazing 'field trip'" to <a href="http://www.framestore.com/" rel="nofollow">Framestore</a>'s offices in New York, according to <a href="http://murdochhere.tumblr.com/post/82936419063/amazing-field-trip-today-for-rupert-paul" rel="nofollow">Murdoch's Tumblr</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Framestore offers integrated advertising, special effects (it recently won an Oscar for its visual effects in Gravity), and other services, but you may have heard of it recently if you're a Game of Thrones fan. To promote HBO's show, it created the <a href="http://www.framestore.com/work/game-thrones-ascend-wall-vr-experience" rel="nofollow">"Ascend the Wall" VR experience</a>, which puts the user in an elevator rising to the top of its fictional 700ft tall frozen wall. Framestore explained its business model to Murdoch and let him demo "Ascend the Wall."</p><p style="">As amazed as he may be, it's too late for Murdoch to scoop up Oculus VR. Facebook's Mark <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/everything-you-need-to-know-about-facebook-buying-oculus-for-2-billion/1100-6418636/">Zuckerberg already acquired the company for $2 billion last month</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p> Sat, 19 Apr 2014 10:17:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/media-mogul-rupert-murdoch-tries-on-oculus-rift/1100-6419088/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-new-prince-of-persia-using-rayman-legends-engine-in-development/1100-6419087/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2508871-4584749003-87325.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508871" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2508871-4584749003-87325.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508871"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1535/15354745/2508871-4584749003-87325.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Ubisoft is said to be working on a new 2D prince of Persia game using Rayman Legends' UbiArt Framework engine.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">French website <a href="http://www.leportaildujeuvideo.fr/articles/exclusif-un-nouveau-prince-of-persia-en-2d-facon-rayman-legends" rel="nofollow">Le Portail du Jeu Video</a> claims it was told that, like Rayman, the Prince's legs, arms, and other body parts will animate independently of each other, making him look like a 3D model. As with other Prince of Persia games, the Prince will run, swordfight, and perform various acrobatics to avoid traps. Ubisoft's upcoming <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/child-of-light-the-most-beautiful-game-you-ve-never-heard-of/1100-6418723/">Child of Light</a>, which mixes RPG and 2D platforming, is another game that uses the UbiArt Framework.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">According to the site, the game in question is being developed in Ubisoft Montpellier, which is also responsible for Rayman Legends and Rayman Origins.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Back in January 2013, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/prince-of-persia-paused/1100-6403101/">Ubisoft Montreal CEO Yannis Mallat said that the Prince of Persia franchise had been "paused,"</a> but that it would return in the future.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Ubisoft released a few forgettable mobile Prince of Persia games in the last couple of years, but the last serious entry in the franchise was 2010's <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/prince-of-persia-the-forgotten-sands-swirling-may-18/1100-6251819/">Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sat, 19 Apr 2014 08:29:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-new-prince-of-persia-using-rayman-legends-engine-in-development/1100-6419087/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/can-we-build-a-gaming-pc-on-a-console-budget/1100-6418829/ <p style="">There's no debating that a souped-up gaming PC will outperform an Xbox One or PlayStation 4 any day of the week, but it'll also cost you a lot more at checkout. However, what about a gaming PC that isn't top of the line, say, one that was built for $550?</p><p style="">This is the question we put to the test: could we build a gaming PC from scratch that could provide a gameplay and visual experience on par with a next-gen console, for around the same price as a next-gen console? While the PlayStation 4 is substantially cheaper, we wanted to make this exercise as competitive as possible, and that meant allowing ourselves the luxury of a slightly higher budget. Our own Mark Walton and Peter Brown each built one machine; one based on Intel and Nvidia chipsets, and the other on AMD hardware. Then, we put them to the test to see if Mark and Peter used their budgets wisely or if they would have been better off buying a console for great graphics on a fixed budget. The text on this page covers the basics of our test, but be sure to check out the videos below for a more in-depth look at Mark's and Peter's process and results.</p><h2><strong>Rules and Goals</strong></h2><p style="">We aimed to stay within a budget of $550--roughly the most you can pay for an Xbox One in North America. In addition to acquiring the bare essentials for a PC--CPU, GPU, RAM, motherboard, power supply, computer case, and hard drive--each editor had to include the cost of a mouse, a keyboard, and a Windows license. No piracy or preexisting parts allowed!</p><p style="">The other goal was to build a machine that performs as well as or better than an Xbox One or PlayStation 4 in cross-platform games. The list of benchmark candidates included <a href="/assassins-creed-iv-black-flag/" data-ref-id="false">Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag</a>, <a href="/battlefield-4/" data-ref-id="false">Battlefield 4</a>, <a href="/thief/" data-ref-id="false">Thief</a>, and <a href="/titanfall/" data-ref-id="false">Titanfall</a>.</p><h2><strong>Mark Walton - AMD Gaming PC</strong></h2><figure data-align="right" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2508374-core.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508374" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2508374-core.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508374"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/1406/14063904/2508374-core.jpg"></a><figcaption>Mark Walton's AMD PC</figcaption></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Gaming PCs live and die by the GPU and CPU. AMD's budget offerings are a far better value for the money than either Intel's or Nvidia's. For less than the price of the cheapest Ivy Bridge-based Core processor from Intel, you can pick up six-core chips from AMD that happily outperform it. The same goes for AMD's GPUs, which offer excellent performance for less than the Nvidia equivalent.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">My plan was simple: stick as much money into the CPU and GPU as possible, and work with what's left--and if I could make the computer look half decent too, all the better.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col">Component</th><th scope="col">Type</th><th scope="col">Price</th><th scope="col">Store</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>CPU</td><td><a href="http://www.amazon.com/AMD-FD6300WMHKBOX-FX-6300-Processor-Edition/dp/B009O7YORK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397851243&sr=8-1&keywords=amd+fx-6300" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">AMD FX-6300 Vishera 3.5GHz</a></td><td>$109.00</td><td>Amazon</td></tr><tr><td>Motherboard</td><td><a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131942" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">ASUS M5A78L-M/USB3 AM3+ AMD 760G</a></td><td>$48.49</td><td>Newegg</td></tr><tr><td>Case</td><td><a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811352032" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Fractal Core 1000</a></td><td>$39.99</td><td>Newegg</td></tr><tr><td>PSU</td><td><a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817438016" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">EVGA 100-W1-500-KR 500W</a></td><td>$44.99</td><td>Newegg</td></tr><tr><td>GPU</td><td><a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131464" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">PowerColor AX7850 2GBD5-DH Radeon HD 7850</a> (open box item)</td><td>$107.00</td><td>Newegg</td></tr><tr><td>RAM</td><td><a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820104335" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">HyperX XMP Blu Series 4GB DDR3 1600</a></td><td>$40.00</td><td>Newegg</td></tr><tr><td>Storage</td><td><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Barracuda-3-5-Inch-Internal-ST500DM002/dp/B005CT56R6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397851569&sr=8-1&keywords=Seagate+Barracuda+ST500DM002" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Seagate Barracuda ST500DM002 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB</a></td><td>$50.95</td><td>Amazon</td></tr><tr><td>OS</td><td>Windows 8</td><td>$70.00</td><td>eBay</td></tr><tr><td>Key/Mouse</td><td><a href="http://www.amazon.com/V7-Standard-Keyboard-Mouse-CK0A2-4N6P/dp/B005TJRCD0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397851606&sr=8-1&keywords=V7+Standard+PS%2F2+Keyboard+and+Mouse+Combo" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">V7 Standard PS/2 Keyboard and Mouse Combo</a></td><td>$10.19</td><td>Amazon</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>Subtotal</td><td>$520.61</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>Sales Tax</td><td>$45.55</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td><strong>Total</strong></td><td><strong>$566.16</strong></td><td> </td></tr></tbody></table><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418409" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418409/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col">Game</th><th scope="col">Settings</th><th scope="col">Average Frame Rate</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Assassin's Creed IV</td><td><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2508357-vlcsnap-00001.jpg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">1080p, Ultra, AA</a></td><td>42</td></tr><tr><td>Battlefield 4</td><td><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2508359-vlcsnap-00002.jpg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">1080p, High, AA</a></td><td>72</td></tr><tr><td>Battlefield 4</td><td><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2508360-vlcsnap-00003.jpg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">1080p, Ultra, MSAA</a></td><td>42</td></tr><tr><td>Thief</td><td><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2508361-vlcsnap-00004.jpg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">1080p, Ultra, AA</a></td><td>87</td></tr><tr><td>Titanfall</td><td><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2508362-vlcsnap-00005.jpg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">1080p, Very High, AA</a></td><td>60</td></tr></tbody></table><p style=""><em>Note: Click the links under "settings" to view the complete list of settings used during testing.</em></p><p style="">I was pleasantly surprised at just how well this system worked. All the games I tried hit frame rates 60fps, and--with the exception of Battlefield 4--did so at the highest settings. Rendering games 1080p60 is an achievable goal on a budget, then, as long as you're realistic about which games you'll be able to do it with, and at what settings. If you're after a bit more oomph and some peace of mind for future releases, though, spending a few extra bucks here and there will give you a big boost in performance.</p><p style="">More RAM is the obvious choice. It doesn't cost much to bump it up to 8GB, and the less time the PC has to spend thrashing the hard drive for a swap file the better. An extra $70 toward an R270 GPU would be a wise decision too. It's good value and overclocks extremely well, putting it firmly in the high-end GPU segment for just a fraction of the cost. There's also the option of an SSD for a more responsive feel, an aftermarket cooler for CPU overclocking, and a nicer-looking case, but they're not essential.</p><h2><strong>Peter Brown - Intel/Nvidia Gaming PC</strong></h2><figure data-align="right" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2507939-front_view1_3.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2507939" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2507939-front_view1_3.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2507939"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/1406/14063904/2507939-front_view1_3.jpg"></a><figcaption>Peter Brown's Intel/Nvidia PC</figcaption></figure><p style="">A budget of $550 is unusually small for a gaming PC, especially when the cost of an operating system is factored in. My strategy for this build was centered around a few key tactics.</p><p style="">First, I planned to keep the system's power draw as low as possible to save money on the cost of the power supply. I wanted to build small because smaller form factor cases and motherboards are usually cheaper overall unless they're particularly fancy. I also decided to use an unusually modest CPU. Intel makes excellent processors, but this quality isn't limited to the Core line. As long as I wasn't going to risk bottlenecking the GPU's performance, I looked for the simplest and cheapest option available. That way, I could focus on the linchpin of a gaming PC: the GPU. In this instance, I was aiming for Nvidia's Geforce GTX 750 Ti due to its great price/performance ratio.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col">Component</th><th scope="col">Type</th><th scope="col">Price</th><th scope="col">Store</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>CPU</td><td><a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116887" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Intel Pentium G2130 3.2 GHz</a></td><td>$74.99</td><td>Newegg</td></tr><tr><td>Motherboard</td><td><a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138386" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Biostar H61MGV3</a></td><td>$36.99</td><td>Newegg</td></tr><tr><td>Case</td><td><a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811237025" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Topower TP-1687BB-300</a></td><td>$34.99</td><td>Newegg</td></tr><tr><td>PSU</td><td>300W SFX Power Supply (included w/case)</td><td>n/a</td><td>Newegg</td></tr><tr><td>GPU</td><td><a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814487025" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2 GB</a></td><td>$154.99</td><td>Newegg</td></tr><tr><td>RAM</td><td><a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820313072" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Team Elite 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1333</a></td><td>$39.99</td><td>Newegg</td></tr><tr><td>Storage</td><td><a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136769" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Western Digital Blue 500 GB 7200 RPM 16MB</a></td><td>$54.99</td><td>Newegg</td></tr><tr><td>OS</td><td><a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832416776" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Windows 8.1 64-Bit</a></td><td>$99.99</td><td>Newegg</td></tr><tr><td>Key/Mouse</td><td><a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823201010" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Rosewill PS/2</a> <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826193041" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Wired</a></td><td>$12.98</td><td>Newegg</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>Subtotal</td><td>$509.91</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>Sales Tax</td><td>$38.24</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td><strong>Total</strong></td><td><strong>$548.15</strong></td><td> </td></tr></tbody></table><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418423" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418423/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col">Game</th><th scope="col">Settings</th><th scope="col">Average Frame Rate</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Assassin's Creed IV</td><td><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2508366-vlcsnap-00009.jpg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">1080p, High, FXAA</a></td><td>40</td></tr><tr><td>Battlefield 4</td><td><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2508365-vlcsnap-00008.jpg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">1080p, High, 2x MSAA</a></td><td>50</td></tr><tr><td>Thief</td><td><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2508364-vlcsnap-00007.jpg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">1080p, High, FXAA</a></td><td>55</td></tr><tr><td>Titanfall</td><td><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2508363-vlcsnap-00006.jpg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">1080p, High, No AA</a></td><td>50</td></tr></tbody></table><p style=""><em>Note: Click the links under "settings" to view the complete list of settings used during testing.</em></p><p style="">Like Mark, I was surprised how well my rig performed. I had faith that the GTX 750 Ti would hold up under light pressure, but given its partner in crime, the Pentium CPU, I presumed that I would have to dial down the in-game settings a bit more. In practice, all it took for most games to play near 60 frames per second at 1080p was to disable a few flourishes like ambient occlusion and aggressive anti-aliasing. With my $550 PC, I was able to handily outperform the Xbox One in every case, and the PlayStation 4 in most cases, which says a lot about the value of the PlayStation 4 given its lower $400 price point.</p><p style="">If I had had a larger budget, I would have sprung for a better CPU and a bit more RAM. My inexpensive Pentium CPU held up quite well considering that it cost only $80, but it was typically running at full speed with little to no remaining overhead. Unfortunately, given my skimpy power supply, there's little hope for tossing a better Nvidia GPU into this build down the road without other additional upgrades. In the end, with our meager budget, Mark's AMD focus gave him a slight advantage in terms of performance and upgradability.</p><h2>Closing Thoughts</h2><p style="">As it turns out, you <em>can</em> build a gaming PC for around the cost of an Xbox One that will outperform both next-gen consoles given the current stock of cross-platform games. You'll also enjoy a massive library that neither the PlayStation 4 nor the Xbox One will ever be able to match from a pure numbers standpoint. Plus, your PC is upgradable, and its functionality in non-gaming areas only adds to its value. AMD has an advantage when it comes to the balance of price and performance on the low end, but there's nothing stopping you from mixing and matching components from different manufacturers, which very well might be the best plan if you've got a larger budget to work with.</p><p style="">Keep in mind, too, that current cross-platform games on consoles perform best on a PlayStation 4, which currently sells for $100 less than an Xbox One. If you were to try to build a gaming PC for $400 to $450, our experience has taught us that you would end up with a machine that can't compete with either next-gen console. Though we both succeeded in our goal, $550 was proved quite limiting when it came to picking components.</p><p style="">If you had a budget of $550, which platform--PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or PC--would you choose? How would you build a gaming PC on a console-size budget? Let us know in the comments below.</p> Sat, 19 Apr 2014 08:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/can-we-build-a-gaming-pc-on-a-console-budget/1100-6418829/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-exclusive-resogun-local-co-op-dlc-teased/1100-6419086/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2508848-5034535294-BlapnHwIgAADD4U.jpg%3Alarge" data-ref-id="1300-2508848" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2508848-5034535294-BlapnHwIgAADD4U.jpg%3Alarge" data-ref-id="1300-2508848"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1535/15354745/2508848-5034535294-BlapnHwIgAADD4U.jpg%3Alarge"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Developer Housemarque has posted an image to <a href="https://twitter.com/Housemarque/status/456738901919821824" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a> that teases upcoming DLC for <a href="/resogun/" data-ref-id="false">Resogun</a>, which may include a local cooperative mode.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Resogun is a sidescrolling spaceship shooter inspired by arcade classic Defender. It was released alongside the PlayStation 4's launch, and was also added as a free game for PlayStation Plus members, so you probably at least tried it if you were an early adopter.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">At the moment, Resogun only has an online multiplayer mode, and fans have been asking for local cooperative mode since it launched. The image above, showing two players looking at the same screen, suggests that they will finally get it.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Housemarque also said that the teaser is for the "first of many things to come," so we're likely to see other additions and improvements coming to the game as well.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">For more on Resogun, check out <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/resogun-review/1900-6415541/">GameSpot's review</a>, which found it almost impossible to put down.</p><p style="">What kind of DLC will get you to play Resogun again? Let us know in the comments below.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sat, 19 Apr 2014 07:35:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-exclusive-resogun-local-co-op-dlc-teased/1100-6419086/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-sequel-ebook-picks-up-where-the-game-ends/1100-6419085/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzY-ZvzIwQg" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FtzY-ZvzIwQg%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DtzY-ZvzIwQg&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FtzY-ZvzIwQg%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">//n/Dark Clouds, an eBook sequel to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/watch-dogs/">Watch Dogs</a>, will release alongside the game on May 27, Ubisoft has announced.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Authored by John Shirley, the eBook picks up the story after the game's ending. It's a techno-thriller that follows Mick Wolfe, an an ex-military character who gets caught in Chicago's hyper connected and violent underground. It will feature both new and known characters from Watch Dogs.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Shirley is a prolific author with over 30 books and short story collections to his name, which include some game, comic book, and movie novelizations. He's also written several works in the cyberpunk genre, which is why he's a good fit for Watch Dogs' world. Ubisoft says that //n/Dark Clouds is the first novelization it conceived of in-house, and that Shirley had unprecedented access to the Montreal studio development team and writers.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">the eBook will be available in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish in two digital formats: an upgraded version with interactive videos and images, and a classic eBook. You can find out more about //n/Dark Clouds on <a href="http://watchdogs.ubi.com/watchdogs/en-GB/Ebook/index.aspx" rel="nofollow">its official website</a>.</p><p style="">Watch Dogs launches <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-release-date-announced-for-everything-except-wii-u/1100-6417977/">May 27</a> for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC. <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-watch-dogs-coming-to-wii-u-in-fall-2014/1100-6418928/">The Wii U version will launch this fall</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sat, 19 Apr 2014 06:38:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-sequel-ebook-picks-up-where-the-game-ends/1100-6419085/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/glitchspace-early-access-review/1100-6419083/ <p style=""><i>GameSpot's early access reviews evaluate unfinished games that are nonetheless available for purchase by the public. While the games in question are not considered finished by their creators, you may still devote money, time, and bandwidth for the privilege of playing them before they are complete. The review below critiques a work in progress, and represents a snapshot of the game at the time of the review's publication.</i></p><p style="">Give Glitchspace a little time to grow on you. Loading up this puzzler for the first time is a mystifying experience to say the least, for reasons beyond the obvious. Developer Space Budgie has included absolutely nothing in the way of tutorials or guidance to help you figure out the interface. That's a big problem, because this early access game currently available via Steam is one of the more unique games you will encounter this year, an initially aggravating but eventually engaging mix of an experimental first-person game like <a href="/portal/" data-ref-id="false">Portal</a> and visual programming.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2508536-0001.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508536" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2508536-0001.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508536"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/416/4161502/2508536-0001.jpg"></a><figcaption>This virtual programming stuff looks a lot more confusing than it actually is. </figcaption></figure><p style="">Space Budgie calls Glitchspace a "first-person programming game," and that description does the game justice. You play as a nameless explorer wandering through a dreamy cyberspace world beset by random glitches that make it impossible to move from point A to point B. Reprogramming the environment as you go is the only way to get around falling off the edge of the world into oblivion. The game environment is made up of stable white blocks and unstable, "glitching" red ones that can be edited via the use of a visual programming language called Null, which allows you to manipulate these red blocks in just about any way you can imagine. You can shrink them, extend them, rotate them, make them immaterial, make them solid, turn them into bouncy platforms, and even create them out of nothing. So you're both programmer and player at the same time.</p><p style="">The 11 levels included in the current (alpha 1.4) build of the game throw out devious pitfalls that require serious thinking to get past. You generally run into chasms that cannot be crossed without twisting or turning a red block in such a fashion that you can use it as the next platform. Visual programming consists of a simple system. Everything is handled by dragging and dropping various commands, which are illustrated in little boxes adorned with plug-ins that allow you to connect commands into linked programming strings. Some blocks are decrypted, so you just right-click to bring up partially locked programming options, which are easier to figure out because you have already been given some of the puzzle pieces. Others are encrypted, which forces you to hit the E key to bring up a fuller list of options and then do pretty much everything from scratch before blasting the changes into existence with your shooter-style programming gun.</p><blockquote data-align="left"><p style="">This early access game currently available via Steam is one of the more unique games you will encounter this year.</p></blockquote><p style="">Either way, the goal is to create a logical programming string that makes a block dance to your commands. Some strings are simple, with just a few conditions. Others are more convoluted, with a dozen or more different conditions involving all manner of programming lingo: setting true or false and negative or positive, turning collision detection on or off, selecting a vector, scaling objects, applying force to objects, and so on. It doesn't necessarily help to have any programming experience, but it sure doesn't hurt, especially when you move beyond the two or three hours of the straightforward story levels into the much more grueling and open-ended sandbox mode of play.</p><p style="">Glitchspace is ingenious. Levels begin with basic maneuvers that require just a couple of manipulations to raise up a block or extend it toward you, but gradually progress to much more difficult situations where you need to play with a series of blocks, use one to trigger the action of another, and so forth. Thinking is paramount. The game features a relaxed atmosphere that is almost meditative in the way that it encourages you to focus. Elevator mood music and quasi-psychedelic visuals encourage a Zen approach to everything, too. You're supposed to be inside a computer, but it feels more like you're on some kind of high-tech acid trip. This place is a long way from Tron.</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2508538-0002.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508538" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2508538-0002.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508538"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/416/4161502/2508538-0002.jpg"></a><figcaption>OK, this is kind of confusing. Still, the game gradually ramps up to this level of complexity, which is only present in sandbox mode in the current alpha build.</figcaption></figure><p style="">That said, Glitchspace is far too unwelcoming at the outset. The game comes with no tutorial or even any sort of documentation, so you're on your own when it comes to learning how to program. Without the assistance of a YouTube video, you may not have a clue as to how to manipulate the interface controlling the various programming options. The developers need to provide more information to players before the final game is released. Right now, programming is too bewildering in the beginning.</p><p style="">Once you get the hang of the visual programming mechanics, Glitchspace soon becomes a mesmerizing experience. The game is also remarkably stable and full-featured for an alpha build costing just $6.99 at present, providing you with many hours of play in the campaign levels and the more hardcore sandbox option. If some of the issues around accessibility are addressed through the addition of a tutorial, or even a quickie video illustrating basic programming concepts, Glitchspace could become one of the more inventive puzzle games to arrive on the PC in some time.</p><table data-max-width="true"><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong>What's There?</strong></p></td><td><p style=""><strong><em>The 1.4 alpha build reviewed here features 11 levels offering two or three hours of gameplay, along with a complex sandbox mode that can occupy many more hours of your life.</em></strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p style=""><strong>What's to Come?</strong></p></td><td><p style=""><strong><em>While the developers aren't clear about what additional content will be added to the final game, expect new levels and some fine-tuning of the existing puzzles.</em></strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p style=""><strong>What Does it Cost?</strong></p></td><td><p style=""><strong><em>$6.99, available <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/290060/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">via Steam</a>.</em></strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p style=""><strong>When Will it Be Finished?</strong></p></td><td><p style=""><em><strong>No final release date has been announced at present. The game is largely bug-free, and all of the features seem to be in place, though, however.</strong></em></p></td></tr><tr><td><p style=""><strong>What's the Verdict?</strong></p></td><td><p style=""><em><strong>If you're up for something unique and innovative, the game is well worth the $6.99 asking price, even in alpha.</strong></em></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 18 Apr 2014 17:33:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/glitchspace-early-access-review/1100-6419083/ http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/borderlands-2-headhunter-5-sir-hammerlock-vs-the-s/1900-6415736/ <p style="">To be a vault hunter means a life of tough, dirty, bloody work. Mostly bloody, but still, it's a lot of exhausting labor for that precious loot. Naturally, after fighting through a full game and plenty of content packs filled to the brim with rambunctious bandits, enormous monsters, and ambitious, murder-happy villains, the vault hunters could do with a little vacation.</p><p style="">In the final Borderlands 2 Headhunter downloadable content pack, called Sir Hammerlock vs. the Son of Crawmerax, we see our fatigued antiheroes taking a trip to beautiful Wam Bam Island, where they hope to kick their feet up, get some sun, and enjoy a fruity cocktail with Sir Hammerlock. But just as you start to feel relaxed, Hammerlock is snatched away by a neon-blue claw and dragged underground, leaving you to lock and load, and get back to work.</p><p style="">So much for that vacation.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2508332-bl2+dlc+0210.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508332" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2508332-bl2+dlc+0210.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508332"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/416/4161502/2508332-bl2+dlc+0210.jpg"></a><figcaption>Bathing suit? Check. Sunscreen? Check. Instruments of death and destruction? Check, check, and check. </figcaption></figure><p style="">Sir Hammerlock vs. the Son of Crawmerax ends the Borderlands 2 legacy, putting the cap not only on the Headhunter packs, but on any more content for the game. Thankfully, Son of Crawmerax delivers a proper end to the Borderlands 2 saga. This is both the lengthiest of the holiday-flavored Headhunter packs and the best, providing a challenging story boss, a hilarious side mission, a gorgeous, sizable new area to explore, and plenty of humorous narration from enemies and beloved characters.</p><p style="">A bright, blue sky envelops Wam Bam Island, a paradise adorned with white, sandy beaches, jungle flora, rocky cliffs, and an underwater dome surrounded by multicolored coral where clown fish thrive. You warp onto the island next to a small resort made up of huts and buildings raised on stilts and crowned with thatched roofs. The resort is split by a colossal water wheel, and is decked out in bright Easter colors of pink, yellow, and light blue. In the distance, an angry volcano erupts, belching smoke into the sky. Don't get caught staring too long at the environment; the areas are crawling with new and returning enemies, and all of them are eager to see your head on a pike.</p><blockquote data-size="large" data-align="center"><p style="">This is both the lengthiest of the holiday-flavored Headhunter packs and the best.</p></blockquote><figure data-align="left" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2508338-bl2+dlc+0229.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508338" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2508338-bl2+dlc+0229.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508338"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/416/4161502/2508338-bl2+dlc+0229.jpg"></a><figcaption>Oops--forgot flip-flops!</figcaption></figure><p style="">Making a comeback from the game's first DLC pack, Captain Scarlett and her Pirate's Booty, are pirate bandits, this time sporting tropical apparel. The flying varkid insects also make a return to not just annoy, but also inadvertently aid you in your hunt for Hammerlock. New enemies include craboids, which are crustaceans that come in two varieties: small and irritating, snapping at your shins from under shallow pools of water, and large and surprisingly fierce. The dark recesses of the island are inhabited by natives, whom you battle on sandy beaches and in their home village nestled deep within a shattered dome. These warriors defend themselves with large wooden shields while throwing spears, distracting you long enough for their dimunitive witch doctors to fling a slag-charged spell in your direction.</p><p style="">It's impossible to become one of Pandora's chosen gun-toting badasses without making a few enemies in the process. Veteran vault hunters may remember Crawmerax the Invincible, the titanic crab worm that appeared in the optional mission of the Borderlands DLC pack The Secret Armory of General Knoxx. Long after his father's defeat, Crawmerax Jr. has emerged seeking revenge, and since the original four hunters have hung up their guns, he decides to set his claws on Pandora's new group of vault hunters instead. Whether you're still running to the hills from the flying rakks, or you're the undisputed terror of skags, Crawmerax Jr. is a challenging foe, who mimics many of his father's moves and abilities. He slashes and bites, and bores into the sand causing massive shock waves while his army of craboids attempt to soften you up. But you are well rewarded in your victory with a wealth of loot, chests to unlock, and a small version of Crawmerax Jr.'s head to wear as a mask.</p><blockquote data-align="right" data-size="small"><p style="">It's impossible to become one of Pandora's chosen gun-toting badasses without making a few enemies in the process.</p></blockquote><p style="">Finishing the story mission isn't the end of your island adventure. With Crawmerax's lineage ended, a new enemy appears, hungering for vengeance. In the optional mission, you are contacted via radio by Sparky Flynt, son of Captain Flynt, one of the first bosses you kill in Borderlands 2. Furious at you (and apparently his father), Sparky gathers six people who have been harmed by the latest group of vault hunters and turns them into assassins, sending them out one at a time with the goal of putting an end to your stay on Pandora. The optional quest isn't that strenuous, because the actual goal is to leave you in hysterics as you come face-to-face with all of Sparky's, ahem, formidable assassins. You don't know what to expect to come out of these reunions, but it's worth taking the time to see each one to its comical end.</p><p style="">As you play the pack, you are joined by the original vault hunters, who pipe in through your radio offering to aid you in your search for the missing Hammerlock, while provide entertaining back-and-forth dialogue. With Handsome Jack defeated, the tone of the conversations is unusually friendly. Mordecai talks about his new pet, Talon, which captures the adoring affection of Lilith. Her determination to befriend the bird, despite its tendency to occasionally bite her, leaves Brick bewildered. Though their presence was brief, they kept me smiling throughout most of the story mission. I'm going to miss those guys. Also making an appearance is Crazy Earl, who offers some assistance after asking for one last favor.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2508340-bl2+dlc+0235.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508340" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2508340-bl2+dlc+0235.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508340"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/416/4161502/2508340-bl2+dlc+0235.jpg"></a><figcaption>Welcome to your next stop, the famous Flying Numbers of Borderlands campsite. </figcaption></figure><p style="">The pack comes in at around three hours, but there are plenty of reasons to visit Wam Bam Island more than once. You can fight Crawmerax Jr. a second time, which ups the difficulty but provides rarer loot. Defeating him again also unlocks a room filled from floor to ceiling with loot chests. You can fight through the areas while hunting down the new skins, which dress your character up in bright, tropical hues. Lastly, somewhere on the island lies a buried chest, filled with even more booty to plunder.</p><p style="">The second trip to Pandora has been a long and entertaining ride. Handsome Jack is gone for good, and this latest content pack ties up any remaining loose ends. Sir Hammerlock vs. the Son of Crawmerax is a short but entertaining episode that ends on a high note, with things finally looking brighter for the battle-weary vault hunters. Perhaps now they can start on that well-earned break.</p> Fri, 18 Apr 2014 16:59:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/borderlands-2-headhunter-5-sir-hammerlock-vs-the-s/1900-6415736/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/skullgirls-first-male-character-big-band-arrives-next-week/1100-6419082/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNhADoCjdoI" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FjNhADoCjdoI%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DjNhADoCjdoI&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FjNhADoCjdoI%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">The roster in indie fighting game <a href="/skullgirls/" data-ref-id="false">Skullgirls Encore</a> grows by one character next week, as Big Band--the game's first male fighter--joins the fray.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Described as a "high risk, high reward" type of character, Big Band is the second of five characters being released as DLC for Skullgirls. The DLC comes as a result of a successful crowdfunding campaign last year that saw almost $830,000 pledged to developer Lab Zero Games.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The eight characters included in the base game, as well as the first DLC character (Squigly), are all female, although a second male is planned as DLC. What sets Big Band apart from the rest of the roster, in addition to his gender and being a former cop who was injured and then rebuilt with a huge, mechanical body, is his ability to parry attacks. Doing so does subject him to do some damage, but the ability opens up new techniques in battle.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Big Band will be available for free for a limited time following release. The DLC that includes him (as well as a new stage, story mode, and tutorials) will be released on the PlayStation 3 and PC this Tuesday, April 22. The Xbox 360 version of the Big Band DLC remains in Microsoft's certification process as of this afternoon, meaning Lab Zero won't be able to announce a release date until next week at the earliest.</p><p style="">Skullgirls was originally released on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in 2012 before being removed from both services late last year when a partnership between Lab Zero and publisher Konami came to an end. The game was then <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/psn-gets-indie-fighter-skullgirls-back-on-feb-11-xbox-live-release-coming-as-quickly-as-possible/1100-6417622/" data-ref-id="1100-6417622">rereleased as Skullgirls Encore</a> this past February, with existing Skullgirls owners being entitled to a free copy.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSmokingManX" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 18 Apr 2014 16:28:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/skullgirls-first-male-character-big-band-arrives-next-week/1100-6419082/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-top-5-playstation-4-sells-more-consoles-th/2300-6418419/ Sony sells off all of it's Square Enix shares, Watch Dogs Ultra PC specs revealed, and Diablo III running on the PS4 at PAX. Fri, 18 Apr 2014 16:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-top-5-playstation-4-sells-more-consoles-th/2300-6418419/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/bioshock-movie-could-be-back-in-development/1100-6419081/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2508504-bioshock1.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508504" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2508504-bioshock1.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508504"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2508504-bioshock1.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">After being shut down altogether several years ago, the <a href="/bioshock/" data-ref-id="false">BioShock</a> movie may again be moving forward, as evidenced by several domain names registered last month by Sony Pictures.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The domain names, as found by <a href="http://kotaku.com/ubisoft-has-over-9-000-employees-1563003254" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Kotaku</a>, include bioshock-movie.com, bioshock-movie.net, and bio-shock.net. All three list Sony Pictures in their registration information. Sony was never publicly involved with previous attempts to develop a BioShock film, but these registrations suggest it may now be looking to do so.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Back in 2008, <em>Pirates of the Caribbean</em> director <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/verbinski-bioshocks-hollywood/1100-6190664/" data-ref-id="1100-6190664">Gore Verbinski was set to direct</a> a BioShock film being financed by Universal Pictures. A year later, reports circulated that Verbinski was <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/verbinski-rethinking-bioshock-film-report/1100-6210608/" data-ref-id="1100-6210608">thinking of backing out</a>, which he did after <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/bioshock-film-preproduction-halted/1100-6208624/" data-ref-id="1100-6208624">production was halted</a> due to concerns regarding the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/r-rated-bioshock-movie-couldnt-get-funding-verbinski/1100-6299092/" data-ref-id="1100-6299092">budget and the R rating</a> Verbinski wanted. <em>28 Weeks Later</em> director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo was then <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/juan-carlos-fresnadillo-to-direct-bioshock-movie/1100-6216057/" data-ref-id="1100-6216057">tapped to direct</a>, but the movie again fell apart, with BioShock creative director Ken Levine stating last year that <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/levine-explains-why-he-killed-bioshock-movie/1100-6405153/" data-ref-id="1100-6405153">he was responsible for ultimately axing the project</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"And so they brought another director in, and I didn't really see the match there," Levine said. "Take-Two is one of those companies that gives a lot of trust to their creative people, and so they said to me, 'If you want to kill it Ken, kill it.' And I killed it."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Which was weird, having been a screenwriter going around begging to rewrite any script to being in a position where you're killing a movie that you worked so much on," he added. "It was saying, 'You know what? I don't need to compromise.' I had the [BioShock] world, and I didn't what to see it done in a way I didn't think was right."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Kotaku raises the possibility that Levine himself could be involved with writing a script for the movie. He is currently working on a script for the new <em>Logan's Run</em> movie, and he has <a href="http://www.polygon.com/features/2013/1/10/3853198/ken-levine-bioshock-infinite-vgas" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">said he would consider</a> working on a BioShock screenplay following the completion of <a href="/bioshock-infinite/" data-ref-id="false">BioShock Infinite</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The studio Levine founded, Irrational Games--developer of the original BioShock and BioShock Infinite--was <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/bioshock-creator-irrational-games-is-shutting-down/1100-6417821/" data-ref-id="1100-6417821">shut down in February</a>. Levine and a select number of employees planned to start a "new venture" under the 2K Games umbrella that "focus[ed] entirely on replayable narrative." The BioShock property, meanwhile, remains in the hands of 2K.</p><p style="">Earlier this year, concept artist Jim Martin <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/canceled-bioshock-movie-concept-art-surfaces/1100-6417209/" data-ref-id="1100-6417209">published concept art</a> he had created for the BioShock movie, providing us with some sense of what had been envisioned when Universal was involved with the movie's production.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSmokingManX" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 18 Apr 2014 15:47:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/bioshock-movie-could-be-back-in-development/1100-6419081/
Gamespot's Site MashupCandy Crush Saga settles dispute with CandySwipe "amicably"Putt-Putt and Pajama Sam just as hardcore as Dark Souls according to Steam tagsGRID teases new racing gameSOE President doesn't dodge questions about similarities between H1Z1 and DayZCel Damage HD launching on PS4, PS3, and PS Vita April 22Media mogul Rupert Murdoch tries on Oculus RiftReport: New Prince of Persia using Rayman Legends engine in developmentCan We Build a Gaming PC on a Console Budget?PS4-exclusive Resogun local co-op DLC teasedWatch Dogs sequel eBook picks up where the game endsGlitchspace Early Access ReviewBorderlands 2: Headhunter 5 - Sir Hammerlock vs. the Son of Crawmerax ReviewSkullgirls' first male character, Big Band, arrives next weekGS News Top 5 - PlayStation 4 sells more consoles than Xbox One + The Next Civilization Is In Space!BioShock movie could be back in development
http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Sun, 20 Apr 2014 05:33:44 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/candy-crush-saga-settles-dispute-with-candyswipe-amicably/1100-6419093/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6416938" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6416938/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">The independent developer of CandySwipe is withdrawing its opposition to King's <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/candy-crush-saga/">Candy Crush Saga</a> after initially accusing the mobile developer of copying its game.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Back in February, after King pursued copyright claims against games with the word "candy" or "saga" in their titles, president of Runsome Apps Albert Ransom wrote an open letter that pointed out the similarities between his game, CandySwipe, and Candy Crush Saga, which was released two years after CandySwipe.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"When you attempted to register your trademark in 2012, I opposed it for 'likelihood of confusion' (which is within my legal right) given I filed for my registered trademark back in 2010 (two years before Candy Crush Saga existed)," Ransom said. "Now, after quietly battling this trademark opposition for a year, I have learned that you now want to cancel my CandySwipe trademark so that I don't have the right to use my own game's name."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Ransom alleged that King purchased the rights to a game called Candy Crusher, which allowed it to challenge his own trademark containing Candy.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">However, earlier this week, Ransom replaced the open letter posted to <a href="http://www.candyswipe.com/king.html" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">his website</a> with the following message:</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"I am happy to announce that I have amicably resolved my dispute with King over my CandySwipe trademark and that I am withdrawing my opposition to their mark and they are withdrawing their counterclaim against mine. I have learned that they picked the CANDY CRUSH name before I released my game and that they were never trying to take my game away. Both our games can continue to coexist without confusing players."</p><p style="">Back in March, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/the-banner-saga/">The Banner Saga</a> developer <a href="http://stoicstudio.com/stoic-update" rel="nofollow">Stoic</a> also said it reached an agreement with King, which enables both parties to protect their respective trademarks. King has since abandoned its efforts to trademark the word "candy."</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sat, 19 Apr 2014 16:40:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/candy-crush-saga-settles-dispute-with-candyswipe-amicably/1100-6419093/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/putt-putt-and-pajama-sam-just-as-hardcore-as-dark-souls-according-to-steam-tags/1100-6419092/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2508992-steamhardcore1.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508992" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2508992-steamhardcore1.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508992"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1535/15354745/2508992-steamhardcore1.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Earlier this week, Tommo Inc. and Night Dive Studios announced that they're bringing to Steam 28 games from Humongous Entertainment, known for kid-friendly, edutainment and adventure games from the '90s.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Some titles like Putt-Putt Joins the Parade, Freddi Fish and The Case of the Missing Kelp Seeds, and Pajama Sam: No Need to Hide When It's Dark Outside, are already available to download, but you'll be surprised where you'll find them on Steam.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Some users have tagged the Humongous Entertainment games as "<a href="http://store.steampowered.com/tag/en/hardcore" rel="nofollow">Hardcore</a>" using Steam's tagging system, meaning they're now featured alongside games like <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/dark-souls/">Dark Souls</a>, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/dayz/">DayZ</a>, and <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/arma-iii/">Arma III</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">While this case is fairly harmless (and funny), it isn't the first time Steam users have abused the tagging system. <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/valve-curbs-abusive-steam-tags-after-games-were-tagged-with-not-a-game-hipster-garbage/1100-6417780/">Shortly after it was introduced</a>, several users tagged <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/gone-home/">Gone Home</a> with "not a game," <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/superbrothers-sword-and-sworcery-ep/">Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP</a> with "hipster garbage," and Indie Game: The Movie with "Phil Fish sucks." Valve has since introduced a way to downvote and report offensive tags.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">If you're nostalgic for the Humongous Entertainment games, there are many more coming in the next couple of months. Here's the Steam release schedule:</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><strong>April 17</strong></p><ul><li dir="ltr">Putt-Putt Joins the Parade</li><li dir="ltr">Freddi Fish and The Case of the Missing Kelp Seeds</li><li dir="ltr">Pajama Sam: No Need to Hide When It's Dark Outside</li><li dir="ltr">Spy Fox in: Dry Cereal</li><li dir="ltr">Putt-Putt and Pep's Balloon-o-Rama</li><li dir="ltr">Freddi Fish and Luther's Maze Madness</li></ul><p dir="ltr" style=""><strong>May 1</strong></p><ul><li dir="ltr">Putt-Putt Goes to the Moon</li><li dir="ltr">Freddi Fish 2: The Case of the Haunted Schoolhouse</li><li dir="ltr">Pajama Sam 2: Thunder and Lightning Aren't so Frightening</li><li dir="ltr">Spy Fox 2: Some Assembly Required</li><li dir="ltr">Putt-Putt and Pep's Dog on a Stick</li><li dir="ltr">Freddi Fish and Luther's Water Worries</li></ul><p dir="ltr" style=""><strong>May 5</strong></p><ul><li dir="ltr">Putt-Putt Travels through Time</li><li dir="ltr">Freddi Fish 3: The Case of the Stolen Conch Shell</li><li dir="ltr">Pajama Sam 3: You Are What You Eat from Your Head to Your Feet</li><li dir="ltr">Spy Fox 3: Operation Ozone</li><li dir="ltr">Putt-Putt and Fatty Bear's Activity Pack</li></ul><p dir="ltr" style=""><strong>May 29</strong></p><ul><li dir="ltr">Putt-Putt Enters the Race</li><li dir="ltr">Putt-Putt Joins the Circus</li><li dir="ltr">Freddi Fish 4: The Case of the Hogfish Rustlers of Briny Gulch</li><li dir="ltr">Pajama Sam 4: Life Is Rough When You Lose Your Stuff!</li><li dir="ltr">Spy Fox in: Cheese Chase</li></ul><p dir="ltr" style=""><strong>June 6</strong></p><ul><li dir="ltr">Putt-Putt: Pep's Birthday Surprise</li><li dir="ltr">Freddi Fish 5: The Case of the Creature of Coral Cove</li><li dir="ltr">Pajama Sam's Sock Works</li><li dir="ltr">Spy Fox in: Hold the Mustard</li><li>Pajama Sam's Lost & Found</li></ul><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sat, 19 Apr 2014 15:02:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/putt-putt-and-pajama-sam-just-as-hardcore-as-dark-souls-according-to-steam-tags/1100-6419092/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/grid-teases-new-racing-game/1100-6419091/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtmH9bldhmE" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FEtmH9bldhmE%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DEtmH9bldhmE&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FEtmH9bldhmE%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">The official GRID Twitter account posted a short video titled "Brace Yourselves...Racing is Coming," teasing a coming announcement on April 22.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">That's all we know until then, but yesterday Codemasters' Community Manager Ben Walk made clear that, whatever the company announces, it's not going to be a mobile game. "Can officially confirm that next Tuesday's announcement will NOT have the words Android or iOS in them," he said on Twitter.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/grid-2/">GRID 2</a> was released in May 2013, and was well received by critics. <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/grid-2-review/1900-6409247/">GameSpot's review</a> found that it offered a fantastic blend of arcade and simulation racing. Codemasters also develops and publishes other racing games like the <a href="/dirt-3/" data-ref-id="false">Dirt</a> and <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/f1-2013/" data-ref-id="false">F1</a> series.</p><p style="">Be sure to check back with GameSpot on April 22 for more details on Codemasters' future plans for the GRID series.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sat, 19 Apr 2014 13:56:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/grid-teases-new-racing-game/1100-6419091/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/soe-president-doesn-t-dodge-questions-about-similarities-between-h1z1-and-dayz/1100-6419090/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2508945-0264688991-25028.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508945" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2508945-0264688991-25028.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508945"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1535/15354745/2508945-0264688991-25028.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">President of Sony Online Entertainment John Smedley took to <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/h1z1/comments/23c82f/answering_h1z1_questions_i_saw_including_why_is/" rel="nofollow">Reddit</a> to answer some questions about the recently announced <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/h1z1/">H1Z1</a>, and he didn't tiptoe around the game's similarities to the hugely successful <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/dayz/">DayZ</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Not going to give some politically correct dodgy b.s. answer," he said. "H1Z1 is a survival in a Zombie Apocalypse game. So is Day Z. They have made a brilliant game (first I might add). They have a great vision for it and can count myself and most of the people on our team as fans and contributors."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Smedley then went on to describe how H1Z1 is different because it lets players build structures, forts, and towns to protect themselves from zombies.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"So sure. We're another Zombie Apocalypse game," Smedley said. "Call it what it is. But our goal is to make ours fun, accessible, hard core and super, super deep."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Some other interesting details Smedley revealed about H1Z1:</p><ul><li dir="ltr">It will be available in Early Access for $20 (but you can also just wait for it to come out as free-to-play).</li><li dir="ltr">You can play it in both first and third-person.</li><li dir="ltr">Vehicles are in third-person only, but this could change.</li><li dir="ltr">The game will have an emphasis on getting food, growing, and protecting it.</li><li dir="ltr">The game will not have playable female characters at early access release.</li></ul><p style="">For more on H1Z1, you can catch up with <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/h1z1/">our previous coverage</a>, and watch 50 minutes of Game Designer Jimmy Whisenhunt and Technical Director Tom Schenck playing the game on <a href="http://www.twitch.tv/h1z1/b/520748817" rel="nofollow">Twitch</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sat, 19 Apr 2014 12:09:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/soe-president-doesn-t-dodge-questions-about-similarities-between-h1z1-and-dayz/1100-6419090/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/cel-damage-hd-launching-on-ps4-ps3-and-ps-vita-april-22/1100-6419089/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2508918-9878354314-13915.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508918" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2508918-9878354314-13915.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508918"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1535/15354745/2508918-9878354314-13915.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Cel Damage HD, a graphically-enhanced version of the original 2001 release, is coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Vita this Tuesday, April 22.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Cel Damage HD will cost $10, and as a Cross-Buy title, you'll be able pay once to play it on all devices. In addition, PlayStation Plus members can get the game for a 10 percent discount during the first week following release.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Originally developed by Pseudo Interactive for Xbox, PlayStation 2, and GameCube, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/cel-damage/">Cel Damage</a> was a vehicle combat game much like Twisted Metal, only with cel-shaded graphics and a Looney Tunes approach to weapons and gameplay. It was not well received by GameSpot at the time, getting a score of 5.7 in <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/cel-damage-review/1900-2825349/">our review</a>.</p><p style="">Cel Damage HD will feature six playable characters, 13 arenas, 10 cars and more than 30 power-ups. It will be developer Finish Line's first game.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sat, 19 Apr 2014 10:44:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/cel-damage-hd-launching-on-ps4-ps3-and-ps-vita-april-22/1100-6419089/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/media-mogul-rupert-murdoch-tries-on-oculus-rift/1100-6419088/ <figure data-align="right" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2508908-murdoch.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508908" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2508908-murdoch.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508908"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/1535/15354745/2508908-murdoch.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Rupert Murdoch, founder of the world's second-largest media company, News Corp, took the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset for a spin this week.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Murdoch, News Corp's Chief Technology Officer Paul Cheesbrough, and Chief Executive Officer Joel Klein saw the Oculus Rift during an "amazing 'field trip'" to <a href="http://www.framestore.com/" rel="nofollow">Framestore</a>'s offices in New York, according to <a href="http://murdochhere.tumblr.com/post/82936419063/amazing-field-trip-today-for-rupert-paul" rel="nofollow">Murdoch's Tumblr</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Framestore offers integrated advertising, special effects (it recently won an Oscar for its visual effects in Gravity), and other services, but you may have heard of it recently if you're a Game of Thrones fan. To promote HBO's show, it created the <a href="http://www.framestore.com/work/game-thrones-ascend-wall-vr-experience" rel="nofollow">"Ascend the Wall" VR experience</a>, which puts the user in an elevator rising to the top of its fictional 700ft tall frozen wall. Framestore explained its business model to Murdoch and let him demo "Ascend the Wall."</p><p style="">As amazed as he may be, it's too late for Murdoch to scoop up Oculus VR. Facebook's Mark <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/everything-you-need-to-know-about-facebook-buying-oculus-for-2-billion/1100-6418636/">Zuckerberg already acquired the company for $2 billion last month</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p> Sat, 19 Apr 2014 10:17:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/media-mogul-rupert-murdoch-tries-on-oculus-rift/1100-6419088/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-new-prince-of-persia-using-rayman-legends-engine-in-development/1100-6419087/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2508871-4584749003-87325.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508871" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2508871-4584749003-87325.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508871"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1535/15354745/2508871-4584749003-87325.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Ubisoft is said to be working on a new 2D prince of Persia game using Rayman Legends' UbiArt Framework engine.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">French website <a href="http://www.leportaildujeuvideo.fr/articles/exclusif-un-nouveau-prince-of-persia-en-2d-facon-rayman-legends" rel="nofollow">Le Portail du Jeu Video</a> claims it was told that, like Rayman, the Prince's legs, arms, and other body parts will animate independently of each other, making him look like a 3D model. As with other Prince of Persia games, the Prince will run, swordfight, and perform various acrobatics to avoid traps. Ubisoft's upcoming <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/child-of-light-the-most-beautiful-game-you-ve-never-heard-of/1100-6418723/">Child of Light</a>, which mixes RPG and 2D platforming, is another game that uses the UbiArt Framework.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">According to the site, the game in question is being developed in Ubisoft Montpellier, which is also responsible for Rayman Legends and Rayman Origins.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Back in January 2013, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/prince-of-persia-paused/1100-6403101/">Ubisoft Montreal CEO Yannis Mallat said that the Prince of Persia franchise had been "paused,"</a> but that it would return in the future.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Ubisoft released a few forgettable mobile Prince of Persia games in the last couple of years, but the last serious entry in the franchise was 2010's <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/prince-of-persia-the-forgotten-sands-swirling-may-18/1100-6251819/">Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sat, 19 Apr 2014 08:29:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-new-prince-of-persia-using-rayman-legends-engine-in-development/1100-6419087/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/can-we-build-a-gaming-pc-on-a-console-budget/1100-6418829/ <p style="">There's no debating that a souped-up gaming PC will outperform an Xbox One or PlayStation 4 any day of the week, but it'll also cost you a lot more at checkout. However, what about a gaming PC that isn't top of the line, say, one that was built for $550?</p><p style="">This is the question we put to the test: could we build a gaming PC from scratch that could provide a gameplay and visual experience on par with a next-gen console, for around the same price as a next-gen console? While the PlayStation 4 is substantially cheaper, we wanted to make this exercise as competitive as possible, and that meant allowing ourselves the luxury of a slightly higher budget. Our own Mark Walton and Peter Brown each built one machine; one based on Intel and Nvidia chipsets, and the other on AMD hardware. Then, we put them to the test to see if Mark and Peter used their budgets wisely or if they would have been better off buying a console for great graphics on a fixed budget. The text on this page covers the basics of our test, but be sure to check out the videos below for a more in-depth look at Mark's and Peter's process and results.</p><h2><strong>Rules and Goals</strong></h2><p style="">We aimed to stay within a budget of $550--roughly the most you can pay for an Xbox One in North America. In addition to acquiring the bare essentials for a PC--CPU, GPU, RAM, motherboard, power supply, computer case, and hard drive--each editor had to include the cost of a mouse, a keyboard, and a Windows license. No piracy or preexisting parts allowed!</p><p style="">The other goal was to build a machine that performs as well as or better than an Xbox One or PlayStation 4 in cross-platform games. The list of benchmark candidates included <a href="/assassins-creed-iv-black-flag/" data-ref-id="false">Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag</a>, <a href="/battlefield-4/" data-ref-id="false">Battlefield 4</a>, <a href="/thief/" data-ref-id="false">Thief</a>, and <a href="/titanfall/" data-ref-id="false">Titanfall</a>.</p><h2><strong>Mark Walton - AMD Gaming PC</strong></h2><figure data-align="right" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2508374-core.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508374" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2508374-core.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508374"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/1406/14063904/2508374-core.jpg"></a><figcaption>Mark Walton's AMD PC</figcaption></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Gaming PCs live and die by the GPU and CPU. AMD's budget offerings are a far better value for the money than either Intel's or Nvidia's. For less than the price of the cheapest Ivy Bridge-based Core processor from Intel, you can pick up six-core chips from AMD that happily outperform it. The same goes for AMD's GPUs, which offer excellent performance for less than the Nvidia equivalent.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">My plan was simple: stick as much money into the CPU and GPU as possible, and work with what's left--and if I could make the computer look half decent too, all the better.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col">Component</th><th scope="col">Type</th><th scope="col">Price</th><th scope="col">Store</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>CPU</td><td><a href="http://www.amazon.com/AMD-FD6300WMHKBOX-FX-6300-Processor-Edition/dp/B009O7YORK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397851243&sr=8-1&keywords=amd+fx-6300" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">AMD FX-6300 Vishera 3.5GHz</a></td><td>$109.00</td><td>Amazon</td></tr><tr><td>Motherboard</td><td><a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131942" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">ASUS M5A78L-M/USB3 AM3+ AMD 760G</a></td><td>$48.49</td><td>Newegg</td></tr><tr><td>Case</td><td><a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811352032" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Fractal Core 1000</a></td><td>$39.99</td><td>Newegg</td></tr><tr><td>PSU</td><td><a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817438016" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">EVGA 100-W1-500-KR 500W</a></td><td>$44.99</td><td>Newegg</td></tr><tr><td>GPU</td><td><a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131464" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">PowerColor AX7850 2GBD5-DH Radeon HD 7850</a> (open box item)</td><td>$107.00</td><td>Newegg</td></tr><tr><td>RAM</td><td><a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820104335" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">HyperX XMP Blu Series 4GB DDR3 1600</a></td><td>$40.00</td><td>Newegg</td></tr><tr><td>Storage</td><td><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Barracuda-3-5-Inch-Internal-ST500DM002/dp/B005CT56R6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397851569&sr=8-1&keywords=Seagate+Barracuda+ST500DM002" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Seagate Barracuda ST500DM002 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB</a></td><td>$50.95</td><td>Amazon</td></tr><tr><td>OS</td><td>Windows 8</td><td>$70.00</td><td>eBay</td></tr><tr><td>Key/Mouse</td><td><a href="http://www.amazon.com/V7-Standard-Keyboard-Mouse-CK0A2-4N6P/dp/B005TJRCD0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397851606&sr=8-1&keywords=V7+Standard+PS%2F2+Keyboard+and+Mouse+Combo" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">V7 Standard PS/2 Keyboard and Mouse Combo</a></td><td>$10.19</td><td>Amazon</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>Subtotal</td><td>$520.61</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>Sales Tax</td><td>$45.55</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td><strong>Total</strong></td><td><strong>$566.16</strong></td><td> </td></tr></tbody></table><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418409" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418409/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col">Game</th><th scope="col">Settings</th><th scope="col">Average Frame Rate</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Assassin's Creed IV</td><td><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2508357-vlcsnap-00001.jpg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">1080p, Ultra, AA</a></td><td>42</td></tr><tr><td>Battlefield 4</td><td><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2508359-vlcsnap-00002.jpg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">1080p, High, AA</a></td><td>72</td></tr><tr><td>Battlefield 4</td><td><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2508360-vlcsnap-00003.jpg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">1080p, Ultra, MSAA</a></td><td>42</td></tr><tr><td>Thief</td><td><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2508361-vlcsnap-00004.jpg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">1080p, Ultra, AA</a></td><td>87</td></tr><tr><td>Titanfall</td><td><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2508362-vlcsnap-00005.jpg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">1080p, Very High, AA</a></td><td>60</td></tr></tbody></table><p style=""><em>Note: Click the links under "settings" to view the complete list of settings used during testing.</em></p><p style="">I was pleasantly surprised at just how well this system worked. All the games I tried hit frame rates 60fps, and--with the exception of Battlefield 4--did so at the highest settings. Rendering games 1080p60 is an achievable goal on a budget, then, as long as you're realistic about which games you'll be able to do it with, and at what settings. If you're after a bit more oomph and some peace of mind for future releases, though, spending a few extra bucks here and there will give you a big boost in performance.</p><p style="">More RAM is the obvious choice. It doesn't cost much to bump it up to 8GB, and the less time the PC has to spend thrashing the hard drive for a swap file the better. An extra $70 toward an R270 GPU would be a wise decision too. It's good value and overclocks extremely well, putting it firmly in the high-end GPU segment for just a fraction of the cost. There's also the option of an SSD for a more responsive feel, an aftermarket cooler for CPU overclocking, and a nicer-looking case, but they're not essential.</p><h2><strong>Peter Brown - Intel/Nvidia Gaming PC</strong></h2><figure data-align="right" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2507939-front_view1_3.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2507939" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2507939-front_view1_3.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2507939"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/1406/14063904/2507939-front_view1_3.jpg"></a><figcaption>Peter Brown's Intel/Nvidia PC</figcaption></figure><p style="">A budget of $550 is unusually small for a gaming PC, especially when the cost of an operating system is factored in. My strategy for this build was centered around a few key tactics.</p><p style="">First, I planned to keep the system's power draw as low as possible to save money on the cost of the power supply. I wanted to build small because smaller form factor cases and motherboards are usually cheaper overall unless they're particularly fancy. I also decided to use an unusually modest CPU. Intel makes excellent processors, but this quality isn't limited to the Core line. As long as I wasn't going to risk bottlenecking the GPU's performance, I looked for the simplest and cheapest option available. That way, I could focus on the linchpin of a gaming PC: the GPU. In this instance, I was aiming for Nvidia's Geforce GTX 750 Ti due to its great price/performance ratio.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col">Component</th><th scope="col">Type</th><th scope="col">Price</th><th scope="col">Store</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>CPU</td><td><a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116887" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Intel Pentium G2130 3.2 GHz</a></td><td>$74.99</td><td>Newegg</td></tr><tr><td>Motherboard</td><td><a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138386" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Biostar H61MGV3</a></td><td>$36.99</td><td>Newegg</td></tr><tr><td>Case</td><td><a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811237025" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Topower TP-1687BB-300</a></td><td>$34.99</td><td>Newegg</td></tr><tr><td>PSU</td><td>300W SFX Power Supply (included w/case)</td><td>n/a</td><td>Newegg</td></tr><tr><td>GPU</td><td><a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814487025" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2 GB</a></td><td>$154.99</td><td>Newegg</td></tr><tr><td>RAM</td><td><a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820313072" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Team Elite 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1333</a></td><td>$39.99</td><td>Newegg</td></tr><tr><td>Storage</td><td><a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136769" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Western Digital Blue 500 GB 7200 RPM 16MB</a></td><td>$54.99</td><td>Newegg</td></tr><tr><td>OS</td><td><a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832416776" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Windows 8.1 64-Bit</a></td><td>$99.99</td><td>Newegg</td></tr><tr><td>Key/Mouse</td><td><a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823201010" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Rosewill PS/2</a> <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826193041" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Wired</a></td><td>$12.98</td><td>Newegg</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>Subtotal</td><td>$509.91</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>Sales Tax</td><td>$38.24</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td><strong>Total</strong></td><td><strong>$548.15</strong></td><td> </td></tr></tbody></table><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418423" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418423/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col">Game</th><th scope="col">Settings</th><th scope="col">Average Frame Rate</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Assassin's Creed IV</td><td><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2508366-vlcsnap-00009.jpg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">1080p, High, FXAA</a></td><td>40</td></tr><tr><td>Battlefield 4</td><td><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2508365-vlcsnap-00008.jpg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">1080p, High, 2x MSAA</a></td><td>50</td></tr><tr><td>Thief</td><td><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2508364-vlcsnap-00007.jpg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">1080p, High, FXAA</a></td><td>55</td></tr><tr><td>Titanfall</td><td><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2508363-vlcsnap-00006.jpg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">1080p, High, No AA</a></td><td>50</td></tr></tbody></table><p style=""><em>Note: Click the links under "settings" to view the complete list of settings used during testing.</em></p><p style="">Like Mark, I was surprised how well my rig performed. I had faith that the GTX 750 Ti would hold up under light pressure, but given its partner in crime, the Pentium CPU, I presumed that I would have to dial down the in-game settings a bit more. In practice, all it took for most games to play near 60 frames per second at 1080p was to disable a few flourishes like ambient occlusion and aggressive anti-aliasing. With my $550 PC, I was able to handily outperform the Xbox One in every case, and the PlayStation 4 in most cases, which says a lot about the value of the PlayStation 4 given its lower $400 price point.</p><p style="">If I had had a larger budget, I would have sprung for a better CPU and a bit more RAM. My inexpensive Pentium CPU held up quite well considering that it cost only $80, but it was typically running at full speed with little to no remaining overhead. Unfortunately, given my skimpy power supply, there's little hope for tossing a better Nvidia GPU into this build down the road without other additional upgrades. In the end, with our meager budget, Mark's AMD focus gave him a slight advantage in terms of performance and upgradability.</p><h2>Closing Thoughts</h2><p style="">As it turns out, you <em>can</em> build a gaming PC for around the cost of an Xbox One that will outperform both next-gen consoles given the current stock of cross-platform games. You'll also enjoy a massive library that neither the PlayStation 4 nor the Xbox One will ever be able to match from a pure numbers standpoint. Plus, your PC is upgradable, and its functionality in non-gaming areas only adds to its value. AMD has an advantage when it comes to the balance of price and performance on the low end, but there's nothing stopping you from mixing and matching components from different manufacturers, which very well might be the best plan if you've got a larger budget to work with.</p><p style="">Keep in mind, too, that current cross-platform games on consoles perform best on a PlayStation 4, which currently sells for $100 less than an Xbox One. If you were to try to build a gaming PC for $400 to $450, our experience has taught us that you would end up with a machine that can't compete with either next-gen console. Though we both succeeded in our goal, $550 was proved quite limiting when it came to picking components.</p><p style="">If you had a budget of $550, which platform--PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or PC--would you choose? How would you build a gaming PC on a console-size budget? Let us know in the comments below.</p> Sat, 19 Apr 2014 08:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/can-we-build-a-gaming-pc-on-a-console-budget/1100-6418829/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-exclusive-resogun-local-co-op-dlc-teased/1100-6419086/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2508848-5034535294-BlapnHwIgAADD4U.jpg%3Alarge" data-ref-id="1300-2508848" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2508848-5034535294-BlapnHwIgAADD4U.jpg%3Alarge" data-ref-id="1300-2508848"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1535/15354745/2508848-5034535294-BlapnHwIgAADD4U.jpg%3Alarge"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Developer Housemarque has posted an image to <a href="https://twitter.com/Housemarque/status/456738901919821824" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a> that teases upcoming DLC for <a href="/resogun/" data-ref-id="false">Resogun</a>, which may include a local cooperative mode.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Resogun is a sidescrolling spaceship shooter inspired by arcade classic Defender. It was released alongside the PlayStation 4's launch, and was also added as a free game for PlayStation Plus members, so you probably at least tried it if you were an early adopter.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">At the moment, Resogun only has an online multiplayer mode, and fans have been asking for local cooperative mode since it launched. The image above, showing two players looking at the same screen, suggests that they will finally get it.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Housemarque also said that the teaser is for the "first of many things to come," so we're likely to see other additions and improvements coming to the game as well.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">For more on Resogun, check out <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/resogun-review/1900-6415541/">GameSpot's review</a>, which found it almost impossible to put down.</p><p style="">What kind of DLC will get you to play Resogun again? Let us know in the comments below.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sat, 19 Apr 2014 07:35:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-exclusive-resogun-local-co-op-dlc-teased/1100-6419086/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-sequel-ebook-picks-up-where-the-game-ends/1100-6419085/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzY-ZvzIwQg" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FtzY-ZvzIwQg%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DtzY-ZvzIwQg&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FtzY-ZvzIwQg%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">//n/Dark Clouds, an eBook sequel to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/watch-dogs/">Watch Dogs</a>, will release alongside the game on May 27, Ubisoft has announced.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Authored by John Shirley, the eBook picks up the story after the game's ending. It's a techno-thriller that follows Mick Wolfe, an an ex-military character who gets caught in Chicago's hyper connected and violent underground. It will feature both new and known characters from Watch Dogs.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Shirley is a prolific author with over 30 books and short story collections to his name, which include some game, comic book, and movie novelizations. He's also written several works in the cyberpunk genre, which is why he's a good fit for Watch Dogs' world. Ubisoft says that //n/Dark Clouds is the first novelization it conceived of in-house, and that Shirley had unprecedented access to the Montreal studio development team and writers.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">the eBook will be available in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish in two digital formats: an upgraded version with interactive videos and images, and a classic eBook. You can find out more about //n/Dark Clouds on <a href="http://watchdogs.ubi.com/watchdogs/en-GB/Ebook/index.aspx" rel="nofollow">its official website</a>.</p><p style="">Watch Dogs launches <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-release-date-announced-for-everything-except-wii-u/1100-6417977/">May 27</a> for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC. <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-watch-dogs-coming-to-wii-u-in-fall-2014/1100-6418928/">The Wii U version will launch this fall</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sat, 19 Apr 2014 06:38:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-sequel-ebook-picks-up-where-the-game-ends/1100-6419085/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/glitchspace-early-access-review/1100-6419083/ <p style=""><i>GameSpot's early access reviews evaluate unfinished games that are nonetheless available for purchase by the public. While the games in question are not considered finished by their creators, you may still devote money, time, and bandwidth for the privilege of playing them before they are complete. The review below critiques a work in progress, and represents a snapshot of the game at the time of the review's publication.</i></p><p style="">Give Glitchspace a little time to grow on you. Loading up this puzzler for the first time is a mystifying experience to say the least, for reasons beyond the obvious. Developer Space Budgie has included absolutely nothing in the way of tutorials or guidance to help you figure out the interface. That's a big problem, because this early access game currently available via Steam is one of the more unique games you will encounter this year, an initially aggravating but eventually engaging mix of an experimental first-person game like <a href="/portal/" data-ref-id="false">Portal</a> and visual programming.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2508536-0001.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508536" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2508536-0001.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508536"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/416/4161502/2508536-0001.jpg"></a><figcaption>This virtual programming stuff looks a lot more confusing than it actually is. </figcaption></figure><p style="">Space Budgie calls Glitchspace a "first-person programming game," and that description does the game justice. You play as a nameless explorer wandering through a dreamy cyberspace world beset by random glitches that make it impossible to move from point A to point B. Reprogramming the environment as you go is the only way to get around falling off the edge of the world into oblivion. The game environment is made up of stable white blocks and unstable, "glitching" red ones that can be edited via the use of a visual programming language called Null, which allows you to manipulate these red blocks in just about any way you can imagine. You can shrink them, extend them, rotate them, make them immaterial, make them solid, turn them into bouncy platforms, and even create them out of nothing. So you're both programmer and player at the same time.</p><p style="">The 11 levels included in the current (alpha 1.4) build of the game throw out devious pitfalls that require serious thinking to get past. You generally run into chasms that cannot be crossed without twisting or turning a red block in such a fashion that you can use it as the next platform. Visual programming consists of a simple system. Everything is handled by dragging and dropping various commands, which are illustrated in little boxes adorned with plug-ins that allow you to connect commands into linked programming strings. Some blocks are decrypted, so you just right-click to bring up partially locked programming options, which are easier to figure out because you have already been given some of the puzzle pieces. Others are encrypted, which forces you to hit the E key to bring up a fuller list of options and then do pretty much everything from scratch before blasting the changes into existence with your shooter-style programming gun.</p><blockquote data-align="left"><p style="">This early access game currently available via Steam is one of the more unique games you will encounter this year.</p></blockquote><p style="">Either way, the goal is to create a logical programming string that makes a block dance to your commands. Some strings are simple, with just a few conditions. Others are more convoluted, with a dozen or more different conditions involving all manner of programming lingo: setting true or false and negative or positive, turning collision detection on or off, selecting a vector, scaling objects, applying force to objects, and so on. It doesn't necessarily help to have any programming experience, but it sure doesn't hurt, especially when you move beyond the two or three hours of the straightforward story levels into the much more grueling and open-ended sandbox mode of play.</p><p style="">Glitchspace is ingenious. Levels begin with basic maneuvers that require just a couple of manipulations to raise up a block or extend it toward you, but gradually progress to much more difficult situations where you need to play with a series of blocks, use one to trigger the action of another, and so forth. Thinking is paramount. The game features a relaxed atmosphere that is almost meditative in the way that it encourages you to focus. Elevator mood music and quasi-psychedelic visuals encourage a Zen approach to everything, too. You're supposed to be inside a computer, but it feels more like you're on some kind of high-tech acid trip. This place is a long way from Tron.</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2508538-0002.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508538" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2508538-0002.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508538"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/416/4161502/2508538-0002.jpg"></a><figcaption>OK, this is kind of confusing. Still, the game gradually ramps up to this level of complexity, which is only present in sandbox mode in the current alpha build.</figcaption></figure><p style="">That said, Glitchspace is far too unwelcoming at the outset. The game comes with no tutorial or even any sort of documentation, so you're on your own when it comes to learning how to program. Without the assistance of a YouTube video, you may not have a clue as to how to manipulate the interface controlling the various programming options. The developers need to provide more information to players before the final game is released. Right now, programming is too bewildering in the beginning.</p><p style="">Once you get the hang of the visual programming mechanics, Glitchspace soon becomes a mesmerizing experience. The game is also remarkably stable and full-featured for an alpha build costing just $6.99 at present, providing you with many hours of play in the campaign levels and the more hardcore sandbox option. If some of the issues around accessibility are addressed through the addition of a tutorial, or even a quickie video illustrating basic programming concepts, Glitchspace could become one of the more inventive puzzle games to arrive on the PC in some time.</p><table data-max-width="true"><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong>What's There?</strong></p></td><td><p style=""><strong><em>The 1.4 alpha build reviewed here features 11 levels offering two or three hours of gameplay, along with a complex sandbox mode that can occupy many more hours of your life.</em></strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p style=""><strong>What's to Come?</strong></p></td><td><p style=""><strong><em>While the developers aren't clear about what additional content will be added to the final game, expect new levels and some fine-tuning of the existing puzzles.</em></strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p style=""><strong>What Does it Cost?</strong></p></td><td><p style=""><strong><em>$6.99, available <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/290060/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">via Steam</a>.</em></strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p style=""><strong>When Will it Be Finished?</strong></p></td><td><p style=""><em><strong>No final release date has been announced at present. The game is largely bug-free, and all of the features seem to be in place, though, however.</strong></em></p></td></tr><tr><td><p style=""><strong>What's the Verdict?</strong></p></td><td><p style=""><em><strong>If you're up for something unique and innovative, the game is well worth the $6.99 asking price, even in alpha.</strong></em></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 18 Apr 2014 17:33:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/glitchspace-early-access-review/1100-6419083/ http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/borderlands-2-headhunter-5-sir-hammerlock-vs-the-s/1900-6415736/ <p style="">To be a vault hunter means a life of tough, dirty, bloody work. Mostly bloody, but still, it's a lot of exhausting labor for that precious loot. Naturally, after fighting through a full game and plenty of content packs filled to the brim with rambunctious bandits, enormous monsters, and ambitious, murder-happy villains, the vault hunters could do with a little vacation.</p><p style="">In the final Borderlands 2 Headhunter downloadable content pack, called Sir Hammerlock vs. the Son of Crawmerax, we see our fatigued antiheroes taking a trip to beautiful Wam Bam Island, where they hope to kick their feet up, get some sun, and enjoy a fruity cocktail with Sir Hammerlock. But just as you start to feel relaxed, Hammerlock is snatched away by a neon-blue claw and dragged underground, leaving you to lock and load, and get back to work.</p><p style="">So much for that vacation.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2508332-bl2+dlc+0210.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508332" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2508332-bl2+dlc+0210.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508332"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/416/4161502/2508332-bl2+dlc+0210.jpg"></a><figcaption>Bathing suit? Check. Sunscreen? Check. Instruments of death and destruction? Check, check, and check. </figcaption></figure><p style="">Sir Hammerlock vs. the Son of Crawmerax ends the Borderlands 2 legacy, putting the cap not only on the Headhunter packs, but on any more content for the game. Thankfully, Son of Crawmerax delivers a proper end to the Borderlands 2 saga. This is both the lengthiest of the holiday-flavored Headhunter packs and the best, providing a challenging story boss, a hilarious side mission, a gorgeous, sizable new area to explore, and plenty of humorous narration from enemies and beloved characters.</p><p style="">A bright, blue sky envelops Wam Bam Island, a paradise adorned with white, sandy beaches, jungle flora, rocky cliffs, and an underwater dome surrounded by multicolored coral where clown fish thrive. You warp onto the island next to a small resort made up of huts and buildings raised on stilts and crowned with thatched roofs. The resort is split by a colossal water wheel, and is decked out in bright Easter colors of pink, yellow, and light blue. In the distance, an angry volcano erupts, belching smoke into the sky. Don't get caught staring too long at the environment; the areas are crawling with new and returning enemies, and all of them are eager to see your head on a pike.</p><blockquote data-size="large" data-align="center"><p style="">This is both the lengthiest of the holiday-flavored Headhunter packs and the best.</p></blockquote><figure data-align="left" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2508338-bl2+dlc+0229.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508338" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2508338-bl2+dlc+0229.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508338"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/416/4161502/2508338-bl2+dlc+0229.jpg"></a><figcaption>Oops--forgot flip-flops!</figcaption></figure><p style="">Making a comeback from the game's first DLC pack, Captain Scarlett and her Pirate's Booty, are pirate bandits, this time sporting tropical apparel. The flying varkid insects also make a return to not just annoy, but also inadvertently aid you in your hunt for Hammerlock. New enemies include craboids, which are crustaceans that come in two varieties: small and irritating, snapping at your shins from under shallow pools of water, and large and surprisingly fierce. The dark recesses of the island are inhabited by natives, whom you battle on sandy beaches and in their home village nestled deep within a shattered dome. These warriors defend themselves with large wooden shields while throwing spears, distracting you long enough for their dimunitive witch doctors to fling a slag-charged spell in your direction.</p><p style="">It's impossible to become one of Pandora's chosen gun-toting badasses without making a few enemies in the process. Veteran vault hunters may remember Crawmerax the Invincible, the titanic crab worm that appeared in the optional mission of the Borderlands DLC pack The Secret Armory of General Knoxx. Long after his father's defeat, Crawmerax Jr. has emerged seeking revenge, and since the original four hunters have hung up their guns, he decides to set his claws on Pandora's new group of vault hunters instead. Whether you're still running to the hills from the flying rakks, or you're the undisputed terror of skags, Crawmerax Jr. is a challenging foe, who mimics many of his father's moves and abilities. He slashes and bites, and bores into the sand causing massive shock waves while his army of craboids attempt to soften you up. But you are well rewarded in your victory with a wealth of loot, chests to unlock, and a small version of Crawmerax Jr.'s head to wear as a mask.</p><blockquote data-align="right" data-size="small"><p style="">It's impossible to become one of Pandora's chosen gun-toting badasses without making a few enemies in the process.</p></blockquote><p style="">Finishing the story mission isn't the end of your island adventure. With Crawmerax's lineage ended, a new enemy appears, hungering for vengeance. In the optional mission, you are contacted via radio by Sparky Flynt, son of Captain Flynt, one of the first bosses you kill in Borderlands 2. Furious at you (and apparently his father), Sparky gathers six people who have been harmed by the latest group of vault hunters and turns them into assassins, sending them out one at a time with the goal of putting an end to your stay on Pandora. The optional quest isn't that strenuous, because the actual goal is to leave you in hysterics as you come face-to-face with all of Sparky's, ahem, formidable assassins. You don't know what to expect to come out of these reunions, but it's worth taking the time to see each one to its comical end.</p><p style="">As you play the pack, you are joined by the original vault hunters, who pipe in through your radio offering to aid you in your search for the missing Hammerlock, while provide entertaining back-and-forth dialogue. With Handsome Jack defeated, the tone of the conversations is unusually friendly. Mordecai talks about his new pet, Talon, which captures the adoring affection of Lilith. Her determination to befriend the bird, despite its tendency to occasionally bite her, leaves Brick bewildered. Though their presence was brief, they kept me smiling throughout most of the story mission. I'm going to miss those guys. Also making an appearance is Crazy Earl, who offers some assistance after asking for one last favor.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2508340-bl2+dlc+0235.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508340" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2508340-bl2+dlc+0235.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508340"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/416/4161502/2508340-bl2+dlc+0235.jpg"></a><figcaption>Welcome to your next stop, the famous Flying Numbers of Borderlands campsite. </figcaption></figure><p style="">The pack comes in at around three hours, but there are plenty of reasons to visit Wam Bam Island more than once. You can fight Crawmerax Jr. a second time, which ups the difficulty but provides rarer loot. Defeating him again also unlocks a room filled from floor to ceiling with loot chests. You can fight through the areas while hunting down the new skins, which dress your character up in bright, tropical hues. Lastly, somewhere on the island lies a buried chest, filled with even more booty to plunder.</p><p style="">The second trip to Pandora has been a long and entertaining ride. Handsome Jack is gone for good, and this latest content pack ties up any remaining loose ends. Sir Hammerlock vs. the Son of Crawmerax is a short but entertaining episode that ends on a high note, with things finally looking brighter for the battle-weary vault hunters. Perhaps now they can start on that well-earned break.</p> Fri, 18 Apr 2014 16:59:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/borderlands-2-headhunter-5-sir-hammerlock-vs-the-s/1900-6415736/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/skullgirls-first-male-character-big-band-arrives-next-week/1100-6419082/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNhADoCjdoI" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FjNhADoCjdoI%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DjNhADoCjdoI&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FjNhADoCjdoI%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">The roster in indie fighting game <a href="/skullgirls/" data-ref-id="false">Skullgirls Encore</a> grows by one character next week, as Big Band--the game's first male fighter--joins the fray.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Described as a "high risk, high reward" type of character, Big Band is the second of five characters being released as DLC for Skullgirls. The DLC comes as a result of a successful crowdfunding campaign last year that saw almost $830,000 pledged to developer Lab Zero Games.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The eight characters included in the base game, as well as the first DLC character (Squigly), are all female, although a second male is planned as DLC. What sets Big Band apart from the rest of the roster, in addition to his gender and being a former cop who was injured and then rebuilt with a huge, mechanical body, is his ability to parry attacks. Doing so does subject him to do some damage, but the ability opens up new techniques in battle.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Big Band will be available for free for a limited time following release. The DLC that includes him (as well as a new stage, story mode, and tutorials) will be released on the PlayStation 3 and PC this Tuesday, April 22. The Xbox 360 version of the Big Band DLC remains in Microsoft's certification process as of this afternoon, meaning Lab Zero won't be able to announce a release date until next week at the earliest.</p><p style="">Skullgirls was originally released on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in 2012 before being removed from both services late last year when a partnership between Lab Zero and publisher Konami came to an end. The game was then <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/psn-gets-indie-fighter-skullgirls-back-on-feb-11-xbox-live-release-coming-as-quickly-as-possible/1100-6417622/" data-ref-id="1100-6417622">rereleased as Skullgirls Encore</a> this past February, with existing Skullgirls owners being entitled to a free copy.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSmokingManX" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 18 Apr 2014 16:28:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/skullgirls-first-male-character-big-band-arrives-next-week/1100-6419082/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-top-5-playstation-4-sells-more-consoles-th/2300-6418419/ Sony sells off all of it's Square Enix shares, Watch Dogs Ultra PC specs revealed, and Diablo III running on the PS4 at PAX. Fri, 18 Apr 2014 16:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-top-5-playstation-4-sells-more-consoles-th/2300-6418419/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/bioshock-movie-could-be-back-in-development/1100-6419081/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2508504-bioshock1.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508504" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2508504-bioshock1.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508504"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2508504-bioshock1.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">After being shut down altogether several years ago, the <a href="/bioshock/" data-ref-id="false">BioShock</a> movie may again be moving forward, as evidenced by several domain names registered last month by Sony Pictures.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The domain names, as found by <a href="http://kotaku.com/ubisoft-has-over-9-000-employees-1563003254" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Kotaku</a>, include bioshock-movie.com, bioshock-movie.net, and bio-shock.net. All three list Sony Pictures in their registration information. Sony was never publicly involved with previous attempts to develop a BioShock film, but these registrations suggest it may now be looking to do so.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Back in 2008, <em>Pirates of the Caribbean</em> director <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/verbinski-bioshocks-hollywood/1100-6190664/" data-ref-id="1100-6190664">Gore Verbinski was set to direct</a> a BioShock film being financed by Universal Pictures. A year later, reports circulated that Verbinski was <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/verbinski-rethinking-bioshock-film-report/1100-6210608/" data-ref-id="1100-6210608">thinking of backing out</a>, which he did after <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/bioshock-film-preproduction-halted/1100-6208624/" data-ref-id="1100-6208624">production was halted</a> due to concerns regarding the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/r-rated-bioshock-movie-couldnt-get-funding-verbinski/1100-6299092/" data-ref-id="1100-6299092">budget and the R rating</a> Verbinski wanted. <em>28 Weeks Later</em> director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo was then <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/juan-carlos-fresnadillo-to-direct-bioshock-movie/1100-6216057/" data-ref-id="1100-6216057">tapped to direct</a>, but the movie again fell apart, with BioShock creative director Ken Levine stating last year that <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/levine-explains-why-he-killed-bioshock-movie/1100-6405153/" data-ref-id="1100-6405153">he was responsible for ultimately axing the project</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"And so they brought another director in, and I didn't really see the match there," Levine said. "Take-Two is one of those companies that gives a lot of trust to their creative people, and so they said to me, 'If you want to kill it Ken, kill it.' And I killed it."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Which was weird, having been a screenwriter going around begging to rewrite any script to being in a position where you're killing a movie that you worked so much on," he added. "It was saying, 'You know what? I don't need to compromise.' I had the [BioShock] world, and I didn't what to see it done in a way I didn't think was right."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Kotaku raises the possibility that Levine himself could be involved with writing a script for the movie. He is currently working on a script for the new <em>Logan's Run</em> movie, and he has <a href="http://www.polygon.com/features/2013/1/10/3853198/ken-levine-bioshock-infinite-vgas" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">said he would consider</a> working on a BioShock screenplay following the completion of <a href="/bioshock-infinite/" data-ref-id="false">BioShock Infinite</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The studio Levine founded, Irrational Games--developer of the original BioShock and BioShock Infinite--was <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/bioshock-creator-irrational-games-is-shutting-down/1100-6417821/" data-ref-id="1100-6417821">shut down in February</a>. Levine and a select number of employees planned to start a "new venture" under the 2K Games umbrella that "focus[ed] entirely on replayable narrative." The BioShock property, meanwhile, remains in the hands of 2K.</p><p style="">Earlier this year, concept artist Jim Martin <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/canceled-bioshock-movie-concept-art-surfaces/1100-6417209/" data-ref-id="1100-6417209">published concept art</a> he had created for the BioShock movie, providing us with some sense of what had been envisioned when Universal was involved with the movie's production.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSmokingManX" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 18 Apr 2014 15:47:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/bioshock-movie-could-be-back-in-development/1100-6419081/
