Thursday, February 28, 2013

News::10 Worst Modern Video Game Universes To Live In

WC: There are so many video games that have their heroes fighting against things like aliens and zombies in apocalyptic conditions. But what if you werent the hero, but just a normal guy? What would it be like living in a world surrounded by monsters, aliens and gun-wielding maniacs? A world where you are totally expendable.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1183541/10-worst-modern-video-game-universes-to-live-in

News::Crytek: Warface could help players get over the prejudice against free-to-play

Polygon: "Crytek believes that its upcoming free-to-play first-person shooter, Warface, could help players get over the prejudice of the free-to-play business model."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1183435/crytek-warface-could-help-players-get-over-the-prejudice-against-free-to-play

News::Battlefield 3 End Game DLC Trailer

A new video featuring footage from all four maps in Battlefield 3: End Game: Sabalan Pipeline, Nebandan Flats, Kiasar Railroad, and Operation Riverside.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1183587/battlefield-3-end-game-dlc-trailer

News::Indie Royale Mash Bundle Out Now

Indie Royale's latest bundle, the Mash Bundle, compiles five games from across several genres, which seem to be fairly varied and gamepad-friendly this time around.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1183570/indie-royale-mash-bundle-out-now

News::BioShock Infinite's Religious Themes Led Dev To Consider Quitting

One Irrational Games developer was so offended by the religious themes of a certain scene in BioShock Infinite that he sought to quit the company immediately after completing his playthrough of the level. "There was a scene in the game at the end where there's a gentleman here--one of our artists--who got to a point in the game, played it, turned off BioShock, opened up his computer, opened Microsoft Word, and wrote a resignation letter; it had offended him so much," Levine told GameSpot in a new video interview.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1183560/bioshock-infinites-religious-themes-led-dev-to-consider-quitting

News::Trials Evolution: Gold Edition Closed Beta Access and Uplay Rewards

Ubisoft has just announced that the closed beta for Trials Evolution: Gold Edition has begun. Now if this is a game that you are anxious to play and arent already in the closed beta, they have some good news for you. From February 28th to March 14th digital versions of the game that have been preordered before the end of the beta will give an early access to the whole Trials Evolution: Gold Edition experience.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1183581/trials-evolution-gold-edition-closed-beta-access-and-uplay-rewards

News::Dead Space 3 Review - STFUandPLAY

STFUandPLAY's Tony Polanco writes: "Although the Dead Space titles are considered by some to be the premiere survival horror games of this generation, I have to admit that by the end of part 2, I became disinterested. Not that Dead Space 2 was a bad game; far be it. Its just that the game became repetitive because there wasnt much variety to be found. Thankfully, Dead Space 3 is nothing like that. Even though youll still be primarily killing monsters in creepy locations, there are enough new elements that keep the game feeling fresh. Dead Space 3 has definitely reinvigorated the franchise."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1183572/dead-space-3-review-stfuandplay

News::Upcoming Omerta:City Of Gangsters Patches Detailed

TGH Writes: "Omerta: City Of Gangsters launched with some moderate praise and was a very interesting environment to have a gangster game set in. There were some faults in the game that many fans were not afraid to speak out about but as luck would have it, the developers at Haemimont are looking to take that feedback and put it to use."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1183565/upcoming-omerta-city-of-gangsters-patches-detailed

News::Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel Action Blockbuster Trailer

In the heat of a vicious war, Alpha & Bravo are all that remain to stand against the cartel. Bullets will fly, buildings will crumble, and a new mysterious enemy will emerge! It's double or nothing!



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1183548/army-of-two-the-devils-cartel-action-blockbuster-trailer

News::In the News | Take Your Wii Out One Last Time For Retro City Rampage

In the News | Take Your Wii Out One Last Time For Retro City Rampage

Retro City Rampage, the 8-bit styled parody of Grand Theft Auto, has already found success on PC, Xbox, PlayStation 3 and Vita. But given that the game was inspired by the Nintendo Entertainment System and 80's popular culture in general, ...



via Game|Life http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2013/02/retro-city-rampage-wii/

News::Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate WILL have cross-region play

I know many a MonHun fan was all grumpy-faced when Capcom confirmed that Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate on Wii U would have region-locked servers. Sure, the original Wii version was likewise segregated, but there was still hope that Capcom would work extra hard to join hands across the globe this time.


Good news, chuckle monkeys! Because of strong community feedback, Capcom has opted to make cross-region play a thing, though it won't be possible immediately out the gate. MH3U will land in North America on March 19 and in Europe on March 22, and an update in April will allow the two regions to intermingle. Japan is left out of this deal, but still, not bad!


Also included in the update is off-TV play, so you'll be able to quest with another party a continent over even as you pray to the porcelain goddess. Just try not to drown in all that hedonism.


Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate WILL have cross-region play screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/monster-hunter-3-ultimate-will-have-cross-region-play-247291.phtml

News::The Disgaea D2 trailers get crazier and crazier


Disgaea Dimension 2 , which is coming to the US this year, has released another promo video. It's very similar to another trailer that was released not long ago, but this one features Japanese voice overs from Etna and Flonne.


Even if you can't understand Japanese, you can still get the gist of a number of gameplay elements, like the Item Sea, riding monsters, new characters, and other classic franchise staples. As always, amazing special editions that we'll never get in the states are featured at the end of the video.


I can't get "simulation ar-pee-gee!" out of my head. I also can't wait for this game -- I can feel a Carter's Quest: Disgaea coming.


The Disgaea D2 trailers get crazier and crazier screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/the-disgaea-d2-trailers-get-crazier-and-crazier-247265.phtml

News::Summon Night 5 is looking pretty, pretty good


A new Summon Night game, dubbed Summon Night 5, is set to to drop this year in Japan. As we near its completion the first full trailer has debuted, featuring a lot of anime and some strategy RPG based gameplay.



The Summon Night series spans multiple platforms over the course of its lifetime, and this one will debut on the PSP (yep, PSP, not Vita! It's still alive in Japan!).


The one is set for a May 16th release in Japan, so get your import on if you want to play it. Since it's Namco Bandai and the franchise isn't keen on international releases, that may be the only way you'll get to play it.


Summon Night 5 is looking pretty, pretty good screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/summon-night-5-is-looking-pretty-pretty-good-247270.phtml

News::Another Castle is a roguelike-platformer hybrid for Wii U


How 'bout that Dusty Raging Fist , eh? Or the recently crowdfunded Cryamore , hmm? Seems like the Wii U eShop is getting some much welcome indie love even as big boxed publishers turn up their noses. Would anyone object to another cool indie project being tossed on the pile?


Another Castle may look like your typical retro platformer, but the twist is that the levels and world map are randomly generated. Your goal in each playthrough is to obtain a randomized item at the end of the game, but it's never there since "it's always in another castle." Said item will be available in subsequent runs, however. You can check a free prototype version of the game here.


One-man team David Byers, a NeoGAFfer who has previously worked on a number of iOS / Android titles, announced on Nintendo Life that he has just been approved as a Wii U developer and will be bringing Another Castle to eShop -- as well as PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, and OUYA. To aid in his quest, he's opened a Kickstarter with a basic goal of $12,000. Stretch goals will allow him to add more magic and enemy types, a weather system, mounts like a laser-equipped giant owl, and more playable characters.


David is shooting for a June 2014 release, but depending on the work required for stretch-goal content, development could extend into 2015. The wait may just be worth it, considering the kind of quality other NeoGAF devs are able to pump out.


Another Castle by Uncade [Kickstarter via Nintendo Life] (Thanks, Fred!)


Another Castle is a roguelike-platformer hybrid for Wii U screenshot


Read more...



via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/another-castle-is-a-roguelike-platformer-hybrid-for-wii-u-247248.phtml

News::Watch these One Piece: Pirate Warriors 2 gameplay vids


After years of putting it off, I'm finally taking the plunge and watching all 500+ episodes of One Piece from the beginning to celebrate the upcoming One Piece: Pirate Warriors 2 .


You can celebrate by watching new gameplay trailers for Luffy, Chopper, Kuma, and Nami (we all know Sanji is the only character that matters here). Sadly, it won't be coming to Vita, and just like the first one, I'll be dropping on the PSN as a PS3 digital download only. To save money on the localization, they also don't provide an English dub. Fine by me!


For those of you who haven't seen the series, it features a lovable gang of pirates led by the charismatic Monkey D. Luffy, in search of the mystical ultimate treasure called the "One Piece." It's the most successful manga of all time and the TV show is still running. You should watch it!


Watch these One Piece: Pirate Warriors 2 gameplay vids screenshot


Read more...



via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/watch-these-one-piece-pirate-warriors-2-gameplay-vids-247266.phtml

News::Crytek And the Future of Single-Player

IGN:Crytek introduces Warface and Gface and talks up the potential of the future of engaging, story-driven connected single-player experiences.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1183438/crytek-and-the-future-of-single-player

News::The Bridge Review | IncGamers

A puzzle title with the same careful attention to subverting perception, while adhering to its own strange set of rules, as the Escher drawings it emulates.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1183553/the-bridge-review-incgamers

News::Defiance: Interview With Nathan Richardsson, VP of Development and Executive Producer

GamingBolt: "We recently got a chance to interview Nathan Richardsson, VP of development and executive producer of Defiance. He revealed a lot of interesting new information about the game like character progression and customization, post launch support, weapons, abilities and much more. Check out the entire interview below."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182876/defiance-interview-with-nathan-richardsson-vp-of-development-and-executive-producer

News::Diehard GameFAN: Multi-Core Gaming Mouse Gun3 V7 (Bloody2) Review

DHGF: Core3 is where things get interesting and, of course, is why A4Tech charges extra for it. You have the three rapid-fire options of Core2 . The big advantage comes from clicking the N button. Once this is on, your left mouse button will now act as a strafe feature while suppressing recoll and window juddering. You can even adjust the rate of fire from your weapon in-game. If this isnt enough, the Bloody2 software will let you create macros for your mouse to let you do all sorts of crazy things at the click of a button. You can do some pretty impressive stuff with this mouse as long as youre playing First Person Shooters. Otherwise, youre just paying for an expensive mouse with features you will never use.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182867/diehard-gamefan-multi-core-gaming-mouse-gun3-v7-bloody2-review

News::New Tomb Raider Trailer is Full of Adjectives

GodisaGeek: "The new trailer shows some things that youd expect from 2013 Lara such as climbing, jumping, stabbingetc. However, the real thing that makes this stand out a little bit are the appearances by real life people that are interspersed with gameplay. Men and women of all ages begin to say a whole host of buzzwords throughout the trailer."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182829/new-tomb-raider-trailer-is-full-of-adjectives

News::Black Desert Housing System Features

Cabulous from 2P.com: Housing system is one of the key features in Black Desert. Every single house we met in game is not only a decoration on the gorgeous background, but act as an individual store to purchase and work. In contrast, unlike the housing system in other MMOs like ArcheAge, in Dark Desert housing system doesn't focus on building and decoration. They consider housing system as one of the key elements of the huge economy system in the game and every crafters (here are the players in the game) should own their stores to present and sell the armors, weapons, clothes, bags, runes, etc. And all players are able to enter any store to explore every corner inside, choose their favorite items and trade with the storekeepers. Mostly, they are players running this store rather than a lifeless NPC. By hiring sales NPCs in it, you houses can work as a private shop for item exchange.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182758/black-desert-housing-system-features

News::Skulls of the Shogun Review - The Digital Fix

Ask a hardcore strategy gamer to name a turn-based tactical title set in Japan, and theyd probably offer up Total War: Shogun 2 and Romance of the Three Kingdoms before starting to struggle. Japan is no stranger to tactical play but given its remarkable feudal history its surprising how little the period is mined for gaming gold, and of the few that do emerge, fewer still make it to western shores. 17-Bits debut Skulls of the Shogun comes to this near-deserted table with several bold hooks: catch the eye, simplify the numbers and, most importantly, make the game look and feel accessible. Theres an interesting twist thrown in too - the games entire cast are dead.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182669/skulls-of-the-shogun-review-the-digital-fix

News::Spend Lots of Money on NFS DLC

Do you like spending money? Do you also like spending money on content which some might argue could be offered for free? Do you like racing games? Well step right up and purchase EA's new Deluxe DLC Bundle for Need for Speed: Most Wanted.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182656/spend-lots-of-money-on-nfs-dlc

News::Top 5 Reasons to be Excited for Tomb Raider

"With the much anticipated reboot of the legendary Tomb Raider video game franchise coming in less than a week, lets take the opportunity to see what Crystal Dynamics is doing to shake up the formula as well as keeping the classic Tomb Raider feel for Laras journey in 2013. Hopefully this will put the franchise back on the map as a must play series just like its previous incarnations." - Terrence Billingsley of Geekenstein.com



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1183542/top-5-reasons-to-be-excited-for-tomb-raider

News::The Geek Link's Assassins Creed 3 Perfectionist Walkthrough 3-2

The Geek Link writes - The Geek Link (www.geeklinkradio.com) presents its walkthrough for Assassins Creed 3 and we hit every optional mission so you can get the Perfectionist Trophy/Achievement in Assassins Creed 3. Sequence 3-2 is the one that gave people a lot of grief, but well show you how to get through this level without killing anyone (including yourself). All this, plus those cannons get scrapped in this latest video.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1183509/the-geek-links-assassins-creed-3-perfectionist-walkthrough-3-2

News::Poker Smash getting Kickstartered for PC

South Carolina-based indie developer Void Star Creations has announced that it will be bringing its 2008 Xbox Live Arcade match-3 game Poker Smash to PC. The game earned rave reviews as a poker-meets-Tetris Smash puzzle game.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1183504/poker-smash-getting-kickstartered-for-pc

News::(WGB) Assassins Creed 3: The Tyranny of King Washington Episode 1- The Infamy Review

Baden of WolfsGamingBlog writes: "The first episode of Ubisofts DLC series isnt packing a whole lot of content, but what it does have is fun and engaging, even if it does leave you feeling a tad unsatisfied."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1183485/wgb-assassins-creed-3-the-tyranny-of-king-washington-episode-1-the-infamy-review

News::Dead Space 3 Review at CalmDownTom

"The series needs a breath of fresh air, and instead Isaac Clarke has inhaled some kind of bacterial micro-transaction infection.", says CalmDownTom.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1183526/dead-space-3-review-at-calmdowntom

News::Star Trek: The Video Game Preview | TheGamersHub

TGH writes: If I had to compare it to other movie tie-in titles, then this is far above the average bar set for them. However, moving out and away from such a low standard to compare it too, Star Trek: The Video Game currently feels like a well-rounded and enticing adventure that should be a pleasure for fans to play come April 23rd.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1183369/star-trek-the-video-game-preview-thegamershub

News::Razer Edge Gaming Tablet Worth it or Wasteful?

Gamer Living's Rachel McBurney chimes in on the renewed attempts to sway the core gamer crowd to the tablet scene.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182748/razer-edge-gaming-tablet-worth-it-or-wasteful

News::We Ran FFXIV: A Realm Reborn's Benchmark and Got Some Scores | 2P.com

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn has better graphics than original FFXIV while it doesn't require high-end PC to play. Most PCs can run the game on 1920×1080 resolution, though low-end PCs may have to lower the setting to "High" or "Medium". If you plan to play this game on PC when it's out, you can run this benchmark program on your computer.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1183221/we-ran-ffxiv-a-realm-reborns-benchmark-and-got-some-scores-2p-com

News::Anomaly 2 Announced for Q2 2013 Release

11 bit studios has announced Anomaly 2, the sequel to the award-winning strategy game, Anomaly Warzone Earth, and will be coming to PC, Mac and Linux in Q2 2013.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1183484/anomaly-2-announced-for-q2-2013-release

News::The origins of those gross-ass Infected in The Last of Us


If you saw our very first hands-on preview of Naughty Dog's The Last of Us , you'll know that the Infected creeped me the hell out. If this is what a fungal virus can do to you, I'm going to wash my hands every 15 minutes, every day, for the rest of my life.


A new video from Naughty Dog and Sony reveals the origins of these Infected. "Hush" starts with their inspiration and initial design work, and then moves into just now nasty they can be in the game as enemies. That clicking noise is the most fu*ked up sound ever made for a videogame.


Enjoy.


The origins of those gross-ass Infected in The Last of Us screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/the-origins-of-those-gross-ass-infected-in-the-last-of-us-247271.phtml

News::Kotaku - Should Competitive Gaming Be On National TV? Experts Are Divided

Competitive gaming has millions of fans. Its biggest stars earn six-figure salaries. Yet it's nowhere to be found on American television. You may happen upon bowling, lumberjack contests, or even rock-paper-scissors while channel surfing, but nary a match of StarCraft or League of Legends.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1183481/kotaku-should-competitive-gaming-be-on-national-tv-experts-are-divided

News::Colin MacDonald on Grand Theft Auto’s genesis and Realtime Worlds’ rise and fall


Development veteran Colin MacDonald cut his teeth in the game industry at DMA Design on the Grand Theft Auto series, later moving on to become boss of Crackdown and APB studio Realtime Worlds. Now commissioning editor for games at Channel 4, we caught up with MacDonald at the recent Future Proof Summit in Liverpool to explore the highs and lows of a career creating open world games.


You joined DMA late in the studio’s day – what was the feeling around the studio at that time?


Colin McDonald: I joined in late 1997, right after the Gremlin buyout. So at that point, things weren’t that rocky, it was kind of a transition to the new, safer environment of Gremlin. In terms of stability, we weren’t going to go bust, there wasn’t any politics, the only issue was that Gremlin didn’t really see Grand Theft Auto as the sort of title they wanted to put in their stable, they had Disney-esque ambitions. GTA didn’t fit into their plans.


Was GTA, as is often rumoured, a back-burner project as DMA knuckled down on Body Harvest?


I don’t think it was a back-burner project, GTA was done as one of several projects that were kicked off around the same time, as part of a bigger deal. I think it was always intended to have equal status, as it went through development, though, Body Harvest was always the one that shone the earliest. GTA was the one we all had doubts about until it actually came out.


Why were the doubts? Was it to do with the adult content?


The 2D thing was a bit of an issue and it was also a bit late in the day until it got fun. The first year or so of its development, it just wasn’t much fun. With something like Body Harvest there was more stability as with Space Station Silicon Valley. GTA was a late developer [in terms of seeing the fun].


Why did did you persist with it if it wasn’t much fun?


It was before my time, but that’s the benefit of a visionary like Dave Jones. You need someone who’s got the vision to see through the peaks and troughs of development. You’ve always got those and without someone who’s got the vision, the inclination can be just to axe something. It’s important to get through the troughs as the peaks may be higher than the last. You need that visionary, whoever it is – the publisher, the head of the team – to say let’s stay the course, ride this out, let’s stick with it.


With Body Harvest and GTA in the same stable, I can’t help envision the two merging into a 3D GTA sooner… were you aware of any plans for the two to crossover into one project?


They were both their own games, their own entities at that point, but yeah I can absolutely see where it might have gone. But who knows.



Before moving on to Realtime Worlds you were at a studio called Rage – why leave DMA?


So that was Dave Jones, he wanted to go on and do something else, he took half a dozen of us with him. The Rage studio was the beginnings of a big ambitious project that carried on through Realtime Worlds [Project My World] and still exists as EGO, with Dundee doing it.


Rage was sort of an all-DMA half-way house before Realtime Worlds, then?


Yeah so the change from Rage to Realtime Worlds was basically the name on the door. It was February 2001 I think – same studio, same people.


You stayed around the same colleagues across the three studios, is the sort of community you found and established by sticking together crucial to a successful working atmosphere?


I think it depends on the team. Realtime Worlds grew to a big studio and it got tricky after we were past 100 people. It’s funny, I went through stages at Realtime Worlds. Initially it was a small team and you’d know everyone. There’d be company events and everyone’s partners would come and you’d know everyone – partners and kids, you’d know their names. And it was interesting, once you got past about 75 people or something, there was too many kids, so I started to realise ok, how can I remember everyone’s kids’ names? Ok, I’ll just remember the partners. After you got past 150 people you started thinking shit, there’s too many partners now.


I’ve got 150 staff, 150 partners – I won’t remember all the partners’ names now so focus on the staff. And then once you get past 200 you hit a horrible point one day where you’re walking down a corridor of your studio and you’re like “I don’t know if he works for us”. That was one of the most horrific points, that realisation that there’s someone at your studio that you don’t know if he’s supposed to be there or not. That’s horrible.


I imagine you lose the trickle-down of the company’s message and ambition when you grow to that size.


I think we managed to keep that really tight community up until about 100 people and I think that’s to do with the scale of the vision and games we were making. I’ve seen studios lose that sense of community at 50, I’ve seen others go well into the hundreds, I think it depends on the individual studio. More than anything else it’s the realisation that you have to work hard at maintaining that. Communication doesn’t just happen by itself, you have to make sure the right structures are in place but also that the right barriers are out the way. You need people to talk, to encourage them, go for a coffee or a beer or whatever, make sure there’s no politics for someone to be able to get a pay-rise if someone stabs someone else in the back – that’s just bollocks inside of one company, surely you should all be pulling in the same direction.


It takes effort to stop that happening because it does naturally happen. You’ve got 100 people potentially all with different agendas so you’ve got to focus attention on aligning all of that.


Continue >>


The post Colin MacDonald on Grand Theft Auto’s genesis and Realtime Worlds’ rise and fall appeared first on Edge Online.






via Edge Online http://www.edge-online.com/news/colin-macdonald-on-grand-theft-autos-genesis-and-realtime-worlds-rise-and-fall/

News::Sennheiser PC 333D Gaming Headphones Review | New Gamer Nation

Sennheiser has been making excellent audio equipment for quite some time. Though it is relatively new in the video game headset space, they have made a number of quality sets that give even the industry veterans a run for their money. Recently, Sennheiser released a few new models in their line of gaming headsets, and we got to take a closer look at the Sennheiser PC 333D.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1183459/sennheiser-pc-333d-gaming-headphones-review-new-gamer-nation

News::Tomb Raider - The Final Hours: Episode 5 - part 2

"It's a culmination of everything and the clock is ticking. These are the final, Final Hours of Tomb Raider."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1183450/tomb-raider-the-final-hours-episode-5-part-2

News::In the News | Ubisoft Announces Pirate-Themed Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag

In the News | Ubisoft Announces Pirate-Themed Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag

Publisher Ubisoft officially announced Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag on Thursday.



via Game|Life http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2013/02/assassins-creed-iv-black-flag/

News::PCGamer- Total War: Rome II Preview

PCG:Creative Assembly are experimenting with ways to keep the game interesting when your power as a faction has reached critical mass. The clean-up phase has always been a weakness of the series, the point in the game where you cant be stopped, and the road to victory looks a lot like clicking auto resolve over and over again. Part of this will be an expanded reputation system where your deeds throughout the entire campaign are remembered: brutality towards one enemy will be factored in by the others you might face, meaning that youll face increasingly violent opposition even from enemies who you otherwise outnumber, or alliances of necessity formed in the face of your rolling war machine. Likewise, internal politics can lead to your faction facing outright civil war when power vacuums form. It all sounds very appropriate to the period. The Romans had a bit of a problem with uppity generals crossing important rivers, dont you know.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1183452/pcgamer-total-war-rome-ii-preview

News::Tim Schafer hoping to Buy Back Double Fine Titles

Clickonline writes "Double Fines founder, Tim Schafer, is hoping to buy back Costume Quest and Stacking during the next THQ auction when it tries to sell off its remaining IPs. Schafer confirmed this on Twitter when asked if he would be lodging a bid with an emphatic, Yes! Six lots of software are up for grabs in total including the developments that Double Fine previously worked on."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1183449/tim-schafer-hoping-to-buy-back-double-fine-titles

News::Top 5 Pirates We Want To See In Assassins Creed IV

In anticipation of Assassin's Creed IV:Black Flag's piratey theme, we've listed the top 5 pirates we want to see in the game.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1183460/top-5-pirates-we-want-to-see-in-assassins-creed-iv

News::Sniper Ghost Warrior 2 Headshot Trailer

Take a glimpse at the powers of a well-executed long-range takedown in the Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2, Headshots trailer.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1183405/sniper-ghost-warrior-2-headshot-trailer

News::Impire Review - Hellish in Every Way | The Escapist

The Escapist: "A game you desperately want to like, but never quite manage to, given the heaping portions of frustration you're served at every turn."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1183443/impire-review-hellish-in-every-way-the-escapist

News::Gamespot- Now Playing - Warface

GS;We dive into the Co-op of Crytek's upcoming PC social shooter.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1183428/gamespot-now-playing-warface

News::Farm 51 developing Deadfall Adventures for PC and Xbox 360

Nordic Games and The Farm 51 have announced Deadfall Adventures, an action adventure game that mixes first person shooter experiences with puzzle-solving and exploration, taking players to many different locations across the globe. In Deadfall Adventures the year is 1938 and main protagonist James Lee Quatermain isn't all too keen on escorting Jennifer Goodwin, a US agent and former colleague of his, to an Egyptian temple complex in order to retrieve an ancient artifact - The Heart of Atlantis. Quatermain doesn't care about the qualities of this artifact, nor does he care that a division of the Ahnenerbe, the Nazi department specialized in the occult, is after The Heart as well.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1183359/farm-51-developing-deadfall-adventures-for-pc-and-xbox-360

News::League of Legends Sona Cosplay By Eki

The korean cosplayer Eki has cosplayed as Sona, one of the champions from the popular online game League of Legends and she looks simply amazing.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1183381/league-of-legends-sona-cosplay-by-eki

News::Gamesradar- Star Trek: The Video Game preview

GR:So here we are. After three years of development, Star Trek: The Video Game is almost complete and asking us to push Start. And thats when were presented with a dilemma: Do we play as Captain Kirk, or Mr Spock? Being (now sadly frustrated) fans of Heroes, our first choice is simple. This Spock model looks exactly like Zachary Quinto. Spock it is.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1183424/gamesradar-star-trek-the-video-game-preview

News::Cryengine compared to Minecraft

Freedom United: Today I decided to do something I dont normally do. I toke the Cryengine SDK and started playing with it!



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1183332/cryengine-compared-to-minecraft

News::Aliens: Colonial Marines- Review | AnalogAddiction.org

AnalogAddiction's official review of Aliens: Colonial Marines is now live! Did they think it was a good representation of the franchise or another disappointment?



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1183295/aliens-colonial-marines-review-analogaddiction-org

News::State of the industry research reveals the rise of indie and mobile


A boom in indie studios and mobile game development are the dominant themes in GDC 2013 organiser UBM’s State of the Industry research.


Gamasutra has the full details on the poll of over 2,500 GDC attendees. 53% identified themselves as indie developers and of those developers, 51% have been indies for less than two years. 46% of developers surveyed work in a team of ten or less, while only 24% worked with a publisher on their last game and even fewer – just 20% – are planning to do so with their current project.


38% of the respondents released their last game on tablet or mobile, with 58% intending to do so with their current project. PC/Mac was the second most popular platform with 34.6% of developers polled having released their last game on those platforms. 49% of those polled intend to release future projects on PC and Mac.


On home console, 13.2% of developers are currently developing a game for 360, with 13% for PS3 and just 4.6% for Wii U. 11% said they were developing games for PS4 and the next Xbox.


Handhelds were the least popular platforms, with just 4.2% currently making a game for Vita and 2% working on a 3DS project. There are more facts and figures in the Gamasutra report.


The post State of the industry research reveals the rise of indie and mobile appeared first on Edge Online.






via Edge Online http://www.edge-online.com/news/state-of-the-industry-research-reveals-the-rise-of-indie-and-mobile/

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

News::Crysis 3 Review The Hunt is On I TheKoalition

TheKoalition writes: But can it run Crysis? An age old question asked by many to this day, as it was the first-person shooter Crysis that stressed your PC like no other with its highly complex graphics engine: the Cryengine 2. If you could play Crysis on high settings or above you could play anything. Wearing the almighty Nanosuit, you would sneak around and fight your way through a lush, topical island filled with North Korean soldiers to stop a terrible alien power from being unleashed onto the world.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182996/crysis-3-review-the-hunt-is-on-i-thekoalition

News::The Myth of the Open Platform

VGR: Outside of the PC and certain, less scrupulous parts of iOS and Android marketplaces (read: jailbroken apps), there arent any real open release platforms. Even Steam, which is typically held up as a bastion of openness and developer-friendliness, is a closed platform in the purest sense.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182973/the-myth-of-the-open-platform

News::Why People Hate Hipster Games

Cheat Code Central's Austin Wood writes: "Admit it, you know exactly what this articles title is talking about, as stereotypical as it is. No matter the moniker, be it artsy, ethereal, or my personal favorite, hipster gaming, we all know whats being referred to. Developers like Team Ico kick-started this sort of genre (or at least got it more attention) in the PlayStation 2 days with ICO and Shadow of the Colossus, both of which are widely known as brilliant games. However, there is also a sizeable portion of players and reviewers who called the games repetitive and disinteresting. Despite this, simple, ambiance-heavy games have remained popular in our current generation thanks to new IPs like Journey, flOw, and the fabled Last Guardian, as well as through the flourishing indie market. This makes one wonder what these games actually have to offer."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182930/why-people-hate-hipster-games

News::The Geek Link's Assassin's Creed 3 Perfectionist Walkthrough 2-5

The Geek Link writes "The Geek Link (www.geeklinkradio.com) presents its walkthrough for Assassins Creed 3 and we hit every optional mission so you can get the Perfectionist Trophy/Achievement in Assassins Creed 3. We are at the final mission of sequence 2. Are you having a hard time remaining undetected in a sea of guards? Malcolm shows you were to go, when to corner kill, and even how to completely avoid gunfire on the road to 100%."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182471/the-geek-links-assassins-creed-3-perfectionist-walkthrough-2-5

News::Crysis 3 is like a bad date at an extremely fancy restaurant | GameZone

GameZone's Lance Liebl writes: "You've made the reservations. You've both dressed up: business casual, let's call it, with a modicum of hair-styling, makeup, and your second-fanciest pairs of shoes. The menu is beyond enticing, never mind that it's presented in a leather folder, bound with gilded rope. The chandeliers sparkle, seeming to sway gently overhead, as a band plays exactly the right music at exactly the right volume."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182984/crysis-3-is-like-a-bad-date-at-an-extremely-fancy-restaurant-gamezone

News::Do Games Make You Stupid?

Eskimo Press: "You've all heard people nagging about video games. Declarations such as rots your brains (previously applied only to television) and doesn't teach you anything are common when the elderly or uninformed are expressing themselves on the nature of video games. I beg to differ. Sure enough, the vast majority of games don't really teach anything, but most train skills such as; reflexes, observation, and basic logic capabilities, which are all fine skills on their own. A few games, however, are capable of teaching rather useful skills or flat-out enlightening and educating us."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182956/do-games-make-you-stupid

News::3D patent infringement case against Nintendo now underway

Opening arguments in a patent infringement trial against Nintendo took place in U.S. District Court on Monday, as an inventor accused the gaming giant of using his glasses-free 3D technology to develop the 3DS handheld.


The inventor, Seijiro Tomita, 58, presented a prototype of his glasses-free 3D technology to seven Nintendo officials at their Kyoto headquarters in 2003. During this time, Tomita was looking for licensee partners as he awaited his patent application to process, Tomita's attorney, Joe Diamante told jurors. Four of the seven officials would later lend their hand to the development of the 3DS, which released March 2011.


3D patent infringement case against Nintendo now underway screenshot


Read more...



via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/3d-patent-infringement-case-against-nintendo-now-underway-247157.phtml

News::Assassins Creed III - 'Washington Edition' official announced

Ubisoft today announced the 'Washington Edition' of Assassins Creed III.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182919/assassins-creed-iii-washington-edition-official-announced

News::Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag Map Analysis

The next Assassin's Creed game has had its map leaked ahead of the announcement. Leviathyn tries to break down the information for you.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182916/assassins-creed-iv-black-flag-map-analysis

News::Aliens: Colonial Marines Review | GameStyle

GameStyle: "As a fan of the series, the game was horrible to play, and this review was heart-breaking to write. For purely sentimental reasons, this was one of the games that fans would have been desperate to see succeed. Somewhere along the line, we were all let down. What makes it worse are the occasional flashes of a good game that flash through. Running from a larger than average alien, welding corridor doors shut as you go. The voice acting of the likes of Michael Biehn and Lance Henriksen. This could and should have been so much more. But sadly, it is just a broken game. Game over man, game over."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182862/aliens-colonial-marines-review-gamestyle

News::Ubisoft's CEO Confirms That PC Is The Lead Platform For Watch Dogs

DSOGaming writes: "Well, we all saw that coming, right? Still, its good to have an official confirmation about the lead platform of Watch Dogs. In an interview with InsideGamer, Ubisofts CEO confirmed that the PC is the lead platform for Watch Dogs and all other platforms will be getting a port. Yeap, this is the exact opposite of what is currently happening, so this is at least good news for all PC gamers."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182905/ubisofts-ceo-confirms-that-pc-is-the-lead-platform-for-watch-dogs

News::ShootMania Storm and TrackMania 2 available on Steam

Ubisoft announces Mania Planet's 2 biggest games are available on Steam.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182910/shootmania-storm-and-trackmania-2-available-on-steam

News::Guild Wars 2 Paid PvP Removed

In the latest update of Guild Wars 2, the Flame and Frost Update: The Gathering Storm, a new slew of features and updates were included to the game, such as guild missions, new PvP maps and a continuation of the Living Story.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182529/guild-wars-2-paid-pvp-removed

News::Deep Silver reveal more Sacred Citadel

Deep Silver have today revealed more about their upcoming game, Sacred Citadel , which will feature unique weapon combinations, scenery and combat options. Deep Silver said there will be elements about the game to be revealed at a later time.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182749/deep-silver-reveal-more-sacred-citadel

News::MLG CEO Sundance DiGiovanni Talks Offensive Combat And Rise Of Free-To-Play Games

Major League Gaming (MLG) has continued to grow its audience of gamers around the world, fueled by live streaming of organized events big and small. The eSports company also has had success with its online GameBattles. MLG has added a new game to its GameBattles offerings with U4iA Games first-person shooter, Offensive Combat. The free-to-play shooter has been deeply integrated into the GameBattles experience. Sundance DiGiovanni, CEO and Co-Founder of MLG, talks about this latest free-to-play eSports title and explains the good and the bad of the expanding eSports games in development in this exclusive interview.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182894/mlg-ceo-sundance-digiovanni-talks-offensive-combat-and-rise-of-free-to-play-games

News::A Valley Without Wind 2 Review | ProvenGamer

Morgan Park of ProvenGamer: Its always refreshing when someone tries to do an RPG in a different way. Doing something contrary to predictable RPG tropes like experience-based leveling and generic magic can be difficult at times, and often a risk. And if A Valley Without Wind 2 can be commended for anything, its unlike any other RPG youve played. And while its unique blend of RPG elements, platforming, and turn-based strategy has potential for greatness, no single tenant of the gameplay is executed well enough to carry the experience.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182792/a-valley-without-wind-2-review-provengamer

News::Dead Space's Isaac Clarke joining PlayStation All-Stars


IGN sat down with PlayStation's Seth Killian where he revealed the next downloadable content for PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale . Dead Space's Isaac Clarke and God of War's Zeus will both be joining the fight. Plus, a new stage will be added that's a cross between MediEvil and The Unfinished Swan.


Pricing has yet to be announced, but the new add-on stuff will be out on March 19. You can watch the video here to see Seth detail what makes the new fighters unique.


Isaac, Zeus and The Unfinished Swan Join PlayStation All-Stars [IGN]


Dead Space's Isaac Clarke joining PlayStation All-Stars screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/dead-space-s-isaac-clarke-joining-playstation-all-stars-247158.phtml

News::KRUNCH Review | Parable Games

A review for the game from LeGrudge and Rugged, KRUNCH.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182233/krunch-review-parable-games

News::Runner 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien Review | Gamer Limit

Gamer Limit: "Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien really caught me off guard. I didnt expect much from the new art direction, but once I saw it in action, I instantly fell in love with it. The soundtrack is still endearing, the characters are as likeable as ever, and the gameplay really was turned up a few notches. If you enjoyed the original, give Runner 2 a try if you didnt, and youre a rhythm fan try it anyways."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182854/runner-2-future-legend-of-rhythm-alien-review-gamer-limit

News::EA is afraid of you

Shady business practices are a common practice with big publishers like EA. And it's mainly to do with increasing irrelevancy and digital distribution.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182822/ea-is-afraid-of-you

News::Crysis 3 review | Thunderbolt

Bart Robson, Thunderbolt writes: The Crysis series has an odd lineage, now that the sequels appear on console hardware from 2006. What began as the PC-destroying exclusive screenshot generator became the standard bearer for the platform for several years. Can it run Crysis? was the joke most run into the ground between 2008 and 2011, but when Crysis 2 was announced for Xbox 360 and PS3, the PC elites attitude towards the series changed.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182695/crysis-3-review-thunderbolt

News::3djuegos- Impire Review

3D:Dungeons, strategy and a devil with intent to conquer the known world.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182712/3djuegos-impire-review

News::Review: Party of Sin (Pixel Judge)

Indie and a platformer arent the words that inspire confidence. While some people like platforming and I dont judge them too harshly personally I view it as something that takes place instead of actual fun gameplay, i.e. shooting. Unless its Mirrors Edge, which was cool. But Party of Sin is closer to Mario than to parkouring Asian curriers and, while trying to emulate Trine, does it come any close or fails, crashes and burns, much like Lucifer?



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182567/review-party-of-sin-pixel-judge

News::QuakeCon 2013 dated

CVG:The free convention's 45,000 square foot exhibition hall will play home to North America's largest BYOC (bring-your-own-computer) LAN party, while daily festivities will include contests, entertainment, panel discussions, announcements and parties.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182163/quakecon-2013-dated

News::Tomb Raider | GQ Review

Lara, it's good to have you back.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182543/tomb-raider-gq-review

News::Review: Special Forces: Team X (darkzero)

"In this day and age, you can just about play any type of multiplayer, first-person shooter (FPS) on the PC, ranging from popular military shooters, such as Battlefield 3 and Call of Duty titles, to games like the sci-fi-themed Crysis 3. Even the free-to-play market has brought a wave of FPS games on a grand scale. Its a genre that is constantly flooding the market, so its nice to see that Zombie Studios, who actually have their own free-to-play FPS by the name of Blacklight: Retribution, are attempting to fill an area of the market that lacks any substantial, big hitters at the moment." (darkzero)



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182830/review-special-forces-team-x-darkzero

News::Sacra Terra: Kiss of Death Review | Casual Game Guides

Gather your courage to rescue your lost fiancé in Sacra Terra: Kiss of Death. When your fiancé is stolen by a strange supernatural force you know getting him back is going to be difficult, but nothing could prepare you for the true struggles of your journey. Now you must face an entity that feeds off despair as you struggle to save not only your own fiancé, but also many other couples who have been cruelly separated to sate the beasts hunger. Will your wits and courage be enough to defeat the monster?



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182802/sacra-terra-kiss-of-death-review-casual-game-guides

News::Mass Effect meets Arkham in Mars War Logs


I completely forgot Mars War Logs was a thing, but this new combat trailer has appeared to remind us that it exists. Combat looks very reminiscent of Arkham City and Asylum (or should I say Assassin's Creed, which came first and had a similar system), which is easily a good thing.


The video also shows off some of the game's RPG elements and ability customization in addition to a general overview of the game. This one could go either way, but Spider Studios, a relatively unknown developer, has been doing decent work as of late.



Who knows? This could be their first big hit.


Mass Effect meets Arkham in Mars War Logs screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/mass-effect-meets-arkham-in-mars-war-logs-247146.phtml

News::Aliens: Colonial Marines - Review | G4MERS

G4MERS: "Alens: Colonial Marines is a technical dud. The game, which in this form should never be released. It's a parody of the Alien universe, parody worthy of your money."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182267/aliens-colonial-marines-review-g4mers

News::Remember Me release date set

Gematsu: "Capcom has dated Remember Me, its Dontnod-developed, Neo-Paris set adventure game, for a PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC release on June 4 in North America and June 7 across Europe."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182818/remember-me-release-date-set

News::StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm global launch party details announced

Blizzard Entertainment today shared its plans for the official Heart of the Swarm launch events taking place in the US, France, Australia, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Russia, Brazil, and Mexico starting in the evening of March 11.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182027/starcraft-ii-heart-of-the-swarm-global-launch-party-details-announced

News::Watch Dogs preview | Gamereactor UK

GR-UK writes: "All in all, Watch Dogs looks even more interesting now and if we are to believe Morin, there are tons of stuff we haven't even seen yet. To finally get confirmation that this will be a next-gen title is also nice, and when my chat with Morin ends, he summarises the whole thing by again praising the Playstation 4, and what it can do for a game like Watch Dogs."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182774/watch-dogs-preview-gamereactor-uk

News::Bridget's Top Ten Most Anticipated Games

"Hey guys and gals, Bridget here! With 2012 behind us and 2013 quickly on our heels I can't help but wonder what new games are ahead for us. Quite a few titles have been announced for 2013, and though a great many of those few still have TBA attached to them for the current release date, I still hold out hope for the games that I have been anticipating the most this year. 2012 was somewhat uneventful and it seemed I would have trouble finding interesting titles to choose from; this year I had to narrow my anticipated list down! So let's jump in starting at number ten."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182425/bridgets-top-ten-most-anticipated-games

News::Digibytes - Mods on Monday: Arma II, Wasteland

Mods on Monday is back for another week. This week, Arma II's mod, Wasteland, a sandbox style gamemode is featured for this week. The idea is to scavenge for your weapons and gear via vehicles as well as take down objectives that appear on the map, taking them for your team. Along with that, the ability to build your own bases by taking the resources you need from the places around you. Suggestions for more mods to look into are welcomed.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182031/digibytes-mods-on-monday-arma-ii-wasteland

News::The Cave Review by The Black Panel

The Black Panel writes: Rather than a fresh and exciting experience, The Cave feels more like a mash-up of past glories from its distinguished development team. The combination of platforming, puzzles and humour mixed with an exploration of its characters dark inner workings will feel very familiar to fans of Ron Gilbert and Double Fine Studios. To everyone else, it will stand as an interesting concept somewhat let down by its execution.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182551/the-cave-review-by-the-black-panel

News::From 1992 To 2012: Graphic evolution of First Person Shooters

DSOGaming writes: "YouTubes member drloser333 has created a cool video that showcases the graphical evolution of First Person Shooters from 1992 to 2012. This video shows off the original versions of the games that are featured without any mods applied to them rendered in actual resolutions of the period."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182788/from-1992-to-2012-graphic-evolution-of-first-person-shooters

News::Neocrisis: Crysis 3 Review

Neocrisis: What would you be willing to sacrifice to save the human race? This question is posed to Prophet, the main antagonist of Crysis 3 throughout the course of the game. For many it would be a question that would have to be wrestled with, but for Prophet the answer is simple, anything.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182775/neocrisis-crysis-3-review

News::Crysis 3 Review | New Gamer Nation

New Gamer Nation - Crysis 3 is a game worth experiencing. The story and characters are inventive and will definitely make some connections with you. The game is absolutely beautiful with a very imaginative setting to experience. Once you master your suit, the game becomes incredibly fun.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182789/crysis-3-review-new-gamer-nation

News::Brutal Legend Is Now Available On Steam

DSOGaming writes: "Good news for third-person action adventure fans as Double Fines Brutal Legend is currently available on Steam. Set in a universe somewhere between Lord of the Rings and Spinal Tap, Brutal Legend is an action-adventure that marries visceral combat with open-world freedom and features a talented voice cast including Jack Black, Lemmy Kilmister, Rob Halford, and more."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182533/brutal-legend-is-now-available-on-steam

News::The making of PlayStation 4


Sony revealed the PS4 controller, its spec and some of its network capabilities at PlayStation Meeting last week. We sat down with Sony Worldwide Studios senior vice president Michael Denny after the event to gain further insight into the philosophy driving the creation of Sony’s fourth PlayStation and how developers fit into its vision for the platform.


Why reveal PS4 now?


I think there’s been a lot of speculation out there about when nextgen is coming. It just felt right. We wanted to do the announcement in stages, as it were, throughout the year leading up to launch, and this event was very much about just introducing people to the concept of PlayStation 4, the philosophy behind it, why make the choices of architecture we did, why we wanted to get the world’s development talent on board, and why we wanted to place gamers very much at the heart of what we’re doing. I know there’s lots of questions that come from people in terms of other areas and business models, but, for us, that’s later in the year.


Can you explain the thinking behind the new controller?


Obviously the game interface is a crucial part of any gaming system, and so, the starting point is what can we improve on the current DualShock 3. So the sticks and the trigger buttons have been tightened for more control, there’s less latency. The control’s rumble has been improved, the Sixaxis has been improved on it, and then there are the extra features on it as well. So, there’s the Share button, the light bar, and the touchpad.


When we started this process, we got development teams in early and, as you can imagine, there’s every feature in the world that’s on the smorgasbord for us to choose from, and it really depends on developers’ feelings for what they can do with the different interfaces.


So, there are many prototypes that haven’t been announced and [we] aren’t here to announce, but, for example, you understand how a touchscreen works on a lot of mobile devices and mobile gaming. Translate those to some games in terms of some grab moves, perhaps, some pinch moves, some melee moves, but also in terms of going to more of the GUI and perhaps an inventory system just off button. So there’s lots of ways of playing with it and in [the] prototype stage, the feeling was for most developers that they could use that to good effect. Wait and see, get your hands on the demos as they come out.



Is the hardware more cost-effective than, say, the PS3 was on launch because it mainly consists of standardised PC components? We’re aware that the CPU and GPU are also on one chip.


I think that’s a fairly good assumption, but the reason for choosing the architecture we did was first and foremost informed by what the game development community wanted, to produce a system for ease of development and richness of development. For example, clearly decisions like having 8GB of on-board high-speed system memory is a fantastic win for the ease of development, but [also] the richness of the content they can produce.


That 8GB, how was that decision reached? There were rumours of it being only four, and it’s more expensive than DDR3 obviously. How was the cost-effectiveness balanced with what developers wanted?


Those are exactly the sort of choices you’re presented with, and you make those decisions. As Mark [Cerny, lead on PS4 hardware] was explaining, it was absolutely vital to us as we’re putting the gamer at the heart of this new system as our clear focus, that we wanted the best content possible on there. So that legislates, that leads to the decisions, informed by all our great development teams and third party partners as well, as to what the best choices should be. Of course there [are] implications of all those choices, but absolutely that’s the right decision for PlayStation 4 for the system we want to devise.


Continue >>


The post The making of PlayStation 4 appeared first on Edge Online.






via Edge Online http://www.edge-online.com/features/the-making-of-playstation-4/

News::Aliens: Colonial Marines Review Absolutely Disgusting [Gamesta]

Daav from Gamesta.com is sorely disappointed by Aliens: Colonial Marines. What starts of with a hint of promise quickly dissolves into a nearly unplayable, angering mess of a game.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182771/aliens-colonial-marines-review-absolutely-disgusting-gamesta

News::Special Forces Team X Review Laserlemming.com

Laserlemming writes- "Special Forces Team X is a fun, balanced, no nonsense shooter that does exactly what it says on the tin."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182636/special-forces-team-x-review-laserlemming-com

News::Screens and Information for the Second Ravaged DLC Pack

Skewed and Reviewed have posted information and some screens from the second DLC pack for Ravaged. The game is a massive online shooter set in a post apocalypse wasteland. Gamers can select vehicles, character classes, weapons, and more in the all out team combat of the game.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182080/screens-and-information-for-the-second-ravaged-dlc-pack

News::ZTGD | Crysis 3 (PC) Review

Drew Leachman writes: Crysis has always been known for its stunning visuals, and has often served as the benchmark for many gamers looking to build a gaming PC. Crysis 2 added some better game play and some truly outstanding set pieces while still keeping the visuals top notch. Ill just get this out of the way, this is the best looking game I have ever played, but it may fall short in some aspects compared to its immediate predecessor.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182756/ztgd-crysis-3-pc-review

News::Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 penned by big movie writers

Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 has been written by acclaimed movie writers, according to producer Michael Sroczynski.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182730/sniper-ghost-warrior-2-penned-by-big-movie-writers

News::Tomb Raider Review - spong

"...its biggest achievement is not the free-roaming gameplay, not the ludicrously beautiful graphics or the gripping story. Its the fact that it has taken a character that I had fallen out of love with a long time ago and given her a whole new lease of life."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182548/tomb-raider-review-spong

News::Wargame: European Escalation - Out now on Linux

Neocrisis: After recently invading Mac computers all around the world, Wargame European Escalation, the explosive real-time strategy game developed by Eugen Systems, today arrives on Linux through Steam digital distribution platform!



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182684/wargame-european-escalation-out-now-on-linux

News::Guns of Icarus Online OST: Epic as the Gameplay

Even though it's a PvP game, the Guns of Icarus Online soundtrack is nothing to scoff at.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182494/guns-of-icarus-online-ost-epic-as-the-gameplay

News::The 10 Best Video Game Remakes

Eskimo Press: One of the best features of new generations of gaming platforms is how they can help breathe new life into the games we love and used to play the heck out of. XBLA and PSN offer plenty of HD remakes and ports, a lot of classics are finding new life on iOS and Android devices, Nintendos virtual console has a substantial catalogue, and the PC & Mac offer various ways to relive long-time favorites. When it comes to remakes, it can be a touchy subject. Many of us like our games the way they were, and things can go sour real quick if a remake is not handled with care. Thankfully, there are a lot of great remakes out there, and here are our picks for the ten best video game remakes, in no particular order.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182727/the-10-best-video-game-remakes

News::Top 18 Upcoming Videos Games in 2013 for PC

Nerdsmagazine- 2013 has begun and seems like, year 2013 is going to be an fantastic year for gaming and game lovers. The whole year is dotted with high profile releases, some making comeback in PC gaming and few will take a different roads to present an existing game with new format and amazing graphics. But the question is what are those name which youre going to enjoying this year on your PC.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182706/top-18-upcoming-videos-games-in-2013-for-pc

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

News::Why We Cant Wait For Watch Dogs

Watch Dogs was announced back at E3 2012 as Ubisofts next big blockbuster game alongside its already impressive catalogue containing the likes of Assassins Creed and Far Cry. Although information is pretty scarce at present, with only a rough date at the end of 2013, there is already plenty to get excited about.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182230/why-we-cant-wait-for-watch-dogs

News::Aliens: Colonial Marines Infamous Demo Was Running In Real-Time On A High-End PC

DSOGaming writes: "By now, everyone knows that Aliens: Colonial Marines is not up to what they had hoped and does not come close to the demo version that was showcased in E3. Sure enough, our SweetFX mod can bring some of its atmosphere back, however the lack of dynamic light sources and shadows is something that has a big impact on the games visuals. So why is the final version so different from the demo version? The answer is simple: the demo version of Aliens: Colonial Marines ran on a high-end PC that surpassed the capabilities of both PS3 and X360."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182144/aliens-colonial-marines-infamous-demo-was-running-in-real-time-on-a-high-end-pc

News::First screenshot of 'Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag' surfaces

Earlier this month word came out that Ubisoft's next Assassin's Creed title will not be called "Assassin's Creed 4" and was code named "Assassin's Creed: Golden Age." Shortly after, news broke that Ubisoft was holding a "mysterious" Assassin's Creed meeting on February 27th, presumably to show off the next installment in their series, officially titled "Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182270/first-screenshot-of-assassins-creed-iv-black-flag-surfaces

News::Neocrisis: Aliens: Colonial Marines Review

Neocrisis: Aliens, a great movie, Aliens vs Predator, another great movie. The last time I played a decent game of Aliens was on the Atari Jaguar, yes it was a while ago, but it was a really great game, it set the tension and atmosphere perfectly with great visuals for its time too. Aliens: Colonial Marines is the latest franchise, is it any good? does it play fairly? Well read on and find out.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182273/neocrisis-aliens-colonial-marines-review

News::Walking Dead season 2 confirmed

In a recent interview on IGN's "Up at Noon" Telltale's The Walking dead writer Gary Whitta confirmed the season two coming soon



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1181704/walking-dead-season-2-confirmed

News::Assassin's Creed IV Is All About Pirates, According To This Poster

Kotaku: "Is the next Assassin's Creed all about pirates? A tipster just sent over marketing materials for something called Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182238/assassins-creed-iv-is-all-about-pirates-according-to-this-poster

News::Ten Games That Deserve Sequels

It feels like nearly every game that gets released these days is a sequel: Crysis 3, Resident Evil 6, Assassins Creed III, Halo 4, Call of Duty: Whatever Installment Releases This Year. A lack of sequels has never been a problem with the gaming industry. With that said, many games get overlooked, or, in the case of a few of the games on this list, some just never get a sequel despite solid sales. Here are ten video games that deserve the sequel treatment.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182249/ten-games-that-deserve-sequels

News::Why I No Longer Play World of Warcraft

Cheat Code Central's Jake Valentine writes: "I dont regret purchasing the last two WoW expansions. Cataclysm started out exceptionally well before becoming a gigantic disaster in terms of stale content and a severe lack of things to do. Mists of Pandaria started out strong in attempts to fix these issues; were already on the heel of the second major patch, and the expansions launch was filled with an obscene amount of things to do."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182262/why-i-no-longer-play-world-of-warcraft

News::Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Interview with Producer/Director Naoki Yoshida [RPG Site]

RPG Site chats to Final Fantasy XIV Producer and Director Naoki Yoshida, who talks about some of these topics: - FF's legacy - The need for FF14 to succeed - The next generation, potential for additional platform versions of FF14 - Skyrim as a game Square Enix should strive to match



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182158/final-fantasy-xiv-a-realm-reborn-interview-with-producer-director-naoki-yoshida-rpg-site

News::Rhianna Pratchett speaks about how Lara Croft looks like a young lady who dressed herself

BeefJack Writes: Tomb Raider, out March 5th has an all-new Lara Croft written by Rhianna Pratchett. So how does the game go about trying to set Lara up as a role model for young women?



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1182212/rhianna-pratchett-speaks-about-how-lara-croft-looks-like-a-young-lady-who-dressed-herself

News::No license? No problem! LEGO City: Undercover preview

No license? No problem! LEGO City: Undercover preview screenshot


The LEGO videogame series has been around for some time, with its most popular incarnations definitely being the most recent licensed titles. Much like an artist that has been making music for more than five years, a series has to change, in sometimes unexpected ways, to avoid irrelevance while retaining the heart of what makes it great.


Coming off of LEGO Batman 2, the series' first foray into an open world, LEGO City: Undercover definitely runs with the idea to good effect. How good? Well that remains to be seen come launch, but so far, damn good.



LEGO City: Undercover (Wii U)
Developer: TT Fusion

Publisher: Nintendo

Release: March 18, 2013


A departure from the LEGO franchise in more ways than one, LEGO City: Undercover is a fully voiced, original story. As you can imagine this is quite the undertaking for a studio that has made its name on telling stories with only grunts and moans.


"Since this is an original story, it's really impossible to tell it with only grunts and people pointing at stuff," says executive producer Loz Doyle. "At least with something like Star Wars, most people already know the story, so it makes it easy for them to know what's going on." With this new direction, then, comes the challenge of getting a script in order. "When people pitched to get the job, it was important for us to make sure that it would be funny, which is quite difficult to tell in a simple pitch. So we didn't get anyone."


After going through an agency to try and find a writer, the team at TT Fusion instead tapped into some unknown resources. As it happens, one of their designers, Graham Goring, does stand-up comedy in his spare time. "It's actually quite unusual," says Doyle, "as you would normally have a whole team writing a game this size, but Graham jumped at the opportunity."


The important bit is that is seems to be paying off. LEGO City's writing carries a Saturday morning cartoon vibe to it, both light and accessible as well as entertaining. Anyone that knows me can tell you that my tastes in comedy tend to lean on the more fowl end, and even I found myself chuckling throughout my playthrough. There's really no denying that LEGO City's script carries real charm.



However, the biggest series change has to be the open world. As you can imagine, it is quite the undertaking for a team accustomed to building more structured experiences. Starting with the technical challenges -- "there's just so many," says Doyle -- "The geography, finding out how they all interact together, as well as building a road map on top of that to link all the different city and forest environments together."


Though the structure of the world has changed, the core of the LEGO franchise looks to have handled the adjustment. During my roughly two hours with the game, the bulk of my time was still spent solving puzzles, platforming, breaking and building tools, all while using different outfits and their abilities to assist.


The latter especially can lead to some Metroidvania-type moments. During Act 3, which takes place in part on a farm, I gained access to the farmer's outfit. allowing me to grow scalable vines wherever there was a plant pot. Once back in town, the farmer outfit becomes a great boon to exploring previously out-of-reach areas.



Of course, LEGO City would be remiss to not use its outfits in the side activities. For the fireman, there's about 25 barbeque fires to put out as well as kittens to save. For the robber, there's missions where you break into ATM machines and try to get away, as well as cars to steal that have you outrunning cops to get the car back in one piece.


These actives are further supplemented by your standard-issue collectibles such as red bricks, which act as cheat codes, and build sites where you can construct ramps and jumps. LEGO City is a pretty big place, and there's a lot to do.


Since this is a Wii U title, you can expect the GamePad to come into play, though not in any spectacular way. It's essentially the same GamePad-as-a-pause-menu interface we have seen from many games before. That said, it is quite handy to be able to set waypoints by simply taping on the mini-map display.


These gripes aside, there's good reasons to be excited for LEGO City: Undercover. Whether you're a fan or just looking for something else to play on you Wii U, you really should look to see how this one turns out.


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via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/no-license-no-problem-lego-city-undercover-preview-246117.phtml