Tuesday, August 6, 2013
News::Pennyarcade- Rise of the Triad Review
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1327176/pennyarcade-rise-of-the-triad-review
News::War of the Vikings Announced by Paradox Interactive
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1327145/war-of-the-vikings-announced-by-paradox-interactive
News::In-depth Review: Heavy Fire: Shattered Spear - Electronic Theatre
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1327234/in-depth-review-heavy-fire-shattered-spear-electronic-theatre
News::Harpoon sharks and explore the sea in Assassin's Creed IV
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag takes us to the age of pirates, and because of that Ubisoft's Singapore studio was tasked with creating the full on ocean simulation. I spoke with lead designer Sebastien Berton who walked me through four of the major new features we can expect to go along with all this.
First up, there's harpooning! Yes, you can go throw a bunch of harpoons into sharks, you monsters. You're rewarded for the wildlife you hunt, as animals will get you vital upgrades for your character similar to Far Cry 3's system. With the sharks in particular, you'll first hook into them with a harpoon tied to a rope. One connected, you'll be pulled through the ocean and you have throw more spears at them until they finally die.
Next we learned a little more about how the underwater system works. It's a first for the series, and everything in the water is a threat to you while you search for treasure. You have to find pockets of air to stay under longer, and sharks can mess you up really easily as you can't fight back.
Sebastien also briefly touched on hidden caves players can find, and how the fort system has been upgraded in Black Flag. Check out the interview for the full details, and check out our past previews for more on the next big Assassin's Creed .
via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/harpoon-sharks-and-explore-the-sea-in-assassin-s-creed-iv-259472.phtml
News::Guild Wars 2 Queens Jubilee DLC Screenshots
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1327192/guild-wars-2-queens-jubilee-dlc-screenshots
News::Five Elder Scrolls Online Classes Announced, What Will Be Next?
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1327194/five-elder-scrolls-online-classes-announced-what-will-be-next
News::Gamer Chatter Preview - The Elder Scrolls Online
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1327191/gamer-chatter-preview-the-elder-scrolls-online
News::The Last Door review | Thunderbolt
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1327096/the-last-door-review-thunderbolt
News::Sparpweed comments on co-op exploration in industry, ibb and obb soundtrack
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1327205/sparpweed-comments-on-co-op-exploration-in-industry-ibb-and-obb-soundtrack
News::Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag new concept art shows under water exploration
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1327186/assassins-creed-iv-black-flag-new-concept-art-shows-under-water-exploration
News::How to handle trolls, jerks, and griefers in online games
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1327188/how-to-handle-trolls-jerks-and-griefers-in-online-games
News::FIFA 14 New Features Trailer
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1327219/fifa-14-new-features-trailer
News::Sloth Patrol Launch Trailer
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1327211/sloth-patrol-launch-trailer
News::Assassin's Creed 4's open world takes half an hour to sail across
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1327223/assassins-creed-4s-open-world-takes-half-an-hour-to-sail-across
News::Grand Theft Auto V's PC Petition Surpasses 300K Signs, Next Goal Is 500K
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1327222/grand-theft-auto-vs-pc-petition-surpasses-300k-signs-next-goal-is-500k
News::Paul Cross on Rocksmith 2014: The Definitive Way to Learn Guitar or Bass
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1326892/paul-cross-on-rocksmith-2014-the-definitive-way-to-learn-guitar-or-bass
News::Knights of Pen and Paper dev's new game Chroma Squad hits Kickstarter goal
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1326844/knights-of-pen-and-paper-devs-new-game-chroma-squad-hits-kickstarter-goal
News::NZ Gamer - Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians Preview
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1326927/nz-gamer-beatbuddy-tale-of-the-guardians-preview
News::Divinity Dragon Commander tackles nudity, gay rights and Undead wives (video)
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1326447/divinity-dragon-commander-tackles-nudity-gay-rights-and-undead-wives-video
News::The Evil Within: Reviving Survival Horror
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1326936/the-evil-within-reviving-survival-horror
News::Saints Row 4 Inauguration Station is live for PC, Xbox 360
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1327181/saints-row-4-inauguration-station-is-live-for-pc-xbox-360
News::10 MMO's To Look Forward To On The PS4/Xbox One And PC
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1327182/10-mmos-to-look-forward-to-on-the-ps4-xbox-one-and-pc
News::Mars: War Logs Review - X360Gamer
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1327185/mars-war-logs-review-x360gamer
News::Weekly Indie Game Releases July 28 - Aug 3
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1326464/weekly-indie-game-releases-july-28-aug-3
News::Which Halo Song was the Most Memorable?
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1326835/which-halo-song-was-the-most-memorable
News::Paul Jackson on the birth of FIFA, launching The Sims and the rise of hobby gaming
Paul Jackson set up EA’s UK office and played a pivotal role in the birth of two of the industry’s biggest series – FIFA and The Sims. Though at the time he had doubts over the latter’s potential, Jackson was the man responsible for pitching the idea of an EA-developed football game to his US counterparts. After lobbying them for months (and using a little internal know-how) the game that would become FIFA was greenlit, and went onto become one of the entertainment industry’s biggest properties.
Jackson had worked in the games business for around five years by that point, and had become UK sales manager at EA. Soon after he helped established its UK office in Langley, his team had been busily trying to convince the US office to make a football game for the European market.
“The concept of a European product was still pretty new then,” says Jackson. “They were much simpler times – we just kept poking our heads above the parapet and lobbing football requests over the pond. Normally it was me, yelling, ‘give me a soccer game, give me a soccer game, give me a soccer game!’ And normally the response was ‘you’ve got John Madden; you guys need to get on that.’
“Irritatingly for us, John Madden sold very well in the UK at the time, so it was a hard point for us to argue and we were stumped,” continues Jackson. “But our guts told us that we needed to explore the football market more and we needed to convince our US partners on it, as soccer was not as popular and heavily supported in the US back then as it is today.
“Then an email arrived asking for a forecast on a football game by a team that needed a publisher. This was it; we knew how EA worked so we forecast big. That got everyone’s attention and we thought we would be on our way. Then unfortunately EA lost the deal. Sega won it and it became Ultimate Soccer.”
The UK office’s sales forecasts had raised eyebrows in the US, though. After what Jackson terms a “an interminable wait,” the call came from the US, asking whether Jackson’s team would forecast the same kind of sales if EA made its own soccer game – the UK said yes, and the US team started development. FIFA was born.
FIFA famously became the first annualised game release, an idea which fellow EA property The Sims evolved further, with a flurry of add-on packs. Though it has since become the best selling PC series of all time, behind the scenes at EA there were doubts over how The Sims would perform.
“I remember the first time Will Wright showed me The Sims,” says Jackson. “I was heading up EA UK by then, and it’s hard to describe just how groundbreaking it was. Frankly I don’t think any of us really understood it at the start. In my opinion at the time, it had as much potential to be huge as to be a total disaster.
“I had no idea that a stream of add-ons was coming to extend and develop the experience. One of the really clever concepts was that each add-on upgraded the core software, adding features and extending the gameplay. I never forgot that and have been amazed that lots more games haven’t followed this philosophy since.”
Jackson departed EA in 2006 to head up UK games industry body ELSPA, before acquiring the rights to the Train Simulator series in 2009, relaunching the business through Railsimulator.com. His latest venture is the continuation of Jackson’s interest in what he terms ‘hobby gaming.’
“Millions of us play Call Of Duty, FIFA or Need For Speed all year long and upgrade to the new version when it releases. That’s not playing the latest game – that’s a hobby,” he adds. “Once someone has bought our game, why would we want to sell it to them again? Now that the internet allows us to upgrade and develop our products all the time, why wouldn’t we?”
Jackson’s site offers free updates to anyone that has bought Train Simulator in the last four years, and a huge selection of add-on packs. It is also planning to expand into different subject matter beloved by hobbyists.
The post Paul Jackson on the birth of FIFA, launching The Sims and the rise of hobby gaming appeared first on Edge Online.
via Edge Online http://www.edge-online.com/features/paul-jackson-on-the-birth-of-fifa-launching-the-sims-and-the-rise-of-hobby-gaming/
News::Divinity: Dragon Commander Review | Gameranx
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1327184/divinity-dragon-commander-review-gameranx
News::Megabyte Punch Review | The Indie Mine
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1327073/megabyte-punch-review-the-indie-mine
News::Worms: Clan Wars - Day/Night Cycle Showcased
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1327161/worms-clan-wars-day-night-cycle-showcased
News::Zeno Clash II Review (PS3 Port) | Laser Lemming
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1327162/zeno-clash-ii-review-ps3-port-laser-lemming
News::Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN- gets some more character reveals
The Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN- website has updated since the confirmation of Millia Rage, and four new series regulars are now officially joining the fray. Chipp, May, and Venom look fairly familiar, but Potemkin has gotten a complete design rework, to the point where he doesn't even look the same.
Although the artwork and character designs are as beautiful as ever, I can't wait to see them in action -- and since May is one of my mains, I'm excited to see those HD dolphins and whales. Don't forget to take part in the game's first location test if you happen to be in Japan on August 12th.
Guilty Gear [Guilty Gear Xrd via Shoryuken]
Read more...
via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/guilty-gear-xrd-sign-gets-some-more-character-reveals-259486.phtml
News::Paradox Interactive announces War of the Vikings, a 64-player multiplayer game (with Vikings)
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1327126/paradox-interactive-announces-war-of-the-vikings-a-64-player-multiplayer-game-with-vikings
News::Indie Game Insider | Megabyte Punch Review
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1327159/indie-game-insider-megabyte-punch-review
News::Colour Bind | Non-Fiction Gaming Review
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1327119/colour-bind-non-fiction-gaming-review
News::Saints Row 4 opening mission revealed
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1327170/saints-row-4-opening-mission-revealed
News::SimCity Coming to Mac on August 29th
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1326790/simcity-coming-to-mac-on-august-29th
News::FIFA 14 - CategorÃa Primera A Licensed?
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1326324/fifa-14-categor-a-primera-a-licensed
News::The Sega Addicts Speak: Fan Games to the Rescue
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1326479/the-sega-addicts-speak-fan-games-to-the-rescue
News::Divinity Dragon Commander Walkthrough
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1327040/divinity-dragon-commander-walkthrough
News::Don Bradman Cricket 14 Launching this Autumn [PAL]
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1327068/don-bradman-cricket-14-launching-this-autumn-pal
News::Left 4 Dead 3 Shows Up on Steam
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1327114/left-4-dead-3-shows-up-on-steam
News::Bit Tech- Rise of the Triad Review
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1327142/bit-tech-rise-of-the-triad-review
News::CVG- The Elder Scrolls Online preview: When worlds collide
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1327136/cvg-the-elder-scrolls-online-preview-when-worlds-collide
News::Dragon's Crown guide: very quick tips
Dragon's Crown can be a pretty tough game. On top of some devilishly difficult boss fights, you need to fulfill your role, as well as practice good party synergy to really best some of the hardest encounters.
Odds are if you have a technical question about Dragon's Crown, I answered it in this article here in the comment section. But for everything gameplay related, you'll find it here.
Read more...
via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/dragon-s-crown-guide-very-quick-tips-258677.phtml
News::Alchemilla Mod Aims To Bring Silent Hill's Atmosphere To Half Life 2, Demo Now Available
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1327095/alchemilla-mod-aims-to-bring-silent-hills-atmosphere-to-half-life-2-demo-now-available
News::CalmDownTom ask, Should I be excited about... Europa Universalis IV?
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1327064/calmdowntom-ask-should-i-be-excited-about-europa-universalis-iv
News::Shadowrun Returns Review (Invision Game Community)
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1327010/shadowrun-returns-review-invision-game-community
News::Scourge: Outbreak Patch Incoming
via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1326484/scourge-outbreak-patch-incoming