Tuesday, August 13, 2013

News::Massive Final Fantasy XIV Screenshot Leak - Lalafell And More Detailed

The mother load of all screenshots has been leaked and it shows and details of Lalafell in all its glory. WCCFTech has analysed them all. From the Gilgamesh to rideable mounts, its all here.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1331964/massive-final-fantasy-xiv-screenshot-leak-lalafell-and-more-detailed

News::Ve3TRO: Splinter Cell Blacklist Multi-Player Preview

@ve3tro: "One of the ares that Ubisoft decided to focus on promoting the upcoming Splinter Cell Blacklist is the multi-player. Its no surprise given how popular it is amongst fans of video-games like it. If anything, Spies vs Mercs is a mode that certainly brings back memories of attempts at online gaming in older Splinter titles."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1332007/ve3tro-splinter-cell-blacklist-multi-player-preview

News::Aerospace engineers explore the future of space exploration in sandbox title Hadron's Forge

"Previously associated with an entirely different industry, the two members of Arcane Logic have access to a world and background that should help make for a fresh sandbox title. Michael Beerman spoke with us on the project's origins and what they'll bring to both it and the genre at large."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1332000/aerospace-engineers-explore-the-future-of-space-exploration-in-sandbox-title-hadrons-forge

News::Review: 'Dishonored: The Brigmore Witches' DLC - where your choices make you (Examiner)

Tanya Valdez writes: Bringing Daud back into the action, The Brigmore Witches is the second and last story-based add on content for Dishonored. Arkane Studios and Bethesda bring closure to the original narrative The Knife of Dunwall and balance out the chaos that had begun with Daud's journey as an assassin.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1332024/review-dishonored-the-brigmore-witches-dlc-where-your-choices-make-you-examiner

News::Rayman Legends takes on Kill Bill with 'Gloo Gloo'


Every time I see another one of these musical levels from Rayman Legends, I curse the fact that the game isn't coming out until early next month. Here's what happens when The 5.6.7.8.'s "Woo Hoo" gets introduced to the world of Rayman. Good things. Good things happen.


This one may not be face-melting in the way Castle Rock was, but it's another fitting song choice for the quirky series. How utterly delightful.


Rayman Legends takes on Kill Bill with 'Gloo Gloo' screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/rayman-legends-takes-on-kill-bill-with-gloo-gloo--259944.phtml

News::Forget voice talent, Mike Bithell is Volume’s real star


When Mike Bithell showed me his then-untitled second project at July’s Develop In Brighton conference, I told him that the press will just end up calling it ‘Metal Gear meets Minecraft’.


Bithell is happy to indulge those comparisons. “I gave up and started feeding the Metal Gear Solid-Minecraft thing [to the press]… I thought it’d be best to get it out the way,” he tells me today.


It might be a little reductive, but that shorthand is still relevant. Volume, as it’s now known, is a stealth game which also gives the player the chance to build their own stages and share them. Bithell has not only already shown it to plenty of the games press, but also Sony’s president of Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida. It went well. Don’t be surprised to find Volume appearing on a Sony platform first, though Bithell can’t officially comment on his release plans for the game right now.


Volume is clearly very different to Thomas Was Alone in terms of its genre and that player-creation aspect, but in its combination of abstract aesthetic and a real, ‘human’ narrative, it still shares some of its component parts. Just as Danny Wallace’s voice acting helped bring Thomas Was Alone to a broader audience, Volume will play host to some well-known voice talent, too. “I’m really excited about the cast,” says Bithell. “I’m still putting them together, but there are some great voices lined up.”


That cast, plus more detail on Volume’s themes and plot, will be revealed by Bithell at October’s GameCity event; they will be integrated into the game whether the player tackles the game’s predefined stages or opts to take on the user-generated challenges. Players will also, through the game’s creation tools, be able to define their own plotlines.


“The game tells its environmental story through story nodes, floating icons which put up text when you pass through them,” explains Bithell. “I’ll tell an initial story through these, but the hope is that players will remix and rejig these as they want, to tell their own stories in the world… I really want to facilitate that kind of storytelling for players. If you create your own story stuff, you can then share that with anyone who wants it. Hey, maybe your version will become the definitive version!”



Bithell has enlisted what he calls “a team of gods” to create this second, more complex game. David Housden, composer of Thomas Was Alone’s soundtrack, returns to write the score for Volume, meanwhile four experienced industry names have joined Bithell to create Volume’s concept, character and environmental art. “I’m really lucky in that thanks to my career up to this point I’ve encountered some massively talented people, it was a lot of fun bringing them in to join me on this project,” says Bithell. “Dave [Housden] and Daz [Watford] both worked on Thomas, with Daz defining the colour scheme for that game. Kris [Hammes] is a very cool character artist who’s credits go from triple-A games to Simon Roth’s Maia. Wayne [Peter], the lead environment artist, is a veteran of industry, with work going back past the PS2, he’s the massively talented, super fast rock who’s brought this world together.”


Volume has a bigger team and is part of a very different genre, but Bithell is still handling much of the game’s development himself. He describes making Volume as a natural evolution of his skills. “Volume is built in the same engine as Unity, and there was really a sense when putting it together of consolidating that knowledge and experience I’d built up to make something special,” he tells me. “Though Thomas looks 2D, it is to all intents and purposes a 3D game viewed from a 2D camera, so making that leap to 3D wasn’t too scary tech-wise. Design wise, it introduced a lot of fun challenges.”


Bithell’s talents don’t stop at creating games; since Thomas Was Alone was released he has steadily built a profile in both the press and throughout game development as an honest, enthusiastic creator, be it through Twitter or on panels at trade shows. Volume might have been introduced today as Metal Gear meets Minecraft, but if its creator’s star continues to rise, it’ll be known simply as ‘Mike Bithell’s second game’ when it is released in 2014.


The post Forget voice talent, Mike Bithell is Volume’s real star appeared first on Edge Online.






via Edge Online http://www.edge-online.com/news/forget-voice-talent-mike-bithell-is-destined-to-be-volumes-real-star/

News::Watch Dogs Gameplay Series Part 1 - "Hacking is Your Weapon"

Discover the innovative hacking features of Watch_Dogs with the 1st video of Watch_Dogs Gameplay Series.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1331972/watch-dogs-gameplay-series-part-1-hacking-is-your-weapon

News::Becoming Powerful in Watch Dogs

IGN:We've seen a lot of Watch Dogs already - a lot of it. First revealed at E3 2012, Ubisoft's 'next big thing' has captured the attention of many gamers, but at this point it seems as though we've all seen what we need to know. We just want to play it now.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1331993/becoming-powerful-in-watch-dogs

News::Europa Universalis IV Review | IncGamers

IncGamers' Peter Parrish finds Paradox's flagship grand strategy series to be just as in-depth, but more welcoming than ever before. It's delicious power-politics on a global stage, circa 1450-1800.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1332006/europa-universalis-iv-review-incgamers

News::Dishonored The Brigmore Witches DLC Review | The Controller Online

Scott from The Controller Online writes: "Dishonoreds final DLC, and the conclusion of the games alternate story, is here and were ready to deal with the consequences of Dauds decisions. The Brigmore Witches aims to bring Dauds story to a close in style by taking you through new sections of Dunwall that are unlike any youve seen to this point. Can Dauds story come together and rival that of Corvos tale, or will it fade into the darkness like a Whaler after a job? Lets find out."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1331906/dishonored-the-brigmore-witches-dlc-review-the-controller-online

News::See 72 of Starbound's worlds in this new teaser


We're almost two-thirds through the year and we still don't have a solid release window for the highly anticipated open-galaxy game Starbound , aside from "2013." Imagine my face if it were to release on December 31st.


Still, the team is continuing to provide daily updates on the Starbound development blog, and a post from a few days ago features an impressive video showing off some of the different environments that players may encounter. Personally, I'm curious if there is going to be some sort of narrative explanation behind a planet that is apparently lined with gigantic human brains. Were they always there? Did we put them there because we're pretty pleased with ourselves? Do they serve as evidence that humans descended from extraterrestrial ancestors? Or did the background artist just think a planet of brains would look cool? (I really hope it's not the latter.)


Starbound trailer teases environmental diversity, trees growing eyeballs [PC Gamer]


See 72 of Starbound's worlds in this new teaser screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/see-72-of-starbound-s-worlds-in-this-new-teaser-259940.phtml

News::Review - Thunder Wolves | TerminalGamer

TG writes: Thunder Wolves is ready to take for take off on the PlayStation Network. We jumped in our chopper, flew back in time to the 90s and shot the hell out of everything that moved. The question is: Is the game ready for you and your friends to do the same?



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1331978/review-thunder-wolves-terminalgamer

News::Myrdosch expansion embroils Drakensang in dwarven chaos

Drakensang's Myrdosch expansion introduces new monsters, a big bad boss, new level cap and much more.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1331895/myrdosch-expansion-embroils-drakensang-in-dwarven-chaos

News::Splinter Cell: Blacklist - Spies vs Mercs mini site now launched

A new mini website specifically for Splinter Cell Blacklist Spies vs. Mercs is now live. Play mini games, unlock a suit in the main game.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1331863/splinter-cell-blacklist-spies-vs-mercs-mini-site-now-launched

News::DuckTales: Remastered - Moon Postcard Trailer

The Moon Postcard Trailer of DuckTales: Remastered.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1331934/ducktales-remastered-moon-postcard-trailer

News::New Monster Hunter Online Artwork Shows the Xiaofeng Valley

Tencent Games just released a new batch of lovely artwork of the upcoming Monster Hunter Online, that is currently being beta tested on PC in China.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1331981/new-monster-hunter-online-artwork-shows-the-xiaofeng-valley

News::Preview: Another Castle | Boss Dungeon

Boss Dungeon's Tobiichi Karlsson plays the alpha build of Another Castle by Uncade and describes her experience, positive and negative in this preview. A lot of praise go to the level-generator.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1331956/preview-another-castle-boss-dungeon

News::DuckTales: Remastered Launches on PC, PlayStation 3 and Wii U

Capcom Europe has today launched the highly anticipated DuckTales: Remastered on PC, available to download now via digital distribution services. Also set to launch on PlayStation 3 and Wii U this week, DuckTales: Remastered will arrive on Xbox 360 next month.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1331952/ducktales-remastered-launches-on-pc-playstation-3-and-wii-u

News::Pennypop defines audience and influences for MMO-style mobile offering

"Tomorrow marks Battle Camp's arrival on iOS devices, but according to what Pennypop told BeefJack, this is merely the beginning for what the team hopes to be a 'multi-year, evergreen franchise.'"



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1331892/pennypop-defines-audience-and-influences-for-mmo-style-mobile-offering

News::DuckTales Remastered Review: Retro Remastering At It's Best | StickTwiddlers

DuckTales Remastered is retro remastering at it's best, featuring beautifully drawn and animated 2D sprites and fantastic voice acting.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1331918/ducktales-remastered-review-retro-remastering-at-its-best-sticktwiddlers

News::Clockwork Tales: Of Glass and Ink - Review | AACG

Clockwork Tales: Of Glass and Ink is definitely a game worth playing especially if you like beautiful environment, good story and steampunk theme. It might not be the developer's best work but it is still one of the tops when compared to many other games in the genre.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1331709/clockwork-tales-of-glass-and-ink-review-aacg

News::Guild Wars 2: The Queens Speech Update Details and Screens | Entertainment Buddha

The next update for Guild Wars 2 is scheduled to go live on August 20, 2013, and its called The Queens Speech. Head on down below for the full list of changes coming with The Queens Speech update, as well as a few new screenshots depicting the new content.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1331874/guild-wars-2-the-queens-speech-update-details-and-screens-entertainment-buddha

News::Eurogamer - Dishonored: The Brigmore Witches Review

EG:This is no hastily prepared footnote to the Dishonored myth. The Brigmore Witches is not only as textured as the game upon which it builds, with lavish scenery and elaborate set designs that communicate a weighty sense of place. But it's also as layered, with smart, meaningful tweaks and additions to your interactive toolset, and multiple branching routes to your objectives. There are curious, idiosyncratic side missions that run concurrently to your main quest (in one, you must recreate Granny Rags' wedding by bringing a bride, a groom and a ring to fashion a diorama). And, in contrast to the main Dishonored storyline, at last there's a clear, frightening and powerful antagonist. Larger and more intricate than The Knife of Dunwall, The Brigmore Witches emerges as one of the finest examples of how to not only expand a blockbuster video game, but also of how to enrich and deepen one.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1331945/eurogamer-dishonored-the-brigmore-witches-review

News::Race the Sun will drop on August 19th


Back at PAX East, I had a chance to play a diamond in the rough called Race the Sun , that I described as a mix between Tiny Wings and Star Fox. It's basically an endless-type flight game, but with the added twist of extra modes, and a relay based multiplayer mode.


If you want to get in on the action, developer Flippfly is offering up pre-orders on their site. You can also check out their Steam Greenlight page.


Race the Sun will drop on August 19th screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/race-the-sun-will-drop-on-august-19th-259935.phtml

News::Never mind the Bollocks Heres The Charlie Murder Review | Laser Lemming

Laser Lemming Writes "Charlie Murder, the new 4 player co op brawler from Ska Studios is the most authentic punk game Ive ever played. Many games have claimed to be punk, sure maybe theres a Mohawk on the main character or theyve licensed a couple of tracks from punk bands. In short its usually used as a by line for being edgy or alternative in some way but, 9 times out of 10, these so called punk games are anything but. While many games claim to be punk, Charlie Murder simply is, and does it with all the swagger and humour of Never Mind the Bollocks Heres the Sex Pistols."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1331665/never-mind-the-bollocks-heres-the-charlie-murder-review-laser-lemming

News::Magrunner: Dark Pulse Review - Go Go Gadget Magnets | Pixels for Breakfast

Pixels for Breakfast writes: Im torn on Magrunner. On the one hand, Im a huge Portal fan and Frogwares puzzler certainly taps into that series rather well. But on the other, this isnt a typical 1st person puzzle solver either. In fact, it channels a more old-school action shooter at times than what I was expecting. In truth, its like if Valve decided to finally combine the Portal and Half-Life worlds into one big adventure.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1331593/magrunner-dark-pulse-review-go-go-gadget-magnets-pixels-for-breakfast

News::Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Store Ad Trailer is a Fantastic 13 Minute Romp Through Eorzea

Square Enix just released a treat for all those waiting impatiently for the beginning of the Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn open beta on the 17th (the 16th for those that tested in the close beta): the trailer used on the screens of Japanese stores to advertise the game.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1331929/final-fantasy-xiv-a-realm-reborn-store-ad-trailer-is-a-fantastic-13-minute-romp-through-eorzea

News::Wii U Version of Project Phoenix Not Being Considered, Huge announcement about DRM Incoming

The Kickstarter campaign for the upcoming indie JRPG Project Phoenix is speeding towards the first stretch goal, having just surpassed the $250,000 mark at the moment of this writing, and more information is filtering through the grapevine.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1331912/wii-u-version-of-project-phoenix-not-being-considered-huge-announcement-about-drm-incoming

News::Guacamelee! Gold Edition Review | Analog Addiction

After an impressive debut on PlayStation 3 and the Vita, DrinkBox Studios has released a PC version of the beautifully created platformer Guacamelee! in the form of the Gold Edition. This package includes the same features as the original Playstation version, but a few pieces of additional content. This adds to an already amazing platformer experience with new levels, new costumes and the ability to create your own custom skins.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1331916/guacamelee-gold-edition-review-analog-addiction

News::Fresh off the announcement of his new stealth game Volume, Thomas Was Alone creator Mike Bithell ans

News::Indie dev Derek Yu saw one of his games praised and one criticized in a recent feminist critique of

News::Here’s what’s going on Talk Among Yourselves, our reader-written blog: Datacide explains why Microso

News::Thomas Was Alone Creator's Next Game Looks Like Wicked, Stealthy Fun

News::How Epic’s buyout freed People Can Fly to bring straight-up shooters into the 21st century


People Can Fly’s Bulletstorm was a critical success, but considered a commercial failure.



When Epic’s majority share in People Can Fly became a full acquisition in August 2012, the studio gained floor space, lost key developers and needed a new manager. The departure of founder and co-owner Adrian Chmielarz left space at the top of the Warsaw-based studio, and the position was filled in the most egalitarian manner.


“I’ve never been through anything like that,” says general manager Sebastian Wojciechowski, the man who filled the post. “There were five different stages, including an interview by the entire company. I met all the people here before joining them. They actually voted on who would join them, which is absolutely fantastic.”


The former technology and radio executive brought no game industry expertise to People Can Fly but was given the seal of approval from a team that, even 11 years after the studio opened, still retains more than a dozen developers that worked on its first game, Painkiller. Wojciechowski’s arrival signalled a period of expansion for the studio, with work on Gears Of War: Judgment continuing as walls were demolished, new floors were laid and surfaces were coated in fresh paint. The transformation was a transition from independent developer to Epic’s own Polish studio – the climax of a process that had begun five years earlier.


In 2006, work on unannounced 360/PS3 survival horror title Come Midnight ended with the game’s cancellation by publisher THQ, and People Can Fly was forced to return to its roots, but with new lessons taken from its abandoned project informing development on the next game.


“Every single thing we work on makes us better,” lead level designer Wojciech Madry says. “Come Midnight taught us how to make games like Gears Of War – thirdperson shooters and so on. Come Midnight was the moment we built the studio we’re in today. It was half this space, but it was the moment we went from garage production like ‘Hey, Joe, can you make this?’ to ‘OK, John, please tell your team to…’ The scale [changed]. We are very proud of every single project we’ve made, whether it’s seen the light of day or not.”



“There’s still a lot of pride in [that project] even though it never saw the light of day,” American ex-pat art director Waylon Brinck says. “There are Come Midnight posters up around the office. One guy has a Come Midnight ringtone on his cellphone. Even though it didn’t ship, the guys are really proud of it.”


Facing “some issues” with the proprietary engine used for Painkiller and in search of a new project, the studio approached Epic with its own Unreal Engine 3 demo. “We fell back to how we thought of Painkiller,” Madry says. “We made a short demo [to show what we could do] and when Epic saw it, they were like, ‘We want those guys to work for us’. At first we couldn’t believe that the Epic wanted to work with us, but we started talking and everyone here fell in love with Gears 1.” People Can Fly’s PC port of Gears Of War shipped in November 2007, adding back in a level cut from the original 360 version. Months earlier, in August, Epic had bought a majority share in the studio, effectively guaranteeing its future stability but permanently changing the studio’s sense of self. “We were this Polish studio and we had to adapt,” Madry says. “We were part of a bigger family. We evolved quite a lot and learned quite a lot and there were a lot of changes. But they were more related to the environment culture and not the games, because games were something we did in a similar way [from the start] – quality over all else.”


Working with Epic’s North Carolina studio offered new opportunities for the team, too. “At Epic everyone has creative input,” Madry says. “It’s like everyone is encouraged to be creative, to bring something to the table. Painkiller was more one person telling everyone ‘You do this, you do that’, and it’s been great to actually create something and not just do something.


This was the most shocking thing for me and it’s been the greatest experience ever since. There’s nothing so inspiring as people who are so boldly into what they’re doing that they just don’t stop; they’re working to make every inch better because it’s theirs – their creation – and they’re allowed to push this.”



Bulletstorm, “a loud, obnoxious, ultraviolent shooter.”



People Can Fly assisted North Carolina on Gears Of War 2, but the studio’s next game was undeniably its own. Bulletstorm was a loud, obnoxious, ultraviolent shooter designed with laser precision by a team that understood how to get the maximum possible value from the simplest design. Painkiller was among the first shooters to place such an emphasis on physics, and seven years later that emphasis found its natural conclusion. Bulletstorm’s Havok physics would be the key to making the most of every kill – launching enemies onto spikes, detonating entire crowds with flying hotdog carts, bouncing soldiers into the maws of carnivorous plants – and rewarding players with constant spectacle backed up by a fruit-machine cascade of points and kill-themed awards. It was a critical success but sold just under a million copies; for publisher EA, it was a commercial failure.


“I think that any time you’ve done your best and read the critical excitement but it doesn’t translate into financial success, you feel that maybe there’s something you could have done differently,” Madry says. “But that was the most successful new IP that year! The problem is, like with the movie industry, the most money is made by [sequels]. In the end we did everything we could to make a great game, a game that we would want to play, and there’s nothing we were ashamed of or wanted to change. We did everything we could.”


Bulletstorm demonstrated the creative smarts and technical mastery of People Can Fly’s team. Few studios are able to get so much value from Unreal 3, and the Polish team’s work with the engine arguably bettered Epic’s own Gears of War 3, released seven months after Bulletstorm in September 2011. People Can Fly was entrusted with Gears Of War: Judgment, where many of Bulletstorm’s design decisions were vindicated, albeit within the confines of a more bankable commercial success. The initial game design, shaped by creative director Adrian Chmielarz, took Bulletstorm’s score-attack philosophy and forced it upon Gears Of War’s cover-shooter template – in a way that felt so natural that previous Gears games now feel empty without it – but Judgment would have to be completed without Chmielarz’s direction. In August 2012 Epic completed its acquisition of the studio and Chmielarz departed to form The Astronauts with animator Michal Kosieradzki and artist Andrzej Poznanski.


“Adrian was by far the most visible, identifiable [member of the team],” Madry says. “But I can assure you we still have 60 very talented veterans that enjoy working here. This is part of the industry: people moving on, having strong creative visions, trying to create new things, and not necessarily [working] with all the people [they were with] before. I don’t think that we were devastated or anything like that, it’s just a part of how this works.”



“I think all our craziest ideas actually made it in!” Gears Of War: Judgment.



Gears Of War: Judgment was produced in close collaboration with Epic’s North Carolina studio. There would be daily communication via videoconferencing, art duties would be divided between east and west, and the studio was given Gears Of War 3 as a base from which Gears Of War: Judgment would begin. “We were able to start prototyping on day one,” Brinck says. “Our new Overrun Mode was up and running within the first week or two. It was great to build on it, but as it was a side story it was also our chance to bring some of our own ideas for the gameplay and the setting. I think all our craziest ideas actually made it in! We kind of wanted to beat Epic at its own game; make a better Gears game than even Epic had made.”


“We are truly 21st-century companies,” Wojciechowski says. “We’re using means of communication that allow us to collaborate on daily basis even though we’ve got this timezone difference. And it actually sometimes helps because we can share resources and work almost around the clock. There are different [kinds of] investors in strategy – some are just taking care of their dividend rates at the end of the fiscal year, but we’re in touch every day and they’re not only taking care of [finance] but also whether the people here feel comfortable and whether we have enough resources to be efficient and creative.”


Gears Of War: Judgment sold more on one platform than Bulletstorm had on three, but with just over one million copies sold it still underperformed for Microsoft. In the same month, Sony struggled to match God Of War 3’s numbers with God Of War: Ascension, bringing to an end two series that served as landmarks for the generation – technical showpieces on both sides. It’s hard to blame People Can Fly for the modesty of Bulletstorm’s and Judgment’s success: both games challenged the status quo of their genre and pushed UE3 to its limits. The studio has yet to announce its first post-Chmielarz game, and whether the studio will continue to successfully layer classic score-driven gameplay onto modern templates in the face of consumer apathy is uncertain – but for now People Can Fly remains, resolutely, People Can Fly.


“It’s like the younger-older brother [relationship],” Madry says, when asked if he thinks of the studio as Epic Warsaw. “We’re the crazy ones, they’re the experienced ones, and there’s this friendly back and forth. I think I’d always call us People Can Fly, but if we’re the younger brother, the family name would be Epic.”


“That’s a very good explanation. We are the younger brother in this Epic family,” Wojciechowski says.


Brinck laughs. “The younger, more handsome brother,” he concludes.


The post How Epic’s buyout freed People Can Fly to bring straight-up shooters into the 21st century appeared first on Edge Online.






via Edge Online http://www.edge-online.com/features/how-epics-buyout-freed-people-can-fly-to-bring-straight-up-shooters-into-the-21st-century/

News::A Look at Difficulty and Accessibility in MMOs

A lot of developers have started boasting that they're making their MMORPGs more difficult. But there's a fine line between "difficult and fun" and "boring and tedious." Here are some methods developers could employ to aim their MMOs for the former while still being accessible to new players.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1331817/a-look-at-difficulty-and-accessibility-in-mmos

News::Payday 2 Review | High Score Reviews

The idea of the game is simple: you have a criminal goal to complete such as robbing a bank or doing a jewellery shop over, and you have to try not to get caught. Whether you want to scope the place out, and do it all nice and quietly, or go in guns blazing is up to you; just dont let the cops get ya!



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1331742/payday-2-review-high-score-reviews

News::Mini Motor Racing EVO Review | ComboCaster

From the moment you start the first race will start noticing the problems this game. Not one of those games that hide their faults in the hope that no one note at first glance. Mini Motor Racing EVO comes the bad player, curves showing the trick and you end up with the car crash into the hidden corners or shot out off the track because the turbo used what looked like a straight line. But there is something strangely compelling when you can master the game controls. There are so many nuances peculiar compared to other games in the genre to give this game a little mystical. For example, if you get hit on almost everything, or scrape the side of the car in a curve the car can lose enough speed until almost stopped. This forces us to play Mini Motor Racing EVO deserves better than this, but when we can do a perfect lap we feel like you've beaten a real boss.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1331866/mini-motor-racing-evo-review-combocaster

News::SWTOR Tauntaun Mount: A Guide on How You Can Obtain Yours

If youre one of the many SWTOR players that have anticipated the arrival of Tauntaun mounts, get ready to celebrate because your wait is over. Theyre finally here! BioWave added Tauntaun mounts to the 2.3 update, so you can now travel through the galaxy on one of these incredible animals instead of a vehicle. It gives the game a completely new feel and youre sure to enjoy the change.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1331755/swtor-tauntaun-mount-a-guide-on-how-you-can-obtain-yours

News::Study: StarCraft Gamers Have Improved Cognitive Flexibility

Good news for StarCraft gamers: your hobby is good for your brain.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1331865/study-starcraft-gamers-have-improved-cognitive-flexibility

News::New Saints Row IV Developer Diary Shows How you Can Go Crazy With Superpowers

The addition of superpowers in Saints Row IV changes the way the game is played quite radically. They actually made an appearance in Saints Row: The Third, but it was mostly an easter egg. Today Volition released a new developer diary showing just that.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1331847/new-saints-row-iv-developer-diary-shows-how-you-can-go-crazy-with-superpowers

News::Iceberg Interactive Will Publish 4X PC Game Star Lords

NoobFeed gets news from Iceberg Interactive. The publisher has signed their next game in line to continue their support of 4X PC titles. The indie project Star Lords will arrive at the end of the year.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1331857/iceberg-interactive-will-publish-4x-pc-game-star-lords

News::Surgeon Simulator 2013: the happy viral accident

Surgeon Simulator 2013 developer Bossa Studios tells VG247s Dave Cook why it never banked on the mad surgery romp being a viral success. Also, what was that Half-Life 3 rumour about?



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1331870/surgeon-simulator-2013-the-happy-viral-accident

News::Reus Review | ComboCaster

Reus is simply beautiful, with a 2D graphics at high resolutions can be the most beautiful 2D games currently on Steam. If all 2D games escalate so did not mind not return to play a game in 3D. The world is presented a vision of a world sidescroll circular, a kind of mini-planet cut in half and some gods to populate the surface. These gods represent the ocean, forest, marsh and mountain views and are the most important aspect of the game, both in terms of how to call the attention for detail and good animation but also because they are absolutely connected to life and terraforming the planet.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1331887/reus-review-combocaster

News::Call of Duty Ghosts: COD InfographicBy The Numbers

Gameranx: "Activision has sent along a rather large infographic depicting the success of the Call of Duty franchiseby the numbers."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1331893/call-of-duty-ghosts-cod-infographic-by-the-numbers

News::Europa Universalis IV Launches Worldwide

Gameranx: "Paradox Interactive and Paradox Development Studio have announced the official worldwide launch of the empire-building game Europa Universalis IV for Windows, Mac, and Linux."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1331876/europa-universalis-iv-launches-worldwide

News::Top 5 Hottest Upcoming Games of 2013

2013 is going to be The Year of Gaming, we have already seen launch of some great games such as "The Last of Us, BioShock Infinite" and others and this trend isn't going to stop mid-way. Agree that during the second half of 2013 we all will be talking about Sony, Microsoft, Xbox One, PS4 and future of video-game industry, but we should not forget that some great games will arrive at the same time and need much more attention. Here are the list of top five hottest upcoming games schedule to arrive in second half of 2013.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1331815/top-5-hottest-upcoming-games-of-2013

News::VGU | Logitech G19s Keyboard Review

Check out what VGU thought of the Logitech G19s keyboard.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1331832/vgu-logitech-g19s-keyboard-review

News::This fan made Super Metroid animation is amazing


If there's one Nintendo franchise that I could never get tired of, it's Metroid. Although the series is fairly popular (especially if you include Metroid Prime in the equation), there actually haven't been a whole lot of games created for it, so I'm always left wanting for more.


This brief, but amazing animation by artist Dave Rapoza does the series justice, capturing a short moment in the hectic life of Samus Aran. According to the artist, everything was done in Photoshop, and the drawings were just edited together to make a movie clip. Well done!


This fan made Super Metroid animation is amazing screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/this-fan-made-super-metroid-animation-is-amazing-259933.phtml

News::Dishonored: The Brigmore Witches Launch Trailer

Bethesda announced that Dishonored: The Brigmore Witches, the final add-on pack for Arkane Studios' critically-acclaimed first-person action game, is now available worldwide via Xbox Live and Steam. The content will also be available on PlayStation Store later today in North America, tomorrow in Europe.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1331867/dishonored-the-brigmore-witches-launch-trailer

News::Dishonored: The Brigmore Witches DLC Review: Crafting a Richer Dunwall | Gameranx

Gameranx: "Story DLC is good. Story DLC that puts you in the shoes of someone other than the main player character is better. "



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1331880/dishonored-the-brigmore-witches-dlc-review-crafting-a-richer-dunwall-gameranx