Sunday, October 13, 2013

News::CRYENGINE has potential - New indoor scenes blur the line between reality and video-games

DSOGaming: "Well, get ready for some extra CRYENGINE treatment as modder Paravach has presented an amazing indoor scene from a new map. Believe it or not, this is rendered via CRYENGINE, though we don't know if it's actually playable with current gen systems."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372788/cryengine-has-potential-new-indoor-scenes-blur-the-line-between-reality-and-video-games

News::GameZone's 31 Games of Halloween 2013: Blackwell series

GameZone: "The Blackwell series of games is based entirely around the supernatural, with its main characters having the ability to act as portals between the worlds of the living and the dead. The series, which spans four titles, isn't exactly terrifying, but it does do a great job of telling an interesting story about the living, the deceased, and the ghosts in between."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372599/gamezones-31-games-of-halloween-2013-blackwell-series

News::Bot Colony: The AI sim that's 11 years in the making

Just over a decade ago, Eugene Joseph had a vision. The North Side CEO wanted to see a simulation with AI so clever and in-depth, that it would be able to fully understand spoken English, and respond intelligently.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372590/bot-colony-the-ai-sim-thats-11-years-in-the-making

News::NYCC 2013: New Batman: Arkham Origins Villain Announced

AllThatsEpic: While there will be many villains seeking Batmans demise, a new enemy has been revealed today at the New York Comic-Con, and many of you will be pleased to know that it is the Electrocutioner



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372714/nycc-2013-new-batman-arkham-origins-villain-announced

News::Best Buy Weekly Deals for October 13: Halo 4 $10, Diablo III $50 More

"The latest deals from retailer Best Buy for October 13 to October 19 are shown as below"



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372729/best-buy-weekly-deals-for-october-13-halo-4-10-diablo-iii-50-more

News::SCS Is Working On Euro Truck Simulator 2 Multiplayer Update , It's Name Is "World Of Trucks"

SCS announced that they are working on a multiplayer update for Euro Truck Simulator 2. According to SCS the update is currently in deep testing. "Shortly after the next patch we intend to release yet another game update, which is currently in deep testing. This update will enable some new features in the game, slightly extending its functionality."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372552/scs-is-working-on---euro-truck-simulator-2-multiplayer-update-its-name-is-world-of-trucks

News::State-of-the-art Games Express

Do you have any confusion about what games should you play or anticipate when you are facing massive introductions? At this weekend 2P sifts the five most majestic new MMORPGs that feature state-of-the-art graphics and a detailed art style for massive players. Without further ado and take a look at the list.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372404/state-of-the-art-games-express

News::PSA: Battlefield 4 beta stats do not carry over to full game

Stats and unlocks will reset after the beta, despite EA's previous announcement that players will be able to carry over their stats and unlocks to the full game.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372900/psa-battlefield-4-beta-stats-do-not-carry-over-to-full-game

News::Batman Arkham Origins: Sixth Assassin Revealed at NYCC

The sixth Assassin of Batman: Arkham Origins has been revealed by Warner Bros at on-going gaming event New York Comic Con 2013.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372732/batman-arkham-origins-sixth-assassin-revealed-at-nycc

News::F1 2013 Review: solid, but not stellar - Worlds Factory

Check out our F1 2013 review. This time, Codemasters lets you play with classic drivers and cars as well!



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372899/f1-2013-review-solid-but-not-stellar-worlds-factory

News::3 quality indie games that are completely free

There has been an astounding amount of indie support in the recent years coming largely from Steam, but the independent scene has grown to new heights and now there are more great games widely available completely for free.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372736/3-quality-indie-games-that-are-completely-free

News::Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Review: Rise From Your Grave I TheKoalition

Gary Swaby of TheKoalition writes: June 2009 - Square Enix announced Final Fantasy XIV for Playstation 3 and PC and surprised us all. Most of the shock was in fact confusion, as many thought it would be a fully fledged Final Fantasy adventure, until they revealed it was an online venture. Regardless, this was still something to be excited about. Final Fantasy XI was praised as a quality MMO title.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372884/final-fantasy-xiv-a-realm-reborn-review-rise-from-your-grave-i-thekoalition

News::Shadow Warrior Game Review | GeekedOutNation

You play as Lo Wang, The same hero you play from the 1997 title, and is still the same old sword swinging, gun wielding bad-ass agent. In a nutshell, The story is about you getting into some trouble and now its your task to fight and shoot your way out of it. Honestly, I didnt really enjoy the story that much since it was just like every other action game. Voice acting in the game in general is pretty decent although there are some instances where they feel very stiff and unnatural but all in all, the dialogue was enjoyable, throwing cheesy puns and corny jokes combined with the stereotypical Asian english accent. All this works well with the tone of the game in creating that sarcastic, bad-ass feel to the game which is a big part of it.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372877/shadow-warrior-game-review-geekedoutnation

News::The Long Dark Hits Goal

Chaz at Twinfinite writes: Hinterland Studios announced that their post-disaster first-persons survival sim The Long Dark has hit its $200,000 goal on Kickstarter. Set in the northern wilderness, The Long Dark promises a difficult survival situation in already-harsh conditions, made harsher by global disaster.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372874/the-long-dark-hits-goal

News::Interview with Firas Assaad from Kuwait, the man behind Octopus City Blues

Kickstarter has been an increasingly viable tool when it comes to promoting indie developers. Dreams, ideas, and skill are put to the test to show the world something new and exciting. Octopus City Blues happens to be one of those projects that just really stand out. It's visual style and classic point and click adventure mechanics has managed to more than enough interest to pass the Kickstarter goal (and then some). The more interesting part that it's made right here in the Middle East, or to be more specific, Kuwait. I was lucky enough to have a QA session with Firas Assaad, the man behind the project.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372738/interview-with-firas-assaad-from-kuwait-the-man-behind-octopus-city-blues

News::New Characters, Costumes, and Mac Client Coming Soon for Marvel Heroes

This weekend at New York Comic-Con, Gazillion Entertainment was on-hand at the Marvel Video Games panel providing updates on the continuing development of their June 4th, 2013 title, Marvel Heroes. As the game continues to expand its roster, several new characters and costumes were announced to be on the way to the game in the coming weeks, in addition to more X-Men content and the eventual release of the Mac client.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372851/new-characters-costumes-and-mac-client-coming-soon-for-marvel-heroes

News::SteamOS: What does this mean to an average gamer

This past few weeks Valve, the creators of the worlds most popular digital software and gaming distribution service, Steam, announced that next year they plan on releasing SteamOS, their own operating system designed to run on compatible machines and bring everyone's favorite Steam content right to the living room. Now the most important question here is; what does this mean to the average gamer?



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372766/steamos-what-does-this-mean-to-an-average-gamer

News::WRC 4 Vita gameplay - Australia and Portugal

VVV: "Again, it's encouraging to see WRC 4 has been uncompromised in its handheld Vita port this time round, featuring all the cars, stages and in-depth career mode found in the console game. As well as being one of the most graphically advanced driving games to date on the Vita, it should also prove to be one of the most challenging. "



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372855/wrc-4-vita-gameplay-australia-and-portugal

News::Spec Ops the Line Review (esoteric-anomaly)

Captain Martin Walker arrive at Dubai with his squad on what should be a recon mission, what unfolds drags you through the hellish sandstorm stricken ruins along a path that pushes the players sense of morality to a whole new level. The Esoteric Anomaly reviews this action packed third person shooter that has more to it's design than meets the eye. Please enjoy!



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372860/spec-ops-the-line-review-esoteric-anomaly

News::Yaiba and Mighty No. 9 collaboration revealed

Producer/Team NINJA leader Yosuke Hayashi and concept lead/Comcept CEO Keiji Inafune have revealed in a video that Yaiba and Mighty No.9 will be collaborating for something special.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372174/yaiba-and-mighty-no-9-collaboration-revealed

News::Kromaia Preview [Capsule Computers]

Jamie Laike Tsui of Capsule Computers writes: "Kromaia is Kraken Empires upcoming arcade shooter. The game is a throwback to the old style arcade shooters with scores of enemies being hurled at the player and unlimited ammunition. The game has won awards at Freeplay 2011 and HóPLAY 2010. Kraken Empire is seeking funding to complete the single player campaign through IndieGoGo. Currently, the Score Attack mini-game is available to play for those donating $10 USD or more to the campaign."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372713/kromaia-preview-capsule-computers

News::Pixelvolt - Soundodger+ Review

Originally a free, browser based game (Soundodger), its success has lead to the game being re-released on Steam. So aside from the + in the title and the $7.99 price tag, what has changed in this new version? Several new tracks, controller support, an incredibly detailed level editor, and the ability to auto-generate levels using any music you own. It all combines to make Soundodger+ an incredibly versatile and exciting bullet hell shooter.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372770/pixelvolt-soundodger-review

News::Cosmic Star Heroine finally reaches its Kickstarter funding goal

Cosmic Star Heroine is a upcoming Science Fiction/Spy RPG from developer Zeboyd Games. It had a funding goal of 100k and it seems to have surpassed it now.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372813/cosmic-star-heroine-finally-reaches-its-kickstarter-funding-goal

News::Battlefield 4 Beta Bug Turns Siege of Shanghai Into An Underwater City

DSOGaming writes: "Our reader Ghost Rider LSOV shared with us a hilarious bug from Battlefield 4s beta that turned the Siege of Shanghai map into an underwater city."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372682/battlefield-4-beta-bug-turns-siege-of-shanghai-into-an-underwater-city

News::'Next Car Game' Dev on PS4's RAM Latency Issues And Next Gen Development Costs

"We recently had a chance to speak to Bugbear Entertainment producer Joonas Laakso, who is currently working on Next Car Game (the developer's credits also include the famous FlatOut series)."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372816/next-car-game-dev-on-ps4s-ram-latency-issues-and-next-gen-development-costs

News::5 NPCs that May Be More Famous than the Game Itself

New MMOs of different qualities emerge in large numbers nowadays. Some of them die within less than one month, while some immediately become popular and some become classic. 2P.COM is going to talk about the NPCs that impress players in some classic MMOs which stand out from the rest. Some well-know NPCs are even more famous than the game itself. They may be a main protagonist or a boss.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372753/5-npcs-that-may-be-more-famous-than-the-game-itself

News::Batman: Arkham Origins Lock-Ins at Game

Batman: Arkham Origins is available to play before its initial release at selected Game stores. Find out the full details here.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372771/batman-arkham-origins-lock-ins-at-game

News::Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Gets New Database Portal, Halloween Event

With server transfers coming in just two days, the development team of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn isnt standing idle, and new features and events are being implemented.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372785/final-fantasy-xiv-a-realm-reborn-gets-new-database-portal-halloween-event

News::In Halloween, You Can Run, But You Can't Hide

Bloody Disgusting writes "If youre really jonesing for a slasher fix, today they released a brand new horror game based on the Halloween films. Set in 1978, the night Michael Myers was set loose upon poor, unsuspecting Jamie Lee Curtis, this is the perfect game to prepare for Halloween."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372677/in-halloween-you-can-run-but-you-cant-hide

News::LEGO: Marvel Super Heroes Preview | GamingLives

GamingLives takes a look at the upcoming hero-fest from the Marvel stable. "Its clear from the offset that the developers are massive fans of the universe, and with nothing being considered out of bounds, whether it was from the comics, films or ill-fated cartoons, its absolutely packed with nods, winks and obscure trivia for true believers old and new."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372739/lego-marvel-super-heroes-preview-gaminglives

News::Star Citizen: Introducing The 2944 Aurora

A brand new and impressive trailer of Star Citizen show us the 2944 model year Aurora. Check out the amazing CRYENGINE footage below!



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372755/star-citizen-introducing-the-2944-aurora

News::Weekly Digital: Put on your dancing shoes

"While most of the crew here is busy covering and enjoying New York Comic Con, some of us are at home, watching the days get shorter, the leaves falling off the trees and the nights getting colder. But enough of the poetic stuff, were here to talk about digital games. Some may want to do a little dance with the release of Just Dance 2014. The game has 48 tracks to choose from, including hits like 99 Luftballons and Gentleman. If you want to steal the rhythm and treasure instead, Rhythm Thief & the Emperors Treasure also happens to be available digitally on 3DS." - Allain Richard



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372636/weekly-digital-put-on-your-dancing-shoes

News::MMO Essentials: Dynamic Events

In a new article form MMO-play's blog series "MMO Essentials", the site asks how important are Dynamic Events to the MMO genre.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372665/mmo-essentials-dynamic-events

News::Thief Dev Says Melee System "Not Good On Purpose"

During an NYCC panel today Thief's lead level designer Dan Winfeld Schmidt said the melee was "not good on purpose" to discourage fans from ignoring stealth.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372698/thief-dev-says-melee-system-not-good-on-purpose

News::EB Games Expo: The Crew Impressions | AnalogAddiction

Analog Addiction writes, "Ubisoft is entering the next-generation race with its open world racer, The Crew. I had a chance to play The Crew at the EB Games Expo and left with optimism for the game. While it was not running on next-generation consoles, it was running on a PC so you can expect the experience to be similar on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4"



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372743/eb-games-expo-the-crew-impressions-analogaddiction

News::How Neverending Nightmares Aims for More Than Cheap Scares

Bloody Disgusting recently sat down with Matt Gilgenbach, the sole designer on the upcoming psychological horror game Neverending Nightmares, about what he'd like to accomplish with his next game.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372675/how-neverending-nightmares-aims-for-more-than-cheap-scares

News::The Amazing Spider-Man 2 videogame Teaser Trailer

Activision has announced that Beenox is working on The Amazing Spider-Man 2 videogame, which will accompany the titular movie next year. The third-person action game will feature an open-world free-roaming Manhattan, along with a reputation system rewarding players for effectively fighting crime, though allowing crime to flourish unchecked will also have consequences.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372746/the-amazing-spider-man-2-videogame-teaser-trailer

News::Let's Play - Episode 72 - Galacticraft Part 1

Geoff, Ryan, Michael, Gavin, Jack, and Ray attempt to go to the moon in this week's Let's Play Minecraft.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372651/lets-play-episode-72-galacticraft-part-1

News::Retrospective: Animal Crossing


Many people will tell you that Animal Crossing is a game about nothing. They’ll tell you that, although you’re continually busy, running here and there in your little town, you don’t do anything of substance. Don’t believe them. Animal Crossing may be a study in mundanity – of catching fish, running errands, collecting furniture – but it’s also a study in complexity.


Just think about how alive your town feels. How it reacts to seasons, how nuanced the townsfolk seem, how much there is to do at any time. Every individual element of Animal Crossing is perfectly simple. But the delicate interplays between them mean that, as a whole, each town has a tangible intricacy that few gameworlds have ever matched.


Consider your fellow townsfolk. Each one is composed of one of just a few different personality types – the jock boy, the stuck-up girl, the lazy boy, the sweet girl. But each character’s limited set of interests and phrases achieves a remarkable level of individualism when it’s fused with one with the many species Animal Crossing’s ecosystem supports.


A certain appearance, a set of clothes, each character’s preset interior layout, and where its house is in the town, whether by the sea, set apart from others, or who the neighbours are – all these meld together to create deep bonds between clockwork animal and player. Any Animal Crossing aficionado will tell you about the characters that they love, laugh with and despise.



One of the main characters is Tom Nook. This fussy and status-anxious raccoon owns the town shop, and, because he’s lent you the money for your house and its subsequent (and compulsory) extensions, he owns your soul, too. Much as Animal Crossing’s little society might seem egalitarian, with its citizens cheerfully exchanging presents and offering quaint games and friendly words, the player’s relationship with Nook exposes the game as a wry comment on consumer culture. To pay off that mortgage and get the largest house in which to fit your collections of furniture and knickknacks you need to earn money. Growing exotic fruit and fishing are the order of the day, all to fuel Nook’s imposed and monopolistic economy.


That the pleasure of finally completing a set of furniture is quickly dispelled with dissatisfaction is a kind of comedy. The Cabana set quickly looks boring – how about going out on a limb and attempting to get the Mario-themed one instead? Nook, ever aware of restless, base human nature, fuels it with his enticing daily rollout of random goods to buy, which necessitates daily visits to see what’s new. As your house fills with the clutter of half-finished collections it becomes apparent how easy it is to fall into the trap of futilely attempting to appease shallow desire.


With the town tied to the actual calendar, players experience the same slow drip-feed of environmental change that they do in real life. Natural events like the first fall of snow, or the coming of spring, which features cherry blossoms falling between April 5 and April 7, incrementally transform the town during the year. It unfurls with such engaging and graphic simplicity that Animal Crossing can actually focus new attention on the world outside of the screen.



Its gentle simulation of the real world extends to marking big festivals, too. Christmas in the Animal Crossing town includes a reindeer giving out free, festively themed furniture, while New Year features a countdown and fireworks visible in the town pond. There is something strangely magical about hearing the digital pops and squeals of Animal Crossing’s mini celebration coincide perfectly with the sounds outside of the window.


Animal Crossing has no real win situation – you can make the town ‘perfect’ by planting a specific density of trees, weeding carefully and tidying rubbish, but retaining this state requires constant maintenance. You can collect all the fish, insects and fossils for the town museum. You can earn enough money to pay off the house and its extensions, and earn yourself a gleaming statue of yourself next to the station. You can collect sets of the furniture and homeware you covet.


But these are hardly the point. These aims may provide impetus to keep playing from day to day, but at Animal Crossing’s heart is the low, slow reveal that is the rate at which new things happen in the town. It makes every change, no matter how small, cursory or superficial (and most are) seem all the more significant and precious.


Because, while Animal Crossing’s economy exposes something of our will to consume, this celebration of the mundane exposes something altogether prettier: a love of the simple life.


This article was first published in Edge Presents: The 100 Best Videogames in July 2007.


The post Retrospective: Animal Crossing appeared first on Edge Online.






via Edge Online http://www.edge-online.com/features/retrospective-animal-crossing/

News::The New, And Somewhat Dangerous, Path of Square Enix

Ian Fisher writes: The situation Square Enix has found itself in (some titles underpeforming, the Japanese teams struggling on the production side of things) has resulted in a changing of the guard of sorts. Besides Yoichi Wada stepping down and Yosuke Matsuda assuming the position of President, the company is also refocusing on how it approaches games development. Now this likely wont be a debacle akin to how THQ seemingly changed their company focus every few months before finally going kaput, but it is interesting nonetheless; not only for what sort of impact it could have on titles such as Sleeping Dogs and possibly Tomb Raider, but the industry wide repercussions it could have as well.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372243/the-new-and-somewhat-dangerous-path-of-square-enix

News::Rift Autumn Harvest Returns

The Rift official website has been updated today with news of the returning Autumn Harvest event that is scheduled to begin on October 17th. Its that time of year again and developers everywhere are trying to coax their players into spending the holidays inside their virtual worlds. Halloween events are rife but Rift Online actually gives players an event true to the game world.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372120/rift-autumn-harvest-returns

News::MOBA Games What More Can Be Done?

Currently one of the most popular MMORPG game genres on the planet. The MOBA niche exploded onto the scene thanks to the popularity of a Warcraft mod, Defense of the Ancients. Since that time we've seen a plethora of games burst onto the scene, but the majority attempt to replicate the recipe from past MOBA games; rather than bringing their own innovation and ideas to the market.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372046/moba-games-what-more-can-be-done

News::Why Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 isn't on next generation hardware

You're likely more than aware right now that plenty of the big name titles coming to Xbox 360 from this point - Watch Dogs, Battlefield 4, Assassins Creed 4 and Call of Duty Ghosts to name a few - are launching on both the older Xbox 360 and the shiny new Xbox One consoles. The sequel to Castlevania: Lords of Shadow however is one example of a game bucking that trend.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372584/why-castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-isnt-on-next-generation-hardware

News::SCS Is Working On An American Truck Simulator

SCS has announced they are working on a simulator called American Truck Simulator. According to SCS an apha version will be released in a couple of months and will feature only canada. The final game will be set in Canada , USA and Mexico. They have already registered www.americantrucksimulator.com



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372441/scs-is-working-on-an-american-truck-simulator

News::Star Citizen Breaks All Records - Surpasses $22 Million

DSOGaming writes: "Okay, there is nothing stopping this crowd-funding campaign for Star Citizen. Its campaign has already broken all fan funding records, something that should really excite Chris Roberts and his team. Therefore, we are happy to report today that Star Citizen's funding campaign has just surpassed $22 million."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372693/star-citizen-breaks-all-records-surpasses-22-million

News::Battlefield 4 Walkthrough | Ready to Play

The official most sought after resources you will find for Battlefield 4 walkthrough game play assistance are included on this Battlefield 4 walkthrough review.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372681/battlefield-4-walkthrough-ready-to-play

News::Frictional Wants SOMA To "Chill You To Your Core"

Frictionals creative director Thomas Grip recently shed a little more light on Frictional Games' goal for their upcoming horror game SOMA, which will come to the PC and PS4 in 2015.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372674/frictional-wants-soma-to-chill-you-to-your-core

News::Game Guys review - Montague's Mount

Proving that horror-genre games don't need gruesome zombies or bloodthirsty vampires to effectively convey scares, developer Mastertronic releases Montague's Mount: an atmospheric adventure set on a desolate Irish isle. Ripe with potential about a journey into the depths of a broken man's mind, this unrefined game is more molehill than mountain.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372720/game-guys-review-montagues-mount

News::Scribblenauts Unmasked: One Of The Best Crossovers Out There | Siliconera

Scribblenauts Unmasked, like any other crossover project, is tasked with appealing to multiple audiences. Is there overlap between fans of Scribblenauts and DC universe enthusiasts? Sure, of course. The latter group of people knows that this is a game for them.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372621/scribblenauts-unmasked-one-of-the-best-crossovers-out-there-siliconera

News::Joker, Deathstroke, Gordon and Batman feature in these HD Arkham Origins wallpapers

LGN: "As Batman: Arkham Origins continues to stealthily make its way towards its 25 October release date, we get a handful of new HD wallpapers depicting four key characters in the action game antagonists Joker and Deathstroke, ally Captain Gordon as well as the Caped Crusader himself."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1372554/joker-deathstroke-gordon-and-batman-feature-in-these-hd-arkham-origins-wallpapers