Friday, December 13, 2013

News::Inspirational S***: Inspired Insights from Gamings Greats

Socialist Dictator, Joseph Stalin once said; The problem with quotes on the internet is you never know if they are genuine. He probably had a point, there is a lot of misinformation on the internet, but theres also a lot of inspirational stuff too, and often in the most unlikely of places. You might not realise it but the world of gaming is full of deep and insightful minds. Although you wouldnt think it to look at some of them, like Silent Bob at the end of every Kevin Smith movie, theyre capable of saying some pretty inspirational Shit!



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1411923/inspirational-s-inspired-insights-from-gamings-greats

News::Forbes: For Game Industry, Nvidia's G-Sync Technology Is Truly Next-Gen

Forbes contributing author, Jason Evangelho writes, "After extensive hands-on time with Nvidias upcoming G-Sync enabled monitors, this much is certain: These will accomplish much more than pleasing PC gamers theyll mark the beginning of a decisive win for Nvidia in the desktop GPU space."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1411883/forbes-for-game-industry-nvidias-g-sync-technology-is-truly-next-gen

News::SteamOS Hardware Requirements Reveal What Kind Of Computer Will Run SteamOS In Your Living Room

GR - Looking to build a stream box? Here's what you need. Valve posted the FAQ for SteamOS and revealed the operating system's hardware requirements, in addition to a wealth of other details about how SteamOS works on your computer, what it'll do for you now, and what to expect later as development continues.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1412194/steamos-hardware-requirements-reveal-what-kind-of-computer-will-run-steamos-in-your-living-room

News::Dota 2s Wraith-Night gets an update, matchmaking tweaks

Valve pushes out a Dota 2 update for this whole Wraith-Night affair. Matchmaking tweaks and re-balancing of Shadow/Shining Fragments included.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1412273/dota-2-s-wraith-night-gets-an-update-matchmaking-tweaks

News::Let's Play Minecraft - Episode 81 - Geoff's House Part 1

The AH crew get together and build Geoff's House in this week's Let's Play Minecraft.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1412166/lets-play-minecraft-episode-81-geoffs-house-part-1

News::Warm up with remix album Mario Kart: Bonus Beach

Are you suffering from one of the winter storms that recently hit, burying your home in feet of snow? If so, this won't technically help you, but it may remind you of some of the classic beach tunes from past games in the Mario Kart series.


Remixed by Benjamin Briggs, the three tracks here are available on BandCamp for however much you want to pay, even if that means you just want to grab the songs for free. You can give them a listen below, and if you like what you hear and are feeling generous, you're welcome to toss a donation Ben's way.



Ben Briggs presents Mario Kart: Bonus Beach [GameChops]


Warm up with remix album Mario Kart: Bonus Beach screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/warm-up-with-remix-album-mario-kart-bonus-beach-267478.phtml

News::Minecraft sells 10 million on Xbox 360, plus a DLC sale

Damn. 10 million copies of Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition have been sold to date. I'd say the person responsible for initiating the deal that would eventually lead to this version coming about deserves a raise, or a pat on the back -- or something! -- but such a milestone speaks for itself.


If you came for the discounted DLC and not to hear about Mojang's continued success with everything Minecraft, here goes: the promotion is only good for Saturday, December 14. Skin Packs 1-5, Battle & Beasts Skin Pack 1 and 2, Festive Skin Pack, Plastic Texture Pack, Natural Texture Pack, and Fantasy Texture Pack are half price. In other words, everything but those comparatively much more interesting mashup packs are being discounted.


That's a Lot of Blocks: Minecraft Creeps Past Ten Million on Xbox 360 [Major Nelson]


Minecraft sells 10 million on Xbox 360, plus a DLC sale screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/minecraft-sells-10-million-on-xbox-360-plus-a-dlc-sale-267474.phtml

News::Mod DB Is Hunting For The Best Mod Of 2013

Every year Mod DB holds a vote for the Top 100 mods of the year. That has come and past, but now comes the task of selecting the best mod of 2013 period. And to do so, they've come back to asking you, the gamer.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1412230/mod-db-is-hunting-for-the-best-mod-of-2013

News::Unpopular Opinion: I Disliked Star Wars Battlefront

Justin at Pixel Gate writes: ''Im a huge Star Wars fan, but I feel like Im in the minority of people or even the only person who never really enjoyed playing the Battlefront series. I can understand the appeal to the games, and even bought Battlefront II again on Steam (previously owned on the original Xbox) to see if maybe the game felt better on PC, or even felt better than I remembered but sadly I was still let down by the end product, and still couldnt play the game for more than an hour or two.''



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1412204/unpopular-opinion-i-disliked-star-wars-battlefront

News::Forza 5 unlikely to get night racing or weather

Speaking to IGN about the possibility of Forza Motorsport 5 getting night racing or weather effects, creative director Dan Greenawalt emphasized the amount of work that would need to go into such additions to the game. "When we do things, we do it all the way," he said. "That means physics, that means changing conditions, that means everything. So that is not the sort of thing that is easily undertaken in a patch."


Continuing, he explains that "To build a new track that would work at night and in wet would mean a bespoke track ... If we wanted to make one of those tracks work with the added particles or projected shadows, and of course adding the physics to do something like night and wet, it means re-engaging those tracks. I’m not trying to give an excuse, I’m trying to give context as to why this is an order of magnitude higher than something like Drag and Tag, and other things we're looking at from the community."


The creative director did note "it's fair that people ask for the features they want, and we're here to make fans happy," but, don't count on this stuff winding up in Forza 5. "It's not where we chose to put out investment," he said. "We chose to be 1080p and 60 frames per-second, and have that solid performance."


Forza 5: Night Racing and Weather is 'Not a Minor Thing' to Add [IGN]


Forza 5 unlikely to get night racing or weather screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/forza-5-unlikely-to-get-night-racing-or-weather-267467.phtml

News::SteamOS Has Just Been Released

DSOGaming writes: "Great news everyone as Valve's SteamOS has just been released."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1412195/steamos-has-just-been-released

News::First Details of Firefly Online Emerge

TechRaptor - The all new Firefly Online, which was announced at San Diego Comic Con, has gotten some details. Browncoats, as Firefly fans are called, have been wanting some sort of Firefly news for a very long time, and may have finally gotten a way back into the world of the show. With a Firefly-themed spin being put on many standard MMO features, this game is one that everyone should keep their eye on!



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1412200/first-details-of-firefly-online-emerge

News::The Ys buyers guide

[In honor of the newest Ys game's release, I thought it appropriate to promote JoyfulSanity's wonderful series buyers guide. Want to see your own blog appear on our front page? Go write something! --Mr Andy Dixon]


I've been seeing a lot of people ask "what the heck is Ys" recently. As an avid fan who can hopefully take a step back and look at these games from a newcomer's perspective, I hope to answer the most common questions while offering my insight into what these games are like and whether they'll be a good match for you. I've also included Metacritic links so you can check out what other critics are saying about these games, but as usual with Metacritic, I'd recommend taking the scores with a grain of salt and looking at the actual words in the reviews.


Having said that, if you're lazy and/or don't feel like reading my in depth analysis, then here's my TL;DR:


Buy them all! Except maybe Chronicles.


The Ys buyers guide screenshot


Read more...



via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/the-ys-buyers-guide-266590.phtml

News::Final Fantasy XIV Patch 2.1 Will Be Like Buying a New Game, Can Take 300 Hours to Play Everything

The 2.1 patch coming on the 17th to Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn will be a veritable monster, with multiple new dungeons, housing, PvP and much more. But just how much time will it take us to consume all that juicy content? Quite a lot, if we believe what Director and Producer Naoki Yoshida said today.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1412169/final-fantasy-xiv-patch-2-1-will-be-like-buying-a-new-game-can-take-300-hours-to-play-everything

News::Insanity's Blade is kicking it old-school NES-style

Causal Bit Games is keeping the 8-bit traditions alive with pixelated graphics, tunes that could play through the 2A03 with a VRC-6-enabled cart, and a sharp difficulty curve in its upcoming project, Insanity's Blade. Causal Bit Games has put up a Windows-only demo through their Kickstarter campaign for those looking to try their hand at the game. It's also up for voting on Steam Greenlight. Insanity's Blade is scheduled to appear on Windows, Mac and Linux in April 2014. If the stretch goal is reached the game will be ported to other platforms. http://indiegames.com/2013/12/beat_em-up_insanitys_blade_is_.html



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1412062/insanitys-blade-is-kicking-it-old-school-nes-style

News::Game of the Year 2013 Awards

The site as a whole has voted for their game of the year, however, every year this writer posts his personal list that is more in depth. Examiner writers could not agree on one title, so it was a tie between The Last of Us and Grand Theft Auto 5. The writer's list breaks down different genres and platforms. The writers at the site also voted for the game of this generation, and it sent to Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, which was the writer's choice.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1411771/game-of-the-year-2013-awards

News::Dragon Age: Inquisition potential early release, trailer and more discussed

Game Director Mike Laidlaw has answered a few more fan questions about his upcoming cross-generation video game, Dragon Age: Inquisition.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1411599/dragon-age-inquisition-potential-early-release-trailer-and-more-discussed

News::New trailer overviews this month's Pokémon Bank


It'll be a wonderful day when Game Freak's application for storing Pokémon online, Pokémon Bank, is finally available. Thankfully, the wait isn't too much longer -- the launch of the Bank and the Poké Transporter is set for December 27, 2013 in North America and Europe.


Players who download from the eShop and activate them before January 31 will have a free 30-day trial; otherwise, there's an annual charge of $4.99. With these apps, it's possible to move your Pokémon from Pokémon Black/White and Black 2/White 2 into Pokémon X/Y. I'll be able to get my beloved Feraligatr at last! I'm sure we all have a favorite that's unobtainable right now.


Be sure to follow that first link, as it's got detailed information about the Bank. For instance, it's possible to earn either Poké Miles or Battle Points; entire boxes can be transferred; and there's a short window of time after a Bank trial ends where you'll still be able to withdraw.


New trailer overviews this month's Pokémon Bank screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/new-trailer-overviews-this-month-s-pok-mon-bank-267471.phtml

News::Thanks For Killing All Of The Animals, Mobile Gamers

News::8BitMMO Now Available on Steam Through Early Access

Chris Chu from Capsule Computers writes: 8BitMMO, a retro-style 2D MMO game is now available on Steam for Early Access gameplay. The game developed by Archive Entertainment mixes in RPG elements with an open sandbox mode of gameplay, leading to a very interesting experience for gamers of all categories. Players are given the chance to build their own houses or castles, start a city, fight LawyerCats and Hipsters, and lots of other unique features.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1412152/8bitmmo-now-available-on-steam-through-early-access

News::Microsoft To Bring Beloved Franchise to PC with New Game, Cloud Will Be Central to the Experience

Microsoft Game Studios are working to bringing a "beloved franchise" to Windows 8, as specified by a career opportunity ad.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1412155/microsoft-to-bring-beloved-franchise-to-pc-with-new-game-cloud-will-be-central-to-the-experience

News::Game of the year 2013

Gamesradar : As we inch ever closer to 2014, December's light release schedule provides a perfect opportunity to reflect on all the great games that came out this year. And holy hell was 2013 an incredible year for releases, ranging from heavy hitters like BioShock Infinite and The Last of Us to peripheral surprises such as Tomb Raider and Guacamelee. Yep, 2013 will no doubt go down in history as one of the best years in gaming.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1412149/game-of-the-year-2013

News::Hearthstone Beta Preview: Pay-To-Win Maybe, But Not Pay-To-Enjoy | Gaming Blend

Gaming Blend writes: "I'm terrible at Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft. I summon my Shattered Sun Clerics after the minion they were supposed to buff. I cast Hellfire after summoning my minions. I'm regularly thrashed by any player who has any clue what they're doing."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1411592/hearthstone-beta-preview-pay-to-win-maybe-but-not-pay-to-enjoy-gaming-blend

News::Nevertales: The Beauty Within Walkthrough

"Rely on our Nevertales: The Beauty Within Walkthrough to bail you out of a tight situation as you search for clues to help you reveal who the tiny baby left on your doorstep belongs to. Trust our detailed point-by-point instructions, our custom marked screenshots, and our easy puzzle solutions to help you explore the daunting mansion and distant lands found through the magic portals as you search for the truth of how you and this little child's destinies are intertwined." - CGG



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1412128/nevertales-the-beauty-within-walkthrough

News::Campgrounds: The Endorus Expedition Walkthrough

"Consult our Campgrounds: The Endorus Expedition Walkthrough when your frustration begins to get the best of you and you can't seem to hit that gold-star time. Use our full video solutions paired with crystal clear step-by-step instructions for each and every level in order to help Addie retrace the steps of an ancient civilization and achieve your coveted expert times." - CGG



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1412092/campgrounds-the-endorus-expedition-walkthrough

News::Saints Row IV: How the Saints Save Christmas DLC Review | WGTC

WGTC wrote: Christmas is almost upon us, and the video game industry hasnt forgotten that fact. This means that, like its peers in the film, television, advertising, food and retail industries, its collective members have attempted to show their holiday spirit while aiming for festive profits. In the past, this has been accomplished through Santa costumes for various games, plus the odd holiday-themed add-on, while this years most prominent tie-in comes to us via How the Saints Save Christmas, a campaign expansion for Saints Row IV. The noted pack is full of Christmas hilarity, and is said to be the games final, story-based release, but it must be noted that it unfortunately continues its series trend of releasing short and (arguably) over-priced content packs.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1412086/saints-row-iv-how-the-saints-save-christmas-dlc-review-wgtc

News::Christmas Stories: A Christmas Carol Walkthrough

"Take a peek at our Christmas Stories: A Christmas Carol Walkthrough when you're feeling a bit lost on a crisp, snowy evening as you traipse through your Uncle Scrooge's life in an attempt to save him from his miserable self. Make good use of our detailed, step-by-step instructions, our beautiful, custom marked screenshots, and our comprehensive puzzle solutions to overcome the obstacles you'll encounter in this magical hidden object adventure game." - CGG



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1412097/christmas-stories-a-christmas-carol-walkthrough

News::Battlefield 4: Overview of Shotguns

Want to blow enemies away at close range in Battlefield 4 without using a SMG or assault rifle? You may want to take a crack at a shotgun, then. Read through an in-depth analysis of each and every shotgun available in BF4 including weapon stats, recommended attachments, unlock requirements, and more.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1412058/battlefield-4-overview-of-shotguns

News::NVIDIA: Innovating the World of eSports @GamerFitNation

GamerFitNation - Tamika Moultrie visits the Hammerstein Ballroom to interview James Grunke and Andrew Coonrad from NVIDIA about their new G-Sync monitor technology.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1412034/nvidia-innovating-the-world-of-esports-agamerfitnation

News::Could It Be Possible That Blizzard Is Making a Shooter Based on WoW Universe?

Yesterday, Blizzard game director Michael Booth posted a new recruitment for his team on personal twitter: "My team is looking for a Lead Producer to help us create Blizzard's next awesome game", with a link to Blizzard official recruitment. Before joining Blizzard Entertainment on May 2013 as game director of a new game team, Mike Booth was the CEO of Turtle Rock studio, who developed the popular FPS game Counter-Strike and zombie survival shooter Left 4 Dead. He shared credits as one of Counter-Strike programmers and leaded the project of Left 4 Dead. In addition, this team is also looking for 3D Weapons Artist and the description for the job requests that the candidate should have "experience working with a diverse range of equipment, vehicles, and mechanical characters."...



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1411329/could-it-be-possible-that-blizzard-is-making-a-shooter-based-on-wow-universe

News::Turn 10 wants to turn around fan perception of Forza 5

Dale dug Forza 5 , but the Xbox One launch title has been met with the most varied reviews in franchise history. However, creative director Dan Greenawalt, in an interview with Eurogamer, said he is "not really driven by Metascore." Rather, he cites concern over negative player perception of how the game handles things like microtransactions. Its economy has already come under scrutiny and is seeing changes.


"The biggest experiment was the acceleration - but that wasn't meant to be a paywall. The grind was not designed to be arduous, but I understand people perceiving it that way and that's why we're making the patch to change the grind," Greenawalt said. "We're changing it because that's how people perceived it, and perception is reality."


Responding to criticism of the track list and relative size of the game, Greenawalt noted that the fastest track rebuild took the team nine months. "It was sad when I saw people's responses that this game seemed small to them. ... I was looking at how much work it took to make the tracks we made and all the cars we made, and the level of fidelity and immersion in the cockpit view, the physics. I wasn't looking at it relative to Forza 4, I was looking at it relative to every other racing game that's been launched alongside a console."


Greenawalt also explained that things like microtransactions were in-studio ideas, not a Microsoft mandate from on high and claimed the team, having been built around a two year cycle, couldn't have used an extra 12 months development time to avoid console launch pressure. The latter seems wacky, given that they didn't even have time to press completed discs.


Fixing Forza 5: How Turn 10 wants to win fans back [Eurogamer]


Turn 10 wants to turn around fan perception of Forza 5 screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/turn-10-wants-to-turn-around-fan-perception-of-forza-5-267424.phtml

News::Rumor Alert - First Screenshots From Alien: Isolation

DSOGaming writes: "So, a couple of minutes ago, one of our readers one we trust as he has informed us in the past about various leaks sent us the following images, claiming to be from Creative Assemblys upcoming Alien game called Alien: Isolation. Enjoy!"



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1411660/rumor-alert-first-screenshots-from-alien-isolation

News::MirrorMoon EP Review | Z-Giochi

MirrorMoon EP is a game about mystery and exploration set in outer space. These space travels begin on a red planet and its unique moon and extend across galaxies.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1411248/mirrormoon-ep-review-z-giochi

News::World of Darkness Suffers Layoffs

Fans of the upcoming story-based MMORPG game, World of Darkness, may have to wait a little longer than planned to sample the dark MMO as the developers announce a surprise round of layoffs at CCP Games-Atlanta.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1411265/world-of-darkness-suffers-layoffs

News::WildStar Beta: Character Creation

Character creation peek for WildStar!



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1411278/wildstar-beta-character-creation

News::WildStar Preview | Den of Geek

There's a lot of hype surrounding Carbine Studios' upcoming MMO, WildStar. Here is a preview of the first 15 levels, as well as Den of Geek's thoughts on the title.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1411283/wildstar-preview-den-of-geek

News::Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DONT KNOW Review | post it gamer

Didamia from post it gamer states "Ultimately, Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DONT KNOW displays a surprising lack of imagination, particularly for a title developed by WayForward. While not without each characters charm, it manages to lack the joy and entertainment of its source material. Who wants to play video games? I do, as long as its not this game."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1411318/adventure-time-explore-the-dungeon-because-i-dont-know-review-post-it-gamer