We need 4k, 8k, 16k, 32k, etc. The reason we need these is actually quite simple. Without them, GPU manufacturers such as Nvidia and ATI have no reason to develop high performance hardware that can support say 60fps at ultra settings at such resolutions. Why is that a big deal? Well, because the longer we wait for that tech to become available, the longer we have to wait to experience a truly immersive, indistinguishable from life, Virtual Reality environment. This will also effect the potential of Augmented Reality as we head into the future. Palmer Luckey, the original designer of the Oculus Rift, has stated that even 8k per eye won't be enough for VR. While that might sound ridiculous at first, consider this. If you are in virtual reality, everything may seem wonderful at first glance. However, pick up a book with a really small font, hold it away from your face and try to read it. Without an extremely dense screen, it would be practically impossible. Unfortunately, the pixel density required to achieve that kind of resolution on that size of screen is most likely impossible due to the laws of physics. However, there is already work being done on Virtual Retina Displays, which will basically take low powered lasers and essentially draw images directly onto the retina. Once these displays are available, their will no longer be a need to squeeze higher resolution into smaller screens. That said, the need for hardware capable of rendering the image at such resolutions will still be required.
Reality Check - Do we need 4K?
Written By Kom Limpulnam on Senin, 30 September 2013 | 23.25
Batman: Arkham Origins I Am the Knight and Initiation DLC detailed
Warner Bros. Games Montreal's upcoming Dark Knight adventure Batman: Arkham Origins will feature a permadeath difficulty mode, the studio has revealed, alongside new information about the game's prequel DLC set in Asia.
Speaking to Eurogamer, producer Guillaume Voghel revealed more about the one life and no saves I Am the Knight difficulty, which opens up after players complete the game and then its New Game Plus mode.
"The main narrative arc and side missions last about 12 hours," he said, "and then you have all the collectibles. To get 100 per cent of that will take much, much longer. We have a new difficulty level, New Game Plus is coming back--that's really difficult--and when you're done with that there's I Am The Night mode--which is no saves and one life."
Voghel also confirmed that the game's Initiation DLC will offer a single-player campaign set in Asia, with Bruce Wayne training to become Batman.
"You play as Bruce Wayne learning to be a ninja," said Voghel. "That's a really cool one. Narratively there's some added content that will give players a little more background story."
Initiation will be included in Batman: Arkham Origins' $19.99 season pass, along with four other pieces of downloadable content. Three DLC packs have been confirmed as skins, with the last pack yet to be confirmed. The game will also feature Knightfall DLC exclusive to the PlayStation 3.
Part of the Initiation DLC will feature Batman proving himself to his teacher, Kirigi, who also trained Ra's al Ghul's League of Assassins.
"[But] it's not League of Assassins, it's ninja-related," Voghel added. "It's when he learned to be a ninja and learned those techniques. He goes to a monastery--custom content was created for the DLC. You'll be in Asia in the monastery. The team did a great job on that, it looks really good."
Batman: Arkham Origins will be released for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, and Wii U on October 25.
Shadow of the Eternals on hold
Shadow of the Eternals, the spiritual successor to Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem on the GameCube, is on hold, developer Precursor Games has said.
Veterans from original Eternal Darkness, Too Human, and X-Men: Destiny developer Silicon Knights formed Precursor Games to work on the proposed survival horror title, including boss Denis Dyack, but the crowdfunding project failed to garner enough interest from the public.
"It is with a heavy heart that we have decided to put the Shadow of the Eternals project on hold," posted Dyack to the Precursor Games forum. "We are very happy with what we have accomplished both as a group and with the community. The community has blown us away and was the one thing that kept us going through it all--we cannot thank you enough.
"Many of us will be taking a break. For those who are not aware, we all worked on this project as a labour of love and self financed 100 percent of everything for a over a year to try to make Shadow of the Eternals a reality. Although we did not succeed on doing this, we succeeded in making many friends and starting something that we hope provided value for those involved."
"We have no regrets," added Dyack.
"Is the project dead? No, but we feel it needs a rest too," he concluded.
"We have all agreed as a group that when and if the time is right we will get together and start it up again. Keep your head high everyone and remember what we have accomplished together."
State of Decay (PC) - Now Playing
Written By Kom Limpulnam on Jumat, 27 September 2013 | 23.26
Actually you Can make that jump at the start if you get going fast enough. It takes a really long run-up however, and you have to make the two turns before it at full speed to make the jump.
Also, it IS entirely possible to play through the entire game as one character. You just have to be pretty good at dealing with zombies, and know where to collect coffee. Characters have a fatigue mechanic, but by finding and drinking coffee and energy drinks, they will reset your stamina bar so you can keep playing endlessly with just one character.
Also you could have easily taken that horde if you used your equipment properly. Once again, it is all about knowing how to approach various enemies and encounters. Once you have experience, you can play through the whole game with just one character.
Red 5 Studios removes PvP from Firefall, eSports staff no longer with company
Red 5 Studios has removed the PvP and eSports elements from it's free-to-play MMOFPS Firefall.
Red 5 Studios' CEO, Mark Kern, announced in a letter to the Firefall community earlier this month that the studio would be scrapping the current version of its PvP system in its free-to-play MMOFPS. The PvP system was reportedly only being utilized by 3% of the user base.
Kern penned, "we're going to regroup, rethink, and deliver the best PvP system we can that can be enjoyed by everyone. We don't have a timetable for this, but at some near future point we will shut off the PvP aspect of the game, which we feel does not represent Firefall at its best, and relaunch that part of the game when its ready. "
Kern's letter to the community included a remark on their decision to keep eSports in mind during the development process. He wrote, "We have gone through several iterations, and for some time, pursued the controversial e-Sports route. As many of you know, its not working very well."
That announcement, which preceded more announcements, appears to have been made on the heels of a lot of sudden decision making internally. Their tournament partners have not yet taken down their pages for Firefall competition.
The second to last news post on the ESL's Firefall portal says, "Go4Firefall will be taking a little break in September and will be back in October to accommodate the players and teams to catch up with the latest patches and PVP changes and also allow us here to implement some of the many feedback we received to allow a better experience for teams and players that will help grow Firefall PVP."
Turtle Entertainment's Electronics Sports League had been hosting "GO4Firefall" cups since April of this year, paying out €10,000 a month.
Within a week of Kern's letter to the community Red 5 Studios would circulate a press release noting that the studio was "being reorganized prior to the launch of Firefall." The press release would add that the majority of the layoffs, which totaled about 10 percent of its staff, would primarily be from Red 5's video entertainment channel Stage 5 TV.
One of the employees laid off was Morgan Romine, industry veteran and founder of the all girls eSports team the Frag Dolls. She was working as the eSports Director; this is not a position that Red 5 is planning to refill.
Red 5 had previously invited eSports personalities Scott "SirScoots" Smith and Sean "Day[9]" Plott to appear during a streaming marathon last July they called Firefall Fest. Smith and Plott played the game's competitive mode "Jet Ball" and hosted a Q-and-A with one of Red 5's developers.
We reached out to ESL for a comment shortly before publication, but due to the time difference between American and Europe they could not be reached. GameSpot eSports will update this story when they respond.
→ More coverage of ESPORTS on GameSpot.com
Microsoft shows prototype of cloud-powered streaming game service - Report
Microsoft may be following in the footsteps of Sony and developing its own cloud-gaming streaming service, if a new report proves accurate. Sources familiar with the matter told The Verge that Microsoft officials demonstrated a prototype of the technology during meetings this week.
Halo 4 was reportedly shown running on a Windows Phone and PC, streamed from the cloud. The Verge understands that the prototype runs "smoothly" on both devices and that Microsoft has been able to reduce latency on a Lumia 520 device to 45ms.
The prototype is part of a larger Microsoft initiative to stream games to Windows devices, The Verge reports. The demonstration this week reportedly included a Windows Phone with an Xbox controller attached through an unspecified accessory and a "low-end hybrid PC."
The Verge notes that the Microsoft's cloud-powered streaming technology has not been given an official name yet, as it is only a prototype. Sony's Gaikai-powered streaming technology will debut in 2014 for PlayStation 4, before rolling out for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita later.
"The Microsoft Company Meeting is a great place to demonstrate many exciting possibilities, but we don't have any specific plans to share at this time," a Microsoft representative told The Seattle Times.
Microsoft hinted at tapping into the power of the cloud for backwards compatibility on the Xbox One earlier this month.
"There are so many things that the servers can do. Using our Azure cloud servers, sometimes it's things like voice processing. It could be more complicated things like rendering full games like a Gaikai and delivering it to the box," senior Xbox director Albert Penello said at the time. "We just have to figure out how, over time, how much does that cost to deliver, how good is the experience."
→ More coverage of XBOXONE on GameSpot.com
Ford CEO top candidate to replace Ballmer at Microsoft - Report
Ford CEO Alan Mulally is a top candidate to replace outgoing Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer as the Xbox maker's top executive, The Wall Street Journal's AllThingsD reports.
Mulally denied that he was leaving the Detroit-based car company earlier this month, telling AllThingsD that, "I continue to be focused on serving Ford."
Sources with knowledge of the situation told the site that the 68-year-old Mulally was not warm to the idea of joining Microsoft at first, but has become more interested of late.
Mulally has been CEO of Ford for seven years. Prior to that, he served as CEO of Boeing Commercial Airlines in the Seattle area.
Shortly after Microsoft acquired Nokia for $7.2 billion, it was reported that CEO Stephen Elop would be a top contender for the Microsoft CEO job. However, sources told AllThingsD that there has been a "shift" in recent weeks away from Elop and towards Mulally.
Mulally and Microsoft have reportedly not yet entered "formal" contract negotiations, but discussions about the position are said to be "serious."
In August, Ballmer announced that he would retire in the next 12 months and will officially step down once his replacement is found.
Microsoft's board of directors has established a special committee to direct the selection process for Ballmer's successor. This committee is chaired by the board's lead independent director, John Thompson, as well as chairman of the board Bill Gates, among others.
The board is working with executive recruiting firm Heidrick & Struggles International Inc., and will consider both internal and external candidates, Microsoft said.
→ More coverage of XBOXONE on GameSpot.com
GTAV - Vehicle Mayhem
Written By Kom Limpulnam on Kamis, 26 September 2013 | 23.26
In this episode of GS News, we disucss GTA Online possibly adding microtransactions, The GTA V Soundtrack, Killzone Shadow Fall season pass, Microsoft clams they're 'winning the games message and Notch praises SteamOS.
Posted Sep 24, 2013 | 3:48 | 0 Views
Takedown: Red Sabre Review
Takedown: Red Sabre should be taken down from the Steam servers where it is currently being sold for $14.99. This alleged tactical shooter from developer Serellan is unfinished and broken, with playability problems everywhere you look. Idiotic enemy AI, hilariously busted rag-doll animations, crippled multiplayer, absurd single-player difficulty, and some bugs make the game nearly impossible to play, let alone enjoy.
At first glance, Takedown: Red Sabre seems to be a standard tactical shooter, complete with both solo missions against computer-controlled terrorists and various multiplayer modes where you can team up with buddies to take on foes. The game is being billed as a close-quarters shooter heavy on SWAT-style realism, where planning your moves is vital if you want to avoid getting one-shot killed by enemy tangos.
But you don't get what you expect. Takedown: Red Sabre is clearly incomplete. While the game does cover the bases pretty well when it comes to the sheer number of modes, maps, and weapons, nothing works as it should. Single-player is a joke. The five maps (plus two rudimentary training levels where you can practice shooting and simplistic tactical maneuvers, like opening doors and leaning to look around corners) and three modes of play--including a Mission option with campaign-like goals and multiplayer-style Tango Hunt and Bomb Disarm--should give you a lot of gameplay, but a host of problems constantly get in the way.
Enemies either shoot more erratically than Star Wars stormtroopers from close range or unerringly nail you in the head from such distances that you can't see them. They also possess either really thick skin or some resilient body armor, because you can hit them with three or four point-blank shots in the back or chest and still watch helplessly as they shoot you in the face. There is no assistance from your squadmates; they simply run along behind you most of the time. There is no way to issue orders to them, either. All they are there for is to provide ready bodies to take control of when you get blown away, and to yell out things like "Eyes on tango!" about enemy contact, since they have far better vision to spot foes than you do. That great eyesight doesn't make your buddies any good in combat, however; most of the time they just shout out that they've spotted an enemy and then stand still doing nothing until the enemy kills them.
Baddies also tend to forget that you're there just seconds after they spot you, although in the heat of engagements they are smart enough to seek cover most of the time, and even flank you on occasion. Still, they tend to ignore wild gunfights just feet away from their patrol routes. You can empty three or four SMG clips, echoing all over the middle of a huge factory, only to hear some enemy goon say, "What was that?" as if he'd overheard nothing more suspicious than a careless footstep. Foes are even laughable in death; atrocious rag-doll animations turn them into awkward piles of limbs or cause them to keel over in midair as though they're leaning against invisible walls.
Star Wars 1313 was to feature Boba Fett - Report
Additional information on now-defunct action-adventure game Star Wars: 1313 has surfaced.
The new details emerged on IGN following a source sharing a 15-minute demo of Star Wars 1313. The demo had been originally scheduled to debut at this year's E3, and featured protagonist Boba Fett.
In it, a young Boba Fett makes his way through Tattooine while serving Jabba the Hutt. Players would have controlled the character in earlier versions of his armour. Fett's armour would have changed as the story progressed, eventually becoming more familiar to Star Wars fans.
A mention of layer 1314 was also made, with Fett intended to battle his way through it in some parts in the game. Several never-before-seen concept art pieces were also revealed.
Disney acquired the Star Wars brand in October last year, and subsequently shut down LucasArts, putting an end to Star Wars 1313 and Star Wars: First Assault.
LucasArts was most recently known for its Star Wars games, but the studio was also responsible for praised adventure games, including The Secret of Monkey Island, Grim Fandango, and Maniac Mansion: Day of the Tentacle, among others.
PlayStation 4 UI shown off in new images
Written By Kom Limpulnam on Rabu, 25 September 2013 | 23.26
Sony releases batch of new images showing off PS4 user interface and PlayStation App.
Sony has released new images of the PlayStation 4 user interface and the PlayStation App, the next-generation console's free companion app for iOS and Android devices.
PlayStation community manager Chris Owen shared the images over Twitter last night. They show off the PS4 "Home" screen, as well as the "What's New" and "Profile" pages.
The PS4 UI images also give a look at the the "Video Edit" menu and "Messages" tab.
Lastly, the PlayStation App images show the interface for phones and tablets. Users will be able to receive notifications, game alerts, invitations, and messages through the free app.
The PS4 launches on November 15 in North America for $400.
→ More coverage of PS4 on GameSpot.com
Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He works out of the company's Boston office in Somerville, Mass., and loves extra chunky peanut butter.
Grand Theft Auto V sales "extremely front-loaded" says analyst
Grand Theft Auto V sales are expected to be "extremely front-loaded," according to Cowen & Company analyst Doug Creutz.
In a note to investors today, Creutz said GTAV will have a shorter sales tail due to "high gamer anticipation" and the launch of next-generation consoles in November.
The analyst is now modeling sales of 25 million units for GTAV in the game's first year. Based on the $1 billion three-day figure Take-Two announced last week, Creutz said the open-world game is likely to have already sold at least 15 million units.
Take-Two has not disclosed specific unit sales figures for GTAV, saying only that the game has generated over $1 billion in global retail revenue to date. The game achieved this milestone faster than Call of Duty: Black Ops II (15 days) and The Avengers (19 days).
By comparison, Grand Theft Auto IV has shipped 25 million copies since the game launched in April 2008.
Creutz also said in his note to investors today that GTA Online--due to launch on October 1--should offer "ample opportunities" for content packs and microtransactions over the next several years.
"Call of Duty generates several hundred million dollars per year in digital revenue, and we think GTA could do the same," Creutz said. "Success here would take significant pressure off of next year's as-of-yet undetermined title slate."
GTA Online is rumored to feature microtransactions, though Rockstar Games has not commented on this yet.
According to Robert W. Baird analyst Colin Sebastian, GTAV is likely to be released on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in 2014 to "extend the value of the franchise."
For more on GTAV, check out GameSpot's review.
Dan Houser on Bully sequel -- "I know I want to"
Rockstar Games cofounder Dan Houser is interested in making a sequel to 2006 action game Bully, telling Polygon in a new interview that he has numerous ideas for this potential game.
"I know I want to," Houser said about the potential for making a second Bully game. "Well, hopefully, you never know. There's a lot of directions I could go with that one, it's funny."
An idea some have suggested to Houser, he explained, is for Rockstar Games to make a future Grand Theft Auto game with a grown-up Bully protagonist Jimmy Hopkins as the lead. This probably won't happen, Houser said.
"I never saw him as being that level of degenerate," Houser said. "I saw him as a bad teen, because he comes from a tough home, who could go either direction. He's not going to be a carjacker. He's too white collar for that already. He's at a sh** private school, but he's going to end up being really happy because he's at the worst bit of his life, or being a sort of messed up white collar doofus."
"He was an unpleasant soul, but he had a heart. To some extent you could say the same was true of [Grand Theft Auto IV's] Niko in a bizarre way," he added. "But [Jimmy's] not trying to burn down the school, he's more trying to stand up to injustice."
Rockstar Games parent company Take-Two filed a new Bully trademark in July.
In November 2011, Houser explained that after the original Bully shipped, it was decided that Rockstar Vancouver--the lead developer behind Bully--would work on Max Payne 3 instead of a sequel to the open-world game.
"So we knew that we didn't want to start doing the Bully sequel instantly at that second with those guys--even though it is a property that, like [Max Payne], we adore and might come back to in the future," Houser said at the time. "There was just no impetus to do that then. So we said, 'You can do Max, and then we will see what we can do with Bully.'"
If the Bully franchise is to return, it could be one of the multiple next-generation games Take-Two currently has in development. In May, CEO Strauss Zelnick said, "We also have a extraordinary pipeline of titles in development for next-generation platforms, including groundbreaking new intellectual property and releases from our proven franchises."
Thief preorders unlock Bank Heist mission
Gamers who preorder 2014's Thief reboot will receive an "exclusive" Bank Heist mission, publisher Square Enix announced today.
The Bank Heist mission will task players with infiltrating the Stonemarket First Bank as they attempt to steal a family heirloom called the Star of Auldale.
"To this day, this heavily guarded and treacherous place remains impregnable, but that's about to change…," reads the mission's description.
The Bank Heist mission will reportedly put players' thieving skills "to the test," as they will need to outsmart security measures only found in the mission. Square Enix described the mission as a "true homage" to the Bank mission in Thief II: The Metal Age.
Thief will be released on February 25, 2014 for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC. A Wii U version is not in development.
For more on Thief, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.
→ More coverage of PS4 on GameSpot.com
FIFA 14 Screens
Written By Kom Limpulnam on Selasa, 24 September 2013 | 23.26
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Activision Blizzard files emergency appeal over decision blocking sale
Activision Blizzard and parent company Vivendi have filed an emergency appeal of last week's ruling that halted the game publisher's attempt to separate itself from Vivendi in an $8.2 billion deal, according to documents obtained by The Wall Street Journal.
"The injunction leaves Activision and its stockholders in limbo and at risk of losing an $8 billion deal that will return the company to public control," lawyers for Activision Blizzard said in papers filed with the Delaware Supreme Court.
The Delaware Chancery Court issued a preliminary injunction last week following multiple lawsuits from shareholders seeking to block the deal. The transaction will continue to be halted until its terms are modified on appeal or the transaction is approved by a shareholder vote of non-Vivendi stockholders.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Activision Blizzard told the court that there would be no way to get a shareholder vote before the October 15 termination on the agreement, putting the deal in danger. The Delaware Supreme Court has scheduled an October 10 hearing for Vivendi and Activision Blizzard's opposition to the ruling.
Last week, Activision Blizzard said it remained "committed to the transaction" and is exploring ways in which to get the deal done expeditiously.
In July this year, Activision Blizzard announced its intention to separate from its parent company, Vivendi. The purchase would see around 429 million shares change hands, totaling roughly $5.83 billion in cash.
Activision CEO Bobby Kotick and co-chairman Brian Kelly are responsible for the purchase of 172 million shares, worth an estimated $2.34 billion. The pair have personally contributed $100 million to secure the sale. As a result, Kelly would become sole chairman under the restructure, with Vivendi retaining a minority 12 percent stake in the business.
The deal was orchestrated by Activision Blizzard's management team and assisted by investors. The intended trade would result in shareholders owning a controlling stake in the business.
Earlier this month, shareholder Douglas M. Hayes stated in a lawsuit that the sale would "unjustly enrich Kelly, Kotick, and the other participants."
Guild Wars II Twilight Assault update revealed
ArenaNet today announced Twilight Assault, the newest content update for massively multiplayer online role-playing game Guild Wars II, launching on October 1.
The developer said the update "continues ArenaNet's commitment" to releasing new content for players every two weeks, a rate it claims is faster than any other Western competitor.
"In Twilight Assault, trouble is stirring in Twilight Arbor and rumors abound that Scarlet Briar, the devious leader of the Aetherblades, is behind the suspicious activity," reads a line from the content's description. "Players will join the sylvari hero Caithe in attempting to stop Scarlet's scheming, but it will take daring, wits, and weaponry to put an end to the mischief."
Twilight Assault also features a new level 80 path in Twilight Arbor where players can work together to find a way into a hidden facility where they will battle guards and monsters.
New rewards offered in the update include the Slickpack back item and new versions of the Nightmare weapons. In addition, players can collect Aether Key Pieces from across Tyria and combine all five to form a key that will open Aether Chests in Twilight Arbor.
Gamers can get an early look at Twilight Assault during a preview livestream with ArenaNet developers on Monday, September 30 at 12 noon PDT through Twitch.
Finally, ArenaNet also announced today that the next Guild Wars II free trial weekend will take place Friday, September 27 through Thursday, October 3.
Guild Wars II launched in August 2012 and has sold over 3.5 million copies to date. It is the fastest-selling Western MMO ever, according to data from research company DFC Intelligence. The game's playerbase is expected to grow substantially when it is released in China.
Random Encounter - GTA San Andreas
@cryingdevil63 Don't put too much weight on the name. It's his show and he picks the games. He's explained several times that it's more of a "plannedom" encounter in cases like this. It's not like he puts his hand in a bin of games.
He loves the game series and it makes perfect sense to look back on the past games in the series when a new blockbuster sequel is about to arrive, as was the case here.
UK Chart: GTA V becomes fastest selling game ever in UK
Written By Kom Limpulnam on Senin, 23 September 2013 | 23.26
Rockstar's critically acclaimed GTAV has stormed to the top of UK chart this week, becoming the fastest-selling game of all time in the region.
GTAV also becomes the overall 24th biggest selling title of all time in the UK, selling more in its launch week than all other GTA titles combined, and besting previous launch week record holder Call of Duty: Black Ops by almost a quarter of a million units.
On the individual platforms the game is even bigger, becoming the 11th biggest on Xbox 360 and 10th biggest on PlayStation 3 after just five days on sale. The split of sales between platforms is fairly even, with 57 percent on Xbox 360 and 43 percent on PS3.
Despite accounting for almost 89 percent of sales for the week, GTAV wasn't the only new entry to the chart. Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 made its debut at two, while Aliens: Colonial Marines re-entered the chart at eight thanks to retail discounting and promotion.
Elsewhere, The Last Of Us jumped up to three from 27, Saints Row IV dropped from one to four, and Harvest Moon 3D: A New Beginning makes its chart debut at 22.
The Top 10 UK chart for the week ending September 21:
1. Grand Theft Auto V
2. Pro Evolution Soccer 2014
3. The Last Of Us
4. Saints Row IV
5. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist
6. Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition
7. Diablo III
8. Disney Infinity
9. Aliens: Colonial Marines
10. Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix
Sony waiting to "reintroduce" The Last Guardian
Written By Kom Limpulnam on Jumat, 20 September 2013 | 23.26
Development on Sony's long-awaited PlayStation 3 adventure game The Last Guardian continues, though the company is waiting for the right time to "reintroduce" it, according to worldwide studios president Shuhei Yoshida.
"The team is still there in SCE Japan Studio, [creative director Fumito Ueda] is still there, but we are still waiting for the time to reintroduce it," Yoshida told Game Informer from the 2013 Tokyo Game Show.
Ueda said last month that The Last Guardian is in "earnest" development, though games like Puppeteer and PlayStation 4 launch title Knack were taking priority.
"It's under earnest development," Ueda said at the time. "However, SCE Japan Studio, who's working on The Last Guardian, also has titles like Puppeteer and Knack, and those are only the ones currently announced. Those are taking priority right now."
The Last Guardian has made "slow progress" for years. Sony senior vice president of product development Scott Rohde said during E3 2012 that the game will ship "when it is absolutely ready." He also said Sony has no deadline whatsoever for the game.
The Last Guardian was formally announced at the 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo.
→ More coverage of PS4 on GameSpot.com
Sony is "not aware" of streaming issues with GTAV PSN version
Sony has said it is "not aware" of any problems regarding digital copies of Grand Theft Auto V purchased through the PlayStation Store.
Users who have purchased the digital version of GTAV have reported issues with pop-in and the game's textures. "We were not aware of these problems," said a Sony spokesperson to GamesIndustry International.
"However, this isn't an issue we've encountered in any other title, even those which consisted of larger files, such as [The Last of Us]."
Rockstar said to Xbox 360 customers before the game's launch on Tuesday not to install both of the game's two discs to a hard drive, suggesting the game's performance suffers when running entirely from a hard drive--like with the digital PS3 version of the game-- as opposed to using a hard drive and disc drive in tandem.
"Within five minutes of freely coasting around Los Santos' busier Downtown streets there are major instances of geometry bursting into view and textures taking too long to fully resolve," reported Digital Foundry after playing the digital version of the game on PS3.
"In one case we see an entire skyscraper fizzle in and out of sight, while buildings to either side struggle to update their textures. Our many hours of disc-based testing produced nothing like this. For a game occupied with drawing in new objects and textures while hurtling through Los Santos' more detailed districts, it's clear that the extra bandwidth from allowing the game to stream from both disc and hard drive offers a clear improvement compared to the digital edition."
Sony also found itself criticised by upset PlayStation Store customers last week after delaying its previously advertised promise of users being able to preload the game ahead of launch.
After launching worldwide on Tuesday, Rockstar has said GTAV made $800 million in its first 24 hours on sale.
State of Decay hitting PC today
Open-world zombie game State of Decay will be released PC through Steam's Early Access program later today, developer Undead Labs has announced.
The game will be available for $20, the same price as the Xbox 360 version. Those who pick up the Early Access version of State of Decay will automatically receive the final version, for free and with no need to restart, when the game is officially launched later in the year.
Undead Labs made clear that the version of State of Decay coming to PC today is a "test version" that is not meant to be reviewed. "It will not be perfect. It may still have crashes," the developer said.
In addition, State of Decay for PC will not work with keyboard and mouse, at least not right away. At launch, the Early Access version requires an Xbox 360 controller or a compatible third-party input, though Undead Labs stated it has not done much testing with non-Microsoft controllers yet.
"This process is not for everyone. Casual players, the easily frustrated, and the short of time should NOT get the Early Access version," Undead Labs said. "Hey, I am all three of those things, y'all. Those are not criticisms. It's just that we want everyone to have the experience that best suits their needs. You all deserve the best, so if you're not into giving feedback, just wait a few months and play the final version after we make it great."
State of Decay launched earlier this year on Xbox 360 and has sold more than 500,000 copies. For more on State of Decay, check out GameSpot's review.
Wii Sports getting HD update for Wii U
Written By Kom Limpulnam on Rabu, 18 September 2013 | 23.26
2006's Wii Sports is getting a high-definition update for Wii U through the new Wii Sports Club, Nintendo announced today. Bowling, tennis, baseball, boxing, and golf will be featured as individual downloads through the Nintendo eShop beginning on November 7 with tennis and bowling.
Boxing, baseball, and golf will be released "in the months ahead."
Those who download Wii Sports Club will be given a trial pass that allows them to play any available game for a 24-hour period. After this period ends, players can either purchase a Day Pass for $2 to play all available sports for a 24-hour period, or buy permanent access to individual sports for $10 each.
Not only will the new versions of the Wii Sports' games feature high-definition graphics, but also "enhanced" controls through Wii MotionPlus, as well as head-to-head online multiplayer. Players will be registered to state or regional "clubs" and can chat with one another through Miiverse during matches, Nintendo said.
Gamers can play casually against members of their own club or take on rival clubs to increase club rankings.
The original Wii Sports, which was first released as a pack-in game for the Wii, has sold 81.99 million units globally to date.
Nintendo also announced today that an update to Wii Street U (powered by Google Maps) is now available that makes use of the Wii Balance Board. Users can now virtually walk down streets by taking steps on the Balance Board. The Wii Street U app is available today as a free download through the eShop until October 31.
Microsoft exploring "hundreds" of Xbox One TV show ideas
Microsoft is currently exploring "hundreds" of concepts for original Xbox One TV programming, corporate vice president Phil Spencer told Bloomberg in a new interview.
"They have literally hundreds of ideas that they are incubating right now," Spencer said from the 2013 Tokyo Game Show. "We will have some new announcement for TV shows coming pretty soon."
Separately, Spencer told Reuters that Microsoft is "very close" to announcing some of these initiatives. He described these as "Nancy projects," referencing former CBS Television Studios president Nancy Tellem, who was brought on last year to lead a Los Angeles production studio creating "interactive and linear content for Xbox and other devices."
Some of the Xbox One-exclusive TV content in development will be unrelated to games, Spencer said. However, he explained that, "I do think there will be a certain level of interactivity to what we do."
The only Xbox One TV programming announced thus far is the Halo show produced by Saving Private Ryan director Steven Spielberg and the upcoming Quantum Break show that will tie into the game.
The Xbox One launches in 13 territories across the world on November 22 for $500.
→ More coverage of XBOXONE on GameSpot.com
New York aiming to grow its development scene
The state of New York wants to be a bigger player for game development and will hold panel discussions this week to examine how it can grow its foothold in the multibillion dollar business.
New York Senator Martin J. Golden and NYU-Poly have organized fact-finding sessions so that government representatives of New York City, the Governor's Office, and the Senate can hear from 25 "industry leaders" during two panel presentations on Friday, September 20.
The list of industry leaders attending the event is headlined by Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick, whose subsidiary Rockstar Games released the long-awaited Grand Theft Auto V this week. Others attending include MTV Digital executive producer Tom Akel, Games for Change copresident Asi Burak, and Kickstarter community head Cindy Au.
The roundtable is titled "Growing Computer and Video Game Development in New York" and speakers will discuss whether and how New York can grow its digital games industry to "match or exceed the size of its film industry."
According to Entertainment Software Association (ESA) data, New York is among the top five states in industry employment with 5,474 direct and indirect jobs. The average compensation for New York game developers is $96,602.
In a statement, Golden explained that New York falls behind other game development hubs like California, Texas, and Washington. He said New York can and should do better.
"The gaming software industry is large and growing and New York State can claim an increasing share for our citizens," Golden said. "At present, New York State lags behind California, Texas, and Washington in the number of companies, employees, and contribution to the economy. We have about one-tenth the number of game software employees as California and one tenth of California's gaming software's contribution of $2.16 billion to the state economy. Even Texas has twice the economic impact and twice the number of employees of New York. Clearly we can do better. We have the talent and we have the people."
"The purpose of these Roundtables is to create policy and program that will make us the center of the game software universe," he added. " When companies and gaming entrepreneurs think of gaming software, we want them to think of New York State. We are taking our first steps to make that happen with this Roundtable."
Other prominent New York-based developers include Avalanche Studios (New York City) and Vicarious Visions (Albany).
Houston Rockets General Manager joins MLG board of directors
Daryl Morey joins Major League Gaming's board of directors to help MLG to become a mainstream sports property.
Daryl Morey, General Manager of the Houston Rockets in the NBA, has joined Major League Gaming's board of directors to assist with building MLG as a mainstream sports property.
At last year's annual MIT Sloan Sports Analytic Conference which Morey co-chairs, he declared: "eSports will someday be the biggest sport in the world." In an interview with GameSpot in August of last year, Morey said that he considered professional gamers to be athletes.
Back in June, Morey assisted in bringing new Houston Rockets all-star Dwight Howard to MLG Anaheim, where he and three other NBA stars played a showmatch in Call of Duty: Black Ops II.
"We are incredibly excited to have Daryl join our team as we continue to build the first global, truly digital sport," said Sundance DiGiovanni, co-founder and CEO of MLG. "His experience in the NBA, emphasis on data and technology, and passion for video games, makes him the perfect addition and we look forward to benefiting from his knowledge and success."
"As a personal fan of eSports and a competitive gamer myself, I have been closely following the growth and evolution of MLG for years," said Morey. "MLG has the potential to be one of the biggest sports media businesses in the future. I look forward to working with the MLG team as they continue to be pioneers in the digital world."
MLG has also added two strategic executives, bringing on Greg Chisholm as CFO and Allen De La Cruz as SVP Engineering to develop MLG's video streaming and competition platforms.
→ More coverage of ESPORTS on GameSpot.com
Gabe Newell teases Steam Box news
Written By Kom Limpulnam on Selasa, 17 September 2013 | 23.26
Valve head Gabe Newell has teased an announcement for next week that may be in reference to the Linux-powered "Steam Box" that was first revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show in January.
"Next week we're going to be rolling out more information about how we get there and what are the hardware opportunities we see for bringing Linux into the living room," Newell said (via Ars Technica).
Newell's comments came during the LinuxCon keynote address in New Orleans this week.
"It feels a little bit funny coming here and telling you guys that Linux and open source are the future of gaming," Newell said. "It's sort of like going to Rome and teaching Catholicism to the pope."
Valve is currently looking into biometric sensors for Steam Box controllers as a way of monitoring player activity and sensation. The Left 4 Dead franchise has been used as an example of how understanding heart rates could make a more immersive horror game.
"You need to actually be able to directly measure how aroused the player is--what their heart rate is, things like that--in order to continue to offer them a new experience each time they play," Newell said in March.
Foul Play Review
Beat-'em-ups have struggled to remain relevant since the death of arcades, with only a few recent entries in the genre managing to break up their quarterless monotony. By taking inspiration from two different sources--rhythm games and theater--Foul Play's unique approach to the genre is admirable. It's got charm, good ideas, and even better intentions. Unfortunately, it still falls into many of the repetitive traps of its beat-'em-up forebears, whether you play alone or with a friend.
All the world's a stage (the world's longest stage, judging by how far you travel left to right), and Baron Dashforth and his sidekick, Mr. Scampwick, are its two players. The game is set around a play in which Dashforth, a Sherlock Holmes-esque gentleman with both intelligence and physical prowess, recounts tales of his adventures as a daemon hunter. With an art style reminiscent of the cutout animation used in South Park, the action takes the form of an elaborate stage play of epic proportions.
While side-scrolling your way through old-timey England and elsewhere, fighting everything from vampires to pirates to robots, things can get a little button mashy. A few moves are unlocked as you play (such as an uppercut and a few charge attacks), but for the most part, it's viable to run up to enemies, hit an attack button repeatedly, possibly dodge or block an attack, and then go back for more. You do have to pay attention to your enemies, however, because Foul Play sports a counter and throw system not unlike that of the Assassin's Creed games. When a foe is noticeably preparing for an attack (or, as the game wonderfully puts it, "whilst he is signaling his intent"), a tap of the block button counters the hit and opens you up for new moves and strategies.
Though the game leans heavily on certain jokes (we get it, that stagehand isn't supposed to be onstage--hilarious!), there's a lot of genuine humor and charm in the visuals and presentation. Even the enemies, who tend to be obvious actors in large monster costumes, are funny to look at. If nothing else, it's refreshing to spend time in a setting that feels unique, even if the gameplay is overly familiar at times.
Style and setting aside, what sets Foul Play apart from most games of its ilk is its focus on maintaining performance instead of using lives and continues. Rather than health, you have a mood-o-meter, which measures how much the audience is into your actions onstage. This bears a striking similarity to the meter in Rock Band and similar games in both form and function. If you're doing well and maintaining combos, the meter goes up and rewards higher score multipliers. If you drop a combo and start getting hit, the meter goes down and threatens you with failure. The audience reacts to all of this both visibly and audibly, cheering loudly and tossing their hats into the air if they're particularly pleased with your performance.
To carry this Rock Band comparison even further, you build up a showstopper ability--basically star power--which, when activated, doubles your combos for a short time. This can be useful both for recovering if you're near failure or for maximizing your score during a point in the level when you know you can achieve a high combo even without help. In fact, the mere task of completing levels is easily accomplished--it's a higher score you're really after.
It's a shame more isn't done with showstoppers. While the system initially feels like a nice change of pace for the genre, the system is easily exploitable and doesn't encourage variety as much as it tries to. Early on, you gain an ability that lets you parry an attacking enemy and pummel him multiple times in midair, helping you build a high combo. The timing of this move works out to where you can almost always parry another enemy immediately after you finish with the first, letting you be in the air with a single combo, safe from enemies on the ground, for a long time. It's not an easy, foolproof key to perfect scenes and five-star success, but it gets awfully close.
The game is split into five plays featuring multiple acts. Each act, with the exception of boss acts, has three optional challenges associated with it that encourage you to play a little differently than you might otherwise. Well, sometimes, anyway. One challenge might be to pull off a certain number of ace returns, which happen when you successfully parry an enemy's projectile and shoot it back at him. That's a good example of something that can add variety to your play style. Most challenges, however, involve some form of getting high combos, which you theoretically should be trying to do anyway. Still, completing all three challenges in an act rewards you with a charm, an item you can equip for certain bonuses or upgrades, like easier combos.
When all the features are brought together, what you have is a brawler that manages to be unique in several ways yet still finds its way into the monotonous zone. The game is more enjoyable with a second player (in fact, a few challenges are tricky to pull off alone), and the animations and clever writing are wonderful enough to inspire cheesy grins. Yet too much of Foul Play is a slog, and sadly, this performance doesn't have enough chops to make it to Broadway.
Amalur IP up for sale soon
More than a year after 38 Studios collapsed, the defunct game company's most prized assets will go up for sale, Rhode Island news hub WPRI reports.
Free-to-play MMO Project Copernicus and other intellectual property will go on sale at an online auction "soon," 38 Studios' court-appointed lawyer Richard Land said.
"The process is taking longer than we anticipated for a variety of reasons including the complexity of the game itself," Land told WPRI. "We have engaged an auctioneer and they are developing an Internet marketplace--or website--to market the game."
This website is expected to launch later this month.
Land also noted that in addition to the auction, "other interested parties" for the IP have come forward. These were not named, nor was an estimation of how much the assets would sell for.
Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter said in May 2012 that the Amalur IP is worth around $20 million.
On top of the Project Copernicus assets, Land said there are "other games" that 38 Studios took over when it acquired Big Huge Games in 2009 that could be sold at auction. In addition, Land pointed out that Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning "continues to sell" and a buyer may come forward to purchase the rights to release a sequel.
Two auctions last year liquidated office equipment from 38 Studios in Providence, Rhode Island and the company's office in Timonium, Maryland, netting less than $1 million, WPRI said.
The United States Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) has launched an investigation into the controversial $75 million loan that brought 38 Studios to Rhode Island in 2010.
EA clarifies Battlefield 4 beta dates
Electronic Arts has clarified when the Battlefield 4 console and PC beta will begin after releasing vague details last week.
Gamers who preorder the Battlefield 4 PC Digital Deluxe Edition, Battlefield 3 Premium members, and owners of Medal of Honor: Warfighter Limited or Digital Deluxe Edition can begin playing on October 1.
On October 4, the Battlefield 4 beta will be opened to all Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC players. All dates are subject to change, EA said.
The Battlefield 4 beta features the Siege of Shanghai map in Conquest or Domination mode. New features and elements like Levolution and Amphibious Assault will be featured in the beta.
For more on Battlefield 4's multiplayer mode and what new features it introduces to the series, check out the video below.
Battlefield 4 launches on October 29 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. The PlayStation 4 version arrives on November 12, while the Xbox One iteration hits November 19.
Players can begin their progress on current-generation and have that experience carry over to the next-generation version for a $10 upgrade fee.
→ More coverage of PS4 on GameSpot.com
History of Grand Theft Auto
Written By Kom Limpulnam on Senin, 16 September 2013 | 23.26
Ah. The DMA Design days. The game equivalent of a top shelf magazine back then. Although, my parents never had a problem with myself playing them. Too young to drive at the time anyways. Not to mention I never had any access to machine guns (FML etc). Considering my age, it is fair to suggest the integral nature this company (and their evolution) has played in my life. I thank them for that.
A lot to like about this video, especially the psychotherapy session for Danny about real world circumstances that he has recently experienced. Games will always be there for you, Sir.
Top Five Skyrim Mods of the Week - ALIENS!
Written By Kom Limpulnam on Minggu, 15 September 2013 | 23.26
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This week's Top 5 Skyrim Mods sees Cam, Johnny and the ever brave Kevin VanNord face off against the terrifying Xenomorph Alien Horde!
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Zelda Music Swap by -cC+ Wolfy
aMidianBorn Blades Armor by CaBaL
ALIENS by Dogtown1
HD Armored Circlets by cyanideja
Goat Dynasty: Genesis by Fisto the Sexbot
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Always with the double posts :o
Battlefield 4 beta starts October 1
An open beta for Battlefield 4 will launch on October 1, Electronic Arts has announced. The beta will be available on that date for all Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC players.
An "Exclusive" Battlefield 4 beta was previously announced for Battlefield 3 Premium owners, those who preordered the Battlefield 4 Digital Deluxe version, and owners of Medal of Honor: Warfighter. It is not clear when this version will be released.
Battlefield 4 launches for current-generation consoles and PC on October 29. For more on the Battlefield 4 beta, check out a FAQ page on the game's website.
EA also has announced Xbox One and PlayStation 4 launch dates for Madden NFL 25, FIFA 14, and Battlefield 4.
These games will be available on November 19 (North America)/November 21 (Europe) for Xbox One and November 12 (North America)/November 29 (Europe) for PlayStation 4.
For more on Battlefield 4, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.
→ More coverage of ESPORTS on GameSpot.com
StarCraft II and Counter-Strike: GO head into finals at DreamHack Bucharest
World's best players from around the world travel to Romania to compete for over $40,000.
The best StarCraft II players and Counter Strike: Global Offensive teams from around the world have come to Bucharest, Romania to compete for over $40,000 at DreamHack's Open Bucharest event.
The final day of competition has now arrived for what is said to be the most competitive DreamHack StarCraft II tournament in the event's long history. Players competing this weekend include Blizzard WCS Season 1 Champion Lee "INnoVation" Shin Hyung, Artur "Nerchio" Bloch, Lee "Jaedong" Jae Dong, Samuli "elfi" Sihvonen, Song "HerO" Hyeon Deok, Lee "Life" Seung Hyun, and Mun "MMA" Seong Won, and are among the final 16 players remaining. Brood War legend and favorite Lee "Flash" Young Ho was eliminated in the first day of competition, with losses to MMA and Jung "YugiOh" Seung Il.
The winner of the StarCraft II tournament will earn $9,240, and 750 WCS points to help in their quest to qualify for the WCS Grand Finals at BlizzCon later this year.
The Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament has only four teams remaining, featuring reigning Swedish champions Ninjas in Pyjamas led by Christopher "GeT_RiGhT Alesund, Ukraine's Na'Vi and Astana Dragons, and Sweden's Lemondogs. Each of the teams dispatched their opponents convincingly 2-0 in the quarterfinals, while Lemondogs eliminated fellow countrymen Fnatic from the event in what was the biggest upset from the first day of competition.
Both tournaments resume in the morning hours of Sunday, September 15, beginning at 5 a.m. EST/2 a.m. PST. Watch the StarCraft II event at DreamHack's Twitch channel, and CS:GO also through Twitch.
Check out more eSports coverage at the GameSpot eSports hub.
Image credit: Helena Kristiansson, eSportPhoto.
→ More coverage of ESPORTS on GameSpot.com
Rockstar investigating early GTAV sales
After retailer Amazon reportedly breaks street date for open-world game, developer examining "how and why that is occurring."
Rockstar Games is currently investigating early sales of its much-hyped open-world action game Grand Theft Auto V, the developer has confirmed with GamesIndustry International.
Retailer Amazon reportedly broke the street-date for GTAV, with copies heading to some purchasers ahead of the game's global release date on Tuesday.
"We are in the process of investigating early 'sales' to determine how and why that is occurring," a Rockstar Games representative said.
GTAV is expected to be one of the biggest games of this generation, with one analyst predicting it could sell as many as 20 million copies by March 2014.
GameSpot's GTAV review is scheduled to go live tomorrow at 10 a.m. EDT.
Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He works out of the company's Boston office in Somerville, Mass., and loves extra chunky peanut butter.
GS News Top 5 - Xbox One and PS4 talk specs and Steam shares
Written By Kom Limpulnam on Sabtu, 14 September 2013 | 23.26
PS4 has better exclusives: Uncharted, GOW, Last of US (you know there's a sequel coming), Little Big Planet, Resistance, MGS, Infamous, Killzone, Valkyria, Journey.
Xbox has Halo and Gears of War. No contest.
Too bad I live in Korea where you can't use Hulu and Netflix on the Vita TV because of rampant piracy issues.
Torture Chamber - Unfair Mario
@Karjah I bet you play sports better than those fools on TV as well ;)
It's always easier when you're not the one who has to do it.
You have to remember he's on livestream with an office full of people giggling at him and a chatroom full of trolls + he needs to think of what he says and keep an eye on the chat and be entertaining and think of how he looks etc. Then the controls may not be as responsive as you might think.
Coming of Age with the Press of a Button
Chris Watters analyzes the remarkable bond between narrative and gameplay in Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons blew me away. The heartfelt story of two brothers going on a grand journey moved me, the gorgeous environments and evocative art delighted me, and the clever control scheme and light puzzles intrigued me. These are the familiar elements that many games use to captivate players, but few games use them in harmony as well as Brothers. By designing narrative and gameplay to complement and enhance each other, Brothers conveys emotion in a uniquely poignant way and proves itself a powerful example of the expressive potential of video games.
(Be warned, the following contains major spoilers for Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. If you are merely curious about the game, I suggest you read Mark Walton's eloquent and spoiler-free review. The game only takes about 4 hours to complete and I highly recommend experiencing it for yourself before you read on. It's wonderful.)
This video review is your last chance to get out of here spoiler-free.
Brothers begins laying the groundwork for its best moments in the tragic first scene. The younger brother watches helplessly as his mother drowns in front of him, and soon after, his father falls ill with a mysterious ailment. In order to save him, both brothers embark on a journey to find a mystical tree high in the mountains. When they come upon a river they must swim across, however, the younger brother balks. Still traumatized by his mother's death, he must cling to his older brother's back to make it across.
This dependency goes both ways. The older brother is too large to fit through small gaps that the younger can squeeze through, and big brother can boost his sibling up to ledges that neither would be able to reach alone. Such simple puzzles build on the theme of connectedness. The two brothers are already bound to each other narratively by blood and by the quest to help their father. The environmental design forces them to work together to overcome the obstacles they face, cleaving them to each other through gameplay. And because the left stick and trigger control the elder and the right stick and trigger control the younger, the two are even further bound together on a fundamental mechanical level.
Having to control two characters at once is a curious sensation. The two are physically separate and are controlled separately, yet they must act--you must make them act--in unison. As the brothers are bound to each other through different aspects of the game's design, so too are you connected to them. This is a particularly good example of one of the fundamental strengths of video games: the ability to make you feel connected to characters by putting you in control of them.
Brothers builds on this basic connection by drawing you into the emotional bond between the two boys. The gibberish they speak conveys mood and tone perfectly well, and through their exclamations and their actions you see their personalities emerge. You may be drawn to the elder's politeness or the younger's ebullience, or put off by the younger's impertinence or the elder's rigidity. With strengths of one complementing the flaws of the other, the brothers cover more emotional range than a single character could and make it easy to identify with them.
And so Brothers crafts a deep fellowship. By controlling them both, you develop an instinctual sense for each boy's place in the world. Each spoken phrase or idle gesture speaks volumes to you. You get the sense that no more could these two part ways than your hands could detach and walk away from each other. This easy, unthinking intimacy feels like brotherliness, and only through the harmonious interplay of narrative, level design, and gameplay is Brothers able to achieve such a credible representation of that deep bond.
With the foundation of brotherhood established, Brothers sets its sights on other, darker emotions. Because the brotherly bond is so skillfully woven, it becomes all the more upsetting when it begins to fray. A beguiling new presence captures the elder brother's attention late in the game to the confusion and dismay of the younger. There is a period of uneasiness that puts you on edge, and after a dramatic and tragic encounter, the older brother is gravely wounded. For the first time in the game, the younger sets off on his own, desperate to find the item he hopes will save his brother. As you guide him up a twisting, winding tree, the contorting environment mirrors the disorienting feeling of using only your right hand to play the game that has demanded both for so long. When you emerge from the tree, disorientation turns to shock. The older brother has died.
I was playing the same game, but I was no longer playing the same game.
How can you convey the feeling of loss? The death of a beloved character can make you feel sadness and regret, but grief goes deeper. There is an emptiness, a hollowing out, a physical sense of loss that mere narrative often fails to capture. But the sensation of my left hand gripping the controller passively, lying dormant while my right continued to work, that sensation felt to me like loss. The physical balance of my play experience was upset; I was playing the same game, but I was no longer playing the same game. Something had been lost.
When a beloved family member passed away recently, my life took on a similar fractured quality; I was leading the same life, but my life was no longer the same. A loss like that reverberates throughout many aspects of life, and so it seems only natural that to convey this poignant sense of loss, Brothers uses multiple aspects of the game. The narrative informs you of your loss by showing you the lifeless body and the weeping younger brother. But you aren't simply told, not merely shown. You are forced to change the way you interact with the game on a physical level and then, in your hobbled state, you must bury your brother. With each pile of dirt you push onto his corpse, you see him passing from your life and you feel your left arm lying limp by your side, a physical manifestation of virtual death.
The emotional impact of this moment is intense, and only the interactivity of the medium allows it to carry the weight that it does. But this isn't Brothers' last trick. Carried to within shouting distance of his home, the younger brother faces an insurmountable challenge. In order to reach his father and deliver the cure, he must swim across a dark expanse of water. It's not possible. At every watery obstacle prior, you moved the elder brother to the shore, pulled the left trigger to make him dive in, then moved the younger towards him and pulled the right trigger to make him grab on to his brother. Yet even as you remember this simple solution, it dawns on you what you must do.
You pull the left trigger. This is a profoundly odd feeling because your mind has so securely bonded the younger brother to your right hand. It feels wrong. It feels uncomfortable. But sure enough, the left trigger sends him foundering and flailing into the water where he slowly makes his way across to the far shore. In that brave act, the younger brother confronts his fears and forges onward, growing up a bit in the process. This narrative coming of age is underscored by your physical action; by pulling the left trigger, you make the younger assume the role of the elder. Because this act is a subversion of what you've been doing for the whole game, you feel some of the trepidation and unease that accompanies the transition from childhood to adolescence. And amidst this tumult of emotions, there is a note of comfort, an assurance that even when our loved ones pass away, a part of them stays with us.
Brotherhood, grief, maturation. These aren't the themes you might expect to find conveyed honestly and authentically in a video game, and yet Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons does just that. By treating the physical act of using the controller as part of the emotional experience of playing a game, developer Starbreeze Studios leverages the interactivity of the medium to create something special. The potential of video games to probe the human condition is vast indeed, and it's inspiring to play a game that takes on that noble challenge.
Sony on PS Vita TV coming West -- "Stay tuned"
Written By Kom Limpulnam on Jumat, 13 September 2013 | 23.26
Sony's new PlayStation Vita TV streaming device has only been confirmed for a November release in Japan, but the device could launch in other regions sometime after, according to president of Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida.
Sony Computer Entertainment president and group CEO Andrew House told reporters this week that Sony has no plans, at least right now, to release the PS Vita TV in Europe or the United States.
The Apple TV-style device measures 6.5x10.5cm and connects to a television, with slots for players to insert their PS Vita game cards. The hardware will also beam games remotely to other televisions within the home, as well as work in conjunction with streaming video services such as Hulu.
The PS Vita TV will allow owners to play PSP, original PlayStation, and PS Vita games directly on their televisions. The system will also work with the PlayStation 4's Remote Play feature. In addition, the Gaikai-powered streaming service in the works for the PlayStation 4 could "technically" be supported on the PS Vita TV, according to Sony.
The device will launch in Japan on November 14 for ¥9,480 (around $95) and will also be available in a bundle that includes a PS Vita TV, a DualShock 3 controller, and an 8GB Vita Memory Card.
Earlier this week, Sony published a full list of supported titles for the PS Vita TV.
→ More coverage of PS4 on GameSpot.com
Microsoft's Siri competitor to be called Cortana - Report
Microsoft is currently developing Siri-like virtual assistant technology under the name Cortana, GameSpot sister site Zdnet reports. The technology will be able to learn and adapt using "machine-learning technology" and the "Satori" knowledge base that powers search engine Bing.
Cortana is, of course, the name of the artificial intelligence character from the Halo series who appears in holographic form throughout the franchise.
"Cortana will be more than just an app that lets users interact with their phones more naturally using voice commands. Cortana is core to the makeover of the entire 'shell'--the core services and experience--of the future versions of Windows Phone, Windows, and the Xbox One operating systems, from what I've heard from my contacts," the site reports.
The Cortana technology is being developed for PC, Windows Phone, and Xbox, the report stated. It has reportedly been in the works for some time, though Microsoft has been intent on keeping it under wraps until it had something revolutionary, instead of evolutionary, to show.
This report tallies with another from February, when The Verge heard from sources that the Xbox One will feature natural-language detection said to be similar to Apple's Siri service, which allows users to ask questions and see results in real time. In an Xbox context, players could ask, "What are my friends playing?" and their friends list would appear.
The Xbox One launches on November 22.
→ More coverage of XBOXONE on GameSpot.com
Aonuma discusses The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask remake
The Legend of Zelda boss Eiji Aonuma has briefly discussed the idea of remaking The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask for modern consoles.
"Please write that I laughed," Aonuma said to IGN after laughing about the prospect of a Majora's Mask remake.
Aonuma asked that people don't read too much into his laughter, however. "Don't make it sound like I laughed because I was troubled or inconvenienced or put out," he added. "I don't want them to read anything into it. But if you want to say that I laughed, I think that would be a good answer."
But how should people interpret Aonuma's expression? "It's really up to them. If they want to interpret my laughter as, 'yeah, we're making it' or 'no, we're not,' I guess that's really up to them," he said.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask was released on Nintendo 64 in 2000, and has become an enduring cult favourite due to its dark tone and time-shifting mechanics.
Nintendo is currently in the process of releasing an HD update of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker for the Wii U, which will be released digitally in North America on September 20.
The classic The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was also rereleased for the 3DS in 2011, and a sequel to the SNES' A Link to the Past will be released for the 3DS later this year.
Random Encounter - GTA Vice City
Written By Kom Limpulnam on Kamis, 12 September 2013 | 23.26
Vice City was, for me, the GTA that hit that sweet-spot of lunacy and realism. It had all of fun options of the early games, and a setting that was utterly absorptive.GTA4 created no memories for me that weren't completely overshadowed by VC, despite the superior engine and realism. I hope Rockstar have not forgotten their roots for GTAV.
Locodoco forms South Korean team with Quantic Gaming to aim for North American LCS
Newly-formed South-Korean League of Legends team sets its sights on the North American League of Legends Championship Series.
Korean League of Legends player Yoonsup "Locodoco" Choi, formerly of Counter Logic Gaming and Najin White Shield, has formed a new team comprised entirely of South Korean players, including Gun-woong "Woong" Jang previously of CJ Entus Frost.
Under a new year-long contract with Quantic Gaming, the team has moved into the Quantic Gaming house located in Los Angeles and will attempt to qualify for the North American League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) later this year.
Quantic's lineup will consist of:
• Yoonsup "Locodoco" Choi - AD Carry
• Gun-woong "Woong" Jang - Top
• Gun-Hee "Gunza" Jung - Support
• Du Sik "Prime" Yun - Jungle
• Cheol Woo "Apple" Jeong - Mid
The team arrived in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Speaking to GameSpot, Quantic Gaming owner Simon Boudreault revealed that they had been practicing together "for a while" in the Maximum Impact Gaming (MiG) house located in Korea.
"We believe the team will be a major game changer to the North-American Challenger & LCS scene." Boudreault said.
Commenting on the eligibility of Quantic's Korean team qualifying for the North American LCS, Riot Games eSports Manager Nick Allen cited the three conditions each LCS player must meet. In addition to being at least 17 years of age, the player "must submit proof that, at the time of any LCS-affiliated match, he/she will be (a) legal resident of a country in their region, and (b) work-eligible in the United States". Players cannot be an employee of Riot Games.
Elaborating on Riot's attitude towards international players or teams competing in the LCS, Allen added, "We've already seen some movement between the Leagues. Look at Curse's Edward. Our League rules permit this sort of movement."
The planning for the team took three months according to Locodoco, who chose the rest of the roster alongside Gun-woong Jang with those months consisting of "a month to find the right players and two months of scrimming with them and living as a team in Korea."
When asked if he had any message he wanted to share with his fans in the west, Locodoco said, "Results first, trash talk after."
→ More coverage of ESPORTS on GameSpot.com
Valve to offer Steam deals to IGF 2014 Main Competition finalists
Independent Games Festival (IGF) organisers have announced a renewed partnership with Valve for next year's IGF event.
As reported on Gamasutra, Main Competition finalists at the 2014 IGF will be granted the opportunity to accept a distribution agreement for Valve's digital platform Steam.
Main Competition finalists in jury-voted categories, including Excellence In Design, Excellence In Art, Excellence In Narrative, Excellence in Audio, the Nuovo Award, and the Seumas McNally Grand Prize will be eligible to receive Valve's offer.
Past IGF finalists and winners include Braid, World of Goo, Super Meat Boy, Minecraft, and Fez. This year's Independent Games Festival was subject to multiple changes, including the removal of the Technical Excellence category.
This is not the first time that Valve has worked with the Independent Games Festival. The 2013 IGF finalists were also offered a distribution deal with the company.
The 2014 Independent Games Festival will take place on March 19 next year in San Francisco, California, as part of the annual Game Developers Conference.
Sony working to make sure PlayStation 4 won't sell out at launch, says CEO
Sony's American CEO Jack Tretton has said that the company is holding back stock of the PlayStation 4 so machines will be available in stores on launch day.
When asked by Fox Business about how many current preorders Sony had for the PlayStation 4, Tretton said that "it's everything we can manufacture. We want to make sure that consumers have an opportunity to buy one on November 15, and through the holidays, so we're holding back some inventory to make sure that people will have an opportunity to buy one."
"We can pre-sell every unit we can manufacture," added Tretton, before saying that "production yields have been phenomenal, so this will be, by a magnitude of a lot, the biggest launch we've ever had."
When pressed to give a number, Tretton said that Sony was unlikely to publicly release an updated figure--Sony announced the PlayStation 4 had been preordered by a million customers at Gamescom 2013--but said "there's so much pent-up demand for it that you could sell every one that you could create."
Praising the new hardware, Tretton said that Sony was at "an all-time high right now" and that the PlayStation 4"is the crown jewel in what has been a tremendous road for us since the debut of the original PlayStation here back in september of 95."
Elsewhere in the interview, Tretton said that the PlayStation 4's advantages over Microsoft's Xbox One was the game lineup and $100 cheaper price.
The PlayStation 4 will launch on November 15 in North America and on November 29 in Europe.
→ More coverage of PS4 on GameSpot.com
TimeSplitters Rewind heads to Steam Greenlight
Written By Kom Limpulnam on Rabu, 11 September 2013 | 23.26
TimeSplitters Rewind, the community-developed multiplayer revival of the series, has taken to Steam Greenlight to gauge player interest in the project.
Crytek, who owns the rights to the series after purchasing original developer Free Radical, has given the project its blessing. TimeSplitters Rewind is also being made using Crytek's CryEngine 3.
TimeSplitters Rewind is a multiplayer title made up of components of the original TimeSplitters games, and is being created by a team of around 35 part-time developers.
CinemaBlend reports that legal issues require the game's assets to be made entirely from scratch, and that TimeSplitters Rewind must be released for free.
Project lead Michael Hubicka said that TimeSplitters Rewind will be more of an HD collection of the series rather than a fully-fledged TimeSplitters 4. "Ultimately, Timesplitters Rewind will be like the Timesplitters HD Collection and if Crytek gave us the torch, like, said 'Okay you've proved yourself worthy: here work on Timesplitters 4' then I would absolutely be thrilled to work on that ASAP."
TimeSplitters Rewind is scheduled to release its pre-alpha test before the end of the year. The game is currently scheduled to be released for PlayStation 4 and PC, though the developer is said to be interested in porting the game to Xbox One.
Former Epic Games president joins Remedy board of directors
Former Epic Games president Mike Capps has been appointed to the board of directors at Alan Wake and Quantum Break studio Remedy Entertainment, GamesIndustry International reports today. Joining Capps as a new member on the board is Finnish digital security firm F-Secure president and CEO Christian Fredrikson.
At Epic Games, Capps oversaw the company behind the popular Unreal Engine and the Gears of War franchise, among other initiatives. He stepped down from his executive role at Epic Games in December 2012 and left the company altogether in March.
"Like any team, I think a good board is a combination of different kinds of skill sets, and different kinds of strengths that really come together," Remedy CEO Matias Myllyrinne told GamesIndustry International. "That's the way, in my experience, the best teams work. Obviously Mike has a tremendous track record in the games industry. He's been very successful and has proven himself over and over again. On the other hand, I think it's also good to get Christian's outside perspective, challenging many of the conventions that we hold to, whether it's about building an organization, how you do your planning, or how you build your studio as a whole."
Myllyrinne said the industry is currently experiencing a period of high uncertainty and risk, but pointed out that Remedy Entertainment could benefit from the upheaval overall.
"For me at least, it feels like it is a golden age of gaming where the cards are being dealt again, and there's great opportunity to be a very successful independent studio once again," Myllyrinne said. "And I think it's about embracing some of that confluence of factors."
Remedy Entertainment is currently working on Xbox One-exclusive Quantum Break for a 2014 release. According to its official description, the game "blurs the line between television and gameplay, integrating the two into one seamless, uniquely immersive experience."
For more, check out GameSpot's previous coverage of Quantum Break.
→ More coverage of XBOXONE on GameSpot.com
Study finds children gaming nearly as much on mobile as console
According to a new study published this week by The NPD Group, children are playing games nearly as much on mobile devices as they are through traditional consoles. According to Kids and Gaming 2013, play behavior for children ages 2-17 has shifted significantly since 2011.
More than half (53 percent) of mobile device users reported that they spent more time playing on these devices this year compared to last year. The boost is most pronounced among children 12-17, who were found to spend an average of seven hours per week on mobile devices compared to five hours per week in 2011.
"Kids are engaged with mobile devices as less expensive tablets and an increasing amount of hand-me-down phones create greater accessibility to these platforms than before," NPD Group analyst Liam Callahan said in a statement.
Though desktop computers, laptops, and consoles remain the top devices for gaming, "almost" as many children are playing on mobile devices as they are on consoles and computers, according to the study. In addition, it found that children are starting to play games on mobile devices at a younger age than in prior years (age 8 in 2012 vs. age 9 in 2011). This starting age is expected to continue trending downward, the research group said.
"The question becomes whether this mobile usage will continue to grow for 2 to 17 year olds, and if usage will become more prevalent than gaming on consoles and computers as time progresses," Callahan said. "More importantly, we need to understand how these forms of gaming provide different types of experiences for young gamers."
The Kids and Gaming 2013 study is based on the results of an online survey fielded from June 26-July 18 this year. It incorporates data from 3,842 children ages 2-17 who currently play games on any device.
New Target streaming service coming to console
Retailer Target will launch its new Target Ticket streaming TV and movie service on October 1, according to a new report from Variety.
Users will be able to purchase or rent around 30,000 movie and TV titles through an assortment of devices, including PC, Mac, Xbox 360, iOS and Android devices, Roku set-top boxes, and Samsung connected TVs.
No mention was made of the Target Ticket app being available for Sony's PlayStation devices, though Variety notes that Target's intention is to release the service for every Internet-video device by the end of 2014.
According to the report, Target has signed deals with major films companies like Disney, Paramount, Sony Pictures Entertainment, 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros., Universal, and Lionsgate for content. TV networks signed up for the service include ABC, AMC, CBS, CW, FX, HBO, The WB, NBC, Showtime, Starz, and USA Network.
TV content will only be available for purchase, the report added.
Target Ticket aims to set itself apart from services like Netflix through support for early EST, including next-day TV episodes and movies before they become available on DVD. In addition, new Target Ticket users will receive 10 free movie downloads when they sign up and Target RedCard holders will receive 5 percent off all purchases.
Target Ticket does not carry a subscription fee, though Target divisional merchandise manager of entertainment Anne Stanchfield said this was considered. Ultimately, however, she said Target's own market research indicated users wanted the "newest content available," which is not available on subscription video-on-demand services like Netflix.
Microsoft announced in March 2012 that Xbox 360 users in the United States spend more time with non-gaming Xbox Live entertainment applications that they do playing multiplayer games over the service.
→ More coverage of XBOXONE on GameSpot.com
Trials Frontier is free-to-play
Written By Kom Limpulnam on Selasa, 10 September 2013 | 23.26
RedLynx's upcoming mobile Trials game, Trials Frontier, will be a free-to-play game, the developer has announced.
The mobile game will also feature its own village-building metagame, featuring its own storyline and a world map to explore. Finding collectible parts will allow players to upgrade their bikes and riders.
The mobile spin-off will also feature asynchronous and time-limited global events.
RedLynx also asserts that the free-to-play mobile game will be a "worthy successor" to the well-regarded series. "Trials Frontier is being created by RedLynx as a worthy successor in the Trials line," said the company in a statement, "with console quality graphics in its own right. It's also being developed in tandem with next-gen console game Trials Fusion, meaning the two games will connect in the right way."
RedLynx has previously released DrawRace 2 and MotoHeroz for mobile devices. Trials Frontier was announced alongside upcoming Trials Fusion at E3 2013. Owning both games will give confer bonuses in each title.
Trials Frontier will launch in 2013.
Free-to-play EndWar Online revealed
Ubisoft today announced Tom Clancy's EndWar Online, a free-to-play browser-based game for PC and Mac. In development at Ubisoft Shanghai--the same team behind 2008's Tom Clancy's EndWar for consoles--the game is described as a "tactical and strategic MMO."
EndWar Online will feature real-time battles, HQ and army management, and "massive" community-based wars. This is all set in "next stage" browser technology, Ubisoft said.
In EndWar Online, players are put into the shoes of the last leader in the aftermath of World War III. In this time, resources and money have run out and communities are on the brink of collapse as rogue warlords have taken control.
Players must rebuild their homeland by reuniting their faction and leading a battle for earth's remaining resources. Gamers can enlist as either the "high-tech" European Enforcers or Russia's Spetnaz, described as a group that uses "brute force tactics."
EndWare Online features single-player and player vs. player challenges, Ubisoft said.
"We have been looking for a way to bring EndWar back to its fans and have found an accessible way with Tom Clancy's EndWar Online," Ubisoft EMEA FTP publishing director Thomas Painçon said. "By offering gameplay directly in browsers, we hope old fans and new alike will enjoy this new EndWar experience and join in the quest to lead their faction to victory."
EndWar Online is currently in beta. Those interested can sign up through the game's new website.
Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX Review
On paper, the idea seems just a little bit too fantastic to actually work: take a handful of Disney characters and worlds, mix them with some Final Fantasy heroes and a brand-new universe, infuse everything with light role-playing game elements, and hope for the best. It takes little imagination to envision such a formula producing any number of disappointing outcomes, but instead, the idea was realized as Kingdom Hearts and went on to become a beloved and popular franchise. Now, years after that initial triumph, Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix is a good reminder of the series' great joys and occasional frustrations.
Though it's not entirely clear from the title, Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix is a compilation of two separate games in the franchise (the Final Mix versions of Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories), and a semi-interactive retelling of a third (Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days). Kingdom Hearts Final Mix is the gem in the compilation's crown, the game most likely to entice returning fans to take the fresh plunge and the starting point for any new arrivals. It introduces the hero, a young boy named Sora who lives on an island and regularly meets with friends Riku and Kairi for adventures. The members of that happy trio long to leave their peaceful tropical home in search of adventure, and one day they get their wish. Nothing goes as planned, though, and their friendship is inevitably tested as they are forced to make their way through a universe full of memorable new allies and scheming villains from various Disney films.
If you're familiar with the original release of Kingdom Hearts in North America, you'll discover that there are subtle changes to the Final Mix presentation, including new weapons and different item locations. In spite of those modifications, the game plays largely as it did in the past, which is a great blessing and an occasional curse. Sora and friends often wander through interconnected and mostly barren environments, talking to various characters and frequently battling a few of the same enemy mobs on their way to trigger another cutscene so that they can backtrack and keep the story moving. Along the way, an uncooperative camera likes to get hung up on the architecture, and there are occasional platforming sections that seem to have been designed with tighter controls in mind. The latter issue is eventually alleviated once Sora gains new abilities that improve his agility, but such annoyances put a damper on the action..
It's relatively easy to tolerate occasional tedium because there is always something unexpected but delightfully familiar around the next turn to make up for it. For instance, you are greeted upon arrival in Wonderland by a scene in which the frantic White Rabbit rushes off to his audience with the Queen of Hearts. The events that follow that introduction largely mimic those seen in the classic animated feature Alice in Wonderland, and as you visit more such worlds, you influence the outcome of well-known stories and witness key characters in a new light. There's also a satisfying character progression system that lets you equip favored abilities, and whaling away on enemies with your keyblade is cathartic once you get used to monitoring Sora and his companions all at once.
Over time, the graphical impact the original releases once had has faded, but Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix applies a fresh coat of paint with modest success. Environments are still rather barren, but the backdrops are usually presented sharply, and the character models and action are animated beautifully. Presentation isn't entirely consistent, and some areas look more spectacular than others, but Remix doesn't feel antiquated, and the widescreen aspect ratio makes it easier to follow the combat.
Re:Chain of Memories, for its part, has gained the most compared to its original release. Square Enix at one point reworked the Game Boy Advance game for the PlayStation 2, and now that edition has been further tweaked. Many of the art assets from Final Mix are thus reused, and the story elements are similar (because Sora is now working his way through memories of his previous time spent in those worlds). If you've just played through Final Mix, jumping into its successor feels overly familiar, though combat and exploration are given a boost. Instead of simply running around and striking foes with his keyblade, Sora must activate cards from a deck he has built.
There's a lot of depth to the system, since you can form combos (at the risk of temporarily losing access to the first card in a series of three) and must consider placement of cards outside of battle. The process of navigating the world is also different. You connect rooms by placing expendable cards and often can determine what you find on the other side of a door. For instance, you might lay out a card that causes the ensuing area to be full of drowsy foes, or treasure. Though the new system is intimidating and awkward initially, the deck building eventually becomes more enthralling than anything featured in Final Mix.
The final game in the compilation, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, is presented only in a viewing mode. Instead of participating in an interactive fashion, you watch reworked cutscenes stitched together using art stills and brief text summaries. It's primarily an exercise in listening to dialogue as characters sit around eating ice cream on a clock tower, and the star of the story is now Roxas, an important figure who appears in Kingdom Hearts II. The story's structure works well to expand the Kingdom Hearts mythology beyond its apparent boundaries, though the lack of action leads to waning interest.
Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix presents a couple of the earliest games in the beloved series in their best light and makes a revealing cinematic experience out of a third one. The three experiences complement one another with unique elements and welcome context that is a treat for longtime fans and newcomers alike; plus, there's enough variety to keep everyone engaged for the 50 or 60 hours it can easily take to absorb everything. There was a time when the mixture of Disney and Final Fantasy characters felt magical, and this new compilation capably proves that the magic has not yet dissipated.
BioWare cofounder plays games with indigenous tribespeople
During a recent trip "deep" into the Ecuadorian rainforest, BioWare cofounder Ray Muzyka played iPad games with the Shuar tribespeople.
On his Flickr page (via Kotaku), Muzyka explained that members of the Shuar tribe shared their traditions and culture with him and then asked Muzyka to share something from his own culture.
Muzyka had his iPad with him and handed it over to allow the tribespeople to play air hockey on the Apple device.
"The indigenous tribespeople and the rest of our group enjoyed playing air hockey together on my iPad, with the local children all taking turns playing until we reluctantly had to call it a night," Muzyka wrote. "That evening was a lot of fun."
Muzyka left BioWare in September 2012 alongside other founder Greg Zeschuk after 17 years with the role-playing game studio. Muzyka is now working on various social impact endeavors, like getting involved with charities in education, health care, and animal rights. Meanwhile, Zeschuk has launched a web series called The Beer Diaries.
BioWare has appointed Matthew Bromberg, former head of BioWare Austin, as the group general manager for the entire BioWare label.
→ More coverage of PS4 on GameSpot.com
Sony refunds Final Fantasy XIV customers as servers remain unstable
Written By Kom Limpulnam on Kamis, 05 September 2013 | 23.26
The bungled relaunch of Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn has seen Sony fully refund customers who purchased the PlayStation Network version of the game on August 27 or August 28.
Affected customers will see a full refund to their wallet, the entitlements for the game reset, and the game reappearing in their download list. "We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your patience," says Sony.
The servers for Final Fantasy XIV have been overloaded since the game's relaunch a week ago, leading Square Enix to suspend digital sales in an attempt to balance the heavy load.
Square Enix has repeatedly apologised to users finding it impossible to play the MMO, and game director Naoki Yoshida has taken to the company's forums to explain that he expected far fewer players after FFXIV's first iteration flopped.
"The night following the announcement of our plans to temporarily limit sales of the download version," said Yoshida. "A Realm Reborn recorded upwards of 218,000 concurrent connections. This is in spite of the fact that the peak login times for separate regions around the world arrive at differing intervals. We estimate that without time zone differences, the total number of concurrent connections would number anywhere from 300,000 to 350,000."
"As many of you know, this is the second launch for Final Fantasy XIV--something unprecedented in the MMORPG market. Considering the outcome of our first launch, our sales estimates for this one were decidedly conservative, as we believed that there would be a more gradual rise in users over the opening weeks and months."
"Instead, to our pleasant surprise, we experienced tremendous support from a great number of players who were eager to get into the game from day one. To ensure that these players, once logged in, were able to play in a stable environment, we were required to implement login restrictions which kept server population near maximum capacity without exceeding those numbers."
"The fact that we had to implement these restrictions is a direct result of my inaccurate sales and login estimates, and as producer, I must accept complete responsibility for this misstep. Each and every player who has been affected has my deepest apologies."
Yoshida added that each World server in FFXIV can handle a maximum of 5000 concurrent connections, and that a higher amount of players leads to server crashes and errors. Square Enix has chosen to limit logins to give the servers room to breathe, and Yoshida says that the team is monitoring the Worlds "24 hours a day" in an attempt to strike the right balance.
Logins are more likely to be restricted between 21:00 and 00:00, Yoshida added, which is the peak login time for the game.
Earlier this week Square Enix offered an additional seven days of free play time as compensation for customers affected by the outages.
