http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Tue, 13 May 2014 08:33:28 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/399-xbox-one-without-kinect-launching-in-june/1100-6419601/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_NLK-jEDGc" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FO_NLK-jEDGc%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DO_NLK-jEDGc&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FO_NLK-jEDGc%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p><p style="">In a surprise announcement today, Microsoft officially revealed a Kinect-free Xbox One unit. The system goes on sale June 9 for $399 (£349 in the UK), putting it directly in line with the rival PlayStation 4. Microsoft will continue to offer the $499 standard Xbox One with Kinect.</p><p style="">"We've heard that you want more choices from Xbox One. You want a wide variety of options in your games and entertainment experiences and you also want options in your hardware selection," Head of Xbox Phil Spencer said. "To be clear, as we introduce this new Xbox One console option, Kinect remains an important part of our vision."</p><p style="">The new Xbox One Kinect-free unit is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-One-Standard-Kinect/dp/B00CMQTVUA/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1399994710&sr=1-1&keywords=Xbox+One+Console+-+Standard+Edition+without+Kinect&tag=gamespot-vg-20" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">available for preorder right now</a>.</p><p style="">Spencer said more than 80 percent of all Xbox One owners actively use Kinect, with an average of 120 voice commands per month on every console. If you buy a $399 Xbox One and decide later that you want Kinect, Microsoft will start selling standalone sensors sometime this fall. Pricing was not disclosed.</p><p style="">Microsoft's decision to remove Kinect from all Xbox One bundles could be problematic for developers and other entertainment providers, as they are now no longer guaranteed that people who pick up their products will have a Kinect camera. We'll have more on this news as it develops.</p><p style=""><em>Is this a smart move for Microsoft and the future of Xbox One? Let us know in the comments below!</em></p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 13 May 2014 07:49:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/399-xbox-one-without-kinect-launching-in-june/1100-6419601/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-already-has-a-clear-idea-about-its-next-hardware-what-do-you-think-it-will-be/1100-6419600/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2528200-wiiunewconsole.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2528200" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2528200-wiiunewconsole.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2528200"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2528200-wiiunewconsole.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">The Wii U and 3DS are still relatively new platforms, but Nintendo already has a "clear idea" about the direction it wants to take for its next hardware, president Satoru Iwata says. As part of a <a href="http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/library/events/140508qa/02.html" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">recent Q&A session</a> with analysts following <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/wii-u-sales-slow-to-a-crawl-as-nintendo-posts-457-million-loss/1100-6419475/" data-ref-id="1100-6419475">Nintendo's poor financial report</a>, Iwata explained that it's standard operating procedure to get to work on new hardware immediately following the release of a preceding platform, and this generation is no different.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Once we launch a new platform, we naturally start to prepare for the next one. As it takes several years to develop a single platform, if you ask us whether we are preparing for our next system, then the correct response will be that we are always developing new hardware," Iwata said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Iwata declined to say when this hardware will be released or what form it will take (Home console? Portable? Something else entirely?), but he made clear that Nintendo is not short on ideas. "I can certainly assure you that we are not at a dead end of any kind in which we are out of ideas for developing new hardware," Iwata said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The executive, who took a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-ceo-slashes-salary-in-half-to-apologise-for-wii-u-losses/1100-6417409/" data-ref-id="1100-6417409">50 percent pay cut earlier this year </a>to apologize for poor Wii U sales, went on to explain that, "launching new hardware will not produce good results unless we first make sure that those who have already purchased our platforms are satisfied."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">To that end, Iwata said Nintendo will "continue to work hard" to make sure that gamers who already own a Wii U or 3DS enjoy their purchases. At the same time, however, it's clear that Nintendo is preparing for the future.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"I would like to say that we are preparing for our next hardware system, and in fact, we already have a clear idea to some extent about the direction our next hardware is going to take," Iwata teased.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Though the Wii U may be struggling right now, having sold <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/wii-u-sales-reach-6-17-million-as-nintendo-reveals-best-selling-games-to-date/1100-6419486/" data-ref-id="1100-6419486">6.17 million units since launch in November 2012</a>, Iwata reminds us that the original Game Boy also got off to a slow start, but was later propelled to popularity through the release of a single title. The same could be true for the Wii U, he said. After all, new <a href="/mario-kart-8/" data-ref-id="false">Mario Kart</a>, <a href="/super-smash-bros-for-wii-u/" data-ref-id="false">Smash Bros.</a>, and<a href="/the-legend-of-zelda-wii-u/" data-ref-id="false"> Legend of Zelda</a> games are all coming to the system.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"The fate of a video game system is often influenced greatly by the introduction of a single title. As many of you probably remember, before the release of the Pokémon game, Game Boy had been showing slow growth, and many people wondered whether it was the end of Game Boy," Iwata said. "But the Pokémon game singlehandedly changed the landscape of the system, which then started to show the strongest sales in the lifecycle of the system."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Still, Iwata said it's unlikely that the Wii U ever matches the sales of the Wii, which is one the best-selling home consoles of all time, with over <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/wii-system-sales-cross-100-million-units/1100-6412271/" data-ref-id="1100-6412271">100 million units sold to date</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"As I explained back in January, it is true that we cannot draw up a good business plan for Wii U by assuming that Wii U will sell more than Wii did. Therefore, we will need to think very carefully about the balance of revenue and expenses and try to operate by controlling overall costs," Iwata said. "On the other hand, we do not believe that this year's estimate of <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/wii-u-sales-slow-to-a-crawl-as-nintendo-posts-457-million-loss/1100-6419475/" data-ref-id="1100-6419475">3.60 million units of Wii U hardware </a>will be the peak of its lifecycle, and we would like to work hard to make sure that we give sufficient momentum to the system so that we can expect good results in and after the next fiscal year, too. However, as for this fiscal year, as I explained before, the figures you see have been determined by rather conservative estimates."</p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 13 May 2014 07:34:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-already-has-a-clear-idea-about-its-next-hardware-what-do-you-think-it-will-be/1100-6419600/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-bringing-new-free-pokemon-game-to-3ds-in-japan/1100-6419599/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2528197-3733238879-Pikac.png" data-ref-id="1300-2528197" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2528197-3733238879-Pikac.png" data-ref-id="1300-2528197"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1493/14930800/2528197-3733238879-Pikac.png"></a><figcaption>Pikachu wants to see the new game come out in the US and Europe.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Nintendo will release a free Pokemon game for 3DS, in Japan at least, revolving around the events of the upcoming movie.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">This game is based upon the movie Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction--the seventeenth Pokemon movie, for those keeping count--which will see a theatrical release in Japan this July. Known as The Band of Thieves & 1000 Pokemon, the title refers to the villains from the movie and will be a StreetPass-focused affair where you collect Pokemon from passing other players and then challenge opponents. The team with the strongest side wins.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="http://www.serebii.net/index2.shtml" rel="nofollow">Pokemon supersite Serebii.net</a> posted the information from the latest issue of Japan's CoroCoro magazine, which regularly posts new information about Nintendo's long-running series. The game is said to be coming to the Japanese eShop on June 5, and will be available for a limited time.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">It is also said that the The Band of Thieves & 1000 Pokemon will offer up a special Pikachu, which will be music to the ears of any devoted Pokemon trainer.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">While Nintendo has not confirmed a release of The Band of Thieves & 1000 Pokemon outside of Japan, the company has recently announced a few Pokemon titles for worldwide release: drawing title <a href="/pokemon-art-academy/" data-ref-id="false">Pokemon Art Academy</a> and Pokemon remakes <a href="/pokemon-alpha-sapphire/" data-ref-id="false">Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Martin Gaston is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/squidmania" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @squidmania</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 13 May 2014 07:19:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-bringing-new-free-pokemon-game-to-3ds-in-japan/1100-6419599/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/learn-how-xbox-one-exclusive-sunset-overdrive-came-to-be-and-what-it-s-all-about/1100-6419598/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418761" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418761/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Resistance and Ratchet & Clank developer Insomniac Games is taking quite a new approach for its upcoming Xbox One-exclusive open-world game <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/sunset-overdrive/" data-ref-id="false">Sunset Overdrive</a>. You can <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/in-xbox-one-exclusive-sunset-overdrive-energy-drinks-are-evil/1100-6419496/" data-ref-id="1100-6419496">read our written preview</a> of the game that details the<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/in-xbox-one-exclusive-sunset-overdrive-energy-drinks-are-evil/1100-6419496/" data-ref-id="1100-6419496"> strange bird that it is</a>, but we now also have a video interview with the game's key developers.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In the video above, Insomniac Games developers including CEO Ted Price, creative director Marcus Smith, and game director Drew Murray speak about the original pitch for Sunset Overdrive, why it's not a children's game, and the important role fast-paced traversal will play.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We've learned over the years not to be afraid of failure. We fail all the time, whether it's on a grand scale or a micro scale," Price says. "But the key is never to stop trying different things, because then you stagnate and you don't learn from your failures. And certainly on this project, we tried a lot of things that didn't work."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Sunset Overdrive launches later this year only on Xbox One. For more, be sure to read <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/sunset-overdrive/" data-ref-id="false">GameSpot's previous coverage</a>.</p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 13 May 2014 06:59:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/learn-how-xbox-one-exclusive-sunset-overdrive-came-to-be-and-what-it-s-all-about/1100-6419598/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-on-mobile-paid-downloads-will-probably-go-away/1100-6419597/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2528181-eae3new.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2528181" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2528181-eae3new.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2528181"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2528181-eae3new.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Don't expect Electronic Arts to release many more paid mobile games. Going forward, it's going to be all about free-to-play for the massive Mass Effect and Battlefield publisher, CFO Blake Jorgensen said today during the Wedbush 2014 Transformational Technologies Management Access Conference in New York.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"I think paid downloads will probably go away. That business is very small for us now and at the end of the day, the consumer expects to get the game experience on a mobile device for free," Jorgensen said. "And they know they can grow that experience over time by monetizing or paying for more, or continuing to play for free. And you're going to a little bit of both of those. But I do think the upfront fee for downloading is probably slowly disappearing. And it's fine, because I think the experience for the user is more immersive; they are able to get in and experiment with titles."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The challenging part for companies like EA is discoverability. With thousands of games available on iTunes and Google Play, making your game stand out is "where the real expense is." But Jorgensen has an answer for this task, too.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">He said while other companies are spending an "awful lot" of money to promote their games on app stores, EA has the upper hand because of its catalog of already well-known franchises, including The Simpsons, The Sims, and EA Sports games like Madden and FIFA.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">What EA's been doing in the mobile space appears to be working. The company's mobile games have <a href="http://news.ea.com/press-release/company-news/electronic-arts-reports-q4-fy14-and-fy14-financial-results" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">130 million monthly active users</a> right now, and in fiscal year 2014 alone, players installed a whopping 600 million EA mobile games. Jorgensen admitted that only a "small portion" of players are paying for content, but this is<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/most-people-won-t-pay-for-world-of-tanks-on-xbox-360/1100-6417697/" data-ref-id="1100-6417697"> not atypical</a>, and Jorgensen said he anticipates that this figure will grow over time.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We feel that the install base is a very important number for us because you're essentially creating a network and a group of users that you can keep moving to other games over time. It reduces your cost of acquisition so to speak," he said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">What makes mobile great as a platform, Jorgensen went on to say, is the way in which developers can constantly tweak the experience in response to fan feedback. Mobile revenue set a new record for EA last year, making up <a href="http://news.ea.com/press-release/company-news/electronic-arts-reports-q4-fy14-and-fy14-financial-results" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">$460 million for the period</a>.</p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 13 May 2014 06:32:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-on-mobile-paid-downloads-will-probably-go-away/1100-6419597/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/the-sims-2-the-shaun-method/2300-6418756/ While Shaun is out at E3 Judges week, Chris Watters takes over to wreak havoc in The Sims 2. Come join the chat and tell us your favorite curse word in Simlish! Tue, 13 May 2014 06:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/the-sims-2-the-shaun-method/2300-6418756/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/dota-2-in-game-compendium-boosts-prize-fund-by-2-4-million-in-four-days/1100-6419596/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2528179-0772485737-meepo.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2528179" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2528179-0772485737-meepo.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2528179"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1493/14930800/2528179-0772485737-meepo.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">I know what most GameSpot users are thinking: "Martin, I couldn't give a fig about Dota 2." But Valve's digital compendium for its <a href="/dota-2/" data-ref-id="false">Dota 2</a> world championship The International has sold in such huge amounts that the total prize pool for the tournament is now more than $4 million. </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Sales of the $10 programme, which adds $2.50 to the prize pool with every purchase, have <a href="http://www.dota2.com/international/compendium/" rel="nofollow">inflated the total funds to $4,210,368 at time of writing</a>, massively up from the starting figure of $1.6m before the compendium went on sale on May 9. </p><p dir="ltr" style="">In short, Dota 2 is huge.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">By reaching the $4 million stretch goal, all compendium owners will now be gifted a mini-pudge courier at a later date. It won't be able to perform any dastardly fountain hooks, however. Remaining stretch goals include new music, a 1v1 mode, new environmental effects, and base customisation.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The International 2014 will take place in Seattle's KeyArena from July 18-21. Last year's victors, Alliance, will be there, alongside runners-up Na'Vi. Regional qualifiers for the remaining spots in the tournament are currently underway, starting with the American bracket this week and then heading into Southeast Asia, China, and finishing in Europe in a fortnight.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">All games from The International 2014 can be watched for free within the Dota 2 client.</p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Martin Gaston is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/squidmania" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @squidmania</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 13 May 2014 06:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/dota-2-in-game-compendium-boosts-prize-fund-by-2-4-million-in-four-days/1100-6419596/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/insomniac-games-explains-why-teddy-bears-trump-han/2300-6418761/ The creators of Ratchet & Clank share some exclusive footage for their new open-world action game and explain why their apocalypse has a silver lining. Tue, 13 May 2014 06:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/insomniac-games-explains-why-teddy-bears-trump-han/2300-6418761/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-ceo-to-take-up-to-a-50-percent-pay-cut/1100-6419595/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2528172-sony.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2528172" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2528172-sony.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2528172"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2528172-sony.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai and other top executives at the electronics giant will forgo their bonuses, taking up to a 50 percent pay cut in the process, it has been revealed. <a href="http://online.wsj.com/articles/sony-struggles-with-the-bottom-line-1399897614" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"><em>The Wall Street Journal</em> </a>reports the move, which comes a day before Sony is expected to announce its fourth annual loss in five years. The company anticipates that its <a href="http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/IR/financial/fr/13revision_sony.pdf" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">loss for the period will total ¥130 billion ($1.27 billion)</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Part of the tough times at Sony right now involve the company's PC business, which it <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-selling-pc-business-reforming-tv-unit-and-laying-off-5-000-people/1100-6417558/" data-ref-id="1100-6417558">intends to sell off</a>. Though the PlayStation 4 is the best-selling new console with <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-reports-7-million-playstation-4-consoles-sold-worldwide/1100-6419044/" data-ref-id="1100-6419044">7 million units sold</a>, <em>The Wall Street Journal</em> points out that Sony's projection to sell 20 million PlayStation devices in the 2014 fiscal year is actually lagging behind where it was six years ago by 45 percent in terms of total hardware sold.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Hirai, the former head of the PlayStation business, was named CEO of Sony in 2012. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata also<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-ceo-slashes-salary-in-half-to-apologise-for-wii-u-losses/1100-6417409/" data-ref-id="1100-6417409"> took a 50 percent pay cut earlier this year</a>, as the Mario maker struggled to reach financial projections. Check back tomorrow, May 14, for more on Sony's financial performance.</p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 13 May 2014 05:52:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-ceo-to-take-up-to-a-50-percent-pay-cut/1100-6419595/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/10-year-blizzard-veteran-joins-star-citizen-team/1100-6419594/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/mig/3/3/6/3/2013363-684995_20121009_002.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2013363" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/mig/3/3/6/3/2013363-684995_20121009_002.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2013363"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/mig/3/3/6/3/2013363-684995_20121009_002.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="/diablo-iii/" data-ref-id="false">Diablo III</a> lead producer Alex Mayberry has left Blizzard Entertainment for<a href="/star-citizen/" data-ref-id="false"> Star Citizen</a> studio Cloud Imperium Games, the company announced today. He will work as an executive producer at the studio, leading development on the massively successful crowdfunded game.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">At Cloud Imperium Games, Mayberry will oversee all development on Star Citizen. He will also be responsible for managing the company's development studios across the world. Mayberry will report directly to Cloud Imperium Games CEO Chris Roberts.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"After 10 years at Blizzard, I didn't think that there was anything that could ever get me to leave," Mayberry said. "But then Chris invited me to come check out Star Citizen, and after seeing the game and listening to Chris talk about his vision, I knew that I had to be a part of it."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Star Citizen is the most successful crowdfunded project--of any kind--in history. Its crowdfunding campaign originally began in October 2012 and to date, gamers have backed the project to the tune of <a href="https://robertsspaceindustries.com/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">$43.6 million</a>.</p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 13 May 2014 05:18:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/10-year-blizzard-veteran-joins-star-citizen-team/1100-6419594/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/alien-artist-h-r-giger-dead-at-74/1100-6419593/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2528157-alien.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2528157" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2528157-alien.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2528157"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2528157-alien.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Swiss surrealist artist H.R. Giger, designer of the monster from classic 1979 sci-fi film <em>Alien</em>, has died, his museum confirmed to <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/13/us-people-giger-idUSKBN0DT0HX20140513" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Reuters</a>. He was 74.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">An employee for the H.R. Giger Museum told Reuters that Giger died Monday from injuries sustained from a fall. His death was originally reported by Swiss media.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Giger won an Oscar for creating the monster from Ridley Scott's <em>Alien</em>. He did the art for the <a href="/dark-seed/" data-ref-id="false">Dark Seed</a> series, and id Software designer John Romero said <a href="/doom/" data-ref-id="false">Doom</a>'s art, including walls that look like spines, screaming faces, and hellish monsters, was <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/id-devs-worked-100-hour-weeks-to-make-doom/1100-6417366/" data-ref-id="1100-6417366">partially inspired by Giger</a>.</p><p style="">His reach extends beyond film and video games. Giger also created the microphone stand Korn singer Jonathan Davis uses for live performances. Meanwhile, guitar-maker Ibanez created a line of guitars based on Giger's work.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 13 May 2014 04:55:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/alien-artist-h-r-giger-dead-at-74/1100-6419593/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-witcher-3-could-run-slightly-better-on-ps4-than-xbox-one/1100-6419592/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2427511-_bmuploads_2014-01-29_8610_online_screenshot_%282%29.png" data-ref-id="1300-2427511" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2427511-_bmuploads_2014-01-29_8610_online_screenshot_%282%29.png" data-ref-id="1300-2427511"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/536/5360430/2427511-_bmuploads_2014-01-29_8610_online_screenshot_%282%29.png"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">There is a possibility that the PlayStation 4 version of CD Projekt Red's upcoming role-playing game <a href="/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt/" data-ref-id="false">The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt </a>will run better than the Xbox One version. "There's a chance it will," <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-05-13-the-witcher-3-may-run-better-on-ps4-than-xbox-one" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="2014-05">Eurogamer reports </a>after speaking with CD Projekt Red cofounder and co-CEO Marcin Iwinski.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We are still working on squeezing the juice out of the consoles and Microsoft are supporting us in this respect," Iwinski said. "The final effect, whether it's 720p, 1080p--we had the debate in the studio about it and actually asked our tech guys to explain how it works, and they sent me some complicated graphs that 'if I have this size of the screen, and I sit one meter or two meters from it, then I might be able to see the difference.'"</p><p dir="ltr" style="">A past report suggested the PS4 version of The Witcher 3 would run in 900p/30fps, while the Xbox One iteration would come out at 720p/30fps. CD Projekt Red said this was "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-witcher-3-dev-comments-on-900p-720p-ps4-xbox-one-resolution-speculation-it-s-just-a-rumor/1100-6418955/" data-ref-id="1100-6418955">just a rumor</a>" and that official details about resolution and frame-rate would come later.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Iwinski went on to say that the differentiation between 720p and 1080p is really more of a PR move that Sony is leveraging for its own benefit rather than "something that is really meaningful to gamers." All the same, he said CD Projekt Red is doing its best to "max out" the performance of both the PS4 and Xbox One versions of The Witcher 3.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We're definitely working to max out each of the platforms in terms of what we can get, because that's a crucial element of The Witcher. Will there be big differences? Really I don't think so. It's too early to say. If there will be, they will be tiny. It will be more like people talking 'hey, I have this and you have that and this is better.'"</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Of course, The Witcher 3 is not yet in a final state. CD Projekt Red has a good chunk of time between now and the game's <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-witcher-3-delayed-to-february-2015-for-xbox-one-ps4-and-pc/1100-6418237/" data-ref-id="1100-6418237">February 2015 release date </a>to perform optimizations. Iwinski pointed out that the PC version of The Witcher 3 will be capable of scaling up beyond what the consoles are capable of, just because of the inherent nature of PCs.</p><p style="">Lastly, the developer said if The Witcher 3 ends up using PS4 and Xbox One system-exclusive features like PlayStation Move or Kinect, respectively, fans can be assured that their implementation will be meaningful. "If there's added value, we will consider that. If it's just a fancy picture to put on the back of the box, we'll skip it," marketing director Michal Platkow-Gillewski said.</p><p style="">The Witcher 3 launches February 2015 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. For more, be sure to read <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt/" data-ref-id="false">GameSpot's previous coverage</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 13 May 2014 04:28:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-witcher-3-could-run-slightly-better-on-ps4-than-xbox-one/1100-6419592/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/playstation-plus-free-game-this-week-is-skullgirls-encore/1100-6419591/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6371327" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6371327/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""><a href="/skullgirls/" data-ref-id="false">Skullgirls</a> Encore will be available for free to PlayStation Plus subscribers in the US starting today, May 13, Sony has said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Skullgirls Encore is a major update for the 2D fighting game, offering faster gameplay and a bevy of balance updates. GameSpot certainly liked it, at any rate, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/skullgirls-review/1900-6371316/">awarding the game an 8 in its original review</a>. The game's first male Skullgirls character, Big Band, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/skullgirls-first-male-character-big-band-arrives-next-week/1100-6419082/">also arrived last month as free DLC</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Joining Skullgirls Encore <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/playstation-plus-free-games-of-may-for-ps4-ps3-and-vita-announced/1100-6419159/" data-ref-id="1100-6419159">in the PlayStation Plus lineup for May</a> is Puppeteer, Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 on PS3, Limbo and Surge Deluxe on Vita, and Stick it to the Man on PS4.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">European subscribers, meanwhile, can get their hands on Puppeteer, Payday 2, Muramasa Rebirth, Everybody's Golf, and Stick it to the Man.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Martin Gaston is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/squidmania" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @squidmania</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 13 May 2014 03:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/playstation-plus-free-game-this-week-is-skullgirls-encore/1100-6419591/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-set-to-remove-xbox-one-and-xbox-360-gold-paywall-for-netflix-hulu-and-more-report/1100-6419590/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2528113-9767951201-44609.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2528113" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2528113-9767951201-44609.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2528113"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1493/14930800/2528113-9767951201-44609.jpg"></a><figcaption>Without an active Gold subscription, this family was forced to play Kinect Adventures instead of watching House of Cards.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Microsoft looks set to remove the Xbox Live Gold barrier for access to video streaming services, such as Netflix, on Xbox One and Xbox 360, <a href="http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2014/05/rumor-xbox-live-to-remove-gold-requirement-for-netflix-hulu/" rel="nofollow">according to a new report on Arstechnica</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Xbox Live Gold costs $60 per year, and is required to play multiplayer games and, for now at least, access streaming services. Gold subscribers also often get earlier access to certain game demos, discount offers, and the ability to use Internet Explorer.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The move, then, would allow users to access apps like Netflix, YouTube, and Hulu. There would still be the respective charges to access each service, of course.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The move, if true, would allow Microsoft to remain competitive with Sony and Nintendo, who both offer access to such services free of charge on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and Wii U. Not to mention the increasing competition from various electronic doodads and mobile devices, such as Google's Chromecast, the Amazon Fire TV, and the Apple TV.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Microsoft has regularly been criticised for its paywall approach towards streaming apps, and the decision also heavily delayed the release of the BBC iPlayer app on Xbox 360 in the UK.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Arstechnica also suggests that new or existing services may dip behind the Xbox Live Gold paywall to take the place of streaming services, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-original-shows-either-only-on-xbox-or-best-on-xbox/1100-6419561/" data-ref-id="1100-6419561">such as the upcoming slate of TV shows from Xbox Entertainment</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Martin Gaston is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/squidmania" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @squidmania</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 13 May 2014 02:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-set-to-remove-xbox-one-and-xbox-360-gold-paywall-for-netflix-hulu-and-more-report/1100-6419590/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/better-game-of-thrones-crossover-super-mario-world-or-hearthstone/1100-6419589/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2528029-tyrion.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2528029" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2528029-tyrion.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2528029"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/280/2802776/2528029-tyrion.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Being such a huge TV and book series, Game of Thrones (or A Song of Ice and Fire, if you're a book reader) is a popular choice for fan-made crossovers. This week has brought with it two especially good Game of Thrones crossovers: one making use of <a href="/super-mario-world/" data-ref-id="false">Super Mario World</a>, and the other using <a href="/hearthstone-heroes-of-warcraft/" data-ref-id="false">Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft</a>.</p><p style="">The first of the two is YouTube user NickspolosionFX's "Video Game of Thrones" video (via <a href="http://kotaku.com/if-game-of-thrones-were-set-in-super-mario-world-1575286074" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Kotaku</a>), which re-imagines Game of Thrones' memorable opening sequence using the Super Mario World map. Complete with a retro-themed version of the show's theme song (courtesy of YouTube channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/floatingpointmusic" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Floating Point</a>, which publishes 8-bit versions of a variety of video game songs), the video takes us on a familiar journey across Dinosaur Land.</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2528032-got+hearthstone+cards.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2528032" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2528032-got+hearthstone+cards.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2528032"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/280/2802776/2528032-got+hearthstone+cards.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Making the video all the more authentic are sequences where parts of Super Mario World levels raise up out of the ground, similar to those on the show. If that weren't enough, it even recreates the camera angle used as Game of Thrones' intro sweeps over Essos. A side-by-side <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1KjPb_cViQ" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">comparison video</a> shows just how dead-on this recreation is.</p><p style="">Another commendable fan-created effort is a series of Game of Thrones-themed Hearthstone cards put together by <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/hearthstone/comments/257dtu/game_of_stones_i_combined_my_two_favorite/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Reddit </a>user randomnate. The cards' stats and abilities are far from balanced--they're not in the game, after all, so it doesn't really matter--but they are a fun look at what could be possible if Hearthstone were mod-compatible. But beware: some cards could be construed as containing some light spoilers, so you might want to avoid looking at them if you haven't started the series and want to go in completely fresh.</p><p style="">Which of these two crossovers do you like more? Let us know in the comments below and feel free to share any other video game crossovers you enjoy.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFSiiiFkvhM" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FeFSiiiFkvhM%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DeFSiiiFkvhM&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FeFSiiiFkvhM%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSmokingManX" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com<br /></strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Mon, 12 May 2014 21:18:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/better-game-of-thrones-crossover-super-mario-world-or-hearthstone/1100-6419589/
http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Tue, 13 May 2014 08:33:28 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/399-xbox-one-without-kinect-launching-in-june/1100-6419601/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_NLK-jEDGc" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FO_NLK-jEDGc%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DO_NLK-jEDGc&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FO_NLK-jEDGc%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p><p style="">In a surprise announcement today, Microsoft officially revealed a Kinect-free Xbox One unit. The system goes on sale June 9 for $399 (£349 in the UK), putting it directly in line with the rival PlayStation 4. Microsoft will continue to offer the $499 standard Xbox One with Kinect.</p><p style="">"We've heard that you want more choices from Xbox One. You want a wide variety of options in your games and entertainment experiences and you also want options in your hardware selection," Head of Xbox Phil Spencer said. "To be clear, as we introduce this new Xbox One console option, Kinect remains an important part of our vision."</p><p style="">The new Xbox One Kinect-free unit is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-One-Standard-Kinect/dp/B00CMQTVUA/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1399994710&sr=1-1&keywords=Xbox+One+Console+-+Standard+Edition+without+Kinect&tag=gamespot-vg-20" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">available for preorder right now</a>.</p><p style="">Spencer said more than 80 percent of all Xbox One owners actively use Kinect, with an average of 120 voice commands per month on every console. If you buy a $399 Xbox One and decide later that you want Kinect, Microsoft will start selling standalone sensors sometime this fall. Pricing was not disclosed.</p><p style="">Microsoft's decision to remove Kinect from all Xbox One bundles could be problematic for developers and other entertainment providers, as they are now no longer guaranteed that people who pick up their products will have a Kinect camera. We'll have more on this news as it develops.</p><p style=""><em>Is this a smart move for Microsoft and the future of Xbox One? Let us know in the comments below!</em></p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 13 May 2014 07:49:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/399-xbox-one-without-kinect-launching-in-june/1100-6419601/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-already-has-a-clear-idea-about-its-next-hardware-what-do-you-think-it-will-be/1100-6419600/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2528200-wiiunewconsole.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2528200" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2528200-wiiunewconsole.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2528200"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2528200-wiiunewconsole.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">The Wii U and 3DS are still relatively new platforms, but Nintendo already has a "clear idea" about the direction it wants to take for its next hardware, president Satoru Iwata says. As part of a <a href="http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/library/events/140508qa/02.html" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">recent Q&A session</a> with analysts following <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/wii-u-sales-slow-to-a-crawl-as-nintendo-posts-457-million-loss/1100-6419475/" data-ref-id="1100-6419475">Nintendo's poor financial report</a>, Iwata explained that it's standard operating procedure to get to work on new hardware immediately following the release of a preceding platform, and this generation is no different.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Once we launch a new platform, we naturally start to prepare for the next one. As it takes several years to develop a single platform, if you ask us whether we are preparing for our next system, then the correct response will be that we are always developing new hardware," Iwata said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Iwata declined to say when this hardware will be released or what form it will take (Home console? Portable? Something else entirely?), but he made clear that Nintendo is not short on ideas. "I can certainly assure you that we are not at a dead end of any kind in which we are out of ideas for developing new hardware," Iwata said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The executive, who took a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-ceo-slashes-salary-in-half-to-apologise-for-wii-u-losses/1100-6417409/" data-ref-id="1100-6417409">50 percent pay cut earlier this year </a>to apologize for poor Wii U sales, went on to explain that, "launching new hardware will not produce good results unless we first make sure that those who have already purchased our platforms are satisfied."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">To that end, Iwata said Nintendo will "continue to work hard" to make sure that gamers who already own a Wii U or 3DS enjoy their purchases. At the same time, however, it's clear that Nintendo is preparing for the future.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"I would like to say that we are preparing for our next hardware system, and in fact, we already have a clear idea to some extent about the direction our next hardware is going to take," Iwata teased.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Though the Wii U may be struggling right now, having sold <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/wii-u-sales-reach-6-17-million-as-nintendo-reveals-best-selling-games-to-date/1100-6419486/" data-ref-id="1100-6419486">6.17 million units since launch in November 2012</a>, Iwata reminds us that the original Game Boy also got off to a slow start, but was later propelled to popularity through the release of a single title. The same could be true for the Wii U, he said. After all, new <a href="/mario-kart-8/" data-ref-id="false">Mario Kart</a>, <a href="/super-smash-bros-for-wii-u/" data-ref-id="false">Smash Bros.</a>, and<a href="/the-legend-of-zelda-wii-u/" data-ref-id="false"> Legend of Zelda</a> games are all coming to the system.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"The fate of a video game system is often influenced greatly by the introduction of a single title. As many of you probably remember, before the release of the Pokémon game, Game Boy had been showing slow growth, and many people wondered whether it was the end of Game Boy," Iwata said. "But the Pokémon game singlehandedly changed the landscape of the system, which then started to show the strongest sales in the lifecycle of the system."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Still, Iwata said it's unlikely that the Wii U ever matches the sales of the Wii, which is one the best-selling home consoles of all time, with over <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/wii-system-sales-cross-100-million-units/1100-6412271/" data-ref-id="1100-6412271">100 million units sold to date</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"As I explained back in January, it is true that we cannot draw up a good business plan for Wii U by assuming that Wii U will sell more than Wii did. Therefore, we will need to think very carefully about the balance of revenue and expenses and try to operate by controlling overall costs," Iwata said. "On the other hand, we do not believe that this year's estimate of <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/wii-u-sales-slow-to-a-crawl-as-nintendo-posts-457-million-loss/1100-6419475/" data-ref-id="1100-6419475">3.60 million units of Wii U hardware </a>will be the peak of its lifecycle, and we would like to work hard to make sure that we give sufficient momentum to the system so that we can expect good results in and after the next fiscal year, too. However, as for this fiscal year, as I explained before, the figures you see have been determined by rather conservative estimates."</p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 13 May 2014 07:34:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-already-has-a-clear-idea-about-its-next-hardware-what-do-you-think-it-will-be/1100-6419600/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-bringing-new-free-pokemon-game-to-3ds-in-japan/1100-6419599/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2528197-3733238879-Pikac.png" data-ref-id="1300-2528197" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2528197-3733238879-Pikac.png" data-ref-id="1300-2528197"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1493/14930800/2528197-3733238879-Pikac.png"></a><figcaption>Pikachu wants to see the new game come out in the US and Europe.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Nintendo will release a free Pokemon game for 3DS, in Japan at least, revolving around the events of the upcoming movie.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">This game is based upon the movie Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction--the seventeenth Pokemon movie, for those keeping count--which will see a theatrical release in Japan this July. Known as The Band of Thieves & 1000 Pokemon, the title refers to the villains from the movie and will be a StreetPass-focused affair where you collect Pokemon from passing other players and then challenge opponents. The team with the strongest side wins.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="http://www.serebii.net/index2.shtml" rel="nofollow">Pokemon supersite Serebii.net</a> posted the information from the latest issue of Japan's CoroCoro magazine, which regularly posts new information about Nintendo's long-running series. The game is said to be coming to the Japanese eShop on June 5, and will be available for a limited time.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">It is also said that the The Band of Thieves & 1000 Pokemon will offer up a special Pikachu, which will be music to the ears of any devoted Pokemon trainer.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">While Nintendo has not confirmed a release of The Band of Thieves & 1000 Pokemon outside of Japan, the company has recently announced a few Pokemon titles for worldwide release: drawing title <a href="/pokemon-art-academy/" data-ref-id="false">Pokemon Art Academy</a> and Pokemon remakes <a href="/pokemon-alpha-sapphire/" data-ref-id="false">Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Martin Gaston is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/squidmania" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @squidmania</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 13 May 2014 07:19:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-bringing-new-free-pokemon-game-to-3ds-in-japan/1100-6419599/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/learn-how-xbox-one-exclusive-sunset-overdrive-came-to-be-and-what-it-s-all-about/1100-6419598/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418761" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418761/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Resistance and Ratchet & Clank developer Insomniac Games is taking quite a new approach for its upcoming Xbox One-exclusive open-world game <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/sunset-overdrive/" data-ref-id="false">Sunset Overdrive</a>. You can <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/in-xbox-one-exclusive-sunset-overdrive-energy-drinks-are-evil/1100-6419496/" data-ref-id="1100-6419496">read our written preview</a> of the game that details the<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/in-xbox-one-exclusive-sunset-overdrive-energy-drinks-are-evil/1100-6419496/" data-ref-id="1100-6419496"> strange bird that it is</a>, but we now also have a video interview with the game's key developers.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In the video above, Insomniac Games developers including CEO Ted Price, creative director Marcus Smith, and game director Drew Murray speak about the original pitch for Sunset Overdrive, why it's not a children's game, and the important role fast-paced traversal will play.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We've learned over the years not to be afraid of failure. We fail all the time, whether it's on a grand scale or a micro scale," Price says. "But the key is never to stop trying different things, because then you stagnate and you don't learn from your failures. And certainly on this project, we tried a lot of things that didn't work."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Sunset Overdrive launches later this year only on Xbox One. For more, be sure to read <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/sunset-overdrive/" data-ref-id="false">GameSpot's previous coverage</a>.</p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 13 May 2014 06:59:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/learn-how-xbox-one-exclusive-sunset-overdrive-came-to-be-and-what-it-s-all-about/1100-6419598/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-on-mobile-paid-downloads-will-probably-go-away/1100-6419597/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2528181-eae3new.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2528181" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2528181-eae3new.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2528181"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2528181-eae3new.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Don't expect Electronic Arts to release many more paid mobile games. Going forward, it's going to be all about free-to-play for the massive Mass Effect and Battlefield publisher, CFO Blake Jorgensen said today during the Wedbush 2014 Transformational Technologies Management Access Conference in New York.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"I think paid downloads will probably go away. That business is very small for us now and at the end of the day, the consumer expects to get the game experience on a mobile device for free," Jorgensen said. "And they know they can grow that experience over time by monetizing or paying for more, or continuing to play for free. And you're going to a little bit of both of those. But I do think the upfront fee for downloading is probably slowly disappearing. And it's fine, because I think the experience for the user is more immersive; they are able to get in and experiment with titles."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The challenging part for companies like EA is discoverability. With thousands of games available on iTunes and Google Play, making your game stand out is "where the real expense is." But Jorgensen has an answer for this task, too.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">He said while other companies are spending an "awful lot" of money to promote their games on app stores, EA has the upper hand because of its catalog of already well-known franchises, including The Simpsons, The Sims, and EA Sports games like Madden and FIFA.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">What EA's been doing in the mobile space appears to be working. The company's mobile games have <a href="http://news.ea.com/press-release/company-news/electronic-arts-reports-q4-fy14-and-fy14-financial-results" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">130 million monthly active users</a> right now, and in fiscal year 2014 alone, players installed a whopping 600 million EA mobile games. Jorgensen admitted that only a "small portion" of players are paying for content, but this is<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/most-people-won-t-pay-for-world-of-tanks-on-xbox-360/1100-6417697/" data-ref-id="1100-6417697"> not atypical</a>, and Jorgensen said he anticipates that this figure will grow over time.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We feel that the install base is a very important number for us because you're essentially creating a network and a group of users that you can keep moving to other games over time. It reduces your cost of acquisition so to speak," he said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">What makes mobile great as a platform, Jorgensen went on to say, is the way in which developers can constantly tweak the experience in response to fan feedback. Mobile revenue set a new record for EA last year, making up <a href="http://news.ea.com/press-release/company-news/electronic-arts-reports-q4-fy14-and-fy14-financial-results" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">$460 million for the period</a>.</p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 13 May 2014 06:32:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-on-mobile-paid-downloads-will-probably-go-away/1100-6419597/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/the-sims-2-the-shaun-method/2300-6418756/ While Shaun is out at E3 Judges week, Chris Watters takes over to wreak havoc in The Sims 2. Come join the chat and tell us your favorite curse word in Simlish! Tue, 13 May 2014 06:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/the-sims-2-the-shaun-method/2300-6418756/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/dota-2-in-game-compendium-boosts-prize-fund-by-2-4-million-in-four-days/1100-6419596/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2528179-0772485737-meepo.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2528179" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2528179-0772485737-meepo.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2528179"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1493/14930800/2528179-0772485737-meepo.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">I know what most GameSpot users are thinking: "Martin, I couldn't give a fig about Dota 2." But Valve's digital compendium for its <a href="/dota-2/" data-ref-id="false">Dota 2</a> world championship The International has sold in such huge amounts that the total prize pool for the tournament is now more than $4 million. </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Sales of the $10 programme, which adds $2.50 to the prize pool with every purchase, have <a href="http://www.dota2.com/international/compendium/" rel="nofollow">inflated the total funds to $4,210,368 at time of writing</a>, massively up from the starting figure of $1.6m before the compendium went on sale on May 9. </p><p dir="ltr" style="">In short, Dota 2 is huge.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">By reaching the $4 million stretch goal, all compendium owners will now be gifted a mini-pudge courier at a later date. It won't be able to perform any dastardly fountain hooks, however. Remaining stretch goals include new music, a 1v1 mode, new environmental effects, and base customisation.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The International 2014 will take place in Seattle's KeyArena from July 18-21. Last year's victors, Alliance, will be there, alongside runners-up Na'Vi. Regional qualifiers for the remaining spots in the tournament are currently underway, starting with the American bracket this week and then heading into Southeast Asia, China, and finishing in Europe in a fortnight.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">All games from The International 2014 can be watched for free within the Dota 2 client.</p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Martin Gaston is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/squidmania" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @squidmania</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 13 May 2014 06:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/dota-2-in-game-compendium-boosts-prize-fund-by-2-4-million-in-four-days/1100-6419596/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/insomniac-games-explains-why-teddy-bears-trump-han/2300-6418761/ The creators of Ratchet & Clank share some exclusive footage for their new open-world action game and explain why their apocalypse has a silver lining. Tue, 13 May 2014 06:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/insomniac-games-explains-why-teddy-bears-trump-han/2300-6418761/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-ceo-to-take-up-to-a-50-percent-pay-cut/1100-6419595/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2528172-sony.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2528172" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2528172-sony.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2528172"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2528172-sony.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai and other top executives at the electronics giant will forgo their bonuses, taking up to a 50 percent pay cut in the process, it has been revealed. <a href="http://online.wsj.com/articles/sony-struggles-with-the-bottom-line-1399897614" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"><em>The Wall Street Journal</em> </a>reports the move, which comes a day before Sony is expected to announce its fourth annual loss in five years. The company anticipates that its <a href="http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/IR/financial/fr/13revision_sony.pdf" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">loss for the period will total ¥130 billion ($1.27 billion)</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Part of the tough times at Sony right now involve the company's PC business, which it <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-selling-pc-business-reforming-tv-unit-and-laying-off-5-000-people/1100-6417558/" data-ref-id="1100-6417558">intends to sell off</a>. Though the PlayStation 4 is the best-selling new console with <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-reports-7-million-playstation-4-consoles-sold-worldwide/1100-6419044/" data-ref-id="1100-6419044">7 million units sold</a>, <em>The Wall Street Journal</em> points out that Sony's projection to sell 20 million PlayStation devices in the 2014 fiscal year is actually lagging behind where it was six years ago by 45 percent in terms of total hardware sold.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Hirai, the former head of the PlayStation business, was named CEO of Sony in 2012. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata also<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-ceo-slashes-salary-in-half-to-apologise-for-wii-u-losses/1100-6417409/" data-ref-id="1100-6417409"> took a 50 percent pay cut earlier this year</a>, as the Mario maker struggled to reach financial projections. Check back tomorrow, May 14, for more on Sony's financial performance.</p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 13 May 2014 05:52:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-ceo-to-take-up-to-a-50-percent-pay-cut/1100-6419595/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/10-year-blizzard-veteran-joins-star-citizen-team/1100-6419594/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/mig/3/3/6/3/2013363-684995_20121009_002.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2013363" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/mig/3/3/6/3/2013363-684995_20121009_002.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2013363"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/mig/3/3/6/3/2013363-684995_20121009_002.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="/diablo-iii/" data-ref-id="false">Diablo III</a> lead producer Alex Mayberry has left Blizzard Entertainment for<a href="/star-citizen/" data-ref-id="false"> Star Citizen</a> studio Cloud Imperium Games, the company announced today. He will work as an executive producer at the studio, leading development on the massively successful crowdfunded game.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">At Cloud Imperium Games, Mayberry will oversee all development on Star Citizen. He will also be responsible for managing the company's development studios across the world. Mayberry will report directly to Cloud Imperium Games CEO Chris Roberts.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"After 10 years at Blizzard, I didn't think that there was anything that could ever get me to leave," Mayberry said. "But then Chris invited me to come check out Star Citizen, and after seeing the game and listening to Chris talk about his vision, I knew that I had to be a part of it."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Star Citizen is the most successful crowdfunded project--of any kind--in history. Its crowdfunding campaign originally began in October 2012 and to date, gamers have backed the project to the tune of <a href="https://robertsspaceindustries.com/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">$43.6 million</a>.</p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 13 May 2014 05:18:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/10-year-blizzard-veteran-joins-star-citizen-team/1100-6419594/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/alien-artist-h-r-giger-dead-at-74/1100-6419593/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2528157-alien.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2528157" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2528157-alien.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2528157"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2528157-alien.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Swiss surrealist artist H.R. Giger, designer of the monster from classic 1979 sci-fi film <em>Alien</em>, has died, his museum confirmed to <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/13/us-people-giger-idUSKBN0DT0HX20140513" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Reuters</a>. He was 74.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">An employee for the H.R. Giger Museum told Reuters that Giger died Monday from injuries sustained from a fall. His death was originally reported by Swiss media.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Giger won an Oscar for creating the monster from Ridley Scott's <em>Alien</em>. He did the art for the <a href="/dark-seed/" data-ref-id="false">Dark Seed</a> series, and id Software designer John Romero said <a href="/doom/" data-ref-id="false">Doom</a>'s art, including walls that look like spines, screaming faces, and hellish monsters, was <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/id-devs-worked-100-hour-weeks-to-make-doom/1100-6417366/" data-ref-id="1100-6417366">partially inspired by Giger</a>.</p><p style="">His reach extends beyond film and video games. Giger also created the microphone stand Korn singer Jonathan Davis uses for live performances. Meanwhile, guitar-maker Ibanez created a line of guitars based on Giger's work.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 13 May 2014 04:55:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/alien-artist-h-r-giger-dead-at-74/1100-6419593/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-witcher-3-could-run-slightly-better-on-ps4-than-xbox-one/1100-6419592/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2427511-_bmuploads_2014-01-29_8610_online_screenshot_%282%29.png" data-ref-id="1300-2427511" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2427511-_bmuploads_2014-01-29_8610_online_screenshot_%282%29.png" data-ref-id="1300-2427511"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/536/5360430/2427511-_bmuploads_2014-01-29_8610_online_screenshot_%282%29.png"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">There is a possibility that the PlayStation 4 version of CD Projekt Red's upcoming role-playing game <a href="/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt/" data-ref-id="false">The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt </a>will run better than the Xbox One version. "There's a chance it will," <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-05-13-the-witcher-3-may-run-better-on-ps4-than-xbox-one" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="2014-05">Eurogamer reports </a>after speaking with CD Projekt Red cofounder and co-CEO Marcin Iwinski.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We are still working on squeezing the juice out of the consoles and Microsoft are supporting us in this respect," Iwinski said. "The final effect, whether it's 720p, 1080p--we had the debate in the studio about it and actually asked our tech guys to explain how it works, and they sent me some complicated graphs that 'if I have this size of the screen, and I sit one meter or two meters from it, then I might be able to see the difference.'"</p><p dir="ltr" style="">A past report suggested the PS4 version of The Witcher 3 would run in 900p/30fps, while the Xbox One iteration would come out at 720p/30fps. CD Projekt Red said this was "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-witcher-3-dev-comments-on-900p-720p-ps4-xbox-one-resolution-speculation-it-s-just-a-rumor/1100-6418955/" data-ref-id="1100-6418955">just a rumor</a>" and that official details about resolution and frame-rate would come later.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Iwinski went on to say that the differentiation between 720p and 1080p is really more of a PR move that Sony is leveraging for its own benefit rather than "something that is really meaningful to gamers." All the same, he said CD Projekt Red is doing its best to "max out" the performance of both the PS4 and Xbox One versions of The Witcher 3.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We're definitely working to max out each of the platforms in terms of what we can get, because that's a crucial element of The Witcher. Will there be big differences? Really I don't think so. It's too early to say. If there will be, they will be tiny. It will be more like people talking 'hey, I have this and you have that and this is better.'"</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Of course, The Witcher 3 is not yet in a final state. CD Projekt Red has a good chunk of time between now and the game's <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-witcher-3-delayed-to-february-2015-for-xbox-one-ps4-and-pc/1100-6418237/" data-ref-id="1100-6418237">February 2015 release date </a>to perform optimizations. Iwinski pointed out that the PC version of The Witcher 3 will be capable of scaling up beyond what the consoles are capable of, just because of the inherent nature of PCs.</p><p style="">Lastly, the developer said if The Witcher 3 ends up using PS4 and Xbox One system-exclusive features like PlayStation Move or Kinect, respectively, fans can be assured that their implementation will be meaningful. "If there's added value, we will consider that. If it's just a fancy picture to put on the back of the box, we'll skip it," marketing director Michal Platkow-Gillewski said.</p><p style="">The Witcher 3 launches February 2015 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. For more, be sure to read <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt/" data-ref-id="false">GameSpot's previous coverage</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 13 May 2014 04:28:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-witcher-3-could-run-slightly-better-on-ps4-than-xbox-one/1100-6419592/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/playstation-plus-free-game-this-week-is-skullgirls-encore/1100-6419591/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6371327" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6371327/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""><a href="/skullgirls/" data-ref-id="false">Skullgirls</a> Encore will be available for free to PlayStation Plus subscribers in the US starting today, May 13, Sony has said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Skullgirls Encore is a major update for the 2D fighting game, offering faster gameplay and a bevy of balance updates. GameSpot certainly liked it, at any rate, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/skullgirls-review/1900-6371316/">awarding the game an 8 in its original review</a>. The game's first male Skullgirls character, Big Band, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/skullgirls-first-male-character-big-band-arrives-next-week/1100-6419082/">also arrived last month as free DLC</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Joining Skullgirls Encore <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/playstation-plus-free-games-of-may-for-ps4-ps3-and-vita-announced/1100-6419159/" data-ref-id="1100-6419159">in the PlayStation Plus lineup for May</a> is Puppeteer, Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 on PS3, Limbo and Surge Deluxe on Vita, and Stick it to the Man on PS4.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">European subscribers, meanwhile, can get their hands on Puppeteer, Payday 2, Muramasa Rebirth, Everybody's Golf, and Stick it to the Man.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Martin Gaston is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/squidmania" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @squidmania</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 13 May 2014 03:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/playstation-plus-free-game-this-week-is-skullgirls-encore/1100-6419591/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-set-to-remove-xbox-one-and-xbox-360-gold-paywall-for-netflix-hulu-and-more-report/1100-6419590/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2528113-9767951201-44609.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2528113" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2528113-9767951201-44609.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2528113"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1493/14930800/2528113-9767951201-44609.jpg"></a><figcaption>Without an active Gold subscription, this family was forced to play Kinect Adventures instead of watching House of Cards.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Microsoft looks set to remove the Xbox Live Gold barrier for access to video streaming services, such as Netflix, on Xbox One and Xbox 360, <a href="http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2014/05/rumor-xbox-live-to-remove-gold-requirement-for-netflix-hulu/" rel="nofollow">according to a new report on Arstechnica</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Xbox Live Gold costs $60 per year, and is required to play multiplayer games and, for now at least, access streaming services. Gold subscribers also often get earlier access to certain game demos, discount offers, and the ability to use Internet Explorer.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The move, then, would allow users to access apps like Netflix, YouTube, and Hulu. There would still be the respective charges to access each service, of course.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The move, if true, would allow Microsoft to remain competitive with Sony and Nintendo, who both offer access to such services free of charge on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and Wii U. Not to mention the increasing competition from various electronic doodads and mobile devices, such as Google's Chromecast, the Amazon Fire TV, and the Apple TV.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Microsoft has regularly been criticised for its paywall approach towards streaming apps, and the decision also heavily delayed the release of the BBC iPlayer app on Xbox 360 in the UK.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Arstechnica also suggests that new or existing services may dip behind the Xbox Live Gold paywall to take the place of streaming services, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-original-shows-either-only-on-xbox-or-best-on-xbox/1100-6419561/" data-ref-id="1100-6419561">such as the upcoming slate of TV shows from Xbox Entertainment</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Martin Gaston is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/squidmania" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @squidmania</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 13 May 2014 02:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-set-to-remove-xbox-one-and-xbox-360-gold-paywall-for-netflix-hulu-and-more-report/1100-6419590/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/better-game-of-thrones-crossover-super-mario-world-or-hearthstone/1100-6419589/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2528029-tyrion.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2528029" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2528029-tyrion.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2528029"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/280/2802776/2528029-tyrion.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Being such a huge TV and book series, Game of Thrones (or A Song of Ice and Fire, if you're a book reader) is a popular choice for fan-made crossovers. This week has brought with it two especially good Game of Thrones crossovers: one making use of <a href="/super-mario-world/" data-ref-id="false">Super Mario World</a>, and the other using <a href="/hearthstone-heroes-of-warcraft/" data-ref-id="false">Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft</a>.</p><p style="">The first of the two is YouTube user NickspolosionFX's "Video Game of Thrones" video (via <a href="http://kotaku.com/if-game-of-thrones-were-set-in-super-mario-world-1575286074" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Kotaku</a>), which re-imagines Game of Thrones' memorable opening sequence using the Super Mario World map. Complete with a retro-themed version of the show's theme song (courtesy of YouTube channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/floatingpointmusic" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Floating Point</a>, which publishes 8-bit versions of a variety of video game songs), the video takes us on a familiar journey across Dinosaur Land.</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2528032-got+hearthstone+cards.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2528032" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2528032-got+hearthstone+cards.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2528032"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/280/2802776/2528032-got+hearthstone+cards.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Making the video all the more authentic are sequences where parts of Super Mario World levels raise up out of the ground, similar to those on the show. If that weren't enough, it even recreates the camera angle used as Game of Thrones' intro sweeps over Essos. A side-by-side <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1KjPb_cViQ" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">comparison video</a> shows just how dead-on this recreation is.</p><p style="">Another commendable fan-created effort is a series of Game of Thrones-themed Hearthstone cards put together by <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/hearthstone/comments/257dtu/game_of_stones_i_combined_my_two_favorite/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Reddit </a>user randomnate. The cards' stats and abilities are far from balanced--they're not in the game, after all, so it doesn't really matter--but they are a fun look at what could be possible if Hearthstone were mod-compatible. But beware: some cards could be construed as containing some light spoilers, so you might want to avoid looking at them if you haven't started the series and want to go in completely fresh.</p><p style="">Which of these two crossovers do you like more? Let us know in the comments below and feel free to share any other video game crossovers you enjoy.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFSiiiFkvhM" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FeFSiiiFkvhM%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DeFSiiiFkvhM&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FeFSiiiFkvhM%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSmokingManX" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com<br /></strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Mon, 12 May 2014 21:18:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/better-game-of-thrones-crossover-super-mario-world-or-hearthstone/1100-6419589/
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