The upcoming online shooter Dirty Bomb from developer Splash Damage is still in beta, but a few big additions are coming later this week: a new Merc design, a new mode, and a new map.
If you're unfamiliar with the game, you can read our impressions from last month. But in short, Dirty Bomb is a multiplayer-only game set in a near-future London. The city has been ravaged by a radioactive weapon, and you take on the role of a mercenary to loot the city for money, meds, and information.
We recently talked with the developer about the additions coming to the current beta as well as how monetization is going to work in Dirty Bomb.
GameSpot: We've seen Nader before, but this Merc's been changed up considerably it seems. Can you tell us more about her?
Splash Damage: Nader's still German and fond of her grenade launcher. We had a few improvements we wanted to make to how her grenade launcher works, which both makes it feel better to use and less likely to cause unexpected explosions!
Where does Nader fit in compared to the other characters in the game? What's she great at compared to the others, and where are her weaknesses? Who is she best paired up with in a three-character loadout?
In many ways, Nader is a more mobile version of Fragger; her grenades aren't quite as powerful, but she has more of them and can use them in mid-range combat more easily. Normally either Nader or Fragger are picked to give solid front line hitting power and the capability to quickly clear out enemy deployables like mines and health stations, letting Proxy and Bushwhacker get to the objective for a quick C4 plant or defuse. Nader's Martyrdom ability is the other reason that she tends to end up a bit closer to objectives than Fragger, as her last resort detonation can sometimes be the thing that prevents a last-second enemy defuse.
You're also unveiling a new mode--Execution. What's this mode all about?
Execution is Dirty Bomb's take on the classic "bombing run" game mode, with a series of attacking and defending rounds and one life per player. It's a fairly familiar ruleset for shooter players, but when you add in our Merc synergy and energetic action, it really feels like something different… suddenly a single Merc ability use can change an entire round, be it a timely revive on Proxy or Bushwhacker, a Heartbeat Sensor that reveals an enemy rush to a particular bombsite, or an Airstrike that wipes out an entire enemy team. Add the ability to swap Mercs in between rounds to counter the enemy's strategy, and it really makes for an interesting tactical battle outside of the moment-to-moment gameplay.
It is a prototype game mode, which means we plan to see what players think of it and evolve it rapidly before adding final polish.
The game's primarily built on pace. What sort of strategic concerns will people have to take into consideration when playing Execution?
In a phrase, "balanced aggression." No respawns means that attacking players will often back off quickly after the first engagement, and the defenders are left with the choice of pushing forward to finish off the enemy or keep to the objective defense locations.
The various Merc support specialties of healing, ammo supply, and quick C4 plant/defuse are what give the gameplay its most interesting facets. It's to a degree true in Objective and Stopwatch modes, but no respawns ends up making Defibs and PDAs real game changers!
Let's talk about this new map. What details can you share? How will the action flow through this new location?
Many players from earlier in the Closed Beta will have played iterations of this map, which we feel has taken many of the best aspects of the other maps to make a really well-playing Dirty Bomb level. It's set in the Greenwich area of London and called Dome, as the distinctive Millennium Dome lurks in the background. The map has been designed with our movement system foremost in mind, and also features numerous secondary objectives for each primary objective stage, which gives a great ebb and flow to the carnage.
The most striking thing about the map visually is that it's most definitely far from finished! Just like Execution Mode, we want to get player feedback and collect metrics before we start layering on the polish, as mentioned we've already been doing this with Dome, and have made adjustments to the blockout geometry each time we've made it available for play.
Dirty Bomb's a free-to-play game. Can you talk a little about how monetization will work?
The current monetization centers around Mercs and their Loadout Cards. Players can spend gameplay-earned Credits or real money to permanently unlock the various Mercs. We're also working on various other elements such as Credit Boosters, Elite Cases (which contain higher rarity Loadout Cards), and various bundles containing Merc unlocks and Loadout Cards or Cases. Loadout Cards let players pursue different playstyles for a particular Merc by swapping out weapons and Augments, which are bonuses that apply to in-game action. The majority of these configurations are available at low rarity so they can be acquired easily, whereas the rarer Loadout Cards have visual improvements over their lower rarity counterparts. We're already working to address some player feedback on the overall balance of the Augments, as it's a paramount concern of ours that they be on an equal playing field.
Again our approach to our content is similar to how we're developing Execution Mode and new maps like Dome: We want to have different items ready to go, but ultimately we'll be prioritising according to what players want. We hope to grow the catalog organically, just as the community of Dirty Bomb players grows.
Dirty Bomb is still in closed beta, but sign-ups are available on the developer's official website here.
It's been more than 25 years since the original Chip's Challenge, an addicting tile-based puzzle game developed by Chuck Sommerville, was released back in 1989 for Windows 3.1 and Atari Lynx. But now the original, and its previously unreleased sequel, are coming to Steam--and soon.
Nkidu Games, the publisher of Chip's Challenge, announced today that the original game and the sequel will be released on Steam on May 28. The original will cost $2, while the sequel will be $5. A special bundle that includes both games, along with a map editor for the sequel, will be available for $5.
As for why Chip's Challenge 2 was never released, Sommerville says the game's original trademark was sold to another company, which asked him to fund the publishing of the game. He says he couldn't afford to do this, and had to shelve the game.
"When I couldn't release Chip's Challenge 2, it hit me really hard," Sommerville said in a statement. "Not only had I spent two years perfecting it, I also felt I'd let down the fans too. I generally thought the only way Chip's Challenge 2 was ever going to see the light of day was by having my wife leak it on the Internet on my death."
But it doesn't have to come to that, as the game is finally coming out of the shadows. Chip's Challenge 2 delivers 200 new levels and packs in 79 additional total game elements, including more abilities and monsters. In addition, you get to play as the hero of the first game, Chip, as well as his girlfriend Melinda.
A trailer for Chip's Challenge 2 is above.
I played so much Chip's Challenge growing up and am eager to try the sequel. What about you? Let us know in the comments below!
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The 90-second trailer shows off the game's 16th Century China setting along with its new female hero, Shao Jun, whom we first met in the Assassin's Creed Embers short.
In the game, players will travel to famous real-world places like the Maijishan Grottoes, the Port of Macau, the Forbidden City, and the Great Wall of China. Jun is equipped with all manner of deadly weapons, including a secret shoe blade, rope darts, and daggers, among other things.
In terms of story, Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China is all about vengeance. Jun returns to her homeland (after leaving to train under Ezio Auditore from Assassin's Creed II) and exacts her vengeance upon those who killed off her Assassin compatriots.
Looking ahead, Ubisoft will release two more Assassin's Creed Chronicles games after China. They are Assassin's Creed Chronicles: Russia (set during the Red October revolution) and Assassin's Creed Chronicles India (set in the 19th century Sikh Empire). Release dates for these games have not been announced.
Universal Pictures on Monday released a new trailer for Jurassic World, and it does not disappoint.
The "official trailer," as they're calling it, dives into the story of why park organizers decided to make a mutant dino (you can probably guess why). And it also has some nice action sequences and beautiful vistas.
We also get a closer look at the monster-sized genetically modified dinosaur that is, unfortunately for park attendees, super-intelligent. It even hunts for sport.
On top of that, the video shows off Chris Pratt's character working together with velociraptors (and dudes with machine guns) to hunt hunt down the mighty dino and bring peace to the park.
Jurassic World hits theaters on June 12. You can watch the movie and then enjoy E3 a week later.
Following his arrest last year, Pirate Bay co-founder Fredrik Neij is now serving time in a Swedish prison for his involvement with the controversial file-sharing site. Now, it's come to light that Neij's request for a Nintendo Entertainment System to play as he serves out his year-long sentence has been denied.
Neij
Swedish news publication expressen.se reports that Neij's request for the 8-bit console was shut down, but not because gaming is prohibited at the prison. Rather, those in charge of the prison said they were not able to open the NES (without breaking it) to determine if there was any contraband inside.
"The console is sealed in such a way that it can not be opened without the machine being destroyed," the prison explained, as translated by TorrenFreak. "In light of this, the institution can't implement the necessary control of the game console and it is therefore impossible to ensure that it does not contain prohibited items."
Neij said he doesn't agree with the prison's decision to deny him the console and plans to appeal. He says the console, which was released in the 1980s and has no online functionality, shouldn't be seen as a threat to prison security. He adds that the prison need only purchase a screwdriver to open the NES.
Pirate Bay co-founders Neij, as well as Gottfrid Svartholm Warg and Peter Sunde, were found guilty in 2009 of establishing the internationally popular file-sharing site. Each received one-year prison sentences and were ordered to collectively play 30 million Swedish kronor (about $3.6 million at the time) in damages to copyright holders, according to GameSpot sister site CNET.
After their conviction, and subsequent appeals, Neij and the other Pirate Bay co-founders went on the run. Warg was arrested in Cambodia in 2012, while Sunde was nabbed in Sweden. Neij was the last of the Pirate Bay founders to evade capture before he was eventually picked up in Thailand in November 2014.
Eurogamer asked DICE general manager Patrick Bach what the studio is doing to avoid the perception that Battlefront is nothing more than a "big-budget Battlefield mod." Bach listed out a number of reasons why he thinks Battlefront is so much more than that, which includes things like returning to the "roots" of Battlefront and working closely with LucasFilm, among other things.
"Let me go back to when we got our hands on it, when it all started," Bach said. "The whole idea of building a Star Wars Battlefront game is about two things. First of all, it's called Star Wars Battlefront for a reason, so [we're] going back to the roots and the core ethos of that. And then on top of that, it's Star Wars together with LucasFilm. So we have the opportunity to work with them on this; it's a super tight relationship. We have daily contact with them--they approve everything, we discuss everything with them. It's super tight."
"So, that doesn't really marry with the thought of making it in a mold, right?" he added.
Bach went on to say that the main idea for DICE's Battlefront was to "clear the table" and start anew. He also acknowledges that, yes, Battlefront does bear some similarities to the developer's famous Battlefield franchise, but said this doesn't have to be a bad thing.
"In some ways you could argue it's close to what we've done before--because it's something awesome and people want that--but in other ways it was like no, let's go down this route because it fits with the IP, it fits with what Star Wars stands for," he said. "And again, if you are nitpicking, the details on the stuff you've seen, you will spot a lot of these things."
People will more easily be able to understand the differences between Battlefront and Battlefield once they finally get to play it, Bach said.
Finally, he stressed that DICE's ambition with Battlefront was to build something totally new for the studio.
"So, again, we have not had the intention of or even had the process of building something that should resemble anything that we've done before," he said. That is not how this game has been built."
For lots more on Battlefront, read Eurogamer's full interview with Bach--it covers numerous other subjects, and also features quotes from the game's design director Niklas Fegraeus.
[UPDATE] GameStop has published an extended cut of the original Spartan Locke trailer. We've added that above.
The original story is below.
Microsoft and GameStop today released a new Halo 5: Guardians trailer that shows off the Spartan Locke Armor Set, which will be available only at GameStop to people who pre-order the upcoming Xbox One title.
The pre-order offer is valid at all GameStop stores in the United States. The Spartan Locke "HUNTER-Class" armor will be available to use in the game's multiplayer mode from day one.
Here's a breakdown of the content, courtesy of Microsoft.
HUNTER-Class Helmet: Though still considered a prototype implementation, the HUNTER's sensor suite enhances situational and threat awareness.
Halo 5 launches October 27 exclusively for Xbox One. GameStop is also offering a special Halo 5 poster to anyone who preorders with them. Retailer-specific pre-order bonuses for other stores have not been announced yet.
Spartan Locke is described as "the UNSC's elite manhunter," and in the Halo 5 campaign is seeking out Master Chief. Locke is even a playable character in Halo 5, though you'll also get to play as Chief, of course.
The nature of the Locke/Chief relationship remains unclear, though it certainly sounds interesting. Mike Colter, who played Locke in Ridley Scott's live-action Halo: Nightfall, mentioned previously that he "can't confirm whether he's a friend or foe of Master Chief," but he also offered up some more clues about that relationship. Locke is on a manhunt for Master Chief, however, "...you won't know what the purpose of finding Master Chief is [right away]. Or what will happen if we do find him, what condition he will be in, and where he's at mentally. But I'm sure that'll be a plot twist in Halo 5."
Addressing Halo 5 overall, Microsoft said today that the new Xbox One shooter is a major leap forward for the franchise. "Featuring new and classic weapons, a host of brand-new Spartan abilities that completely transform the way you engage enemies, and more, Halo 5: Guardians marks the greatest evolution in franchise history," it said.
Officially, Microsoft has said that Windows 10--the company's next operating system--will launch sometime this summer. But now, a more specific release window has emerged by way of comments from AMD president and CEO Lisa Su.
As part of a wider response to an analyst's question about channel inventory, Su said during a recent earnings call (via The Verge) that Windows 10 will arrive at the end of July.
"What we also are factoring in is, with the Windows 10 launch at the end of July, we're watching the impact of that on the back-to-school season and expect that it might have a bit of a delay to the normal back-to-school season inventory build-up," she said.
Of course, Su's comments might not be accurate. But, as The Verge notes, AMD--a major worldwide force in the PC space--is likely well-informed regarding Microsoft's rollout plans for the new operating system.
A Microsoft representative told GameSpot, "Microsoft has said Windows 10 will launch this summer. We have nothing additional to share."
Predecessor Windows 8, released in October 2012, was controversial in that it introduced a touch-focused tile design that was markedly different to Windows 7. Microsoft addressed these criticisms with frequent--and substantial updates--including Windows 8.1.
The company isn't starting over with Windows 10, but Microsoft appears to be taking a more traditional approach with the new OS.
"We believe that, together with the feedback you provide us, we can build a product that all of our customers will love," Windows executive Terry Myerson said last year. "It will be our most open collaborate OS projects ever."
Star Wars: Battlefront, the upcoming first- and third-person shooter from Battlefield developer DICE and based on the Original Trilogy, is aiming to run at 60fps. That's according to designer director Niklas Fegraeus, who revealed the game's target frame rate and lots more during a recent Twitter Q&A session.
Below are highlights from what Fegraeus had to say, along with other comments from the official EA Star Wars Twitter account.
Some notable topics include the level of destruction Battlefront will have (interesting since one of the hallmarks of DICE's other series, Battlefield is destruction), as well as the number of planets, maps, and modes that will be available at launch.
Destruction: "We're using destruction where it make sense but also working to create something that is authentic to the universe." [source]
Map sizes will vary: "We have varying map sizes, from large to small, to cater to different experiences and different modes." [source]
Playable Heroes include Darth Vader, Boba Fett, and more to be revealed later: "You can play more than that, but so far we have only revealed Vader and Boba Fett. More will come." [source]
Comparisons to original Battlefront games: "It is both different and similar in many ways. This is why we have done a reboot instead of calling it Battlefront 3." [source]
There won't be space battles, but some air combat is featured: "You will be able to take to the skies over our planets and dogfight with squadrons of starfighters." [source]
Playable Heroes will depend on the particular game mode: "Heroes depend heavily on the game mode. We will tell you more about heroes at a later date." [source]
Will have plenty of powerups: "Yes, the shield is a Battlefront powerup, and we have many more to reveal in the future." [source]
Will have a progression system: "Yes, there will be plenty of things to unlock, achieve, and collect. More on this will be revealed at a later date!" [source]
Will feature four planets at launch: Endor, Hoth, Tatooine, and Sullust [source]
PC specs have not been announced. But "it's going to look amazing on all platforms." [source]
Will have more than 8 maps at launch, and more than two per planet [source]
Blizzard Entertainment on Monday announced that its upcoming MOBA, Heroes of the Storm, will officially arrive on June 2. An open beta period for the free-to-play PC game, meanwhile, will start on May 19.
Previously, Heroes of the Storm was available through a closed beta, which 9 million people have signed up for to date, according to MMO Champion.
Heroes of the Storm is a free-to-play MOBA not unlike League of Legends or DOTA 2. Blizzard's MOBA brings together characters from the developer's suite of franchises, including Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo, among others.
Some of the game modes that will be available for Heroes of the Storm at launch include Cooperative, where players fight against AI opponents, as well as Quick Match. MOBA veterans, meanwhile, might be more interested in the game's "highly competitive, draft-style ranked play" modes, Blizzard said.
You can check out a new trailer for Heroes of the Storm above.
In a statement, Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime said Heroes of the Storm is a "fresh take" on the MOBA genre, given its focus on "team play and fast-paced fun." He adds that Heroes of the Storm will be accessible to newcomers while also offering a challenge to experienced players.
At launch, Heroes of the Storm will feature 30+ playable Heroes and 7 maps. Players can deck out their Heroes with skins, while a variety of mounts are also available to help you get across the map faster.
Blizzard also announced today that it will hold a special live-stream event on June 1 from London to mark the launch of Heroes of the Storm the next day. More details about this event will be shared later.
In other recent Heroes of the Storm news, the finale of the Heroes of the Dorm college eSports tournament will be held this coming Sunday, April 26. This event will take place in Los Angeles and will be streamed live on ESPN3.
Godus co-creator Jack Attridge, referred to as Peter Molyneux's "protege," has left Molyneux's independent development studio, 22Cans. His last day was Friday, April 17, 22Cans writes on Twitter.
Attridge himself also tweeted about his departure from 22Cans, saying," Goodbye 22Cans. Has been lovely. It's time to create something of my own. I can't wait to talk about my new venture!"
His decision to leave 22Cans comes after the UK studio found itself embroiled in controversy just two months ago regarding broken promises for Godus. However, Attridge says in an interview with The Guardianthat he actually made his choice to leave 22Cans back in January, before controversy around Godus blew up in February.
"It was January that I said to Peter I was looking to leave 22Cans and go off to start my own thing," he said. "I was really worried that it might be perceived that I was leaving the studio because of that. It really is a shame because that felt like such a terrible time for us to part ways."
Regarding his initial hiring at 22Cans--Attridge formerly worked for Electronic Arts and Rebellion--he said he was excited by Molyneux's pitch for the studio. "He said he wanted to change the world," Attridge recalled Molyneux saying.
"After meeting him he said to me why don't you come along as a designer, but also as his kind of protege," he said. "For a good year it was just me and him designing crazy stuff together every day."
But as time went on, Attridge said he became more of an "adviser," when he really wanted to "steer my own ship."
So Attridge left 22Cans, and has founded his own studio that's currently working on an unannounced game. He showed an early tech demo of his new project to The Guardian, but says he won't reveal the game in full until later so as to avoid over-promising and under-delivering.
"I vowed that I'm not going to say anything about this new game until we can show it," he said. "It's really tempting to show it off and talk about it now because we think we've got something magical on our hands. We want people to be able to see it and to feel it and to understand that it is the product in front of them and not something else."
As for 22Cans, it will move on without Attridge as it works on continued development for Godus (still in Early Access on Steam), along with a new project called The Trail. Don't expect to see this game anytime soon, however.
"We're going to make our mistakes and go down those blind alleys privately before presenting the game to the world," Molyneux said back in February.
For more on Attridge's decision to leave 22Cans, his thoughts on Molyneux as a leader and designer, and lots more, check out The Guardian's full story.
With under two months to go before E3 2015, Microsoft has started to tease its plans for the show. Xbox boss Phil Spencer writes on Twitter that fans can expect this year's event to feel "different" from past shows, primarily because Microsoft is going to focus more on first-party titles with its briefing than previous events.
Spencer revealed the news on Twitter in a back-and-forth with fans who asked about what Microsoft may have up its sleeve for E3 2015. He started off by teasing that Microsoft "should have new exclusive IP at E3," adding that he is "trying to make this E3 more about first-party than past E3s."
This doesn't mean third-party games will be missing at Microsoft's E3 showing this summer, Spencer stressed in a follow-up tweet. "And to be clear we will have third-party deals, it's just, [in my opinion], important to focus on and support our first-party," he said.
Spencer went on to say that he's aware that Microsoft's new first-party E3 focus means this year's show might "feel different from past E3s." However, "I like focusing on our games," he explained.
Spencer and the rest of the Xbox planning team are scheduled to hold an internal meeting today, April 20, to discuss what Microsoft will show during its E3 presentation. He said Microsoft will hold a "full-day content review for E3" on Monday, in an effort to look at "everything we might show."
He went on to say that days like today are "some of the best work days; inspiring."
E3 2015 begins with Bethesda's press conference on Sunday, June 14. Though official plans have not yet been announced, Microsoft historically holds its press conference on Monday morning of E3 week (June 15), with Electronic Arts and Ubisoft holding theirs later in the day, capped off by Sony's in the evening. Nintendo is expected to follow on the Tuesday of E3 week with its own event.
GameSpot will be on the ground in Los Angeles reporting live from the show all week long.
Shadow of the Beast is a tiny indie project that's trying to suggest the opposite is true. Its developer Heavy Spectrum has a core team small enough to be counted on two hands, yet the ambition here is to lace the game with enough special effects and visual flair that it comes across as a polished extravaganza. Not triple-A exactly, but in the ballpark.
The outcome is curious; it's a little archaic, reverting to side-scrolling platforming and button-mash fisticuffs (think of a marriage between God of War and the original Prince of Persia), yet punctuated with lovingly crafted details and striking vistas to make it stand out.
Rendered in 3D yet fixed to a side-on perspective, the gameplay is as straightforward as the 1989 original (run right, jump ledges, decapitate enemies) though now benefitting from cinematic effects that flaunt the sheer brutality on display. At times the camera will break free and swoop in for a close-up of enemies being impaled by the monstrous claws of the game's bestial hero, Aarbron. Blood explodes from the necks of foes whose heads have been torn off and tossed into the air, splattering blotches of crimson across the camera lens.
Click on the thumbnails below to view in full screen
Yes, it's all so very crude, but it isn't brainless. The world of Karamoon is laced with its own myths and history, depicting an ancient civilisation buried among the sands of an alien wasteland. Stretching out into the horizon is what appears to be the upturned carcass of an unfathomably colossal beast, its eroded ribcage so vast that it creates an extraordinary skyline. Spires of bone stretch out into the sky, made into silhouettes by an unbearably bright sun that hangs low.
There's a resonance to this world, a sense that all its parts belong to a wider mythology. Considering Heavy Spectrum's workforce limitations, it's remarkable enough that Shadow of the Beast is an attractive 3D game, let alone one with a soul.
"Sony is one of the companies that are still trying to make games better"
Matt Birch
Such a feat would not be possible if it weren't for its principal designer Matt Birch, who had stayed up until three in the morning the night before our interview to polish the demo code. That's the kind of person he is; one with so much passion for Shadow of the Beast that, when he finally revealed the project for the first time, he tried in vain to hold his emotions.
"We've got hundreds of pages of text explaining why everything belongs in the world, what its history is," he says. "The demo we're showing has thousands of words that I've written explaining the back-story. I deliberately want to not expose all that to the player, I want to make sure there are mysteries and gaps that people can fill with their own imagination."
It wouldn't be hard to imagine that Birch only interrupts his work to eat and sleep. The project is now more than two years old, but couldn't have reached this pre-alpha phase were it not for his unrelenting love for Shadow of the Beast, his infectious passion, his somewhat unnerving determination to succeed.
It also wouldn't be possible without the help and resources provided by Sony, he says. "Before Sony announced its plans for PlayStation 4, they showed us the specs and asked what we thought we could do with them. I couldn't believe they were revealing this to us. It was one of those pinch-yourself moments."
Birch, who previously held a managerial role at the now-defunct EA Bright Light, went on to found Heavy Spectrum with his wife. Though the project would likely be far further along in production had he hired more staff, Birch would be the one paying the salaries, and as such decided to keep the team small.
"I really appreciate how Sony respected my wishes for the studio to stay creative and small," he says. "Sony is one of the companies that are still trying to make games better."
For Birch, better doesn't necessarily mean original. In terms of its core combat design, Shadow of the Beast has more in common with games from the eighties (Kung Fu Master, Double Dragon, et al) than those of the modern era. Granted, there is a God of War rhythm to the light and heavy attacks, and moments of strategy and counter-hits, but overall it's a cathartic massacre played out by pressing the same sequence of buttons a few hundred times.
Blood splatters on the screen frequently enough to be desensitised after ten minutes.
Which is to say, it's just like the original Shadow of the Beast; a game released 25 years ago and generally forgotten by the masses, but arguably the reason why Birch took a career in games and wanted to retell its story to new people.
"Shadow of the Beast was a defining moment of my childhood. I remember going around a friend's house; he just got an Amiga and showed me the game. I remember being just... awestruck by it, and every time I took the bus home from his house it was all I could think of.
"Those bus journeys were probably the moment I realised games were not just about challenge. They have worlds and stories that you can take with you."
Shadow of the Beast will ship exclusively on PlayStation 4. Heavy Spectrum has yet to confirm its release date plans.
Anyone who's followed Schofield on Twitter knows he's an artist and has seen some of his portraits before. But this new website collects his entire body of work, which is quite expansive and impressive.
Schofield's "Icon" series depicts people who "stand out for their talent and/or accomplishments, whether good or bad." Some examples include Dr. Phil, President Obama, Oprah, and Yasser Arafat, among many others. Animals are also included in the Icon series, because the animal world has icons, too, Schofield says.
The portraits ("some call these Icons caricatures but they are my way of doing portraits," Schofield says) are created by hand using "dozens" of different types and size ink pens.
"I take pride in my line of work and I'm always pushing myself," Schofield says on the website. "I draw all of the time and average about one Icon every two days."
Schofield also does acrylic paintings, focusing primarily on nature, including landscapes and seascapes. You can see all of Schofield's Icons portraits here and his acrylic paintings here.
Before joining the video game industry, Schofield earned a BFA from Pratt Institute and an MBA and an Honorary Doctorate from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. He got his start as a freelance illustrator in New York City, before later moving to video games.
He's worked on more than 45 video games in all, including various licensed James Bond titles, while he co-created the Dead Space franchise and later started Sledgehammer Games.
With the Call of Duty series now on a three-year, three-studio development cycle, that would suggest Sledgehammer's next game would be due to launch in 2017. This game, of course, has not been announced. However, the developer has a number of open positions posted to its website.
A possible payload of Mass Effect 4 details has emerged online, offering some suggestions on the game's key features and premise.
The new details first appeared on Reddit, purportedly taken from an online survey that was shown to a fan of the series. Many fans have attempted to prove that the survey is accurate, and some insist that it is, but there is not yet any clear evidence outright confirming its validity.
Should the survey details prove to be accurate, it should be noted that these are potential design ideas, and not necessarily features already designed and coded.
It is unclear why EA would release sensitive details of its game through a survey, if it has at all, although the corporation has done so in the past, more than once, for other titles such as Dragon Age: Inquisition.
The standout facts from the alleged Mass Effect 4 survey suggest that the game will be distinctly separate from the previous trilogy, and will take on the role of a new hero, a "pathfinder" explorer searching for a new home for humanity.
In a game world said to be several times bigger than Mass Effect 3, players will be able to explore "hundreds" of solar systems. Some gameplay components from the original trilogy will still exist in Mass Effect 4, such as the option to choose two teammates to bring with you on individual missions.
In terms of interstellar exploration, players may be able to build settlements on habitable planets, the type of which will provide various bonuses.
It also appears that developer BioWare wants to introduce major technological feats, with the game apparently able to let players "transition between flying ship, to landing on planet, to driving Mako, to getting out on foot, all seamless with no loading screens."
Meanwhile, among the game's side quests is the option to raid ancient ruins and activating "Remnant Monoliths", which will reward players with valuable loot and crafting resources.
BioWare has yet to provide a final name for Mass Effect 4, while publisher EA has yet to reveal a release date.
A full summary of the purported survey details, as published on NeoGAF, can be found below.
NARRATIVE:
Premise: Set in the Helius Cluster of the Andromeda Galaxy, removed by time and space from the Mass Effect "Commander Shepard" trilogy and its ending. Play as a "Pathfinder" explorer leading expedition with the aim of establishing new home for humanity. Encounter "savage untamed lands", "cut-throat outlaws", and "warring alien races" in an effort to survive and colonies. Andromeda is home to a mysterious alien race, the Remnants, who've left their vaults and ancient technology throughout.
Game Objective: Explore 100s of solar systems (over 4x size of Mass Effect 3) collecting resources, developing your ship, crew, and arsenal, while engaging in diplomacy in order to set up colonies, while discovering the mystery behind the Remnants and racing to secure their technology.
New Species: Remnants, an ancient race who've left ruins and technology throughout the galaxy. And Khet, seemingly antagonistic.
Squadmates: Same as previous games: make friends, take two with you on missions. Cora is able to generate biotic shields you can fire out of. Drack is a Krogan.
Loyalty Missions: Same as previous games: complete to unlock increased loyalty and new skill tree for that character. Example: Krogan colony ship has been stolen by outlaws. Track down the ship and return it to increase loyalty with Drack. Dialogue trees and end game impacted by loyalty status.
Dialogue: "Meaningful choices". Deeper control over responses, such as interrupting conversation. Action based choices are physical choices to shape the course of conversation, such as pulling out a weapon and forcing them to open a door instead of attempting to do so purely via conversation.
EXPLORATION/CUSTOMISATION
Tempest Starship: Pilotable ship to discover 100s of solar systems. Customisable with trophies/loot/photos taken through the galaxy. Transition between flying ship, to landing on planet, to driving Mako, to getting out on foot, all seamless with no loading screens.
Mako Vehicle: Upgradeable with turbo boost, shield generator, hostile detector, etc. Customisable paint job.
Planets: 100s of surfaces to explore, for discovering places to colonise, and alien vaults/outputs to conquer.
Colonies: Build settlements on habitable planets. Able to decide what type of settlement for bonuses. EG: Recon Settlements will clear fog of war on space map and offer more strike team missions, meanwhile Mining Settlements will periodically supply crafting materials.
Blueprints: Allow you to craft alien technology using materials for better equipment and weapons, such as a jetpack for jumping, cryo-beam to target enemies, etc.
Crew: Customisable skill trees, gear, weapons, etc.
MISSIONS TYPES AND MULTIPLAYER:
Remnant Vault Raids: Ancient ruins in two variants. Standard: Accessed by finding and activating Remnant Monoliths, explored to find a "powerful artefact". Acquiring artefact triggers defence systems: robots, traps, and restructured layout. Rewards with valuable loot, crafting resources, and Star Keys. Orbital Facilities: Unlocked with Star Keys, provide permanent stat bonuses, and optional higher difficulty vault raids that add Khet patrols and outlaws. Rewards with rare loot and narrative acclaim.
Khet Outposts: Optional wave-based combat challenges that reward with XP, reduced Khet power and additional narrative options in the region if destroyed.
Strike Team: Spend resources to recruit mercenaries and develop AI controlled strike teams to be deployed on randomly generated, time sensitive missions. Include settlement defence and remnant artefact recovery. Strike Teams return 20 - 30 minutes later with XP, currency, and equipment depending on mission outcome. Spend money/resources to train Strike Team, and buy better equipment, to increase success rate and send on dangerous missions.
Active Strike Team: See above, however you can choose to complete the Strike Team mission manually via play using your multiplayer roster of characters. Able to play co-op with friends, more friends increasing difficulty and rewards. Bonus rewards for joining another players strike team mission. XP, loot, and customisation rewards for Strike Team played characters are cohesive with multiplayer specific horde mode.
Horde Mode: Similar to Mass Effect 3: four players against waves of enemies with additional objectives such as disabling a bomb or assassinating a target. Similar XP/loot rewards to Mass Effect 3. APEX funds earned to be used in single player.
Mortal Kombat X has become the fastest-selling game in the series' 23-year history, according to UK sales monitor Chart-Track, with the ultraviolent fighting game jumping straight to first in the charts.
The Warner Bros-published title has also been named as the UK's second-fastest selling release of the year so far, behind EA's Battlefield Hardline.
PlayStation 4 versions represented 61 percent of total retail sales, with 38 percent coming from Xbox One and one percent from PC (this figure does not calculate digital downloads, which could skew the percentages significantly). The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 editions of the game have been delayed to the summer, and a final release date has yet to be set.
Mortal Kombat X's strong opening week pushes Battlefield Hardline off the top spot, down to third place after four weeks atop the charts.
Meanwhile, the release of the PC edition of Grand Theft Auto V has helped boost retail sales by 94 percent. As with all releases in the official UK games chart, digital sales are not counted, which begs the question of whether Mortal Kombat X would have taken first had digital sales been counted.
After announcing the game early last week, Square Enix has revealed a first look at Star Ocean 5: Integrity and Faithlessness with a new batch of screenshots. The screeshots show new characters, new environments, and a glimpse of the new battle system.
Star Ocean 5 is being developed for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, and is the first entry in the series since 2009's Star Ocean: The Last Hope. New details on the game, originally published in Famitsu magazine and later translated by Gematsu, reveal new features such as seamless real-time battles, events which branch the narrative, as well as the backstories of the main character and other party members.
The game's release date is yet to be announced. For more, check out the gallery below.
In a video posted to the official Firefly OnlineYouTube channel, developers Spark Plug Games and Quantum Mechanix have revealed that Nathan Fillion is reprising his role as Captain Malcolm Reynolds for Firefly Online.
Fillion joins a number of other returning cast members from the show, including:
Firefly Online puts players in the shoes of a captain, who must recruit a crew to man their ship while they undertake missions. The game blends multiplayer role-playing with social elements, and is scheduled to launch later this spring for PC, Mac, and mobile platforms.
We attended the Star Wars Celebration this weekend and walked the halls of the Anaheim Convention Center, taking in the sights and sounds. We also snapped 50+ photos, showing off all manner of impressive Star Wars cosplay and more. Click the thumbnails below to see the images at full size.
What was your favorite moment from the Star Wars Celebration this weekend? Let us know in the comments below!
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