Amazon prices are accurate as of publishing, but can fluctuate occasionally throughout the day.
GameSpot's gaming deals posts always highlight the best deals we can find regardless of retailer. We also occasionally use retailer affiliate links, which means that purchasing goods through those links helps support all the great content (including the deals posts) you find for free here on the site.
Battlefield Hardline players have earned $901 billion of in-game cash—enough to cover the United States' 2013 budget deficit—since the game was released on March 17.
Publisher Electronic Arts revealed the number in a new infographic that shares some other impressive figures about the game.
Overall, players have put in more than 2 billion minutes into Battlefield Hardline, or 3,800 years of game time. The law prevailed most of that time, with cops winning 52 percent of total of matches.
Hotwire, a new mode to the Battlefield series in which players have to hold on to and drive vehicles to earn points for their team, was the most popular game mode. It was followed by Battlefield's traditional Conquest mode and Heist, another cops-and-criminals-themed mode in which players fight over bundles of cash.
We recently learned that Battlefield Hardline has reduced the effectiveness of its deadly couch Easter egg vehicle, which certainly makes sense considering that so far it has killed 80,477 players.
You can find all of these and more interesting figures about the game in the infographic below. While these numbers certainly seem big, EA has yet to release any actual sales figures or how many people are currently playing the game.
In other Battlefield Hardline news, EA today confirmed that Steve Papoutsis, who's been at the publisher for 15 years and worked on the Dead Space franchise and Battlefield Hardline, has left the company.
Click through the images in the gallery below to see Los Santos and Blaine County with superb detail.
Also included in the gallery are some images that highlight the game's graphics options, which include sliders for texture, shader, shadow, and reflection quality, along with another option for motion blur and depth of field effects. You can even choose the level of detail you'd like grass and water to have.
15-year Electronic Arts veteran Steve Papoutsis, who worked on the Dead Space franchise and most recently Battlefield Hardline, has left the company. He was the general manager of Visceral Games.
EA senior communications manager John Reseburg confirmed the move today. "I can confirm Steve is no longer with EA. We are thankful for Steve's many contributions to EA and wish him the best," he said.
Thirteen-year EA veteran Scott Probst has taken over as general manager for Visceral. Reseburg also stressed that Visceral's work schedule will continue without interruption in the wake of the shakeup.
"The Visceral team continues to be focused on new game content for Battlefield Hardline including expansion packs, as well as new development projects," he said.
Kotaku first reported Papoutsis' departure from EA.
It is unclear what Papoutsis, the former bassist for punk band No Use for a Name, will do next. Papoutsis' departure from EA and Visceral comes less than a month after the release of Hardline in mid-March.
Last month, esports tournament organizer ESL hosted the 2015 Intel Extreme Masters World Championship in Katowice, covering League of Legends, CS:GO, Starcraft II, FIFA14, and Hearthstone. According to numbers released earlier today, the event broke last year's (also record breaking) viewership.
While audience foot traffic at the event surpassed 100,000, online viewers also showed up in droves with ESL One and IEM streams setting a new Twitch record for most concurrent viewers from a single event, with over 1,000,000 tuning in to watch the games.
Commenting on the event, Michal Blicharz, the Managing Director of Pro Graming at ESL stated, "It is amazing to see how in five years, Intel Extreme Masters went from being a side show at a tech or comic expo somewhere to being its own exhibition with a truly mainstream level appeal. It is a massive turnaround that represents incredible cultural growth for eSports as a whole, with steady viewership that regularly rivals that of other major sports productions."
ESL released the following infograph to further detail the event's statistics:
[UPDATE] The stream has now ended. You can watch the first Mankind Divided trailer above. In addition, Square Enix has revealed some new details about the game, which we've listed below.
Runs on the Dawn Engine, which is Eidos Montreal's proprietary game engine.
Will feature Direct X 12 support as well as AMD's TressFX as a means to "not only raise the bar in game performance but bring unrivalled visual fidelity to the Deus Ex franchise."
Takes place in 2029, and continues the story of Adam Jensen from Human Revolution.
Square Enix is currently holding a special Twitch live-stream event where it is showing off Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, the next game in the classic series.
The action game--which leaked yesterday--is set in 2029, two years after Human Revolution, and does indeed feature the same protagonist, Adam Jensen. No release date has been set, but it it coming to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.
An impressive Mankind Divided CG trailer was shown during the stream, which we'll embed here as soon as it becomes available which is embedded above.
The origins of the image are not immediately clear, though the ratings logo suggests it stems from an international market, not the United States.
By comparison, 2008's GTA IV shipped across just two discs. Of course--at 65 GB--GTA V is a substantially larger game than GTA IV, which weighs in at 16 GB.
Another picture of the PC edition of GTA V appeared on Twitter today. Presumably taken inside of a warehouse or retailer, the image shows off stacks and stacks of the game.
During last weekend's Capcom-sponsored Street Fighter IV Pro Tour event in California, organizers accidentally used the wrong version of the game--only discovering the mistake after some players finished their matches. Ouch. The Daily Dot has the story.
"At this weekend's NorCal Regionals, competing players Ricky Ortiz and Darryl 'Snake Eyez' Lewis noticed some odd discrepancies while playing their tournament match, things that were no longer present in the current version of Ultra Street Fighter IV."
"Embarrassingly, tournament organizers discovered that a prior version of the game was booted up, and four matches between the top 16 finishing players had already been played."
At this point, Capcom staffers stepped and the decision was made to nullify the results of those matches, asking participants to replay them. They did, and only one of the four matches saw a different result the second time around, The Daily Dot reports. "Du 'Nuckledu' Dang managed to sweep Ryota 'Kazunoko' Inoue after losing to him in their original match by a margin of two games to one. It was hardly a fair result for Inoue, but there was little recourse at the time," the site explains.
Event organizer John Choi published a lengthy explanation on Twitter, starting off by saying he personally checked to ensure that all copies of Ultra Street Fighter IV were updated to version 1.04. The digital version of the game was up-to-date, but the Xbox it was played on also had an Ultra Street Fighter IV disc in it. When a disc is inserted, the system defaults to that version, which was, regrettably, the original 1.00 edition.
"Unfortunately, this was not noticed by our team nor the players that played the four matches on it," Choi said. "Soon as this was discovered, a discussion took place with a Capcom representative since this game is sanctioned by the rules of the Capcom Pro Tour. The rep made a decision that those four matches cannot count and must be replayed on the proper version being used throughout the entire tour. It was a difficult decision by the Capcom team, but I agree with it completely."
"I am truly sorry for this mistake as it has impacted the integrity of [Norcal Regionals] and the tour," Choi added. "The mental and emotional pressure of having to replay the matches again was completely unfair to them."
Finally, Choi made a specific pledge to the one player most seriously affected by the controversy, Inoue. He said he will personally pay to send him to another Street Fighter competitive event. "I know this does not rectify the mistake, but it would give him the opportunity he deserves at another premier event."
According to a report today from Hollywood news publication Variety, a sequel to 2014's Need for Speed movie starring Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul is revving up. The movie was not very well-received, though it was quite successful at the box office, generating $203 million against a $66 million budget.
The sequel, which is still in the planning stages, is apparently entering production with Electronic Arts and Chinese media companies China Movie Channel Program Center, Jiaflix Enterprises, and 1905 Pictures.
Variety points out that these companies cannot move forward with Need for Speed 2 until they are able to obtain the film rights. Shrek studio DreamWorks was behind the first Need for Speed movie and currently owns the film rights. Talks between the Chinese movie companies and DreamWorks "have not yet begun," Variety says.
Still, China Movie Channel chairman Yin Cao said he's optimistic that movie will happen and that some scenes will be filmed in China, using more "Chinese talent and elements" than the first film.
"We are excited to work with EA, one of the world's most recognized creative companies," Cao said. "We are also delighted that much of Need for Speed 2 would be filmed in China, and we believe it will include much more Chinese talent and elements."
In addition to Paul, the movie featured acclaimed actor Michael Keaton, Fifty Shades of Grey's Dakota Johnson, and Warcraft's Dominic Cooper. Need for Speed was directed by stunt expert Scott Waugh and originally hit theaters in March 2014.
There's no word yet on a director, cast, or release date for the sequel. An EA representative declined to share any further details about the project.
The next Need for Speed game, currently in development at Ghost Games in Sweden, is due to launch later this year. 2014 was the first year without a new, core Need for Speed title release in over a decade.
It's been a long road, but Grand Theft Auto V is finally coming to PCs next week. As well as the requisite improved graphics we all expect from the PC version, Rockstar is throwing some new features into the game, including a ton of visual options and a host of new additions and improvements to the editor mode.
We spoke to the team at Rockstar North to find out more about the PC version, including why there was such a huge focus on making the game run at 4K resolutions, why the PC version always lags behind consoles, their thoughts on modding, and more. Answering our questions are Phil Hooker (director of technology), Klaas Schilstra (director of engineering), Adam Fowler (technical director), John Macpherson (lead gameplay designer, Rockstar Toronto), and Alex Hadjadj (technical director: graphics).
The team has taken some extra time to finish the game for PCs. What areas were you focusing on most?
Rockstar North: Our focus was to make the game run well on a wide range of hardware so that as many people could experience the game as possible. In order to do that we spent a lot of time working on making various different aspects of the game scalable and accessible to the player. There are over 25 parameters you can tweak that can optimize graphics and performance. The game will automatically optimize the settings for your hardware when you first start it up, but you have a great deal of freedom.
The Rockstar editor is another huge addition that required opening up large parts of the game for manipulation by the player, and separate from that we had to pay specific attention to keyboard and mouse controls across all of the various gameplay mechanics and also to making everything play and feel right at 60fps.
What have you been able to do with the PC version that simply wasn't possible with consoles? Visuals are obviously one area, but are there others people may not immediately notice?
Alex Hadjadj: It really comes down to the overall experience and the customizability we are offering the player. The most striking aspect is the ability to run the game at 60 frames per second, and to view the game in 4k resolution. Other improvements are more subtle--the addition of the population density slider means players can alter the traffic population of the city. Also, when pushing settings at the high end, a lot of the effects in the game, like reflections, skins or depth of field are more subtle and realistic than on console versions.
Why was it important to get the game running at 4K 60fps, given its likely only a small percentage of the audience will be able to run it at this resolution?
We want to deliver something for all different kinds of PC players, from those with modest rigs right up to the hard core who immerse themselves in really high end systems. It is a fun challenge for us and it is well worth it as the game looks absolutely stunning.
Do you think PC GTA players have different expectations than console ones? What do you think players who only play on PC are looking for?
PC players want the freedom to set their game up in a way that maximizes the opportunities their system provides, so the main thing we have focused on is flexibility, with a lot of graphical and control options so people can customise the game and play it as they want.
Specific to the PC edition of GTA V is the Rockstar Editor, but we still don't know a lot about it. Can you walk us through it?
John Macpherson: The Rockstar editor in GTA V is a massive expansion from the video editor we had in GTA IV. The GTA community is incredibly creative and we wanted to give them a much more advanced set of tools to work with. With the Rockstar editor in GTA V, players can capture and manipulate game footage at will.
We've increased the number of options available so that players can manipulate film speed, depth of field, different kinds of camera positioning and the various blends between them, filters, and more. We have also expanded the ways that players can manipulate sound on their movies. Within the editor, players can add and edit multiple radio tracks to a single video, choosing from the huge range of score composed for the game as well select songs from the GTA V soundtrack and even in-game advertisements.
On top of all these additions to the editor is director mode. This gives players the opportunity to play and record their own scenes using any actor from GTA V including story and Heist crew characters, people on the street and even animals. As you play through the GTA V story, more and more character options will open up for you to use. You can also get them to speak specific lines of dialog or perform contextual actions, opening the door for amazing possibilities. You will also have control over details like time of day and weather, "Wanted" status and pedestrian density. Some of the classic cheats will open up too, bringing a ton of cinematic possibilities.
Once you're finished, you can now share your videos directly to YouTube, and we will be working to support community creations through events and contests.
Can players expect GTA V DLC/updates to be released simultaneously across PC and console?
We plan to deliver updates to PC and consoles simultaneously. There can be occasional variations in timing based on specifics from one console to another but PC will not be on a separate timetable to other platforms.
Generally, why is it that GTA games for PC historically launch after the console versions? Is it Rockstar's long-term goal to eventually release GTA games across console and PC simultaneously?
It comes down to bandwidth. We want each version of the game to be the best it can possibly be, and that means having the core members of the original GTA V team working closely with the best PC developers from across all Rockstar studios--the same crew that did great work on the PC versions of Max Payne 3, L.A. Noire and GTA IV. Essentially, a large portion of the team that worked on GTA V for PS3 and Xbox 360 also worked on the PS4 and Xbox One versions and all of the GTA Online content, including Heists. Since the new generation console versions and the PC version share similar architecture, the team also continued to work on the PC version. With each version adding features and requiring the focus of the same key people, that takes time. However, the result is a PC version that draws from a huge pool of knowledge inside the team to deliver a game of the highest possible quality in every way. We're really excited for people to play GTA V on PC, it is the ultimate version of an amazing game.
GTA V made big strides in terms of presentation with the first-person mode; but now that it's coming to PC, what are your thoughts about gamers creating an Oculus Rift VR mod? Is this something Rockstar has experimented with internally?
VR is an exciting technology but we don't have any plans to support it right now. We will however, be supporting 3D from day one.
The team at Rockstar North has now been working on GTA V for 5+ years; what keeps you enthusiastic about the project this long after you started working on it?
We released GTA V on PS3 and Xbox 360 18 months ago and since then we have extended GTA Online multiple times, released builds on PS4 and Xbox One and are about to release the PC version. If we had been doing straight ports of GTA V, I don't think it would have been as much fun for the teams. But in the last 18 months with each release we have been adding major new content and features. First person changed how we viewed the game. Heists was a major new online component. I'm really excited to see what the GTA community can do with the Rockstar editor. And with each release the visual look of the game has improved drastically, you can't not get excited when you see the game running on a 4k screen at 60fps.
Modding took off for GTA IV PC. What are you doing to support modding for V? Is there anything within the game that supports it?
Since GTA Online has such a massive and vibrant community, our primary focus is making sure that nothing detracts from that experience or has a negative impact on the overall community of players.
The eight-week Spring Fever event spotlights "unique" games, with Sony releasing a new PlayStation game every week through April 21.
Last week's new release was Axiom Verge, while this week's is the acclaimed indie hit Bastion ($15). The game runs at 1080p/60fps, and is available now on PS4 with the PS Vita edition (featuring Cross-Buy) coming later.
In addition, Sony has marked down numerous Dragon Age games, including the most recent release, Inquisition. A variety of LEGO movies are also on sale this week. All deals are good through April 13, and PlayStation Plus members can save 10 percent.
The full list of Spring Fever deals for this week are listed below. Don't see anything you like? Check back next week (and the week after that) to see even more Spring Fever deals when they're announced.
The Xbox One's TV tuner functionality, which launched last year in Europe, is now available for people in the United States and Canada. Beginning now, Xbox One preview members (invitation-only) can pick up free over-the-air programming from networks like FOX, NBC, PBS, and GameSpot parent company CBS.
You'll need to buy the Hauppauge WinTV-955Q adapter, which is available now through retailers like Amazon, GameStop, and Best Buy for $80, though a $60 model is set to launch "in the next few months," Microsoft says.
The appeal here is that you'll be able to watch over-the-air TV without a subscription package. As Microsoft notes, the Xbox One's entertainment value gets even better when paired with a $20/month SlingTV subscription.
Another benefit is that you don't need to change inputs to watch TV, and the new Xbox One TV tuner functionality works with features like Snap, OneGuide, and voice control through Kinect. You can also pause live TV for up to 30 minutes and stream content to your mobile device via SmartGlass.
The Xbox One TV tuner service will be available outside of the preview program "in the next few months."
Something else to consider is that free over-the-air TV availability depends on your geographic location. Before you buy an adapter or HD antenna, Microsoft recommends that you visit this website and enter your zip code to see what channels are available in your area.
In related news, Microsoft also announced today that the Xbox One TV tuner functionality in Europe is expanding to 11 new markets: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, and Switzerland.
Check out the video above to see an in-depth walkthrough of the Xbox One's new TV tuner functionality. You can also read this Xbox Wire post for a thorough rundown of everything you need to know.
Tickets for the first-ever TwitchCon event, a celebration of everything related to the streaming giant to be held September 25-26 in San Francisco, will go on sale later this week, organizers have announced.
TwitchCon 2015 tickets will be available starting at 2 PM PDT this coming Friday, April 10, through the event's website.
"Early bird" discounts are available until 11 PM PDT on April 24. See below for a breakdown of available tickets.
Friday, September 25 pass: $50.00 USD (Early bird price: $45.00)
Saturday, September 26 pass: $60.00 USD (Early bird price: $55.00)
2-Day pass: $85.00 USD (Early bird price: $75.00)
Saturday after party for badge holders: $25.00 USD
Twitch has also announced that on April 10, it will begin accepting submissions through its website for panel, workshop, and presentation ideas.
TwitchCon 2015, announced back in February, will include plenty of activities, including a keynote address from Twitch CEO Emmett Shear, merchandise available to buy, and the opportunity to mingle with some of Twitch's biggest personalities. Other events, courtesy of Twitch, include:
Panel Rooms: A diverse selection of community- and staff-driven panels geared toward educating and entertaining attendees
Interactive events with top Twitch Partners:
Stream with them using the Broadcast Pods
Play games with them in the Gaming Lab
Learn from them in the Knowledge center
Mingle with them at meet & greet signing sessions
Celebrate with them at the massive after party on September 25
Watch their channels being broadcast live from the show floor
TwitchCon 2015 will take place at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, the same venue as the Game Developers Conference.
Other gamer-focused conventions include MineCon (Minecraft) and BlizzCon (Blizzard Entertainment), ParadoxCon (Paradox Interactive), QuakeCon (Bethesda), PAX, and others.
TwitchCon will be organized by ReedPop, the group that also puts together big-name shows such as PAX and New York Comic-Con, among others.
According to a March report, Twitch--which is owned by Amazon--will soon face new competition from YouTube. That Google-owned video site is reportedly planning a significant overhaul of its live events functionality with a specific focus on gaming.
Mortal Kombat X launches for console and PC next Tuesday, but a mobile version of the fighting game is available now. Warner Bros. and NetherRealm today launched the previously announced free-to-play version for iOS devices such as iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. It's coming "soon" to Android.
The game was developed internally at Chicago-based NetherRealm Studios, and boasts "striking graphics," according to the game's announcement.
Mortal Kombat isn't the only fighting franchise NethRealm has adapted for mobile devices. The developer also brought a free version of Injustice: Gods Among Us to smartphones and tablets in April 2013--and with great success. That game has been downloaded more than 43 million times, Warner Bros. said today.
Meanwhile, NetherRealm's other major mobile game, WWE Immortals, has seen eight million downloads since its release in January 2015. Warner Bros. mobile executive Greg Ballard said he's optimistic that the new Mortal Kombat game will also enjoy great success.
"The team has outdone themselves with its latest offering, creating an authentic Mortal Kombat mobile experience from the ground up, bringing players all the signature, over-the-top fighting gameplay mechanics that are hallmarks of the franchise and delivering on WBIE's quality games-as-a-service promise," he explained.
The Mortal Kombat X mobile game meshes traditional fighting with card collection. The game's (initial) roster features more than 24 characters, including iconic characters like Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Kano, and Raiden, along with newcomers like Cassie Cage, D'Vorah, and Kotal Kahn. Players can also collect additional gear and unlock "more dramatic, over-the-top Fatalities."
Being a free-to-play game, it's likely that players can either unlock these items and Fatalities either through gameplay or by spending real-world money.
The Mortal Kombat X mobile game also features daily events and online multiplayer support. In addition, there is a new "Allies" feature where players can "borrow" a character from a friend, while more Challenge Mode characters are coming to the game "soon," Warner Bros. said.
The mobile version of Mortal Kombat X also ties into the console/PC edition.
"This ecosystem among platforms will introduce team-based Faction Wars for the first time ever, and empower players to unlock special content between the mobile game and console or PC versions by completing tasks and achievements within each version," Warner Bros. said. "Every connected Mortal Kombat X player can participate regardless of platform device."
BioShock creator Ken Levine has revealed that his next game, which has not yet even been announced, will run on Epic Games' Unreal Engine 4. He confirmed the detail this week on Twitter.
RT @SeanGobey: @IGLevine what engine are you using for your new game? -unreal 4.
This is not all that surprising, given that Levine's previous games--BioShock, BioShock 2, and BioShock Infinite--all ran on iterations of Epic's technology. The new project, however, is his first using Unreal Engine 4, the latest version of the popular toolset.
In January, Levine offered more details about his new project and studio, both of which do not have names yet. The game is sci-fi-, targeting PC, won't be revealed at E3, and isn't anything like a Telltale Games title. Check out this post for a roundup of everything Levine said about the game.
What do you hope to see Levine make next? Let us know in the comments below!
The movie doesn't yet have a director, cast, or script, but some high-profile Hollywood names have come aboard to produce it. Roy Lee (The Departed, The LEGO Movie) and Seth Grahame-Smith and David Katzenberg of KatzSmith Productions (the upcoming Beetlejuice sequel) are signed on as producers.
"We're looking forward to working with Scott to make an insane, terrifying, and weirdly adorable movie," Grahame-Smith said.
Cawthon added: "The story really lends itself to being a movie and it taps into a largely unexplored niche of horror that a lot of people will be able to relate to."
Five Nights at Freddy's is legitimately terrifying. In the game, players must survive in a scary version of Chuck E. Cheese's that's full of animatronic monsters. Check out the video above to see it in action.
What do you think? Could Five Nights at Freddy's work as a movie? Let us know in the comments below!
Bastion, the vivid hand-painted RPG that drew rapturous reviews when it first shipped in July 2011, is now available on PlayStation 4.
Upon its initial release on PC and Xbox 360, critics were near unanimous in their praise for the title, with Gamespot's Bastion review describing it as a "wonderfully crafted adventure that presents a fun and focused challenge you can customize in all sorts of ways."
The game costs $15 in North America, while UK and Europe prices have yet to be listed.
Bastion was the breakthrough debut for its California based developer, Supergiant Games, and went on to sell more than 3 million copies. The studio's next title, Transistor, shipped in May last year and has accrued more than 600,000 sales.
"It was always difficult to describe Bastion while the game was in development," Supergiant creative director, Greg Kasavin, explained in a new post on the PlayStation Blog.
"We designed the game in an organic way, little by little, listening to what it needed most and building whatever that was next, until we felt that we were done."
A plan to port the game to PlayStation Vita was announced in December, though that project has yet to be completed.
"The Vita version of Bastion is still in development," Kasavin told fans on the PlayStation Blog's comments section.
"We don't have a release date for it at this time. We expect for it to be cross-buy enabled with the PS4 version."
Barcelona studio BlitWorks was assigned the task of developing the PlayStation 4 port.
Disclaimer: Greg Kasavin is a former GameSpot employee. He has no personal ties to anyone involved in the publication of this article.
Click on the thumbnails to view this article in full-screen.
Phil Spencer, the head of Microsoft's Xbox division, has said that a more fluid Xbox One user interface is "high on the list of improvements we want to make."
The games executive revealed his ambition during a discussion with a fan on Twitter, who asked Spencer whether the Xbox One's system software would take advantage of the upcoming DX12 API.
"Yes, dashboard can take full advantage of [DX12] platform features," he replied.
"Speeding up the UI is high on our list of improvements we want to make."
DirectX 12, which was formally announced in March 2014, is the latest edition of Microsoft's system software that helps content creators extract more resources from hardware.
The practical outcome of this technology is that developers will, in theory, be able to demand more from Xbox One's GPU, CPU, and memory. In October, Spencer suggested that DirectX 12's effect would be subtle, not extensive.
"DX12 makes it easier to do some of the things that Xbox One's good at, which will be nice and you'll see an improvement in games through the use of DX12," he said.
"But people ask me, 'is it gonna be dramatic?' And I think I answered no at the time and I'd say the same thing [now], but it will ease development."
Since the Xbox One's release in late 2013, Microsoft has been deploying updates and improvements to the system on a monthly basis. The latest update implements tweaks to Party Chat, Achievement notifications, and more.
2K Games has temporarily restored online services to its basketball sim NBA 2K14 after its server switch-off was widely criticised by customers.
The termination of online connectivity, which was enacted on April 1, meant that users' save files were no longer accessible because they required remote authentication. 2K Games initially assured that save data would survive the transition.
In response to a spate of complaints, 2K Games support representatives sent emails to customers explaining that they could still play the game in offline mode, albeit with a new save file. This meant that all progress in the game was lost.
But on Tuesday evening, the publisher sent a notice to GameSpot explaining that the servers have been restored and will remain live for another nine months. It means that the same save files will become inaccessible again, in January 2016, but players now have more time to finish their single-player career modes.
2K Games also announced that it is extending the online lifespan of all subsequent NBA 2K games from 18 to 27 months.
"It gives our players more time to experience and enjoy the highest rated NBA simulation video game franchise," a statement read.
"The opinions of our community continue to have a positive impact on our business decisions as we strive to create the best possible experience for all of our fans."
[UPDATE] ForzaTech is the name of the in-house Forza game engine. More details are coming at E3.
"We can confirm that Microsoft has filed a trademark application for ForzaTech, which is Turn 10 Studios' proprietary graphics and simulation engine for Forza," a Microsoft representative told GameSpot. "We'll have more to share at E3."
The original story is below.
Microsoft has filed a new trademark application for something called "Forzatech," though the company's intentions for it are not immediately clear.
The Xbox company filed for the trademark with the United States Patent & Trademark Office on April 2. It is listed as "game software," and unfortunately, no further description is provided.
Given that Forza is featured in the name, it's quite likely that "Forzatech" is related to Microsoft's major racing franchise. The name, however, doesn't sound like something would call a game itself, but possibly a related service or technology.
Microsoft already holds trademarks for other non-game Forza products, one of which is Forza Hub, the name of the free Xbox app that collects news and information about the racing series. The company has also trademarked "Drivatar," which is an artificial intelligence technology featured in recent Forza titles.
The next Forza game is the upcoming Forza Motorsport 6 for Xbox One, though it's unclear if Forzatech is in any way tied to that title.
We've contacted Microsoft asking for more information about the Forzatech trademark.
Do you know what Forzatech is? Drop us a line via the email address below to discuss.
Recent Articles:
You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website.
No comments:
Post a Comment