By Anonymous on Mar 25, 2015 11:19 pm
 Halo is returning to PC. Microsoft has confirmed that a new installment in the sci-fi series, a multiplayer-only title called Halo Online, will be released on computers as a free-to-play game. A beta will be available this spring only in Russia. 2007's Halo 3Halo Online runs on a "highly modified" version of the Halo 3 engine, and Microsoft says it is "optimized for smooth performance" on lower-end computers. "While there's no campaign mode, Halo Online is set on a secret UNSC space installation called Anvil, where Spartan-IV soldiers train together in war exercises to sharpen their battle skills and test experimental technology," reads a line from Microsoft's announcement. A closed beta for Halo Online kicks off this spring, and Microsoft hopes to gather feedback from the pre-release period to improve the final game. "We will continuously adjust and modify gameplay, features, and the in-game economy. We're looking forward to getting feedback from gamers living in Russia when Halo Online enters closed beta later this spring," the company explained. Microsoft went on to confirm that it has no plans to bring Halo Online to Xbox One. And regarding a potential release in North America or Europe, the company didn't rule it out, but made no promises. "Right now our focus is on learning as much as we can from the closed beta period in Russia," the company said. "Theoretically, any expansion outside of Russia would have to go through region-specific changes to address player expectations." The game is being developed by Saber Interactive, the studio behind the TimeShift and Inversion franchises. The studio also worked on Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary and Halo: The Master Chief Collection. Halo Online will be published by Russian MMO company Innova Systems. The Halo franchise isn't the only blockbuster shooter series that has a version made specifically for an international market. Activision's Call of Duty Online, a free-to-play version of the military series, is now available in China. Halo Online will be the first core Halo game for PC in years. Microsoft ported Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2 to the PC, but all subsequent entries in the series have arrived only for consoles.
By Anonymous on Mar 25, 2015 11:00 pm
 From YouTube user Andy Front Films comes a new video (see it below) that shows what Frogger-style endless jumping game Crossy Road would look like from a first-person perspective. In short, it's terrifying from the character's view, although it seems like this could actually work as a real game mode.  Crossy Road launched late last year for mobile devices and is now available for iOS and Android. A new spin on Frogger, Crossy Road challenges players to dodge traffic and more in an attempt to reach the other side of the road. Your adventure usually ends, however, in getting splattered by a car or destroyed by a train. The free-to-play game offers a variety of characters for purchase, and each has its own special effects. For more on Crossy Road, check out GameSpot's in-depth interview with the game's Australia-based developer Hipster Whale.
By Anonymous on Mar 25, 2015 10:30 pm
 Every week we hear about an old favorite getting a new remaster. Why do we keep seeing them, can they be harmful, and what other games do we expect to see a remaster from in the near future?
By Anonymous on Mar 25, 2015 09:39 pm
The Kentucky men's basketball team, currently making a run in the NCAA tournament in pursuit of a National Championship and an undefeated season, really loves Super Smash Bros. They enjoy the Nintendo fighting game so much that the latest episode of Kentucky Wildcats TV is dedicated entirely to it.  In the video, they explain how playing Super Smash Bros. relaxes them and helps take their minds of basketball. They're playing the Nintendo 64 version of the game, which was released back in 1999 when some of these guys were probably too young to play it. They say they play mostly in hotel rooms while on the road as they currently are for the Big Dance. Popular characters among the Wildcat players include Fox, Pikachu, and Yoshi. The go-to characters for twins Andrew and Aaron Harrison are Mario and Luigi, who are brothers in the Mario universe. Kentucky won its first two games in this year's NCAA tournament, where they are the No. 1 overall seed. They play again in the round of 16 tomorrow evening against No. 5 West Virginia.
By Anonymous on Mar 25, 2015 08:46 pm
 Microsoft's Flight Simulator series may have come to an end, but gamers are keeping the franchise alive with a new mod for Cities: Skylines called "Flight Cimulator." The mod, created by Steam user Ulysius, is available now through Cities: Skylines' Steam Workshop page.  "What is this? A flight simulator inside a city builder? Yes! Follow your dreams!," Ulysius writes. Players can press CTRL + A to enter flight mode, and then use WASD and mouse controls to fly through the sky. Ulysius cautions that the mod is a work in progress; future updates will introduce building collisions, engine sources, and overall "better simulation." If the map looks familiar, it's because the Flight Cimulator mod uses the Grand Theft Auto V Los Santos map created by another player earlier this month. For a closer look at the Flight Cimulator mod, check out the image gallery below. GameSpot's review of Cities: Skylines gave it an 8/10 for its realistic city-building game mechanics based on a sound understanding of zoning. The game sold 250,000 copies sold in its first 24 hours after launch earlier this month, going on to move more than 500,000 copies to date. Cities: Skylines is now publisher Paradox Interactive's fastest-selling game ever.
By Anonymous on Mar 25, 2015 08:01 pm
 Sony's "Spring Fever" sale continues this week with even more deals on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita games and DLC, as well as movies.  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 JamesTown+, while this week's is Metal Slug 3 ($13.50), which is available for PS3, PS4, and PS Vita with Cross-Buy support. In addition, Sony has marked down numerous God of War games and DLC. A variety of Spider-Man movies are also on sale this week. All deals are good through March 30, and PlayStation Plus members can save 10 percent. The full list of Spring Fever deals are listed below. Don't see anything you like? Check back next week (and the three weeks after that) to see even more Spring Fever deals when they're announced. SPOTLIGHT SALE:Release Date
(Launch Week) | Title
(Platform) | PS Plus Launch Week Price | Regular Price | 3/24
(3/24 through 3/30) | Metal Slug 3
(PS4 / PS3 / PS Vita) | $13.49 | $14.99 |
GAMES: MOVIES:| Title | SD Original Price | SD Sale Price | HD Original Price | HD Sale Price | | The Amazing Spider-Man | $9.99 | $6.99 | $12.99 | $8.99 | | The Amazing Spider-Man 2 | $8.99 | $7.99 | $9.99 | $9.99 | | Spider-Man | $9.99 | $6.99 | $12.99 | $8.99 | | Spider-Man 2 | $9.99 | $6.99 | $12.99 | $8.99 | | Spider-Man 3 | $9.99 | $6.99 | $12.99 | $8.99 |
By Anonymous on Mar 25, 2015 07:47 pm
 Why did Nintendo finally announce plans to enter the smartphone market after years of holding out? It wasn't because the company felt "cornered," according to Nintendo president Satoru Iwata. The English translation of a Q&A session with analysts from last week's presentation in Japan has been published, and in it, Iwata offers an in-depth explanation for why the company chose to make the dramatic move.  "A variety of media have written that Nintendo is cornered a number of times, but I do not think we were cornered at all," he said. "Needless to say, we are also aware that unless a company can deal with the rapidly changing world, it will face decline. But I would like to emphasize here that our alliance [with DeNA] is not the result of a lack of better options for a cornered company." As for why Nintendo chose DeNA specifically as a partner for the new mobile venture, Iwata said, as discussions with the company progressed, it became clear that "DeNA knew so many things that Nintendo did not." Partnering with DeNA allows Nintendo to tap into the company's expertise in the mobile field and also develop games more rapidly than it could on its own, he explained. "This is why I just said that this is not a decision made out of a lack of options," Iwata said. "In fact, Nintendo has received a number of proposals from a variety of companies. Among them, Nintendo has proactively chosen DeNA." Iwata also responded to one analyst's concern that Nintendo entrance into the smartphone market (the company expects to launch its first mobile game this year) is too late. The executive doesn't agree. "I think that whether it is late or not will be decided by what we produce in the coming years, and it could rather be described as the best timing," Iwata responded. "My personal view is that the time is ripe as many factors like various encounters with people, the ways our internal discussions have progressed and the ideas we have generated through that process occurred simultaneously. We will do our best to prove that our decision was made at the right time." Nintendo has not announced any smartphone games so far, but has pledged it won't simply port its console games to smartdevices. The company is also considering a range of business models, including free-to-play, which Iwata actually calls free-to-start. Nintendo's big move into the smartphone market has been received positively by investors, as shares of the company skyrocketed by more than 30 percent. The company also announced that it had started work on a new system, known internally as the "NX." This system, which Nintendo says it won't start talking about officially until 2016, aims to surprise and innovate. For more on Nintendo's smartphone plans, be sure to read GameSpot's editor opinion roundup on the subject.
By Anonymous on Mar 25, 2015 07:30 pm
Just as watching a film at the cinema offers a different experience from that of watching at home, playing on a handheld is a different proposition than playing on a television. The fact is, certain approaches fit one form of play better than another. It may sound obvious, but this is a reality of consumption often overlooked by those with power over game design. Screen size is the primary factor dictating which features do and don't work across handhelds and console-based games. It's this, amid all of its splendid and eventual intrigue that the classic RPG Xenoblade Chronicles 3D has either failed to understand or simply not tackled for fear of altering what made its original incarnation so great. While it remains the remarkable game that it was when it was first released on the Wii in 2011, the reduced screen size Xenoblade Chronicles 3D has been squeezed on to does sour the experience. The sense of scale generated by the game's imposingly large environments has been retained, as has the wider visual flair and depth of battles. Similarly, character models when viewed up close are surprisingly expressive given the limited colors and lines used to draw them. However, it's the little details that have suffered from the transition from the large to small screen.  Icons indicating the availability of a new quest or the presence of a shopkeeper, for instance, alongside the directional area pointing you to your next objective are far from clear and easy to miss amongst the extensive buffet of other imagery typically filling the screen. The latter can be especially confusing at times, forcing you to slow down your exploration efforts in order to perform constant references of the full map. Everything feels a little cramped and, as a result, messy. Simple visual cues that should be easily digestible at a glance take too long to figure out, reducing the simplicity of interaction that allowed the Wii original to stretch its wings and present its more complex nuances with precision and clarity. The New 3DS' 3D effect doesn't help either, further complicating the issue of space by overloading the visual impact. It's most noticeable when trying to identify enemies at a distant that are painted a similar shade to their environment. While the 3D is gorgeous during cut-scenes and moments not requiring much (or any) interaction, it gets in the way when the action picks up. Having to constantly turn it on and off is a minor problem given the New 3DS' positioning of the 3D slider, but it remains a nuisance. That's New 3DS with a capital 'n' by design, because Xenoblade Chronicles 3DS only works on Nintendo's latest handheld iteration. Yes, if you have an older model you will have to pull out your wallet and part with your cash. It's the first game to require the new model by default and, as such, much is riding on its success--particularly the overriding consumer view of the hardware. It's a shame, then, that more care hasn't been given to the macro details; if it wasn't for those it would be tempting to award this experience something approaching top marks. In all other areas this is an RPG that delivers the same extraordinary experience it did four years ago. Such was the originality of its ideas back then that today it makes the majority of its younger genre peers look positively archaic by comparison. The real-time combat system shines especially bright, offering a deceptively easy to learn set of rules that are continually enriched and diversified as you're drawn further into the plot and up the character levels. For instance, attacking from behind can cause extra damage, while attacking from the side can lower physical defense. Later you can chain character-specific moves between all three characters, adding more depth to already intricate combat. By opening the door to new tactical avenues so frequently, and providing a wide range of enemies to test them against, there's rarely an area or period of play in which battles feel stale or repetitive.   Considering the length of the game, some 70 hours or more, this should be considered a towering achievement. It's a shame that the visual restrictions do inhibit some of the combat's appeal in comparison to the Wii edition, but it's worth sticking with it to explore and appreciate the varied action during skirmishes. It's also worth checking out Xenoblade's many side quests, which--thanks to some deep subplots and character exploration--are far more interesting than the run-of-the-mill fetch quests you'd find in lesser RPGs. Similar time and effort has gone into the narrative, a tale of giant titans and warring colonies that's rich and energetically presented thanks to a skilfully orchestrated English-language localization effort. While the voiceover work is most certainly pointed towards the sillier and more childlike end of the acting spectrum, the charm with which it has been carried out makes it difficult not to enjoy. The style of acting provides an accurate barometer for the wider experience as whole; Xenoblade Chronicles is so unlike what most other Japanese RPGs have attempted over the past decade or so. Dialogue and character reactions rarely fall foul of the stifling conventional cliches that can plague even the most revered games in this genre, mirroring the degree to which you're pleasantly surprised by the scale of the world and the combat. Xenoblade might have been crammed into a smaller space, but that has certainly not diminished the well-rounded and varied characterization of its cast. While it's an inferior proposition to its initial release in 2011, Xenoblade Chronicles 3D remains superior to the majority of RPGs. The move to 3DS has harmed the act of playing, but if you can look past the clunky signage and questionable 3D then you'll find a game that remains an amazing high point for the genre, one that'll absorb you right up to its glorious finale.
By Anonymous on Mar 25, 2015 07:30 pm
Ready to be scared again? Following its release for PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3, indie horror game Slender: The Arrival is now available for Xbox One and PlayStation 4. There's a special launch-week promotion available, too, meaning you can buy the game for $7 instead of $10. This deal is good only for Xbox Live Gold and PlayStation Plus members, however.  Developed by Canadian company Blue Isle Studios, Slender: The Arrival offers an "incredibly dark and sinister atmosphere, a tense and mysterious plot, and one of the most shadowy and fearsome villains the video game world has ever seen." Here's how Blue Isle sets up the story: "Lauren is in search of her friend Kate, who has recently become increasingly obsessed with the folklore of Slender Man. Was Kate's disappearance the work of Slender Man? Use Kate's forgotten flashlight to explore abandoned houses, creepy mines, and dark forests to unravel the mystery--all the while being stalked by the menacing presence of Slender Man." Blue Isle is also rolling out a special promotion for Xbox One and PS4 players. The game feature a hidden audio track that plays randomly as gamers explore the forest. Anyone who hears the track, records it, uploads it to YouTube, and sends the URL to contests@blueislestudios.com will have a chance to win prizes, including a Slender t-shirt. Slender: The Arrival was developed alongside Eric "Victor Surge" Knudson, who created the fictional "Slender Man" character. Check out some screenshots in the gallery below.                   
By Anonymous on Mar 25, 2015 07:25 pm
If machines end up becoming super-intelligent--as some are predicting--that could lead to a perilous reality for humanity, according to Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. The technology veteran made his opinion known in a recent interview with Financial Review.  "Like people including Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk have predicted, I agree that the future is scary and very bad for people," he said. "If we build these devices to take care of everything for us, eventually they'll think faster than us and they'll get rid of the slow humans to run companies more efficiently." Well-known physicist Hawking said previously that AI could be "the worst thing ever for humanity." Meanwhile, Musk--founder of SpaceX and Tesla--said last summer that super-intelligent AI systems are "potentially more dangerous than nukes." Bill Gates is also concerned about the rise of machines. Wozniak continued: "Will we be the gods? Will we be the family pets? Or will we be ants that get stepped on? I don't know about that … But when I got that thinking in my head about if I'm going to be treated in the future as a pet to these smart machines … well I'm going to treat my own pet dog really nice." For a deeper dive into Wozniak's comments, check out GameSpot sister site CNET's take. Are you concerned with machines becoming super-intelligent one day? Let us know in the comments below!
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