By Anonymous on May 17, 2015 12:04 am
Yooka-Laylee, a spiritual successor to legendary Nintendo 64 game Banjo-Kazooie, is now the most funded Kickstarter game in the United Kingdom. The record was previously held by Frontier Development's Elite: Dangerous, which raised £1,578,316 when the Kickstarter campaign closed. At the time of writing, Yooka-Laylee has raised £1,611,343 (almost $2.5 million), and it still has 31 days to go until the fundraising campaign ends.  Today, Yooka-Laylee developer Playtonic announced that it has sold out of the limited edition "64-bit" package, which will give players the game on an Nintendo-64-style cartridge, box, and manual. Yooka-Laylee is a "buddy-duo" game in the vein of Banjo-Kazooie, but instead of a bear and a bird, it stars a chameleon and a bat. The game is being worked on by a number of Rare veterans who developed Banjo-Kazooie, and is due to launch in 2016 for PC, Mac, Linux, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Wii U. You can secure a copy of Yooka-Laylee by pledging at least $15. Backing at that level gets you a copy of the PC version, while you'll need to pay around $22 to get a console copy.
By Anonymous on May 16, 2015 10:32 pm
 Operation Supply Drop, an organization that provides games to U.S. troops serving abroad, has kicked off its 8-Bit Salute mega game marathon this weekend. "Since we started, Operation Supply Drop has used gaming as a catalyst to provide support for over 7,000 individual US and NATO troops through four major programs," the organization said. "Going into our 5th year, we are determined to set a new high score with $1,337,000 for this event, and with your help, we can absolutely do it!" You can participate by either streaming your own gaming marathon or donating here. If you raise or donate the following amounts, you'll also get rewards: - $50 - 3-Month XSplit License
- $200 - Official 2015 8-Bit Salute tee shirt
- $1000 - 1-month HeroCrate
- $2,500 - 3-months HeroCrate
- $5,000 - Custom OSD GAEMS Vanguard Case
At the time of writing, Operation Supply Drop has raised $146,928. Last year, Operation Supply Drop came under a denial of service (DDoS) attack during the 8-Bit Salute marathon, taking its site offline for several hours. Thankfully, this year everything is going smoothly so far.
By Anonymous on May 16, 2015 08:54 pm
Sony thought that PlayStation 4-exclusive Bloodborne will sell well, but the game has apparently surpassed its expectations, the company has said. "It did surprise us," Sony UK managing director Fergal Gara told MCV. "We had expectations to do well. We looked at the Souls series as a frame of reference, and we thought we could do better than that. We did—and then some. Relative to some of our sister territories, we were being quite ambitious, but even that proved to be conservative."  Gara said that this was in part thanks to good timing, as the game was released at a relatively slow time, and that while Sony was a bit behind in meeting demand, it was able to catch up take advantage of the opportunity. Gara didn't share any new sales numbers, but last month Sony said Bloodborne sold through more than one million copies worldwide. Xbox executive Phil Spencer, the top gaming boss inside of Microsoft, has has even congratulated Sony on hitting that sales number with a new IP. While Bloodborne is a new IP, it was made by Dark Souls developer From Software, and was marketed as being a very similar game. For more on the game, check out GameSpot's previous Bloodborne coverage.
By Anonymous on May 16, 2015 08:30 pm
Virtual reality gaming has gained momentum in the last few years, with the Oculus Rift, Sony's Project Morpheus, and Valve's HTC Vive each pitching forward their own take on the virtual space. As VR hardware draws closer to a consumer launch, which are you most interested in picking up? To help out, we list and compare the specifications and game library of the Oculus Rift, Project Morpheus, and HTC Vive.  Oculus RiftRelease DateQ1 2016 Specifications- Resolution: 960x1080
- Screen: 5.7" OLED (DK2, may change)
- Refresh rate: 75 Hz, 72 Hz, 60 Hz
- Field of view: 100 degrees
- Sensors: Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Magnetometer
- Connection: HDMI, USB 2.0, USB 3.0
GamesThe Oculus Rift is traditionally supported by a PC, although Oculus VR vice president Nate Mitchell has not ruled out the possibility of bringing the hardware to the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. Oculus has confirmed that a rather "beefy" PC rig will be required to support the Rift, and will release a list of required PC technical specifications in the lead-up to E3. Oculus VR was purchased by Facebook in March last year, which expressed plans to extend the hardware's use beyond gaming to "communications, media and entertainment, education, and other areas." Here's a list that includes games that currently have full support for the Oculus Rift: Project Morpheus Release DateFirst half of 2016 Specifications- Resolution: 1920x1080
- Screen: 5.7" OLED
- Refresh rate: 120Hz, 60Hz
- Field of view: Approximately 100 degrees
- Sensors: Accelerometer, Gyroscope
- Connection: HDMI, USB
GamesSony's Project Morpheus will be supported by the PlayStation 4 and, allegedly, the PlayStation Vita. Games that have confirmed Morpheus support include Project Cars, Surgeon Simulator, and Among the Sleep. At past events, Sony has showcased Project Morpheus running demos that included a special re-worked version of Thief, EVE Valkyrie, a game from Sony's London studio called The Deep, and a game titled The Castle. Early builds incorporated usage of PlayStation Move controllers. Sony has confirmed that Project Morpheus will be able to support online multiplayer and local couch multiplayer. Some of Sony's first partners for Project Morpheus include Epic Games, Unity, Crytek, and Autodesk. God of War studio Sony Santa Monica has created a prototype that allowed the user to become Kratos. Sony has also partnered with NASA to create a demo that places the player on the surface of Mars. At GDC this year Sony boss Shuhei Yoshida said many of Sony's studios were working on games for the Morpheus and said, "starting probably at E3, we will start to show the actual games."
Valve's HTC Vive Release DateHoliday 2015 Specifications- Resolution: 1200x1080
- Screen size: TBC
- Refresh rate: 90Hz
- Field of view: TBC
- Sensors: Accelerometer, Gyrosensor, laser position sensor
- Connection: HDMI, USB 2.0, USB 3.0
GamesValve's Vive headset will be powered by SteamVR software, with games to be available "soon" through digital distribution platform Steam. Microsoft Flight Simulator X developer Dovertail Games, The Room developer Fireproof Games, and Cloudhead games have already signed up to make content for the device. Google, Lionsgate, and HBO have also been confirmed as content partners. At GDC this year developer Owlchemy Labs debuted one of the first games designed specifically for Valve's SteamVR, titled Job Simulator. The Vive makes use of Lighthouse, a motion tracking technology which uses lasers to read the position of a VR helmet and reproduce a person's real-world movements with accuracy. The headset will support use of Valve's Steam Controller. Those waiting on a Half-Life game for the Vive may be waiting a while though, as Valve is reportedly not currently working on a new Half-Life game for VR.
By Anonymous on May 16, 2015 08:30 pm
 After nearly four years of development, CD Pojekt RED's The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is finally coming out next week on May 19. So here's a round-up of all the information you need to know in order to jump right into its world! Review"Where The Witcher 2 sputtered to a halt, The Witcher 3 is always in a crescendo, crafting battle scenarios that constantly one-up the last, until you reach the explosive finale and recover in the glow of the game's quiet denouement. But while the grand clashes are captivating, it is the moments between conflicts, when you drink with the local clans and bask in a trobairitz's song, that are truly inspiring." -- Read the full review here. Making The Witcher 3: Wild HuntImportant News                    GraphicsCombat and GameplayThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will launch for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on May 19. So are you excited about The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt? Let us know in the comments below!
By Anonymous on May 16, 2015 08:30 pm
Assassin's Creed Syndicate marks a turning point for the eight-year Assassin's Creed franchise in more ways than one. Ubisoft's Quebec Studio has chosen to abandon cover-based stealth for Syndicate, retool navigation when parkouring, and add a systemic vehicle system that will change how players interact with their environment. But perhaps the most critical addition to the game is Evie Frye, the first playable lead female in a main entry Assassin's Creed game. Of course, there have been female assassins in Assassin's Creed before, but Evie's position is unique. Assassin's Creed III: Liberation was a spin-off of ACIII's world, with players following Creole heroine Aveline de Grandpre. But it was released on PlayStation Vita at a time when the handheld was still struggling to find its footing, which in turn limited its audience. The recently released downloadable-only title Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China also features a female protagonist, Shao Jun. We've also seen playable assassins in competitive multiplayer modes, first introduced in 2010's Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and kept through Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. Multiplayer was abandoned entirely for Assassin's Creed Rogue and Assassin's Creed Unity's co-op multiplayer had no female character options. What sets Evie apart is she is fully playable in the main story. Ubisoft says players will control her along with her twin brother, Jacob Frye, and that for most story missions you'll be able to choose which sibling to play as. They'll both have their own unique missions as well, giving them character development apart from one another but still connected to the story. Some may gripe that Ubisoft could have simply made one playable assassin and not split the story between two. But I'd argue that the dynamic between siblings--often a mix of playful rivalry and unwavering support--is a much more interesting lens through which to tell a story than through one person alone. There's something charming about two siblings discovering and conquering the world together, working within the context of blood ties rather than romantic ones. The presence of women in Assassin's Creed seems to be increasing significantly for Syndicate, which features not only a female hero but female villains running the seedy underbelly of London's boroughs and female grunts carrying out their work. In the brief bits of Syndicate footage Ubisoft has shared, we've seen Jacob take out every gang member in his path. I don't ever recall playing an Assassin's Creed game where a good number of the NPCs engaging the player character in combat are women; these ladies, clad in some seriously spiffy suits and bowler hats, come at Jacob with knives, revolvers, and fists, carrying out their criminal duties. And Jacob, in turn, stabs them, punches them in the face, drops crates on them, and knocks them out in the same way he would any other combative NPC. It's violence against women in a video game, and it's violence within context. The crime lord Bloody Nora.To understand what that really means, we need to look at AC Syndicate's setting, 1868 London. London in the midst of the Victorian era, at the height of the Industrial Revolution. England was the hub of technological evolution, with the city of London at its core. Thousands of people moved from the countryside into the city looking for work, starting as early as four-years-old and often working until an untimely death around 30. Only one fifth of adult males could vote and women couldn't vote at all, and most of the population couldn't afford modern medicine, or even be bothered to name their children. It was economically necessary for many women, both single and married, to work in order to survive. These women often became domestic employees, such as nannies or maids, or found positions in textile factories and coal mines. Everyone in these lower tiers of London's society faced hardship. Women who left home unsupervised or went out on their own were often fretted over, and societal conventions frowned on the idea of a woman alone without a companion to guide her. People who couldn't find a place within proper society turned to organized crime as a means to survive, and it is here that many women found their footholds--and something meaningful to belong to. Between the pressures of finding stable work and wages, a place to live, and unfettered autonomy, it's not surprising that women fell in with London's criminal underground and called it home. In current gameplay previews of AC Syndicate, we see Bloody Nora, a Templar and the gang leader of one of London's boroughs. Given the oppressive restraints and demands put on London's women at the top of society, seeing one turn to a prominent position at the bottom as a crime lord is believable. And having one of her biggest opponents be a scrappy young woman from the country who was born and raised as an assassin shouldn't be hard to swallow either. "...A setting that created violent, powerful women in the real world."
Assassin's Creed Syndicate, with the setting it chose, has the potential to break a lot of ground with its representation of women. For the series, it could be a game changer. We often rail against violent interactions with women in video games, but in real-world Victorian London, this was how people behaved. These women live in a world of broken dreams and abandoned hopes, driven to crime and bloodshed by humankind's desperate desire to survive. Syndicate's developers have spoken at length about wanting to bring Assassin's Creed into the modern era, and I can't think of a better way to do it than kicking the move off with a setting that created violent, powerful women in the real world. Evie Frye.Back to Evie. When I look at her, I can't help but think of another fictional figure born from London's poverty: Nancy, from Charles Dickens's Oliver Twist. Nancy, unlike Evie, is an abandoned woman in 1800s London who becomes a prostitute and eventually a caretaker of the orphan Oliver. With no options available to her, she takes the only job she feels gives her any agency over her fate. I imagine this is the same way with Evie, who is born into the world of an assassin and grows up within its cause. I recognize Ubisoft isn't sharing much information on Evie at this time, but from the brief scenes we've seen--her formulating plans with her brother and a fellow assassin, and shooting a gun out of Bloody Nora's hand--she already seems like a woman of agency. She's not a follower. And when Jacob stands up and announces to the defeated gang, "We are Jacob and Evie Frye," his inclusion of her, that "we," makes me believe they are equal in narrative importance. We've been angry with Ubisoft in the past for the way it treats women in Assassin's Creed. Last year's storm regarding comments about animating women was loud and harmful, and while Unity did have a prominent female figure, Elise, she was not our hero. She was a lover, and this time around developers are keen to avoid the romantic plot because it "sucks everything out" of other important narrative elements. This modern setting, this 1868 London, is the perfect storm of setting and time for packing genuinely strong women into every level of importance in the series. Maybe the French Revolution just wasn't the time, or the Renaissance didn't offer the best options for believably running up against violent female NPCs. For a franchise that prides itself on its representation and accuracy, Assassin's Creed Syndicate is looking very promising as both an entertaining video game and a window into history. It may not have been Evie's time up until now. But Ubisoft has done its research, and I think we are ready for, and should be excited, about Evie Frye.
By Anonymous on May 16, 2015 08:30 pm
Welcome back to GameSpot Q&A, a weekly section where we ask our staff and readers an interesting discussion question about video games. Look at this as a forum where you and others can discuss and compare your opinions of this beloved hobby of ours. So don't hesitate to let us know what your answer is to this week's question in the comments below! This week's question is as follows:  What hugely popular game series have you never played?With The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt releasing next week, there are likely to be a whole bunch of gamers who are going to be playing this popular series for the first time. Whether it be because of lack of time or even adamant avoidance, are their any popular game series that you have never played before? Below is what our editors had to say. Final Fantasy XFinal Fantasy | Rob CrossleyI can understand why people love Final Fantasy, but for me, it just doesn't lure me in. I've never been a fan of the turn-based fighting mechanics, and I'd love to be wrong, but I look at some of the trailers and art and have little confidence that there's an interesting story to explore. Nintendogs | Daniel HindesNintendogs has sold 24 million copies and I've never played a single one. I'm more of a cat person. That doesn't mean I'm not open to teh concept of a pet simulator though. So I must ask: Where is Nintencats, Nintendo? Or would it be called Cattendo? MOBAs | Justin HaywaldDespite their undeniable popularity and incredibly fervent fanbase, I've never played a MOBA. It's not that they don't look fun; I might struggle to understand what's going on when I'm listening to shoutcasters commentate a heated Dota 2 match, but it's easy to get caught up in the excitement! But the high barrier to entry and the stories I always hear of and incredibly toxic player base have ensured that I kept my distance. Diablo IIIDiablo | Eddie MakuchI adored Blizzard's genre-defining PC MMO World of Warcraft, so much so that with every new expansion I'm tempted to surrender my life back to it, but I've never played the developer's other major game--Diablo. Despite rave reviews from friends--and even family--I've never even given it a try. My defense had always been that I'm not a very big PC gamer. But with Diablo 3 now on consoles, I really have no excuse. Ahh! Sports Games | Alexa Ray CorrieaAny major sports series I have not played and probably never will. I've never been into sports, playing or watching, so I have no idea how I would even begin to play the games. I'm way more interested in smacking trolls around with Firaga or whatever, but sportsball is just not for me. Mega Man 10Mega Man | Danny O'Dwyeri've never played Mega Man. Mostly because I didn't grow up playing Nintendo. Growing up in Ireland some of my friends certainly had them, but my household was a Commodore Amiga household. It wasn't until I was a teenager that I bought my first Nintendo console. Not many people can say they fell in love with Nintendo via the Gamecube, but I loved that little machine. I probably would have picked up the Mega Man Anniversary Collection but sadly it was a North American exclusive. Legend of Zelda Series | Zorine TeThe Legend of Zelda series. I did not own any Nintendo consoles as a child. For years, I thought the boy in green was named Zelda. I've tried to finish one of the games in recent years but never ended up venturing past the starter towns and could not find the drive to continue. Total War: Rome IITotal War Series | Chris WattersWhile I've experienced no shortage of virtual war, I have yet to engage in Total War. Perhaps I am intimidated by its totality? The idea of commanding legions is a bit daunting, but a game series doesn't get to be that popular by being totally obtuse. Indeed, the stories I've heard from friends of rousing, exciting conquests have piqued my interest now and then, but alas, I still haven't taken up the commander's call. Fighting Games (and Sports Games) | Kevin VanOrdOh, a number of them! I don't really play fighting games, and though I have dabbled in Marvel vs. Capcom, Mortal Kombat, and others, I've never played a Street Fighter game. Shocking, I know! You can also throw most sports franchises onto this list; I haven't played a Madden game since 1997, and have never touched an NHL or NBA game. World of WarcraftWorld of Warcraft | Peter BrownWorld of Warcraft. I played a lot of Warcraft, Warcraft II, and Warcraft III, but World of Warcraft never appealed to me. I've watched so many friends fall in love with the game, only to crash months later. Yet, despite realizing that they might not be enjoying the game for the right reasons, the same friends dove back in. It's an addictive game, and despite what '90s video game critics will tell you, that's not necessarily a good thing. Mass Effect Series | Matt EspineliI've played a fair share of RPGs in the past, but for some reason I've never gotten around to playing BioWare's Mass Effect series. I don't what it is that keeps me from that series because I really do appreciate its focus on its characters and lore. But I guess what's difficult for me is just the heavy weight of its decision-making and how that constantly effects what occurs throughout the series. I'm a bit of a perfectionist so whenever it comes to making choices in games, I always want the most ideal situation to occur. With a long series like Mass Effect, I find myself freaking out about my decisions at every turn. It's truly a terrible habit of mine that I hope to overcome someday so I can finally play these games.
By Anonymous on May 16, 2015 06:30 pm
 From comics to board games to weird YouTube videos, Chris Watters gives you five ways to get your Witcher fix while you wait to play Wild Hunt.
By Anonymous on May 16, 2015 05:20 am
1. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Symphony of the Night remains the undisputed king of the Castlevania series, responsible for shaping an entire genre of exploration-based action games. Its continued popularity two decades later fueled an enormously successful new Kickstarter game from its legendary designer, Koji Igarashi.
2. Castlevania
The very first title in the Castlevania series also hit stores during the first year of the Nintendo Entertainment System's US release. Castlevania's precise action and gothic atmosphere stood head and shoulders above its contemporaries. Facing creepy bosses and a wielding a versatile arsenal, Simon Belmont knocked down the doors of Dracula's castle with aplomb.
3. Castlevania: Bloodlines
Bloodlines has never been one of Castlevania's most beloved games, but the amount of unbridled ingenuity on display in the game's haunted hallways makes it one of the best. If you value experimental ideas, prepare to fall under its spell.
4. Castlevania: Rondo of Blood
For years, Rondo of Blood was spoken about in hushed tones by importers and collectors as the best Castlevania that never left Japan. We finally received English ports of the Turbo Grafx game recently, and the game's branching paths, secret rooms, and superb action lived up to the hype.
5. Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
Castlevania had a rocky history on the Game Boy, but Igarashi nailed the format with his trilogy of Game Boy Advance games that nearly match his revered Symphony of the Night. Aria of Sorrow is widely considered the best of the bunch.
6. Super Castlevania IV
Like its 8-bit predecessors, Super Castlevania IV was one of the early stars of the Super Nintendo. The game took wonderful advantage of the 16-bit system's graphic innovations like translucency and Mode 7-enabled background rotation. Plus, the supernatural soundtrack was absolutely killer.
7. Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
After the success of the Game Boy Advance Castlevania games, the Nintendo DS received its own trio of demon-slaying "Igavanias." Each DS game has its fanbase, but with clever rune-drawing mechanics and classical castle exploration, Dawn of Sorrow may go down in history as the last of the grand style, capital-C Castlevanias.
8. Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
The last Castlevania game to arrive on the NES was also the most ambitious. With multiple endings, alternate paths, and a cast of assistant characters, Castlevania III combined the non-linear direction of more experimental Castlevania games with polished action and a sense of purpose. It's also ridiculously difficult in all the right ways.
9. Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
We didn't know it at the time, but Order of Ecclesia was Koji Igarashi's swan song in the official Castlevania franchise. With his final game, he revamped the art style, added an enormous difficulty spike over previous DS titles, and let the player explore far beyond the boundaries of Dracula's castle.
10. Akumajou Special – Boku Dracula-kun
Akumajou Special, also known as "I'm Kid Dracula," is a colorful Konami spinoff title that features many of the Castlevania touchstones twisted into campy and cute parodies. It's also an intense action platformer that plays like it received a healthy infusion of Mega Man DNA.
11. Vampire Killer
Vampire Killer is a forgotten offshoot of the Castlevania series, but it still had a powerful impact on several future titles. This MSX 2 game came out the same year as the original NES Castlevania, but it featured drastically different gameplay with open-ended, Metroid-style exploration. It's a theme Castlevania would return to later in more successful iterations.
12. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
Depending on how you look at, Lords of Shadow either saved or ruined the Castlevania franchise. With a gigantic budget and hack-and-slash gameplay reminiscent of God of War, it certainly forged a bold new direction for the series. Taken on its own merits, it's an admirably ambitious game, even if didn't quite capture that ephemeral Castlevania feel.
13. Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth
It was a small adventure on the Wii's digital game service, but it did deliver a proper 2D side-scrolling Castlevania title on a console. The Adventure ReBirth revives the story of Christopher Belmont from a dormant Game Boy game, but this time, the action snaps like a whip. It's a Castlevania back alley well worth exploring.
14. Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
Although it's often maligned for its confusing translation and esoteric puzzles, Simon's Quest implemented plenty of interesting concepts. Between a day-and-night cycle that strengthened enemies and its fresh RPG leveling elements, Simon's Quest was an awkward, yet important, step for the series.
15. Sexy Parodius
It's not an official Castlevania game, but Sexy Parodius is still an essential experience for fans of the franchise. An entire level in this wacky-shoot-'em up plays out as an extended Castlevania homage, complete with an enormous Medusa-head boss. It's one of the rare times you can see these classic elements in a humorous context. (Image via Shadowserg)
By Anonymous on May 16, 2015 05:17 am
1. Natus Vincere Takes on the Alliance
The International Dota 2 Championship has grown to become the highest-paying eSports tournament in the world. Above, fans have filled Benaroya Hall to capacity while they watch Natus Vincere take on The Alliance.
2. In the Heart of the Storm
This giant crowd assembled for a StarCraft II: Heart of the Storm DreamHack tournament that took place in in Tours, France. (Image by Adela Sznajder)
3. Absolutely Stoked for Blizzcon
The crowd goes wild during the opening ceremonies of BlizzCon 2010 at the Anaheim Convention Center. The famous StarCraft II Invitational took place at this event, with Genius of Team ZeNEX taking home the 1st place prize of $25,000.
4. Heroes of the Storm
Heroes of the Storm caused quite a stir recently when ESPN2 decided to broadcast the championship round of Blizzard's collegiate tournament for the game. Love it or hate it, eSports like Heroes of the Storm are taking the world by ... well, you know.
5. DreamHack Winter 2014
The opening festivities at DreamHack Winter 2014 were suitably lavish, considering it's the biggest computer festival in the world. Tournaments were held for a number of games, such as Counter-Strike: GO, Hearthstone, and League of Legends. (Image by Jennika Ojala)
6. League of Legends
Fans give a standing cheer for pro League of Legends players gathered in Athens, Greece. The Gazi Music Hall reached its full capacity with champions, junglers, feeders and more.
7. Raising Hell With World of Tanks
The Hellraisers team wins the final game of the World of Tanks Grand Finals 2015. This April event was held in Warsaw, Poland, as part of the Wargaming.net League.
8. MVP vs. Nestea
BlizzCon continues to be an astoundingly popular destination for eSports fans, with 2011's Starcraft II matchup between MVP and Nestea amassing a giant crowd of spectators. After a hard-fought tournament, MVP trounced the opposition and took home $50,000.
9. Intel Extreme Masters in Katowice
Top players from around the world gathered in Poland to compete in League of Legends and StarCraft II for the Intel Extreme Masters tournament in 2013.
10. A Battle to the Death in the City of Goodwill
You can feel the tension in this awesome shot of The Alliance versus Natus Vincere battle during The International Dota 2 Championship in Seattle, Washington.
11. Team Newbee Competes Like Pros
Don't let their name fool you: Team Newbee once won $5 million in The International Dota 2 Grand Finals. Above, they're pictured competing in another Dota 2 match during ChinaJoy 2014, held in Shanghai.
12. Moving Up In the World!
Schuyler Wireman can't contain his excitement when The Alliance wins first place during The International Dota 2 Championship in 2013.
13. The Coming of the Storm
It just came out in 2014, but the multiplayer online battle arena game SMITE has already skyrocketed to worldwide popularity. Team Titan coach Job Hilbers watches from the wings as his crew battles OMG from China at the SMITE World Championship in Atlanta.
14. Australian Fnatics vs. Swedish Ninjas
With the release of Global Offensive, Counter-Strike entered a new era of popularity with pro FPS gamers. The finals of the CS:GO ESL One tournament play out on giant screens as the Australians and the Swedes battle for the title of world champs.
15. The Sweet Taste of Victory
Kelly Ong Xiao Wei and Alex Garfield react with stunned disbelief when their team, The Alliance, won first place during The International Dota 2 Championship in 2013.
By Anonymous on May 16, 2015 05:01 am
1. Super Mario Bros. Beaten In Under 5 Minutes
There are people who are good at video games, and then there are masters who must have descended from immortal game playing gods. For starters, LordSaradoc holds the world record for beating Super Mario Bros. in 4 minutes, 57.69 seconds, without the assistance of emulation tools or save states.
2. Super Punch-Out!! Beaten While Blindfolded
Zallard1 recently pulled off the near-impossible feat of beating Super Punch-Out!! while blindfolded for Awesome Games Done Quick. AGDQ is a veritable superhero of charity, raising money to fight cancer while engineering some of the most outrageous game stunts out there.
3. Mega Man X & Mega Man X2 Simultaneous Run
Aura Puffs has a cuddly YouTube user name, but his Mega Man skills are completely intimidating. He's managed to complete both Mega Man X and Mega Man X2 at the exact same time using a single controller. His synchronized play-through takes multitasking to a new level.
4. Bloodborne Beaten With a Rock Band Guitar
Bloodborne's gothic and fog-drenched atmosphere seems like a natural fit for some heavy-metal wailing. Twitch streamer gbbearzly decided to hook up a Rock Band instrument and thrash his way through the formidable game with some incredible guitar licks.
5. Soulcalibur V Pro Destroys Opponent Without Looking
Sure it's a bit showboaty, but French gamer Kayane, one of the top Soulcalibur players in the world, takes on the competition with style. Without looking at the screen once, she demolishes her opponent with a flurry of combos at Paris Manga in 2013, a display of skill still talked about to this day.
6. Ikaruga Double Play
Ikaruga is considered one of the best-shoot-'em up games ever created, and juggling its complex black-and-white polarity system often feels like patting your head and rubbing your belly at the same time. Enter: two joysticks, one expert arcade gamer. A now-famous YouTube video features an unknown Ikaruga pro who controls two ships at the same time, executing intricate combo chains with panache.
7. An 85-Year Old Man Sets the World Record for Wii Bowling
The joke about grandparents loving Wii Bowling is true. John Bates, an 85-year-old resident of Onalaska, Wisconsin, set the world record at 14,000 perfect games of Wii Sports Bowling. That takes extraordinary skill, and an extremely long attention span.
8. Expert Player Beats Dark Souls Using Only His Feet
Srwfe is a Taiwanese Dark Souls master whose soul level is so high he can navigate its blighted caverns with the most dexterous pair of feet you'll see all year. His Twitch stream has viewable archives of his adventures, which are sure to inspire jealousy.
9. Ninja Gaiden Beaten With a Dance Pad
Dark Souls isn't the only game experts have trounced with their feet. Nick Hagman rigged up a Dance Dance Revolution pad and began an 8-month quest to beat Ninja Gaiden, one of the hardest NES games, using a frenzy of dance moves. You can follow his epic quest on YouTube.
10. Kaizo Mario World Deathless Run
Kaizo Mario World is the most infamous hack of Super Mario World, turning the peaceful game into a nightmarish hellscape of invisible blocks and death traps. Speedrunner dram551 performed a flawless play through in 14 minutes and 29 seconds without getting killed once. Unfortunately, dram551 is not an actual keyboard cat, but he does possess inhuman skills.
11. Tetris World Record 19-Second Blitz
Everyone thinks they're pretty decent at Tetris. That is until they see the world-record-breaking video of keroco racing through a 40-line game in 19.68 seconds. The pieces move so fast it's often hard to comprehend what's happening.
12. Japanese Model Haruna Anno Beats Super Mario Bros. Without Looking
Cool guys don't look at explosions, and cool women don't look at the games they play with polished perfection. Haruna Anno has a day job as a Japanese model, but she made waves when a video circulated of her tearing through the original Super Mario Bros. without even glancing at the screen.
13. A Master Pulls Off 16 Button Presses in One Second
If you've played any of the classic Adventure Island games, you'll recognize the main character, Master Higgins. He's based on a real Hudson executive, Toshiyuki Takahashi, who became famous for his ability to fire off 16 button presses in one second. He went on to invent the turbo button for video game controllers so the rest of us mere mortals could catch up to him.
14. The Most Boring Game In The World Played for a Week
Desert Bus is a joke game created by the entertainers Penn & Teller that consists of driving a bus down a straight route for 8 hours in real time. A team of gamers created a charity to benefit children's hospitals called Desert Bus for Hope, where they marathon the mind-numbingly dull game for a week at a time. So far they've raised millions of dollars through their commitment to dull digital life on the road.
15. Super Metroid 4-Way Speed Run Race
Its winding pathways have made Super Metroid a favorite game for speed runners to attempt sequence-breaking records on. Awesome Games Done Quick hosted this breakneck charity run between a group of the best Metroid players in the world. It's a nail-biting 45 minutes you won't regret watching.
16. Taking on the Armies of Skyrim Unarmed
By this point, unarmed Skryim builds have taken off as a viable path, but it took a brave, foulmouthed viking by the name of Robbaz to kick off the entire movement. If his salty language doesn't turn you off, prepare to stand in awe of his fists made of steel.
17. Dark Souls Vehicular Manslaughter
Twitch streamer The Prixie boldly steers a new course for innovative Souls games-control schemes. Unintimidated by guitar players or feet fiddlers, this pro deftly wields a racing game steering wheel to destroy every difficult Souls boss that stands in her way.
18. Speed Runner Plays Half-Life Upside Down
Unsatisfied with his status as one of the greatest Half-Life speed runners, quadrazid flipped the view and reversed the gravity on Valve's classic game. Although he's occasionally disoriented in his videos (can you blame him?) he still plays better than most people right side up.
19. A Blindfolded 14-0 Win in Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
Undeterred by the wins of other blindfolded speed runners in Super Punch-Out!!, Jack Wedge took the challenge back to its roots this year, completing the original Punch-Out!! in a flawless streak while blindfolded. His bouts against Soda Popinski and the notoriously impossible Mike Tyson are balletic displays of ingenuity and memorization.
20. Ninja Gaiden Trilogy Relay Race
Imagine all three tough-as-nails NES Ninja Gaiden games played back to back, by two competing teams filled with some of the fastest fingers on the planet. Awesome Games Done Quick produced this must-watch, high-wire act and raised a ton of money for The Precent Cancer Foundation.
21. A 76-Hour Just Dance Marathon Sets World Record
Alot of astounding video game feats take extraordinary concentration and reflexes, but Carrie Swidecki's accomplishment required inhuman stamina. She set the record for playing Just Dance 4 for 76 hours, 4 minutes, 52 seconds consecutively. We're not sure how she even survived.
22. The Mexican Runner Attempts to Finish Every NES Game
The NES has one of the most difficult game catalogs of any system, so when The Mexican Runner committed to beating all of them on his Twitch channel, he got everyone's attention. Watching him dismantle games like the Silver Surfer is a thing of beauty.
23. A Volley of Perfect Parries Wins a Street Fighter III Tournament
By now, the moment has become a legend in video game history: In a tense final tournament match between two all-time fighting game champs, Justin Wong managed to parry an entire multi-hit Super Combo from Daigo Umehara's Chun Li. A single parry takes practice and precise timing to pull off, so 17 parries in a row was almost like witnessing someone leap over the Empire State Building.
24. Super Mario Galaxy 2's Grandmaster Galaxy Evil Remix
Grandmaster Galaxy's "The Perfect Run" is considered the pinnacle of difficult Mario levels. It wasn't challenging enough for MrBean35000vr, though, who decided to remix a Master Quest version of the level. His creation is a gauntlet of punishing and painful traps so hard that he may be the only one alive who can survive them.
25. A Solo Spelunky Eggplant Run Through Hell and Back
Staying alive for more than 5 minutes in the challenging platform game Spelunky counts as an accomplishment. Expert player Bananasaurus Rex went the extra mile though. He managed to singlehandedly carry an eggplant (an essentially worthless item) all the way to the game's secret final boss, a feat that had always required careful coordination between two skilled players.
26. Dark Souls Beaten With a Pair of Bongos
The Dark Souls community seems to be in a continuous state of one-upping each other with the most ridiculous controller methods they can think of. PIctured here, gbbearzly (who beat Bloodborne with a guitar) hooks up some Donkey Kong bongos and whales on some difficult Dark Souls bosses.
27. Player Jumps Across the Hellmouth in Destiny
If you've ever stood in front of the Hellmouth's gaping chasm and wondered if it was possible to clear it in a giant, virtuosic leap of faith, SmileB4DEATH has a video for you. Using a Bladedancer Hunter, a Sparrow, and some well-timed Arc Blades, he crosses the entire pit flawlessly.
28. Beatmania IIDX World Record Set With Hair-Trigger Hands
On Star Trek: The Next Generation, the crew would face an emergency, and Data would bust out his superhuman, lightning-fast hands to reprogram the ship. That's nothing compared with expert player DOLCE's mastery of Beatmania. With 1,836 perfect button presses in 2 minutes, he's faster than man or machine.
29. Blindfolded 100 Percent Run For The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Runnerguy2489 grabbed everyone's attention at the beginning of the year when he completed three dungeons in Ocarina of Time while blindfolded. If you tune into his YouTube channel, you can watch history unfold as he attempts to complete the entire game, including collecting all 100 gold Skulltulas, with a sack over his head.
30. A New Super Mario 64 World Record Set in April 2015
Hot off the presses! Allan "Cheese05" Alvarez has just set a new world record for collecting all 120 stars in Super Mario 64: 1 hour, 41 minutes, 16.87 seconds. That's a solid 3 minutes faster than the previous record. The video of his attempt is a balletic performance of nimble jumps and camera manipulation. It's hard to imagine anyone doing it better.
By Anonymous on May 16, 2015 04:30 am
 Find out all the details about a survival game rife with dinosaurs, the four studios working on The Division, and cheap games for your Xbox!
By Anonymous on May 16, 2015 03:43 am
 The Queen's Emissary brings wanted bounties, cannons, ether keys, and special loot chests.
By Anonymous on May 16, 2015 03:00 am
The Witcher Adventure Board Game
Taking place in the Witcher franchise, the board game is designed for 2-4 players and features detailed, maps, figures and quest lines where you take on the roles of characters from the Witcher universe.
The Witcher Stories (Novel)
The novel series (which excludes the short stories) is called the Witcher Saga, and focuses on the story of Geralt of Rivia and Ciri, the Child of Destiny.
The Saga
photo by Yuri Kravtsov
The Saga is a series of six books which focus on the story of Geralt of Rivia and Ciri, the Child of Destiny.
The Witcher: The Adventure Card Game
The Witcher Card Game is a non-collectable game for 2-5 players. The goal is to hire the Geralt and his friends to aid you in your fight against the monsters that roam the land. Collect attack cards, events cards and gold. The player with the most at the end, wins.
The Hexer
The Hexer was a 2001 fantasy film (which was also made into a 13 episode TV series). But don't get your hopes up. Both were considered a failure due to the vast changes from the source material.
The Witcher Comics by Dark Horse
Geralt meets a widowed fisherman whose murderous undead wife resides in an eerie mansion known as the House of Glass—which seems to have endless rooms, nothing to fill them with, and horror around every corner.
The Witcher Soundtrack
Written by Adam Skorupa and Paweł Błaszczak, the soundtrack features 29 tracks with the total running time of 73 minutes 13 seconds and was voted "Best Fantasy Game Soundtrack" in the 2007 Radio Rivendell Fantasy awards.
By Anonymous on May 16, 2015 12:41 am
Polish fantasy writer, Andrzej Sapkowski, first wrote The Witcher as a short story in 1986 for the purpose of entering a magazine contest. He came third.
CD Projekt decided to develop a new engine, REDengine, to implement their vision for The Witcher 2.
The game's art design was inspired by the Slavic culture, with minor influences from Celtic, Germanic, and Scandinavian mythos.
CD Projekt released the Director's Cut patch on July 31, 2009 for The Witcher to North American players which removed censorship in the game, mainly revealing nudity on erotic cards.
The original music for The Witcher was composed by Adam Skorupa and Pawel Blaszczak. It released in 2007 and won "Best Fantasy Game Soundtrack" by the Radio Rivendell Fantasy Awards.
In April of 2009 CD Projekt RED announced that The Witcher: Rise of the White Wolf had been put on indefinite hold due to complications with Widescreen Games.
In The Witcher 2, protagonist Geralt was more than a 100 years old.
Dandelion's supposed real name is Julian Alfred Pankratz viscount de Lettenhove. But his original Polish name, "Jaskier", literally means "Buttercup." Not quite befitting of the womanizing bard.
Conan O'Brian reviewed The Witcher III: Wild Hunt on a Clueless Gamer segment.
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