Polish developer CD Projekt Red on Monday released a new gameplay trailer for the Xbox One version of RPG The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt that reveals a new dynamic scaling feature to improve its visuals.
The developer announced previously that the Xbox One edition runs natively at 900p, but the new dynamic scaling feature appears to allow the game to reach 1080p in certain instances.
The video was captured directly from an Xbox One. There's no doubt that it looks quite impressive, but CD Projekt Red says it's still "fighting for every line of code" to improve overall performance even more.
"The video you're now watching is grabbed directly from an Xbox One console. We've been working to give gamers an even better experience on Xbox One and, on day one, we'll bring you dynamic scaling from 900p to 1080p," the studio said in a statement.
"We're not much more than a week before launch, but we're still fighting for every line of code," it added. "We want gamers to get the best possible experience we can deliver."
Earlier today, CD Projekt Red confirmed that, over the course of the past two weeks, it was able to increase technical performance for The Witcher 3 across all platforms. In addition to additional efforts in this area leading up to the game's release next week, the studio has started working "full speed" on upcoming expansions Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine.
Developer Wildcard Studios on Monday announced an open-world dinosaur game called Ark: Survival Evolved, and the first trailer does not disappoint. Take a look at the impressive video below, showing off the game's varied environments, combat mechanics, fantasy elements, and all manner of wild creatures.
Survival Evolved is currently in development for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. An in-development version of the PC edition will debut in June on Steam as an Early Access title.
Wildcard is a new company staffed by "veteran" designers, though it's unclear what games the team worked on previously. Whatever the case, the studio says many of its team members have been inspired by popular dinosaur movies like The Land Before Time, Dinotopia, and Jurassic Park.
The team has major ambitions for Survival Evolved, saying it hopes the game can be "one of the most ambitious hardcore large-scale survival experiences ever devised."
The PC version of Survival Evolved is slated to launch in full during summer 2016, though a release window for the console editions has not been announced.
Survival Evolved runs on Unreal Engine 4, and Wildcard says the footage in the new trailer is taken from "live online gameplay." The game will also support mods on PC, Wildcard explained on Facebook.
What do you make of the Survival Evolved trailer? Let us know in the comments below.
As of this morning, the legendary creator of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Koji Igarashi, is back. He parted ways with Konami last year after a series of ill-fitting assignments, and it didn't take long for him to forge a new path as an independent developer, seeking help from friends in Japan and abroad. Freed from the constraints and budgets of a major publisher, Igarashi chose to revisit the side-scrolling action genre, and the result is Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. This "Igavania," as Igarashi describes it, brings you into a mysterious castle where you must search for clues, items, and hidden paths. Given the work Igarashi has done within the Castlevania series, it comes as no surprise to see him return to his roots, as Bloodstained looks exactly like the sort of Castlevania game Igarashi might have made in the past. Igarashi has already secured an initial round of funding, but the Kickstarter for Bloodstained will allow him to publish physical versions of Bloodstained, as well as provide additional funds to increase the scope of the world and story.
Igarashi's tale is seemingly common nowadays, but there are questions that need answering. We had the chance to pick his brain leading up the announcement of Bloodstained, and our interview below touches on the unexpected challenges he's faced while trying to secure funding as an independent, how Bloodstained will surprise and please fans of his past work, and importantly, his perspective on the current state of Konami, where he spent his entire career until departing in 2014.
Koji Igarashi
GameSpot: Was it easy to get the initial funding for Bloodstained?
Koji Igarashi: It was a lot harder than I imagined, actually. I've had a pretty solid record both critically and financially when creating these types of games, so I would have figured it was less risky than other titles publishers were already considering. But they all passed for a wide variety of reasons. I left Konami over a year ago and expected to have something up and running in 6 months… but no major publisher wanted to take a chance on my ideas, which was really shocking. The game industry is a lot harder as an independent than someone with a protected job at an internal dev studio in a publisher. Fortunately, I was working with Ben Judd at DDM (formerly of Capcom, now helping indie developers in Japan) and he continued to look for other funding options to make my dream a reality.
Do you think a game like Bloodstained would be possible through a traditional publisher relationship? Did you pitch it anywhere?
I approached all the big, medium, and small sized publishers. They were all nice about it and some tried to find ways to move forward, but for a wide variety of reasons, they all ended up passing. It was disheartening and confusing... On one hand, fans constantly asked me for another Igavania game, yet the publishers didn't seem to think it was what their fanbase wanted. Hopefully KS will give developers more options to close that gap.
Any thoughts about the current state of Konami, now that you're looking on from the outside?
Honestly, Konami is where I've spent my entire gaming career until I left a year ago, and I'm grateful for all the wonderful opportunities I gained there. That being said, Konami will be Konami. They're a business, and financially lucrative trends will set internal policies. If that means there's a lot of money to be had in the mobile space and comparatively less money in the console space, that's the direction they'll most likely head. It's a hard strategy to argue against since businesses exist to make money. But I'm an individual, and as fans have helped shape my career and my life, I feel the need to focus on them. Hopefully this Kickstarter will allow me to do just that.
A rough gameplay concept image recalls memories of Igarashi's past work.
Is it liberating or motivating to be able to develop this kind of game again? How does your current funding/publishing path grant you freedom where you perhaps didn't in the past?
It's incredibly motivating. In the past, I needed to rely on publisher budgets, timelines, things like that--and while I was able to craft and shape the core ideas and designs, it's nothing like the freedom this Kickstarter can provide me to go all out. It's great to feel the reins come off as a creator and experience this kind of freedom.
How do you feel about developing this project out in the open?
I've never done anything like this before, but the idea of being able to interact with the fans and have them share their ideas with me sounds like a lot of fun. I'm really excited to get started.
You describe Bloodstained as an "Igavania" game; what does this mean to you?
WIP cover art for Bloodstained's physical version, should the Kickstarter campaign meet its goal.
I know the word Metroidvania is used to describe this kind of game, but Metroid is Nintendo's IP, and I want to respect that. From here on out, this production needs to be my IP and my ideas, so it seems fitting to use a different name for my first independent title. Still, I'm worried it might come off a little narcissistic, but the team helping me with campaign suggested it as a good name for the new sub-genre of games that I create. How does it sound?
There are many similarities between Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night and Castlevania: Symphony of the night that go beyond general gameplay concepts. Miriam and Gebel are very similar to Alucard and Dracula; There's mention of a castle that makes a mysterious appearance. Why are these elements important to the vision for Bloodstained?
Symphony of the Night was a significant influence on the titles that came after it, so with some of the staff coming back to work on this game, similarities are kind of inevitable--plus, it's what the fans seem to want. Some of the key concepts in Bloodstained include dark fantasy, gothic visuals, exploration, crafting, and of course, the key image of "stained glass" that ties into many of the game elements, but it's not a conscious effort to make the games similar.
Given the familiar elements, are there going to be surprises in Bloodstained that surprise people who may be expecting just more of the same?
Key staff will be working with us on the game, but it won't be the same as SotN. You can expect to see a very robust weapon crafting system, with lots of enemy drops and enemy magic to forge new abilities. As far as surprises go... this is an Igavania game.
Female lead characters are still relatively rare in games today--how did you decide on Miriam for the main protagonist?
I've always been fond of strong female characters and had them in many of my games. This Kickstarter is a new chapter in my life, so I figured I'd try another female lead character and shake things up a bit. That being said, unlocking a male counterpart is one of the key goals, so I'd like to give people as many options as possible.
Miriam, the protagonist in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Aside from the production of physical versions of the game, in what ways will the Kickstarter campaign improve Bloodstained, overall?
Things like extra playable characters, more enemies, bosses, and weapons. I want this game to have real volume. I think people really appreciated the sheer amount of content in my previous games, and I want to make sure this is something fans will enjoy playing. And the idea is, if enough stretch goals are reached, we may be able to add potential online modes and new systems. But backers will have to unlock backer achievements on the KS page to find out exactly what those are.
Who will be publishing the physical versions of Bloodstained if the Kickstarter campaign is successful?
We currently have investment lined up if the Kickstarter is successful. We're unable to go into any more details beyond that at this point.
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night developer Koji Igarashi has announced his next project, a 2.5D "Igavania"-style title called Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. The game is in development for PC, Mac, Linux, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.
Igarashi is bypassing a traditional publishing deal for the project, instead looking to Kickstarter to get the game off the ground. He's launched a crowdfunding campaign, seeking $500,000 to make it a reality.
The developer explained that it has already raised some funds for Ritual of the Night. Money raised on Kickstarter will be used to increase the overall product budget and to release physical Xbox One and PS4 discs as backer rewards.
Igarashi is serving as Ritual of the Night's director/producer. Another veteran attached to the project is Castlevania series composer Michiru Yamane, who is working on the game's music. Development duties are being handled by Inti Creates, the Japanese studio behind Mega Man 9 and Mighty No. 9.
For lots more on Ritual of the Night, be sure to read GameSpot's interview with Igarashi and check out some screenshots in the gallery below, along with some backstory information.
Igarashi announced his departure from Konami last year. While at the Japanese publisher, he produced more than a dozen Castlevania titles, beginning with Castlevania: Symphony of the Night in 1997. He is known for transforming the series into a more adventure-oriented direction known as "Metroidvania."
Ritual of the Night backstory:
The 18th century has come to a close. Rapid advancements in science cast a dark shroud of doubt on the magics of old. The world begins to focus on the tangible.
Alchemy appears a new hybrid of science and magic. The Alchemist Guild, fearing pressure from new scientific discoveries, begins spreading word of a plague of demons that threaten the world if too much faith is placed in Science. This, of course, is a ruse to protect their power and wealth.
However, scientific progress cannot be stopped, and its advancements darken the hearts of the upper Alchemist elite. They begin to gather the "pure children" as test subjects to fuse with dangerous dark magics, a process that turns the children into "demonic magnets" that call demons to earth.
The Alchemists wait for the world to beg for their help, for they know the demon plague, which they set into motion, can only be slowed by their hand. Or so they thought…
In an ironic turn of fate, the Alchemists Guild disappears. 10 years after that fateful day, a monstrous and twisted castle filled with demons appears in the dilapidated spot that the greedy Alchemists once called home.
Kojima shared the images through his Twitter account. He also explained that Quiet's breasts have been designed with "soft" materials. This allows them to be "pushed and lifted. lol."
The Quiet figure will be released as part of the latest Play Arts Kai line.
As you can see, she comes with her trademark skimpy outfit and sniper rifle, as well as a pistol and knife. There's also an alternate head featuring mascara.
Manipulable breasts will likely make an already controversial character even more contentious.
Back in 2013, Kojima responded to criticism about Quiet being too "sexy," saying players will have a better understanding of who she is once they play The Phantom Pain.
"I know there's people concerning about 'Quiet' but don't worry," Kojima said at the time. "I created her character as an antithesis to the women characters [who] appeared in the past fighting game who are excessively exposed. Once you recognize the secret reason for her exposure, you will feel ashamed of your words & deeds."
Microsoft on Monday released the Xbox One's May system update, which adds new features like voice messages, more SmartGlass functionality, and additional power-saving options.
First, Xbox One owners can now send and receive voice messages through the console's messaging app. What's more, voice messages can be sent between Xbox One and Xbox 360.
The update also adds a new Power On/Off option for the free SmartGlass app, which lets you power your console on and off, provided your console and mobile device are on the same network.
What's more, the May update tweaks the Xbox One initial setup options for new users to allow them to choose between "Instant-On" and "Energy-Saving." Microsoft announced plans for this new option last month, following a searing report from the National Resources Defense Council.
Finally, the May Xbox One update introduces dedicated servers for party chat. Microsoft is starting the rollout now, and availability will be expanded in the coming weeks.
What do you think of these new Xbox One changes? Let us know in the comments below.
Project Giant Robot, a title that was revealed at E3 2014 as one of two quirky Wii U games designed by Shigeru Miyamoto, is expected for release in the US and Europe during the "first half of 2015," according to an earnings release document from Nintendo.
The company has not yet provided a specific release date for the title and, in fact, has barely discussed it since the weeks following its initial reveal period. However, if the document is correct, this would mean the game should be released by the end of June.
Project Giant Robot was unveiled alongside Project Guard at E3 2014. At the same time, Miyamoto confirmed he was working on a new Star Fox for Wii U.
In September, Nintendo said its Star Fox Wii U game is on track to launch in 2015, along with Splatoon, which has a specific release date of May 29, and Yoshi's Woolly World, which is expected on June 23 in Europe and some months later in the US.
"We've decided to shelve The Black Glove for now," Fielder wrote.
After the Kickstarter campaign for The Black Glove came up short, Day For Night Games brought a demo to the Game Developers Conference and PAX East this year, pitching it to publishers.
Fielder explained that a few (unspecified) companies expressed interest, but the company was unable to "find the perfect glass slipper we were looking for." Compounding the problem was the fact that the studio, at this time, started to lose key developers who left to take full-time jobs at other companies.
It's been personally difficult to move away from The Black Glove, Fielder said, but he teased that the project may one day see the light of day.
"We intend to return to The Black Glove later when we can do it right," he said.
Fielder went on to say that he's happy to report that many of the Day For Night Games employees have found new jobs. Fielder himself recently started at OtherSide Entertainment, where he serves as design director for Underworld Ascendant.
DISCLOSURE: Joe Fielder is the former site director and editor of GameSpot.
CD Projekt Red's upcoming open-world role-playing game The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has eclipsed 1 million pre-orders, the Polish studio announced on Monday. The game launches next week.
CD Projekt Red didn't specify how that figure breaks down between platforms or physical/digital.
Gameplay footage from early copies of the game has appeared on Twitch, but the streaming site is having none of it. Streams featuring the game before May 19 will be taken offline.
Publishers Deep Silver and Nordic Games have partnered with GOG.com to release DRM-free version of Metro, Saints Row, and Darksiders games for the first time, the companies have announces.
Five DRM-titles have been added to the GOG.com's online store today, and they're being offered with celebratory discounts until May 18:
Metro: Last Light Redux (-50%) - The 2014 remastered re-release of the first person shooter set in post-apocalyptic Moscow.
Saints Row 2 (-60%) - The open-world action-adventure crime game.
Saints Row: The Third (-66%) - Where the series ventured even further into the absurd.
Darksiders 1 + 2 (Up to 75% off) - The Legend of Zelda inspired adventure where you play as two horsemen of the apocalypse: War in the first game and Death in the sequel.
"It's not every day that we see major games like these, unchained from any forms of DRM," GOG.com VP of business development Oleg Klapovsky said in a statement. "With today's big-name DRM-free releases, and the impending The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt premiere, we anticipate even more major titles to follow suit."
Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro's production company worked on a cinematic trailer for the unannounced--but rumored--Fallout 4, according to the online resume of someone who says they worked on it. As spotted by Videogamer, a Mirada Studios contract employee listed "Fallout 4 cinematic trailer" on their LinkedIn page as a project they worked on December 2014 through March 2015. No other details are available.
Fallout publisher Bethesda has not formally announced Fallout 4, and one LinkedIn page should not be taken as confirmation that Fallout 4 is indeed in the works.
However, it does appear that Bethesda is preparing to make major announcements at E3 next month. The publisher is--for the first time ever--holding its own press briefing in Los Angeles. The event takes place Sunday, June 14, before the official start of E3.
GameSpot has reached out to both Mirada and Bethesda, asking for additional details about this report. We'll update this post with anything we might hear back.
Del Toro, who directed Pan's Labyrinth and the Hellboy movies, founded Mirada in 2010. The company has some very high-profile clients, including Disney, Nike, Mazda, and Katy Perry, among others.
Although Fallout 4 has not been officially announced, the evidence for the game's existence is mounting. An extensive report from December 2013--containing casting documents--claimed the game was indeed in development and would be set in Boston. This backs up a summer 2012 report that claimed a team from Bethesda traveled to the city for a scouting trip.
With just one week to go before The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt arrives, Polish developer CD Projekt Red continues to improve the game's technical performance across all platforms.
"This is the last stretch and we're pushing hard," CD Projekt Red CEO and co-founder Marcin Iwinski said in a statement.
"Over the last two weeks, we've increased performance on all platforms and started working full speed on the expansions, Hearts of Stone & Blood and Wine."
It's unclear what specific technical improvements CD Projekt Red has been able to make. We've followed up with the developer, asking for more details.
In addition to a smorgasbord of free DLC, CD Projekt Red will release paid expansions for the game in the form of Hearts of Stone (October 2015) and Blood and Wine (Q1 2016). Together, they should add around 30 hours of gameplay to an already massive game. You can buy them both together for $25.
Valve's PC gaming platform Steam continues to break records.
On Sunday, May 10, a record 9.5 million people were logged into Steam at the same time. That's a new concurrent user number for the platform, and is up from 9 million just a couple months ago.
The news comes by way of Steam's "Stats" page, which reveals that the milestone was achieved in the early afternoon PDT on May 10.
Creative Assembly's horror game Alien: Isolation has now sold more than 2.1 million copies, publisher Sega announced on Monday as part of its latest earnings report for the year ended March 31.
Does Isolation's success mean a sequel is on the way? It's too early to say for sure, though Creative Assembly has said it sees a "great opportunity" to make a follow-up.
As you can see in the chart above, Sega's Football Manager 2015 shifted 810,000 units for PC, while the new Sonic Boom games for Wii U and 3DS combined to sell 620,000 copies.
For Sega's latest financial year, the company's total packaged software sales rose to 12.3 million, but Sega still said "performance in the field was weak due to the harsh market environment."
The digital side was another story, however.
Digital game software for mobile phones, smartphones, and PC "remained strong," Sega said. The publisher specifically called out games like Ange Vierge, SAKATSUKU Shoot, Phantasy Star Online 2, Puyopuyo!! Quest, and Chain Chronicles -- Kizuna no Shintairiku.
Sega's Consumer Business division--which houses its games business--saw net sales of ¥111.76 billion ($932 million). That represents an increase of 11.2 percent from the previous financial year. Operating income for Sega's game division, meanwhile, was ¥4.03 billion ($33.7 million)--an increase of 93.1 percent.
Overall, Sega's entire business--which includes Pachinko machines and even resorts--posted an ¥11.258 billion ($93.9 million) loss for the period, due in part to restructuring costs.
Nintendo is "optimistically" looking at removing region locks from its gaming systems, starting with its next home console, which is codenamed NX.
Speaking in an investor Q&A, which has been translated by a NeoGAF user, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata said the company is currently internally "investigating" the problems that could present themselves when implementing the feature.
"Regarding NX, given the customer feedback and proposals from the market, while nothing has been decided yet, we're currently investigating internally what problems there would be in realizing it," he said.
"You can think of that as the current situation. I understand your desire, so I'd like to look at it optimistically going forward."
Iwata also clarified that, while it was exploring the possibilities of the NX being free from region locking, it is unlikely the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U will have their regional restrictions removed.
"Removing region-locking from current game machines presents various issues, so we don't consider that to be very realistic," Iwata explained.
Project Cars has become the first car racing simulation to take the No.1 spot on the UK games chart in two years, according to the UK sales monitor Chart-Track.
For the week ending May 9, the crowd-funded sim developed by UK outfit Slightly Mad Studios managed to hold off competition from Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto V, which ended its 86th week of chart placement at No.2.
Nintendo will not reveal any new information or show NX, its next gaming console, at E3 2015.
Company chief executive Satoru Iwata was asked specific details on the console during a recent meeting with investors, but replied by reiterating that Nintendo does not plan to fully reveal NX until 2016.
"We do not plan on talking specifics about the NX until 2016," he said, as translated by Kotaku.
Iwata would not provide any additional details or a release window for the NX, only repeating that it is "calling it a 'new concept' ... not thinking of [it] as a 'simple replacement' for the 3DS or the Wii U."
Smart phone titles and quality of life experiences would also not be represented at E3.
"Since we understand that E3 is an event for dedicated video game machines, we do not intend to discuss the smart devices as well as quality of life," said Iwata.
During the presentation Iwata once again addressed why the NX had been announced before Nintendo was ready to fully reveal it, saying the company wanted to affirm its commitment to home gaming, following the announcement of its partnership with DeNA and plans to develop mobile games.
The sentiment echoes previous statements Iwata made during the initial NX announcement to the same effect: "As proof that Nintendo maintains strong enthusiasm for the dedicated game system business, let me confirm that Nintendo is currently developing a dedicated game platform with a brand-new concept under the development codename 'NX'."
"It is too early to elaborate on the details of this project, but we hope to share more information with you next year."
Frontier Developments has announced it will give a free Steam key to those that purchase Elite: Dangerous from the developer's online shop, or backed the game on Kickstarter.
Speaking on the studio's forum, Edward Lewis, a community manager for the developer, said it wanted to accommodate PC players that prefer to use Valve's Steam platform to play games.
"We always appreciate it when you buy direct from our store because it means we can put more into supporting and developing Elite: Dangerous," he said.
"But we know a number of long-time players and backers like to play through Steam and we think it's fair everyone has that option, not just new players."
Continuing, Lewis added that Frontier has been working with Valve to provide integration between Steam accounts and Frontier accounts.
"Elite: Dangerous runs on Frontier's servers, so we've been working with Valve to give you a way to seamlessly connect your Steam and existing Frontier accounts in a way that's easy. It's coming soon."
According to Lewis, existing owners will be able to generate a Steam code from their Frontier accounts page from May 28.
Elite: Dangerous is already available on Steam for $59.99 (£39.99). The sci-fi space combat and exploration sim was previously only available for purchase through the game's website.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt doesn't officially launch until May 19, but footage from the Xbox One version of the game has appeared online. According to a report by VGLeaks, a retailer in United Arab Emirates has broken the game's street date, which has led to gameplay videos being uploaded. The videos in question can be viewed on VGLeaks.
Those who backed Star Citizen can already play limited parts of the game in Arena Commander and soon in the first person shooter module Star Marine, but it's going to a while before we get our hands on a finished product. Until then, you could play a finished version of Star Citizen reimagined as an old arcade game.
Hyper Vanguard Force IV, as it's called, is a free 2D shooter in the style of Galaga and 1942 based on Star Citizen's ship designs and story. It was made by Montreal-based game creators Dave Richard and Christine Marsh who designed all the assets themselves based on official Star Citizen concept art. It was then integrated into Star Citizen's website by Turbulent, one of the game's developers.
In other Star Citizen news, developer Cloud Imperium Games recently published a huge update about the state of the space game's upcoming FPS module, now called Star Marine.
The crowdfunding campaign for Star Citizen continues to soar. The game's total funding now stands at just under $82 million.
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