Microsoft's latest Deals With Gold promotion is on, discounting a handful of Xbox One and Xbox 360 games, such as Sunset Overdrive for $27, EA Sports UFC for $10, and FIFA 15: Deluxe Edition for $24. You can check out all the deals here.
The new Humble Bundle is now live, and it's one focused on returning classics from past bundles. It includes games like Super Meat Boy, Braid, and Limbo, as well as soundtracks for many of the included games.
The latest Humble Weekly Bundle featuring Slitherine strategy games games is nearly over; it includes Frontline: Road to Moscow and Rise of Prussia Gold.
Get 20 percent off at Green Man Gaming with the promo code: 20PERC-ENTOFF-JUNE20
Amazon prices are accurate as of publishing, but can fluctuate occasionally throughout the day.
GameSpot's gaming deals posts always highlight the best deals we can find regardless of retailer. We also occasionally use retailer affiliate links, which means that purchasing goods through those links helps support all the great content (including the deals posts) you find for free here on the site.
This new player-versus-player mode consists of games played with a unique set of rules that change every week. Blizzard suggested possibilities like playing with preset decks, newly built decks that must follow certain guidelines, or with certain minion types being buffed. You'll be able to take part in these matches against random players online or against friends by challenging them from your friends list. Either way, you'll be able to play for free.
Tavern Brawl will be added in a patch "coming soon," but it won't be available for all players straight out of the gate. In order to access it, you'll first need to reach level 20 with at least one hero.
After the end of each Tavern Brawl, there will be a "couple of days" when they are unavailable as Blizzard prepares the next one.
Blizzard wasn't especially specific about when patch 2.7 will be released, but it did say the first Tavern Brawl will be here in "mid-June," meaning it could be out any day now. Once the mode arrives, you'll be able to win a free card pack each time you win your first game of the week during "the first several brawls."
This patch will also introduce the first new heroes, as recently announced. These cosmetic-only packs cost $10 each and don't change gameplay in any way. Instead, they replace the look and sound of select heroes. Additionally, with the release of the new patch, you'll be able to assign a different card back to each of your decks.
Insomniac games today released the first gameplay footage from the upcoming reimagining of Ratchet & Clank for PS4, and it's looking quite good.
Ratchet & Clank, as it's called, is not a simple HD remake of the original game of the same name. Instead, it's using that game as a basis, and then adding new content and working in the story from the movie that debuts in April 2016. As the trailer jokingly describes it, it's "the game, based on the movie, based on the game trailer."
You can get an overview of the game (and check out some gameplay) in the video above, and see the new trailer below. We also have new videos of a boss fight and a chunk of gameplay from Aleero City.
In addition to the much-improved visuals, Ratchet & Clank will feature new planets, bosses, and weapons, as well as a modernized control scheme. These weapons consist of both brand-new weapons and some returning from the Ratchet & Clank Future games, such as the Groovitron that forces nearby characters to dance. Also making a return here is the Bouncer weapon from Going Commando, but you'll need to preorder the game in order to get your hands on that.
Following a recent delay, the new Ratchet & Clank is set to land on PS4 sometime next spring. A price has not been announced, but Amazon is listing it for just $40.
Expect to hear much more about the game as we approach E3 next week.
It's been almost eleven years since the popular MMO World of Warcraft initially launched, but developer Blizzard was working on the game long before that. The game has evolved dramatically over the years, getting multiple fresh coats of paint.
Recruitment marketing manager Dave Wilson today posted several screenshots of the game, including the earliest existing image of it from the late 1990s. It's striking to see just how far World of Warcraft has come since Blizzard began working on it.
Since 2004, World of Warcraft has grown to be the biggest subscription-based MMO in the world, in spite of losing almost three million subscribers since the end of 2014. It's had five expansions and undergone significant changes. Here's a screenshot of what the most recent expansion, Warlords of Draenor, looks like:
Have you kept playing World of Warcraft over the years? Let us know in the comments.
Along with the trailer, which you can watch below, Ninja Theory has also discussed some of the themes at the heart of the game.
"Mental health and psychosis are the key themes explored in Hellblade," the studio said.
In order to accurately and authentically explore these themes, the studio is working closely with Paul Fletcher, University of Cambridge's professor of health and neuroscience. Ninja Theory is also consulting with people who have an experience of mental health difficulties.
"True understanding of mental health is not simply about the books, lectures, or verbal descriptions but from deeper engagement on all levels," said Fletcher.
"Working with Ninja Theory has shown me the potential that gaming has for sharing in a character's experiences and engendering empathy in ways that go well beyond those offered by simple academic descriptions. Maybe this approach will contribute powerful new ways of challenging stigma."
Tameem Antoniades, Ninja Theory's chief creative officer, added that the studio is "pursuing creative independence in order to explore a compelling subject matter and gaming experiences that would not be possible under the current retail model."
"In movie terms," he continued, "this would be a quality independent film, not a Hollywood blockbuster. Digital self-publishing means that we can offer a smaller, but high-quality game at around half the price of retail games."
Ninja Theory has also revealed that the project is supported by the Wellcome Trust, a charitable foundation aimed at improving the understanding of science and health.
"It's a brand-new IP. Senua is a new character," said Dominic Matthews, product development manager at the studio. "It's not tied to Heavenly Sword at all. I saw someone describe the name as someone just putting Heavenly Sword into Thesaurus.com and going 'Oh, it's Hellblade.'"
Click image to view in full screen
"It's not something where we've gone, 'Yeah, let's make people think it is this.' We really like Heavenly Sword. We loved making that game. So it's actually more just we like making female protagonists that look in a certain style. And we like swords. And we like hell. It's more that."
The studio has said Hellblade will deliver "ninja-class melee gameplay, strong character stories, and a unique art vision"--it was easy to assume this was, at the very least, a spiritual successor to Heavenly Sword. But even that isn't the case.
Battlefield Hardline developer Visceral Games has published a detailed blog post that lists off the new vehicles and weapons coming to the cops-and-robbers shooter through Criminal Activity, the game's first piece of add-on content.
Visceral explained that it is approaching all four Hardline expansion packs in a different way. For Criminal Activity, the focus is on fast-paced, infantry combat.
As a result, what you'll see in terms of guns are weapons and attachments that are better suited for close-quarter combat.
The weapons, equipment, and vehicles listed below will be available only for people who buy Criminal Activity. However, Visceral will also release a free gun for everyone in the form of a new submachine gun that can be used by cops or criminals.
This gun will be delivered to all players through an update scheduled to go live when Criminal Activity lands later this month, first for Battlefield Premium members.
While we are yet to learn anything substantial about Pro Evolution Soccer 2016, Konami has confirmed its cover will feature Brazillian forward Neymar da Silva Santo Junior.
Although Konami still hasn't provided any further information on PES 2016, or even released the official box art. It is expected to reveal more about the game on June 12. Watch the teaser below.
Neymar is currently one of the highest-profile players in the world and, having been part of the Spanish and Champions League-winning Barcelona squad, he has recently earned even more praise and accolades.
"This is a real honour for me to be cover star for PES 2016," said Neymar Jr. "The series has long been praised for its sheer level of control and utter realism and I am delighted to be working with such a talented team as Konami.
"I am fascinated by the huge amount of work involved in putting together the game and ensuring the world's top players look and play just like the real things, and cannot wait to see myself in action as soon as possible," he added.
Neymar will be available to use in PES 2016's myClub mode for preorder customers. Konami has said it will provide more details on this at a later date.
According to company president Hideki Hayakawa, Konami still intends to support consoles, as well as alternative platforms such as arcades and mobile.
"Konami will continue to embrace the challenge of creating entertainment content via different platforms," he said. "Not only mobile platforms, but for home consoles, arcade units, and cards, to meet the changing needs of the times."
A short trailer for the game reveals that The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker character Tetra will be added.Tetra will be wielding a cutlass and pistol.
The trailer, which you can watch below, also shows The King of Hyrule and The King of Red Lions will also be available for players to use. Both new characters can also be transferred to the Wii U version of the game.
Hyrule Warriors was previously released for Wii U and is a spin-off that blends Legend of Zelda with the gameplay of Koei Tecmo's Dynasty Warriors.
In our Hyrule Warriors review we gave the game an 8/10 score. Reviewer Miguel Concepcion praised the game's balancing of Dynasty Warriors map management with Zelda-style objectives and said it delivered true Zelda fan service from beginning to end.
With E3 2015 coming up in just under a week, there is plenty of reason for Nintendo fans to get excited. The company gave quite a showing last year with the announcement of a new Legend of Zelda game and new IP Splatoon. But what does the company need to do this year to keep gamers interested? We asked our editors what they would like to see from Nintendo and what they think the company needs to do to win the hearts of gamers everywhere during E3 2015. Check out their answers and let us know what you'd like to see from Nintendo in the comments below.
Pictured Above: Star Fox Wii U
Bring on the final wave | Rob Crossley
It's difficult to expect too much from Nintendo this year, with the company somewhat preoccupied by its new Nintendo NX console (which won't be shown this year). But a strong last hurrah for the Wii U would have to include a new Metroid game (unlikely) and ideally, a return to F-Zero (even more unlikely). I think there's more to Miyamoto's Star Fox game than meets the eye, and it might just be the company's flagship title for 2015. There's lots I'd love to see--a new Pilotwings, a new Mario Galaxy, more of the new Zelda--but don't think there will be too many big surprises this time.
Hold back the NX, show more Wii U | Daniel Hindes
I'm probably alone here, but I don't want to see anything about Nintendo's next console, the NX. I think that, as soon as Nintendo starts talking more about this, the Wii U will be left for dead. I think it still has life in it--and that's what Nintendo needs to show by revealing some sweet new first-party games. It's likely we'll see more of the new Legend of Zelda and Star Fox in action, but I want to see some brand new, Splatoon-like surprises that seem completely out of left field. If Nintendo's efforts last year are anything to go by, I shouldn't be disappointed.
Pictured Above: The Legend of Zelda Wii U
Expecting the unexpected | Eddie Makuch
Nintendo is in a curious position this year. They've already ruled out talking about the NX and smartphone games, two of the most exciting areas of growth for the company in my eyes. And with Zelda delayed to 2016 (at the earliest), and Smash Bros. and Mario Kart already out...what's left for Wii U?
Nintendo makes some of the highest quality, delightful games that put a smile on your face like no other games do.
Hopefully a new Metroid game. Nintendo hasn't done anything meaningful with the franchise in years. A new Metroid game is just the kind of announcement that could generate some positive buzz among core gamers and draw them back to the system.
Outside of that, I'm expecting the unexpected. Nintendo makes some of the highest quality, delightful games that put a smile on your face like no other games do. I've learned throughout the years that you cannot, and should not, ever count Nintendo out. They have some of the brightest and most imaginative minds in the business and are always capable of delivering a compelling surprise.
Don't stop being you! | Kevin VanOrd
If I were Nintendo, I wouldn't change a thing. The company excels at capturing the essence of the child within all of us. (Even within me!) I am surprised at the success Splatoon turned out to be, and I hope that it is the cue Nintendo needed to introduce even more new ideas that change the game-maker's image. That said, the Wii U still needs a push, so how about a new Paper Mario and a new 3D Mario game? As for the 3DS, it's doing just fine, but why not a new Golden Sun? I'd say that would hit the spot right about now.
Pictured Above: Splatoon
Give us the past and present | Alex Newhouse
Every year Nintendo seems to find itself stuck in between two worlds. On the one hand, the 3DS continues to sell well. On the other, the Wii U has thoroughly established itself as a niche product, not attracting third party support and selling a modest number of units at best. I'd love for Nintendo to show off The Legend of Zelda for Wii U, but the company has already stated that the game will not appear. So, I want it to go in-depth with Mario Maker, Star Fox, and hopefully Fire Emblem. And how amazing would it be if Nintendo brought back some of its beloved franchises like Metroid and F-Zero?
Metroid is all I ask | Peter Brown
There's only one game I want to see from Nintendo at E3: a new Metroid game. Now that Retro Studios, the team behind the Metroid Prime, is teasing E3 news on Twitter, I'm more hopeful than ever that my wish will come true. While I'm not convinced that Metroid Prime will make a comeback, I half expect to see a 2.5D remake of Super Metroid with new content for 3DS. If that's the case, I'll take it, but I'd really like a brand new game. Retro Studios has proved with games like Donkey Kong Country Returns, and of course, the Metroid Prime series, that it's got great original ideas of its own.
Pictured Above: Metroid Prime
Continued talks, the new club Nintendo, and Amiibo | Justin Haywald
Even with Zelda getting pushed into next year, Nintendo has a lot of potential for E3 2015. In addition to the slate of surprise titles that we're sure to hear about, having the developer talk more candidly about its plans for mobile and extending franchises onto other platforms and genres (like the recent Puzzle & Dragons/Mario mash-up) could be interesting. But what I really want to hear about is the replacement for Club Nintendo. The reward system for loyal fans is set to end completely by September, but what will take its place? I know Nintendo has something in mind, and E3 is a great time to start talking about it.
But what I really want to hear about is the replacement for Club Nintendo.
And Nintendo also needs to do something more with Amiibo. I'm a begrudging collector, and I've paid too much for figurines from scalpers, but that shortage just takes away from the fact that there's not much to do with the toys. Will there ever be a game that brings all the of the Amiibo together Disney Infinity or Sklanders style? That would be big news.
Keep 'em coming | Matt Espineli
Nintendo needs to keep announcing more titles for the Wii U. Last year saw announcements for a solid roster of games, and that needs to continue this year if Nintendo wants to prevent the console from being too niche. Also, while I'd appreciate some more footage on existing games in their roster like Star Fox and Shin Megami Tensei x Fire Emblem, I'd really be happy if Nintendo would surprise us with more new IPs. And finally, it would be much appreciated if we could get any kind of announcement to ease the burden of being an Amiibo collector. I personally don't collect them myself (I own two) but I'm sure it's tough enough as it is for collectors having to endure all the shortages.
Shin Megami Tensei x Fire Emblem
Taking risks | Zorine Te
I am very curious to see what Nintendo will do with its NX console. I feel like the company is more willing to take risks with its hardware than others are, some of which has not paid off in recent years. For games, Splatoon is a great example of something that was very different and refreshing to see; more surprises like that are very welcome. I'd also like to see more integration with the Amiibo people have been collecting; with either new or existing games. I want to believe that taking risks will ultimately pay off, so Nintendo, it's time for your grand comeback!
MGM has released the first TV spot for the upcoming 007 movie Spectre, which hits theaters in November.
The minute-long video, which aired last night during the NBA Finals, trades the first trailer's understated tone for the kind of full-on action that fans have come to know and expect from the series.
The first 30 seconds contains footage from the first trailer, but the second half is all new.
Car chases, people jumping off buildings, airplanes careening down a snowy mountain, a short snippet of Dave Bautista's character, and more are all on display.
And of course it ends with Bond's signature line.
Spectre opens in theaters on November 6, starring Daniel Craig as 007 and featuring Christoph Waltz as the bad guy.
The re-release for the latest batch of consoles will feature "director's commentary, soundtrack, and concept art gallery content."
In addition to consoles, Brothers will be released for iOS, Android, and Windows phones and tablets in the same period.
Brother: A Tale of Two Sons was first released on Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, and PC in 2013. The game places players in control of two brothers, with each one mapped to the two thumbsticks on a controller.
The pair must journey to the Tree of Life and acquire its water to save their sick father. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons received critical acclaim for its emotionally charged narrative, exhilarating platforming, and challenging puzzle design.
"Sure, the puzzles are suitably challenging and mighty clever in places, and the imposing environments are beautifully realised, but it's all there to build those emotional ties, and create moments that hit you right in the pit of your stomach," said our reviewer.
"Brevity is the only real misstep here, and you can't help but feel that with a little more time to build up the characters those emotional highs would have an even greater impact. But it's not enough to detract from what is a great achievement: an ambitious, emotionally affecting adventure that's short, but oh so sweet."
Firefly actor Nathan Fillion will reprise his role as Gunnery Sergeant Edward Buck in Halo 5: Guardians, it was announced this week as part of Game Informer's extended coverage of the upcoming shooter.
Buck previously showed up in Halo 3: ODST and Halo: Reach, but the character looks better than ever this time around, as you can see in the image embedded here.
In Halo 3: ODST, Buck was an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper, meaning he had no Master Chief-like super abilities. But now we see him wearing Spartan-like armor.
Game Informer's reveal trailer also shows that Buck is part of Fireteam Osiris, the squad led by Agent Locke and charged with hunting down Master Chief.
We're expecting more Halo 5 news at E3 next week, but for now, check out some recent stories below.
Homer and Marge, one of the best-known and most beloved television couples, are splitting up.
The Simpsons executive producer Al Jean says in a new interview with Varietythat the premiere episode of the longrunning animated show this fall will see the famous couple "legally separate."
"It's discovered after all the years, Homer has narcolepsy and it's an incredible strain on the marriage," Jean says about their forthcoming split.
Later in this episode, Homer falls in love with his pharmacist, who is voiced by actress Lena Dunham.
It is unclear if the separation will last. If I had to bet, I'd say they get back together.
Simpsons fans may recall that this won't be the first time Homer and Marge call it quits on their marriage. The 1996 season six episode "A Milhouse Divided" saw Homer secretly file for a divorce after he decided Marge could probably do a lot better. The two are remarried at the end of the show.
Jean also revealed some other storylines for upcoming episodes, including Lisa befriending a homeless woman who turns out to be a great singer. Another episode sees the return of Spider Pig, while the show will also air an episode inspired by the movie Boyhood where we'll see flashbacks and flashforwards about Bart.
What's more, The Witcher 3's new Xbox One update clears up an issue where Geralt could, for some reason, pass through walls in the fish market in Novigrad. You can see the full Witcher 3 1.04 patch notes below.
Fixes a possible exploit by preventing certain drowners from respawning infinitely.
Improves the distribution of experience points gained by completing quests with recommended levels lower than the player character level.
Fixes an exploit whereby players could buy sea shells and sell the pearls inside them at a higher price.
Deploys the Bovine Defense Force Initiative.
Rebalances the prices of maps that can be purchased from merchants.
Improves camera behavior when the player executes finishing blows.
Fixes an issue where the player could loot mutagens from Nightwraith clones.
Fixes an issue whereby interaction with Fiend decoction was incorrect when Geralt was overburdened.
Fixes a rare issue whereby Geralt could not mount Roach after fast travelling between points.
Introduces a number of fixes in in-game communities.
Introduces a number of fixes related to combat.
Fixes an issue where the player could not deflect arrows/bolts at longer distances.
Fixes a crash that could occur on the transition to the Isle of Mists location during the quest of the same title.
Fixes a number of issues related to horseback riding.
Improves Geralt's movement, especially when he swims.
Improves the smoothness of camera movement.
The player can no longer target foes positioned on different building floors than Geralt.
Fixes a number of issues related to Vitality regeneration.
Fixes an issue whereby certain actions could be randomly blocked during gameplay.
Autosaves will no longer be created when Geralt dies.
Unequipping saddle bags now correctly affects Geralt's capacity.
Fixes an issue whereby Geralt could be attached to a sinking boat while aiming his crossbow.
Vitality begins to drop if Toxicity exceeds 80%, as originally intended.
Roach no longer levitates after being summoned while Geralt is on a slope.
Fixes a rare issue where Geralt could become invincible after executing some finishing blows.
Introduces a number of general stability and performance improvements.
Introduces a fix for occasional game freezes or infinite loading screens that occurred upon exiting the Main Menu.
Improves performance in selected scenes and cutscenes.
Adds a series of color-blind friendly features. Improves visibility of tracks, marks, footprints and scent clues. Color-blind friendly features can be enabled in the Options\Gameplay submenu.
Ciri can no longer unlock fast travel points.
Fixes incorrectly named female travelers in some localized versions.
Fixes an issue where Geralt could pass through walls in the fish market in Novigrad.
Fixes an issue where in certain situations the game could crash while a save was being loaded.
Adds a collision near Kaer Gelen that could cause the player to be blocked inside the building.
Improves the scale of selected elements of the GUI and HUD.
Reward messages are no longer displayed over black screens.
Disables "Input device changed" messages and adds options to disable on-screen combat feedback and floating tags above NPCs.
Introduces a number of improvements in the tutorial messages for gwent.
Introduces a number of bug fixes and user experience improvements in the GUI panels.
Adds an information prompt and Journal entries related to new DLC packages.
Fixes an issue where the player could not talk or otherwise interact with certain NPCs.
The player can no longer venture beyond the game world boundaries during the Through Time and Space quest.
Fixes an issue where some players could not make Geralt run after the Wandering in the Dark quest.
Fixes an issue where Keira could sometimes fall beneath the terrain during the Wandering in the Dark quest.
Fixes an issue where players could not talk to Octo after the Lord of Undvik quest.
Reduces the number of Wild Hunt minions spawned during the Ciri's Story: Fleeing the Bog quest.
Fixes an issue where certain actions were blocked during the Blindingly Obvious quest.
The bookmaker at the races held at the Vegelbud Estate now spawns correctly.
The Forefathers' Eve quest can no longer interrupt the quest titled A Favor for a Friend.
Fixes an infinite black screen that could occur during the Now or Never quest.
Fixes an issue whereby some witch hunters would disappear during the Now or Never quest.
Fixes a number of errors in dialogue during the Of Dairy and Darkness quest.
The monster in the Contract: Dragon quest now spawns correctly, and the relevant Journal entries update properly.
Fixes an issue where player character inebriation and the related effect could become permanent when invoked during the No Place Like Home quest.
Fixes an issue where the player could get trapped in the ruins of Tuirseach Castle.
Geralt can now always play gwent with Madame Serenity.
Fixes an issue where Vernon Roche would not appear at the Hanged Man's Tree during the Eye for an Eye quest.
Fixes an issue where the player could not activate a portal during the Wandering in the Dark quest.
Fixes an issue where the sirens in the Lord of Undvik quest could be invincible.
Fixes an issue where the player could not perform certain actions after the Carnal Sins quest.
Fixes an infinite loading screen that could occur during the King's Gambit quest.
Fixes an issue where Ermion could not leave Lugos' area during the Sunstone quest.
Fixes an issue whereby Triss could get stuck on a set of stairs after a scene during the Now or Never quest.
Fixes an issue that prevented a character spawning for a random encounter.
The player can now always leave the crypt during the Scavenger Hunt: Viper School Gear quest.
Fixes an issue where Simun did not spawn properly during the Unpaid Debt quest.
Fixes an issue where the player could experience a progression break after choosing a certain dialogue option when talking to Dijkstra in the Count Reuven's Treasure quest.
Fixes an issue where some players could not interact with an object during the Pyres of Novigrad quest.
Fixes an issue in the Contract: The Oxenfurt Drunk quest where the katakan was not hostile after being lured.
Fixes an issue where certain actions were blocked during the Blindingly Obvious quest.
Fixes an issue in the Contract: Shrieker quest where the shrieker was not hostile in certain situations.
Fixes an issue where the player could not perform certain actions in the Master of the Arena quest.
Fixes an issue where the player could not interact with Hattori during the Swords and Dumplings quest.
Fixes an issue where the player could not fast travel under certain rare circumstances.
Fixes an issue where the player could not perform certain actions after the Carnal Sins quest.
The player can no longer take on the Apiarian Phantom contract multiple times.
Fixes an issue where some players could not progress during the Broken Flowers quest.
Fixes an issue whereby the "Novigrad, Closed City" entry might have remained in the Journal indefinitely.
The player can now use the activator received from Triss during the quest titled The Battle of Kaer Morhen.
Players can no longer prematurely obtain a key from a halfling, thus blocking the Contract: The Apiarian Phantom quest.
Fixes an issue in the Return to Crookback Bog quest where monsters were spawned inside a building.
Fixes an issue in the Greedy God quest where the player could kill a monster twice.
Adds fail-safes for players being unable to obtain gwent cards after Dijkstra or Lambert can no longer be found in the game.
Fixes an issue where Vernon Roche failed to proceed to Oxenfurt Bridge after a scene during the Get Junior quest.
Fixes an issue where Geralt could not interact with a torch in the Get Junior quest.
The French publisher has announced the first-ever "Playtest Road Show," with the first stop on the tour scheduled for next week at E3. On June 17, people can play the game and then talk directly with developers "to make an impact on the final game," Ubisoft said.
E3 is held in Los Angeles, so you'll have to be there to take part in the event. You can apply by sending an email to playtestroadshow@ubisoft.com with your name, age, and a short summary of your experience with the Assassin's Creed series in 100 words or fewer.
Ubisoft notes that it will only select "experienced" Assassin's Creed players, and you must be 17 years old. Transportation is not provided
It's unclear where the Playtest Road Show will be headed next, but other big-time gaming and pop culture events this year include San Diego Comic-Con (July) and Gamescom and PAX Prime in August.
Assassin's Creed Syndicate is scheduled to launch on October 23 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, with a PC version to follow later in the fall. The game is set in London during the Industrial Revolution.
You play as twin Assassins, Jacob and Evie Frye. For lots more on Assassin's Creed Syndicate, check out GameSpot's previous coverage and some images in the gallery below.
An unfinished version of the game was released last month on PC through Steam Early Access, and has now moved more than 400,000 copies. The game sells for $25, which means it's already brought in more than $10 million in pure revenue.
Developer Studio Wildcard cofounder and cocreative director Jesse Rapczak points out in an interview with GamesIndustry International that it's too early to say how profitable the game will be. But, this initial revenue has already covered the game's $1.5 million development costs over the past seven months.
Ark: Survival Evolved is scheduled to launch one year from now, in June 2016, across PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. Though the game is still a long time out, Rapczak says its core components are set.
"80 percent of the main game is done, with hundreds of hours of gameplay there already," he explained. "It's just down to balancing and feedback from the players. If all goes well we may even add more content once the community gets their hands on the mod tools. More on that later."
Also in the interview, Rapczak said one reason why Ark: Survival Evolved is seeing such strong support out of the gate could be due to the fact that it enjoyed a week on Twitch's front page. "Watching people stream the game is better than the best focus group money could buy," he said.
Rapczak also said it didn't hurt that "dino fever" is sweeping through popular culture right now with Jurassic World set to hit theaters this weekend.
"We knew dino fever would be at an all-time high right now for us to take advantage of, and we wanted to be the first truly great dino survival game on the market," he said.
Be sure to read GamesIndustry International's full interview for lots more on Ark: Survival Evolved, the debate around Early Access games in general, and more. You can also watch our Now Playing feature through the video embed above.
With virtual reality poised to be a significant part of E3, one of the biggest players in the business has announced its own dedicated conference--which will begin before the show even starts.
Along with the release date announcement, Bithell has also released a new trailer for the game.
The short video shows off Volume's Metal Gear Solid-inspired sneaking gameplay, and teases the narrative themes at the heart of the experience.
Lord of the Rings actor Andy Serkis will play a lead role in Volume. The Gollum actor will voice a villain named Guy Gisborne.
According to Bithell, Serkis was his "dream" actor for the role, and, after some initial struggles, Bithell was able to get him for the game with help from British casting studio Side.
"We'd been looking for an actor to play Gisborne for a while, and even come close to casting it with different folks," Bithell said. "After one of those attempts fell through, it was a back-to-the-drawing-board moment, and I decided to stop compromising, and go for my dream actor for the role--who I'd get if practicality and reality weren't an issue."
"Thank god [Serkis] said yes, and had some time clear in his busy schedule," Bithell added.
Serkis' previously played Gollum in the Lord of the Rings licensed games, and had parts in Enslaved: Odyssey to the West and Heavenly Sword. He was also recently seen playing Ulysses Klaw in Avengers: Age of Ultron.
BioWare this week released new downloadable content for its role-playing game Dragon Age: Inquisition. The DLC, called "The Spoils of the Avvar," adds five new mounts to ride across the world of Thedas.
Among them is the rather epic-looking beast you can embedded in this post. Sign me up.
Spoils of the Avvar also includes new customization options for your base, along with two sets of "unique armor." For a closer look at the content, check out some images below.
The add-on costs $5 and is available now across console and PC.
Following yesterday's official announcement of the 1TB Xbox One and revamped controller, Microsoft has rolled out a special deal on the new console.
Anyone who preorders the system through the Microsoft Store will receive a bonus $50 gift card. The console launches June 16 and also comes with a free copy of Halo: The Master Chief Collection.
The code will be sent to your email address within 10 days.
The $50 gift card promotion is good through June 30 and also works in-store. Codes must be redeemed by December 31, 2015, and are not combinable with other offers.
The updated Xbox One announced yesterday features not only a larger hard drive (up from the standard 500GB), but also a new matte finish. Otherwise, however, it's identical in look to the existing model. A new Xbox One controller featuring a 3.5mm stereo jack and updated bumpers is also included in the box and will be available to buy separately.
Microsoft's other piece of news this week is that the 500GB Xbox One model without Kinect has received a permanent price drop down to $350.
We're expecting even more news and announcements from Microsoft during the company's E3 briefing, which is now just days away.
Nintendo on Wednesday shared more details about Devil's Third, the upcoming Wii U-exclusive developed by Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden's Tomonobu Itagaki and his team at Valhalla Game Studios.
First up, Nintendo has confirmed that the game, which combines shooting and hack-and-slash elements, will launch on August 28. That date applies to Europe, while a North American date was not announced.
A new trailer has also been released, in which we see Itagaki setting up--in Japanese--what we're seeing. Though you may not understand what he's saying, there is still plenty of new gameplay footage to look at.
In a move uncommon to anything we've seen in the world of game demos, Square Enix released an update today for Final Fantasy XV Episode Duscae, the playable slice of Final Fantasy XV that first launched in March. This latest version--released to address fan feedback from the original demo--feels like a full-on patch, adding a handful of new content to the roughly four-hour (if you explore everything) demo.
Last month, Final Fantasy XV director Hajime Tabata discussed fan feedback from the original demo, noting that the updated demo would address fans' concerns. Players had problems with the targeting system and slow-moving camera, which hindered fluidity in battle. But after completing the updated Episode Duscae, I can comfortably say that Tabata made good on his promise and then some; in addition to the bevy of fixes, there are a few new missions providing new ways for Noctis to interact with his friends.
After installing the patch, the first thing you may notice about Episode Duscae are changes to the camera. In the previous demo, it ran sluggishly, making it hard to track quick-moving enemies as they darted on and off the screen. The update has rectified this; the camera moves more quickly and is much smoother, allowing you to whip it around in any direction to keep up with the flow of battle.
One element not present in the original demo was Cross Chains, the ability for Noctis to team up with one of his friends and execute joint attacks. In Episode Duscae, these attacks are introduced while Noctis is "On Tour" with one of his companions--which essentially means Noctis and a friend are off on a two-person side mission that will temporarily pause the main quest. In the first tour with beefcake Gladiolus, Noctis learns to use Cross Chains while slicing up some Garulas for their late-night sirloin dinners.
Cross Chains are essentially a small chain of quick-time events and are easy to master once you get the hang of the timing. Noctis' companion will summon a gold circle, which he must enter in order to instigate the Cross Chain. After the companion lands a hit, it's Noctis turn, and a successful Cross Chain occurs when Noctis and his partner take turns landing hits three times in a row, for six hits total. If you manage the seesaw-like execution and all six hits successfully land, the pair gets one final, powerful dual attack that will usually bring down enemies in an instant.
According to a message screen in the demo, when all four companions are on the field at once, they will all participate in the final attack of a Cross Chain, allowing them to kill larger, harder enemies like the giant pale blue Catoblepas roaming the watering holes of Duscae region (you know, those massive long-necked creatures you couldn't engage with in the first demo).
There are three "On Tour" missions in Episode Duscae, one for each of Noctis' companions. With Gladiolus, you learn how to use Cross Chains. Prompto takes you searching for mushrooms, and Ignis just wants some bro time stargazing. All three friends have their own Cross Chain attacks, making for some fun variation on the battlefield. When you first notice an enemy and the red detection bar appears at the top of the screen, one of Noctis' friends may approach him to talk--for example, Ignis may come up and ask, "Want to hear more of my plan?"; these interactions will indicate which teammate will want to team up for Cross Chain attacks in that battle, so look out for his prompts.
But my favorite change is the overhaul of the targeting system. Originally, when locking onto an enemy, the camera would not follow them or keep the target in focus in the center of the screen. This has been completely changed, and now you can lock onto an enemy and expect it to stay in the center of your field of vision. It's now easier to chase enemies as they dart around and move between targets
How you lock onto a target has also changed. Clicking R3 centers the camera in the direction you are looking at, but pressing and briefly holding R1 allows you to hard lock on to the target. A quick tap of R1 will also briefly target an enemy and bring them into focus in the center of the screen. It's a much more comfortable way of targeting than the previous scheme, which mostly used only R3.
Noctis now has a dodge-roll ability, which can quickly get him out of harm's way. The parry system has also been tweaked slightly; parry symbols appear above enemies as they charge you, and holding down L1 allows you to dodge and then parry with a strong attack. Previously it didn't feel like you were given enough time to successfully execute a parry, but now you are given enough warning time to prepare the move. These two changes, coupled with the addition of more in-battle warp points--the top of rocks, mostly--have granted players more freedom of movement, opening up the battlefield for Noctis and allowing for some pretty sweet attack combos.
Other small changes to Episode Duscae include brief scenes of the boys playing around together. Controlling Noctis, I approached camp just as Gladiolus tackled Prompto into our tent and began beating him up. Ignis regaled us with tales of shooting stars while the company drank from mugs around a campfire. After slapping a robotic soldier away from me in combat, Prompto reached out for an ecstatic high five. These brief interactions between the four make their relationships feel stronger; I feel like I'm watching four old friends pal around, and I believe how deeply they care about each other. Each subtle fist-bump and shoulder-punch and pat on the back make Noctis, Ignis, Prompto, and Gladiolus feel more real, more interesting, and I can't wait to see what adventures they get into in the main game.
Also, at the end of each solo mission, you're shown a cell phone selfie of Noctis and his companion. It's sweet.
Does the second version of Episode Duscae live up to the promises Square Enix has made? I think so. We've got huge improvements to the camera and targeting as well as significant additions to the battle system, and with combat making up such a big part of Final Fantasy games, it's exciting to see these cool systems play out. And with four main characters as visibly invested in each other as XV's heroes, I'm optimistic for a promising story.
Today Sega announced a new game in the Sonic franchise, but it's probably not the one fans were hoping for. A follow-up to last year's 3DS game Sonic Boom: The Shattered Crystal, the next game is a 3DS exclusive in the Sonic Boom series: Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice.
Fire & Ice is coming from Sanzaru Games, the developer behind Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, among other games. But after the mostly negative response to the two previous Boom games, why does Sega think things will be different this time? I talked with Sega Producer Omar Woodley and Sega PR representative Aaron Weber about making the Sonic Boom franchise better and how Sega isn't giving up on classic Sonic.
As setup, Omar explained that Fire & Ice will have a much greater emphasis on a sense of speed and "returning favorites" from Shattered Crystal--things like "the tube races and some of the minigames." And the five main characters from the animated series are playable: Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Sticks the jungle badger.
GameSpot: Since the Wii U version was less successful last time, and the 3DS was already more popular, why not try to do the Wii U version again but better? Why shift completely to the 3DS?
Aaron Weber: Sanzaru [the game's developer] was already focused on the 3DS; they already had the structure built, and they already had the systems in place. So it was just a natural step for us to go with 3DS. So that was the main focus for us.
Omar Woodley: And the 3DS was definitely the stronger of the two titles last year. We saw it both in the user and the critical reviews, and so that was what really decided it. If we're really going to focus on something, we're really going to step it up and improve all of the things that need improvement, and try to make it a really solid game. The 3DS was a very natural choice.
We weren't too happy about the Wii U [version]; we totally feel the 3DS was the stronger of the two. So [Fire & Ice] is 3DS-only. We learned a lot from all the reviews, from our events with consumers, from all the fans, and we took a lot of those comments to heart. So we went back to the drawing board and worked on a new game, with [developer] Sanzaru Games--Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice.
Basically, we took a lot of that feedback and we tried to fix what consumers and the fans felt was not truly "Sonic" in the last game or what were problematic areas: the character swapping; some of the special abilities weren't fluid enough; the size of the levels were enormous and the users felt lost in this huge labyrinth. And also, users really felt that the speed wasn't there. The speed that represented Sonic wasn't true, so we went back and kind of reestablished and reworked a lot of our methodologies on how we designed the levels.
We really wanted to focus on fluidity of gameplay. So in this version we've actually decreased the size of the levels about 40%. We've cut a linear path through the main part of the level, so you can literally sprint through the whole level and have that fast Sonic experience. We've put all the exploration aspects on the periphery of the levels. We're keeping the exploration because that is what Sonic Boom is. It's a way of us taking Sonic out of his classic legacy gameplay, his arcade vibe, and it's giving him a more real-world presentation, a more adventure-based presentation for a new generation of gamers.
We've also tied the game more closely to where the animated series is at this point. Last year we launched the game right at the beginning of the animated series. There wasn't really a great following because the train was literally just leaving the station at that time. So nobody really knew what Sonic Boom was. A lot of the core fans said, "That's not Sonic." But I think this time around Sonic Boom is one of the leading cartoons on the Cartoon Network. We have established the merchandising already in stores so the message is pretty clear what Sonic Boom is.
What do you think led to that disconnect with the original Sonic Boom?
OW: I think the core fan base was expecting the classic-looking Sonic. Classic-looking Knuckles. We revamped all the characters, and I think that was one big shock to the fan base and consumers. We didn't really explain until after we redesigned them why we were doing it. But by then we still hadn't launched any animated episodes. We hadn't shown any animations. So still there wasn't a clear message as to what we were trying to do.
People thought it was just going to be a reboot, not a different direction to go with Sonic. And I think that was what was confusing to the user.
So this is aimed more at that younger new audience, rather than the established fanbase?
OW: Correct. This is in line with what we tried to do last year, but I think we'll be more successful this time because we have the animation out. We have the merchandising out. On Cartoon Network, the animated series targets the 6-to-11-year-old age range, and the game is also primarily targeted towards that age range. But, of course, we're going to attract the core fan base because it's Sonic.
AW: One of the key challenges with Sonic as a franchise is that you have such a legacy. That you have people who grew up with it on the Sega Genesis. People that grew up with it on the Dreamcast, and the Gamecube. And then you have another generation, the younger audience, that are kids that watch the TV show every weekend.
How do you appeal to all three of those groups? Because each of those is looking for something a little bit different. Though the primary focus is definitely toward the younger audience, there's a lot of the stuff in there that the team has tried to bring in that makes it feel very iconic to Sonic 2. It's a lot faster this time around, swapping characters is much easier. The music was done by Richard Jacques who was one of the composers for Sonic: 3D Blast, back in '96. So there's a lot of history from different angles and elements. Even the story has certain parallels to the storylines from older Sonic games. That's one of the things they're trying to do to bring in those other audiences and offer something for them.
So does the original Sonic still exist? We recently learned about Mario and Sonic at the Rio Olympics, and that looks like the Sonic that we're familiar with from previous games. Will these two Sonics co-exist?
AW: Yeah, they essentially run parallel, so obviously Nintendo just announced the new Mario and Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic games, and that is like what we call modern Sonic. He's got the green eyes; the tan arms, instead of the blue arms; and no scarf. So for the really hardcore vocal fans, they can be happy with that Sonic. But likewise, Sonic Boom as a TV show is doing extremely well on Cartoon Network right now so there's this new generation coming up watching that and really enjoying that. This game is built in that universe. They both exist simultaneously.
The other thing people wonder about concerns Sega's recent changes. Has that affected development? Has that affected the way that the company approaches Sonic and the franchise?
AW: In some ways it does affect the way that we approach a franchise, but for us, as you've probably seen, we're focusing a lot more on Sonic these days. Sonic is one of the big things we're looking at right now. I'm going to be moving down to Los Angeles, and we'll have a whole team down there that is dedicated to Sonic--to the Sonic brand, to the games, to the licensing. At this point we're doing Sonic licensing on everything from toys to wallets with the classic Sonic design. That's something we'll continue to focus on as we go forward and Sonic remains a huge priority for us.
With the changes at Konami, I think people are even more sensitive to potentially losing these childhood icons. But it sounds like you're not going to abandon the fans who still want that core Sonic experience, just because Boom is a big popular thing.
AW: Right.
What drove the decision to go with an outside developer for this rather than an internal team at Sega?
AW: Sonic Boom was a western initiative. And so for that we wanted to use a western developer to have that perspective. It's very different to the way Japanese developers work, and especially Sonic Team, they don't necessarily grasp everything that we're trying to establish with the adventure aspect. And so we kind of have to give them that presentation as far as what we want to do with the game and the animation. We want to have more of a Indiana Jones or Tomb Raider kind of spin on things; they are more focused on the classic style of gameplay for Sonic.
OW: For the story, we tried to tie it more to what's concurrently going on in the animated series. Eggman is a big character in the animated series. He's basically the co-star with Sonic. A lot of the episodes revolve around Eggman's shenanigans and his devious plots, and then Sonic is confronted with that, or he helps Eggman out of some trouble because Eggman's gotten in over his head. We didn't introduce any new mysterious ancient alien race or anything like we did in the previous games. We thought that that was just not the way to go this time.
Is there any StreetPass functionality that will be put into the game? Or Amiibo?
AW: We have StreetPass planned, but we're not detailing out what that is yet. And we have the local play for the bot racing. Those are the only two additional features that we have in there.
Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice is coming out this holiday.
Humble Bundle is known for its discounted collections of games, and today the organization launched one full of favorite games from past bundles. The All-Star Humble Indie Bundle includes eight games, all discounted from their normal prices.
As always, you can choose to give the money to either charity or the developers of the games. This bundle's proceeds benefit the Watsi and Child's Play charities.
All games are available on Windows, Mac, and Linux, and the bundle also comes with the soundtracks for every game but Risk of Rain and Super Meat Boy. Which games interest you? Let us know in the comments.
Halo's debut on Xbox One was plagued with issues, as the Master Chief Collection players were subjected to problems that lasted for months after launch. Having gone through that, 343 Industries has vowed never again to launch a Halo game without first running a beta.
Speaking with Game Informer as part of its cover story on Halo 5, 343 head Bonnie Ross discussed the problems MCC experienced. She said that "the original pitch that we wanted to do was sort of a war chest. Ship all four games separately. Package them up." But then the idea was broached to put them all together with a single user interface, something that the studio felt was "a magical experience when you can pull it all together and seamlessly move across games." Ross added, however, that it was "very ambitious."
Noting the challenge of MCC being 343's first game for Xbox One, Ross said offering that kind of experience "definitely created huge challenges. In hindsight, it would probably have been better to ship the four games separately. And I think that fans would've loved that. We wanted to do more. We wanted it to be this gift to the fans."
One lesson 343 took away from all of this is the importance of offering a beta.
"There is so much we learned with the Halo 5 beta," she said. "There is actually stuff we took from our Master Chief Collection--learnings that we were able to put into the beta.
"Going forward, you will never see a Halo game coming out without a beta. It was obviously painful for our fans and for us. But it won't happen again. There are things we put in place to make sure that we know everything, how it stands up outside and in the wild."
Those who have played Destiny's Trials of Osiris multiplayer mode in the House of Wolves expansion know how tense that game type can be. However, it does not have teammate matchmaking, and so players must enter with two friends.
In response, developer Bungie has made Elimination a standard playlist with teammate matchmaking enabled in Destiny's Crucible player vs. player arena. This allows players to get the same game type as Trials of Osiris even if they don't have anyone to play with or own the House of Wolves expansion.
As detailed on Bungie's website, Elimination is a 3 vs. 3 mode in which two teams square off, each player with only one life. The goal is to eliminate the other team. Games are the best of nine rounds. Unfortunately, this game type will not have the same special rewards as Trials of Osiris, and instead loot will drop like other standard Crucible playlists. Level advantages, enabled in Trials of Osiris, will be disabled in this mode. Additionally, Elimination will cycle through all of the Crucible maps.
Recently, Destiny's next expansion was reportedly leaked, titled The Taken King. According to the leaked details, it will contain a new raid, new strikes, and a new subclass for each Guardian class. The expansion is rumored to launch in September.
To celebrate the release of the latest update for GTA Online, Rockstar will be kicking off a special weekend event where you can earn bonus experience and money, among other things.
The first part of the Ill-Gotten Gains update goes live for GTA V on all platforms tomorrow, June 10. The launch event will then kick off on June 12 and run through June 14. You'll be entitled to various bonuses and discounts throughout the weekend.
When playing any of the Adversary modes added alongside GTA's online heists, you'll earn double the amount of in-game cash that you ordinarily would. If you play through an entire playlist, you'll also receive bonus items like sticky bombs, molotovs, proximity mines, and body armor. If you're more into races, you'll earn twice as much RP during any race.
Another way to earn some extra cash is to keep an eye out for crate drops, which will be more commonplace than usual during the event. Rockstar says to keep an eye on the "luxurious hangouts of Los Santos great and good such as the racetrack, yacht club, and Rockford Hills areas," where you'll find crates containing $10,000 in GTA money and exclusive in-game t-shirts (pictured above). Or, if you're feeling creative, you can take part in a picture-taking contest that will award a player with $1 million in-game cash.
High-end properties are temporarily being reduced in price by 25 percent for the weekend, giving you the chance to upgrade your digs using all of that bonus cash being handed out.
PlayStation has announced it is bringing its PlayStation Now streaming service to select Samsung Smart televisions starting today. Available to users in the United States and Canada, the service will allow hundreds of PlayStation 3 games to be streamed straight to a compatible Samsung Smart TV without requiring consoles or downloads. Games will still need a PlayStation 4 controller to be played, which is not included with the subscription or TV.
The PlayStation Now on Samsung TVs will support trophies, online multiplayer, and cloud saves. The PlayStation Now service officially launched in North America in January this year and costs $20 for a single-month subscription, or $45 for three months. The PlayStation Now website has a full list of games that are included with the service. Non-subscribers can also choose to rent games on an individual basis.
Gran Turismo hasn't been in the news lately, but the next installment in the PlayStation-exclusive racing series may not be too far away.
Creator Kazunori Yamauchi, in an interview with the Italian games webstie SpazioGames, expressed hope that Gran Turismo 7 will come some time before 2017 for the PlayStation 4. When asked about a potential 2017 launch date, the creator responded, "People will not wait so much... We are talking about Gran Turismo, we must not wait so long."
Gran Turismo 6
Yamauchi also spoke about collisions and impact physics in Gran Turismo 7, stating that developer Polyphony is taking impact simulation very seriously. is working to solve many of the problems that other entries in the series have had with physics.
Finally, Yamauchi confirmed that GT 7 will feature more premium (or "detailed") cars, which have greater damage modeling and a higher level of detail on interiors, headlights, and other parts of the cars.
Yamauchi's statements further reiterate what he said in October 2014. At that point, he remarked that GT 7 is "going to be a game that matches the very era that we live in, in 2015 or 2016." It seems pretty clear that the game will come in the next year and a half--but since we still don't know much about the next installment, it's likely that we won't get to play Gran Turismo 7 until later in 2016.
Even though the game is still a ways off, we may see Gran Turismo 7 appear at the E3 conference next week. Keep an eye on GameSpot for all Gran Turismo news.
CD Projekt Red, the developer of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, has announced the new free DLC coming to its game this week across PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The open-world RPG will get a new quest and a modifier for the card game Gwent, which players can play in-game.
In the quest, players will take the main character Geralt into a town whose citizens disappeared. As the description states, "Geralt and a village idiot team up to learn the secret of an abandoned village inhabited entirely by pigs." It sounds like a humorous take on an often bleak world. Players will start this quest by talking to NPCs who invite Geralt for food in the Lurtch village in No Man's Land.
The other piece of DLC features an addition to the popular card game, Gwent. The DLC adds another card set to the game, neutral cards called "Ballad Heroes." When a player starts a game of Gwent, the new cards will appear. The collectible card game has been popular among players, and recently the creators talked about the development of the game for the Witcher 3.
This is the latest in a series of sixteen free content packs planned by CDPR for the game. Last week's DLC brought players an armor set and a crossbow set. The rest of the content will be released weekly through June and July.
The developer has also announced plans for more substantial expansions, the first of which is called Hearts of Stone. This pack will launch in October.
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