You can now play The Witcher 3's popular card game, Gwent, without actually starting up--or even owning--The Witcher 3. You will, however, have to own a different game.
A newly released mod for Tabletop Simulator--a PC game that allows you to make your own tabletop games--offers a version of Gwent for two players (there's no AI). It's the creation of Steam Workshop user Mr.RiZZaH, who notes in the description that this is merely a "fan project" that's not connected to Witcher developer CD Projekt Red.
Based on the screenshots you see above, this looks to be a relatively faithful recreation of Gwent, although not everything is exactly as it is in the official version. For instance, a note from the creator says it offers his or her "own ruleset involving deckbuilding (to balance multiplayer somewhat)."
You can download the free mod through the Steam Workshop, but you'll need Tabletop Simulator to play. Conveniently enough, the Steam summer sale has it discounted to $13.39 (down from $20) right now, or you can pick up a four-pack for $40.19 (rather than $60).
Meanwhile, the official version of Gwent is expanding with new cards, thanks to the free DLC that CD Projekt Red continues to deliver.
E3 2015 is just right around the corner and there is already a whole lot of exciting information to keep track of. So here's a round-up of all the important information, news, and videos we've got on this year's heavily anticipated trade show!
You're going to want to stay tuned to GameSpot for our comprehensive E3 coverage, including game announcements, demos, and surprise guests. Our full E3 2015 schedule is right here so you can start planning how you're going to avoid work. And for the first time, we'll have a second stage running with Kinda Funny, where you'll be able to watch celebrity interviews and get an in-depth, but more lighthearted, look at the show. A link to the liveblog and livestream will be coming soon!
Sunday, June 14
Bethesda - 6:30 PM PDT
Monday, June 15
Microsoft - 9:30 AM PDT
Electronic Arts - 1 PM PDT
Ubisoft - 3 PM PDT
Sony - 6 PM PDT
Tuesday, June 16
Nintendo - 9 AM PDT
Square Enix - 10 AM PDT
PC Gaming Show - 5 PM PDT
The big focus will be on Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft. Here's what we've put together laying out the games we want to see and what we expect to hear at those press conferences:
Publishers are confirming what games they're bringing to the show as well. Notable big games confirmed so far include Microsoft's Rise of the Tomb Raider, Sony's Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, and Nintendo's Star Fox for Wii U. We've provided a brief list of the some of the show's most biggest confirmed games below, but feel free to check out the full list of games confirmed for E3 so far right here.
With so many moving parts, it's hard to keep every E3 secret totally under wraps. We've compiled a list of the most likely E3 rumors right here. But a couple additional games and announcement that have already broken early include:
And for a humorous take on the rumors, this Nintendo rumor generator can create some pretty ridiculous games and hardware announcements from the Mario team.
E3 2014 Highlights
If you want to relive some of the moments from last year's E3, feel free to check out the links below!
YouTube has announced plans to launch a website and app focused entirely on delivering video game content.
YouTube Gaming will have dedicated pages for more than 25,000 games, with each serving as a hub where users can access videos and live streams. Content will be published by video game publishers and YouTube creators.
Users can stay up-to-date with the latest content for specific games by adding titles to a collection and, as with the standard YouTube service, it is possible to subscribe to a channel to be fed content from a specific channel or user. Additionally, when streamers go live, a notification will be sent out to all subscribers.
"Uncover new favorites with recommendations based on the games and channels you love," YouTube says. "And when you want something specific, you can search with confidence, knowing that typing 'call' will show you 'Call of Duty' and not 'Call Me Maybe.'"
According to YouTube, it will launch an improved live experience that makes it simpler to broadcast gameplay "in the coming weeks."
"On top of existing features like high frame rate streaming at 60fps, DVR, and automatically converting your stream into a YouTube video, we're redesigning our system so that you no longer need to schedule a live event ahead of time," the company continues. "We're also creating a single link you can share for all your streams."
YouTube Gaming will launch in the United States and United Kingdom this summer. Although browsers and mobile devices have been confirmed, it is unclear whether the service will be available on games consoles.
Earlier this year Google revealed the top search queries for YouTube in 2014 included Minecraft, which was the second most-searched item of the year, beaten only by "music." It outpaced other popular search terms such as "movies," "Frozen," "Beyonce," "Drake," and "Taylor Swift," among others.
"A Google Consumer Survey fielded in October 2014 of people who said they watch gaming videos on YouTube revealed that only a portion of this group (37%) considers themselves 'gamers,'" he said. "When asked about their motivations for watching gaming videos, viewers mentioned 'entertainment' and 'humor' as often as they mentioned 'learning new strategies' or "game tips."
Another key statistic exemplifying how popular the content is on YouTube is that gaming made the daily top ten "trending out YouTube" list nearly every day. You can read Google's full report on YouTube gaming statistics here.
Following last week's additions, Nintendo is bringing yet another new weapon to Splatoon's multiplayer mode later today.
The latest weapon to be added to the roster is the Splash-o-Matic. It shoots rapidly but doesn't have much spread to its shots (and may struggle to smash various fruits and vegetables). The official blog also notes that it "could be said to be a bit lacking in attack power, but zero in on a target and they'll burst in no time flat." When using it, you'll have access to Suction Bombs as your sub-weapon and Bomb Rush as your special weapon.
You'll be able to start using the Splash-o-Matic tonight, June 12, at 7 PM PT. That's the same time that Nintendo has been using to bring new content to the game; last week, it introduced a NES Zapper-inspired weapon and a giant paintbrush, as well as the game's ranked multiplayer mode.
Despite releasing toward the end of May, Splatoon was the fifth best-selling game in the US on the NPD Group's May sales charts, which track new, physical sales at retail. The chart also combines sales of a single game across platforms, so it's possible it could have been even higher if platforms were split up. Also keep in mind that the NPD's numbers don't track digital sales through the eShop.
More content is planned for Splatoon throughout the summer, including a major update in August. For more on the game, check out GameSpot's review.
The Steam Summer Sale is upon us again. There are daily sales, flash sales, and a community game that can unlock even more discounts. There are so many games discounted that it can be hard to choose what to buy. The sale runs from now until June 21, so check back for our top pick from each daily deal! And remember to keep an eye on Steam every twelve hours for the cycling flash sales.
This War of Mine is a game inspired by the Bosnian War, and it attempts to portray the darker side of war. You take control of a group of civilians trying to survive, as opposed to soldiers fighting in the war. You scavenge for resources, fend off antagonistic NPCs, and check on the news of the battle outside your building. It's a striking game, and for the next 48 hours it's discounted 60 percent to just $7.99.
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 new Humble Weekly Bundle offers various retro games, like Sid Meier's Pirates Gold Plus and Sid Meier's Colonization.
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.
Microsoft has revealed new custom Xbox One controllers to commemorate this weekend's 24 Hours of Le Mans racing event in France. Specifically, the controllers, designed by the Xbox Hardware team, draw inspiration from three classic 1960s era Ford cars raced by Americans in Le Mans and other events.
These controllers will be on display at the Le Mans event itself June 12-14. They will then be packed up and transported to Los Angeles for people to see at E3, presumably at Microsoft's booth on the show floor.
We asked Microsoft if the new gamepads would ever be made available for purchase or through a giveaway, but the company said all that's confirmed so far is that they'll be on display at both events.
Microsoft is a sponsor of the 24 Hours of Le Mans event. Forza Motorsport 3, 4, and 5 all featured the race's Circuit de la Sarthe track, while Forza 6 will also have the circuit, with both historic and current configurations.
One of the main concerns with crowdfunding websites like Kickstarter is the uncertainty surrounding the use of funds after a campaign ends. Once people give money toward a Kickstarter, they want the product to actually come to fruition. While people who run Kickstarter campaigns are bound by the terms and rules of Kickstarter, sometimes funds are misused.
Now, however, the Federal Trade Commission has decided to take action in at least one of these cases. A 2012 Kickstarter for a board game called The Doom That Came to Atlantic City succeeded in raising over $120,000, significantly more than its $35,000 goal, but the creator of the game ended up using the money on personal expenses rather than making the game. After fourteen months, he abruptly canceled the project and didn't fulfill all of the backer rewards. Recently, the FTC decided that this violated the law and filed a complaint with a federal court. You can read the whole statement on the case here.
In a statement to backers, the creator explained, "From the beginning the intention was to launch a new board game company with the Kickstarted funds, with The Doom that Came to Atlantic City as only our first of hopefully many projects. Everyone involved agreed on this. Since then rifts have formed and every error compounded the growing frustration, causing only more issues."
The creator of the board game began refunding people's contributions after he canceled the project, but the FTC found that most people never got their money back.
This is the first instance of the FTC stepping into a crowdfunding campaign, and it hopefully sets a precedent that will deter future misuse of funds. There have been a lot of Kickstarter failures, and several suspicious campaigns, so it is good that the FTC is attempting to stop such wrongful spending.
Unfolded was announced last year, but today's announcement is the first we've heard of a release date, and it confirms that it won't be priced any higher than the original Vita version. This is an expanded and improved version of that game; it still features the novel construction-paper world of the game, and adds in new areas and some fairly extensive uses for the PS4's DualShock 4.
Warner Bros. on Friday released a new trailer for Batman: Arkham Knight that will air on TV in the run up to the game's full release on June 23.
The video is set to the song "Mercy" from the rock band Muse's new album, Drones. The record has a theme not unlike Batman's personal journey, frontman Matt Bellamy said in a statement.
Drones "explores the journey of a human: from abandonment and loss of hope, to indoctrination by the system to be a human drone, to eventual defection from the oppressors," he said.
Now, however, it seems like that might change. According to the general manager of Nintendo of Canada Pierre-Paul Trepanier in an interview with Alphabeatic, Nintendo has some big partnerships to announce at the E3 conference next week. "We still have those great, big third-party partners like Ubisoft who continue to invest in our platforms," he stated. "In the next few weeks at E3 you'll be hearing about more big third-party partnerships."
Trepanier went on to explain that Nintendo has been making a concerted effort recently to create more deals with third-party companies: "We would love to have [third-party titles] and you'll hear in a few weeks about some interesting partnerships. We've already over the past year opened up and aggressively sought licensing deals in lots of different areas."
The Wii U has been propped up primarily by games coming out of Nintendo's first-party studios, such as Super Smash Bros., Splatoon, and Mario Kart 8. It would be good news for Wii U owners if Nintendo brought some third-party support back to the system, especially considering EA has said that it is not developing anything for the Wii U.
Keep an eye on GameSpot for all Nintendo news next week during E3.
Electronic Arts said today that it will announce the next free game for The Vault during E3, presumably during its briefing on June 15. The publisher did not provide any hints at all regarding what this game might be, but it will become the program's twelfth freebie.
Oculus Rift has attracted some high-profile game development companies.
During the Oculus VR E3 Conference this week, the Facebook-owned company revealed an initial list of developers working on projects for the virtual reality headset.
Not all of the games/apps/experiences from these studios have been announced, though some have. For example, we know Insomniac's VR game is an adventure title called Edge of Nowhere, while Gunfire Games (Darksiders II remaster) is working on a project called Chronos. High Voltage Software (Mortal Kombat X for last-gen and PC), meanwhile, has a VR game called Damaged Core in development, while Sanzaru Games (The Sly Collection) is working on a sports project called VR Sports.
Oculus isn't just aiming to appeal to big-time studios, however, as the Facebook-owned company also has announced a $10,000,000 development fund for the "acceleration" of indie games for Rift.
Looking for more Oculus stories? Check out a roundup of the big news from yesterday's event below.
Sony is going to face a new challenge at this year's E3. As a current top performer in sales in the console market, it's clear that Sony needs to keep pulling its punches with the PS4 if it hopes to stay one step ahead of both Microsoft and Nintendo. During the past couple of years, Sony has managed to remain consistent in keeping their sight set purely on games. But what does the company need to do this year to keep gamers interested? We asked our editors what they would personally like to see from Sony 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 think in the comments below.
Here are links to our other E3 2015 editor round-ups!
With more than 22 million PS4 consoles sold, things seem to be going quite well for Sony right now. But there is always room for improvement, and E3 is a great venue for the company to flex its muscles.
I want to see an extended Uncharted 4: A Thief's End demo, something like the burning chateau scene from Uncharted 3. Naughty Dog has proven it can create some of the most compelling, jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring set pieces and action sequences in all of gaming. E3 is as good a time as ever to show something spectacular to make up for the game's delay into next year.
I would also like to see Sony own up to the struggles of Driveclub. It's the elephant in the room until they address it. The game had problems. The PS Plus edition is still without a release date. Take ownership of the struggles and explain to us why it won't happen again with Gran Turismo 7.
Outside of that, I would also like to see the next games from David Cage/Quantic Dream and Killzone studio Guerilla Games. Even if they aren't coming until 2016, Sony needs to assure PS4 owners that new, first-party games are coming. After all, Sony itself has admitted the system's first-party lineup is a little sparse.
Opening the gates of Project Morpheus | Zorine Te
There are some exclusive games which I'd like to see more of. Persona 5, Street Fighter V, and the ever elusive ghost of a game, The Last Guardian. Something I'd also like to see from Sony is more software from its VR hardware, Project Morpheus. We know about Project Morpheus' specifications and what it can do, but I have yet to see any games that really make the hardware an appealing hardware addition to the PS4. Sony's already confirmed a bunch of its in-house studios are working on some projects for the Morpheus--perhaps it is time the public gets to see some of them.
Pictured Above: Project Morpheus
Keep the momentum | Alex Newhouse
Sony needs to come out swinging at E3 this year. The PS4 is leading in sales over the Xbox One, so Sony knows it has a console that people want. But that momentum can only continue if it holds up its end of the bargain. I want Sony to show off those games that make people say, "Yes! Now THAT is why I bought this console!" I would love to see at least one more big exclusive game announcement, and I think showing off what Media Molecule or Guerrilla Games is doing would fulfill this. It's also high time for a price drop. The PS4 cannot sustain these sales for much longer with fewer exclusives and a higher price point than the Xbox One. Sony has tried to get greater price parity with the Xbox by bundling in games with the PS4, but nothing speaks to a consumer more than a lower number on that price tag.
Keep those games coming | Kevin VanOrd
If you say "ICO" three times in a mirror, a package containing a videotape showing a little girl climbing out of a well will appear at your door. And she'll be holding a copy of The Last Guardian. Well, that seems just as likely as seeing The Last Guardian shown at E3 this year, but I can always hope. Otherwise, I want to see more ABZÛ, which captures me already in the way games like Journey did in the past. In addition, Guerrilla is reportedly working on their non-Killzone projects, and I am ready to see just what they are. I love Killzone, but Shadow Fall didn't quite reach the heights of Killzone 2, and it's time to see what else that studio has in store. Whatever it is, I bet it's visually astounding. Oh, and Supergiant Games? Bastion and Transistor were great, and a stage like Sony's E3 showing is the perfect setting for a new game announcement.
Pictured Above: Transistor
Answering those important questions | Justin Haywald
Sony may be doing well in overall console sales, but this fall is looking more than a little light in terms of big, exclusive releases. I expect Sony will have some answer to that at its press conference; we've even heard rumors that The Last Guardian could come out this year. But beyond games, Sony also needs to talk about Morpheus. As big as the tech is getting, general audiences still seem skeptical, and the longer a peripheral like Morpheus waits to come out, the less chance there is that gamers will buy one to add to their console. But could Sony reveal the first "killer app" for VR? E3 might be the place where we find out.
Address the elephant in the room | Peter Brown
I really hope this is the year that The Last Guardian returns to center stage during Sony's E3 conference. If Sony doesn't resurrect one of its most anticipated games, after all this time, I have to assume it's cancelled. We're at the point in the console life cycle when we start to see truly impressive games from first party teams, and I can't think of another game in Sony's portfolio that would cause as big of a splash as The Last Guardian.
Pictured Above: The Last Guardian
Expanding Bloodborne | Daniel Hindes
Seeing as I already own a PS4, I'm not looking for the usual things like exclusives titles to win me over. In fact, I'm looking for things the expand the PS4 games I currently love. So really, all I want to see from Sony is more on the Bloodborne expansion. The game consumed so much of my time, but it was clear there could be more to it--more playstyles, more weapons, more variety in general. Aside from that, I'd love to see another game like P.T. that makes use of all aspects of the PS4 in new and interesting ways, such as the controller's motion sensor and lightbar, the console's camera, and microphone input.
Virtual reality and third-party games. Maybe PS Vita...? | Rob Crossley
For all the hype surrounding virtual reality, and all the testimonies of people who have emerged from their VR headsets with wide-eyed wonderment, the technology still lacks a show-stopping flagship game. I'm not entirely sure how invested Sony is in Project Morpheus, but if it sees it as anything beyond a luxury PS4 peripheral, it needs to back it with some of its bigger IPs. So I'm expecting a VR Killzone spinoff, or an IP with that degree of gravitas. Elsewhere I think we'll see Sony flaunt key third-party games, some of which will be locked with content exclusive to PS4 (first betas, timed DLC, additional content, etc), partly to take eyes off Sony's thin first-party slate, but also as a demonstration of PlayStation's growing dominance in the west. Oh, and apparently Sony has a handheld called the "PS Vita", so it would be nice if the company could confirm if this is true, and whether there are going to be any games released for it.
Someone has remade the opening of family friendly TV show Full House in Grand Theft Auto V--and the results are truly excellent.
YouTuber Merfish is the one who can thank for this, and he does deserve praise. The shot-for-shot remake is really good, especially when you consider what he had to work with.
Watch as Michael plays Uncle Jesse, Trevor takes on the role of Danny Tanner, and Franklin does his best Joey impersonation. Creepily enough, Lester plays little Michelle.
This video is just the latest example of the creativity and effort put forth by the GTA V community. Check out the links below for some other impressive videos.
Microsoft's upcoming sci-fi shooter Halo 5: Guardians will include a new feature never before seen in the franchise but commonplace in one of the company's other blockbuster series.
Game Informer's July cover story on Halo 5 reveals that, in the game's co-op mode, players will be able to revive their fallen squadmates. This mechanic has been a staple of Gears of War since the first game. It's typically seen as a means to encourage players to work together instead of taking a lone wolf approach.
In Halo 5, you'll always have three companions. They are controlled either by other human players (online only, as there is no local split-screen) or by the computer. If you're playing alone and a teammate goes down, you can command a squadmate to save them; AI-controlled team members are also capable of reviving you.
Presumably, revives will only work if completed in a certain amount of time.
In previous Halo co-op campaigns, a fallen friend could only spawn back in when the area became "safe." Fans will no doubt recall how frustrating this could be in some situations, and the new revival system sounds like a nice solution.
Game Informer's Halo 5 story also reveals that Cortana, an artificial intelligence who essentially "died" in the events of Halo 4, will play some role in Halo 5. She's depicted in the game, at least in the scene that Game Informer saw, as a silhouette on a rock. Microsoft previously teased that she would appear in some manner.
Separately,The Guardianhas some additional Halo 5 details, including the fact that The Arbiter and Promethean enemies will return.
We're expecting a lot more Halo 5 news next week at E3, including the first details about an "epic" multiplayer mode that incorporates all aspects of the Halo sandbox for the first time. But for now, check out some recent Halo 5 stories below.
Deck 13 and Focus Home Interactive announced a partnership for what they're calling a "premium action RPG IP set in a dystopian sci-fi future to be revealed by name at a later date."
Details are light at the moment, but this game will feature "innovative combat mechanics" and an "original character progression system," along with "tight, visceral combat," according to its developers. Only one image has been released so far; check out it below.
"We are ecstatic to announce this new partnership with one of the very best independent European development studios," Focus Home managing partner Cedric Lagarrigue said in a statement. "We've been excited by Deck 13's new project since our first exchange with them, and as we've just got through the pre-production phase, we're fully convinced by their capacities to deliver one of the most exciting RPGs to come in the future."
This new game, which represents a new IP, will be announced "at a later date." No venues for the announcement were named, but E3 is right around the corner.
GameSpot's 8/10 Lords of the Fallen review praised the Dark Souls-like game's combat system and atmospheric worlds. Reviewer Kevin VanOrd also enjoyed its grotesque creature designs that helped hammer home the dark setting.
The game launches September 18 for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the franchise, and Konami says the game will focus on "core PES values."
PES 2016 runs on the Fox Engine, which also powers Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes and the upcoming Phantom Pain. "Every facet of the game has been enhanced to deliver yet another outstanding product" that aims to stand up as the "definitive football experience," Konami said.
Among other things, PES 2016 will deliver an "advanced collision system" that calculates how players interact, thus resulting in "unique outcomes" based on how two players collide. The game also gives players greater control when in the air. "Use the left stick to battle the opposition or disrupt a larger, more powerful, player; or find the best position to make the header/volley," Konami said.
PES 2016 also includes enhancements to 1v1 player control, with response times improved to help players deke out their opponents when charging toward the net. Other new features include improvements to defense (perform a tackle at the "perfect time" and you'll get the ball for a quick counter chance), smarter player AI that means you no longer need to manually trigger a one-two, and advancements to goalkeeping mechanics to allow for more variety in catching, clearing, and deflecting shots.
Further still, PES 2016 includes new goal celebration controls, and better visuals across the board, including dynamic weather (players will slip and fall in rainy weather) and a new wide camera. There are also a variety of new player animations, new ball physics, and improvements to the game's Master League and myClub modes, as well as new commentary.
Konami also says it signed a new three-year deal with UEFA for Champions League competition. This allows Konami to feature the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League tournaments in PES.
More details on PES 2016 will be announced next week at E3. We're also expecting to hear about EA's FIFA 16 next week at the show. Check back soon for more.
A former Vietnamese-American Bandai Namco employee has sued the Pac-Man publisher, claiming the company fired him after a long run of discriminatory events, according to a new report from MyNewsLA.
The employee, Tony Le, filed his lawsuit with the Los Angeles Superior Court, naming the publisher's American division and a number of his former bosses in the claim.
The suit's list of allegations is long, including discrimination; harassment and retaliation based on race and national origin; failure to prevent discrimination; wrongful termination; failure to promote; and negligent hiring and supervision. He is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
Le started at Bandai Namco as a senior business analyst in 2010. He worked there for four years and became a "top performer for Bandai with a proven track record," according to the suit. But, not long after joining the company, things reportedly went south.
Per MyNewsLA:
"Le alleges he noticed a continuing 'pattern and practice of disparate treatment' against non-Japanese employees. Le and other employees who were not Japanese were subjected to verbal abuse in Japanese, condescending gestures and 'obscene laughter,' the suit alleges."
"In 2013, Bandai's former CEO, Matsuo Masayaka, told Le, 'All you Americans are so stupid and don't know how to run a business'; "If I could I would fire all the Americans'; and 'Japan should have bombed Pearl Harbor again,' the suit alleges."
Le also says in his lawsuit that Bandai Namco denied him access to some important company information and was purposefully excluded from meetings and dinners because only Japanese employees were invited.
"The company gave preferential treatment to Japanese employees when granting promotions and fired those who were not Japanese more often, according to the lawsuit," MyNewsLA writes.
Le goes on to say in his lawsuit that he spoke to Bandai Namco's human resources department about his concerns, but he met resistance here, too. He was reportedly told to "remain silent" and was discouraged for lodging a formal, written complaint.
He was officially let go from the company in March 2014. We've reached out to Bandai for comment and will update this post with anything we hear back.
It appears Killzone developer Guerrilla Games is preparing to make an announcement next week at E3. The developer has shared the image you see here through its Facebook page. It depicts what appears to be a seaside city with mountains and a gorgeous sunsrise on the horizon.
Does this look like Killzone to you?
"Horizon" is rumored to be the name of Guerrilla's new IP, which has been described as "completely different" than Killzone. In May 2014, Eurogamer reported that this game could be an open-world RPG, though nothing official has been announced.
"It's exciting times. If I even say one word, people will kill me," producer Poria Torkan said.
What's more, Guerrilla managing director Hermen Hulst is heading to the show. Again, this doesn't necessarily mean an announcement is coming, as Hulst was also in town for E3 2014 and there were no major game reveals from the studio.
Guerrilla Games is owned by Sony, so if the studio were to make an announcement at E3, Sony's briefing would seem to be a likely venue. Sony's event caps off the Monday madness, starting at 6 PM PDT on June 15.
Are you excited for a new IP from Guerrilla? Let us know in the comments below.
You can see the full Ultra Street Fighter IV June 11 patch notes below, as published by Sony.
The issues with Ultra Street Fighter IV on PS4 were so severe that the Evo competitive gaming tournament has decided to hold its tournaments on Xbox 360 instead.
Even though this patch clears up many of the issues, event organizers say they won't go back to PS4.
Sony's third-party production group developed and published the game, not Capcom itself. Ultra Street Fighter IV was not released on Xbox One.
Ultra Street Fighter IV June 11 Patch Notes
Reduced input latency
Addressed matching not working correctly within the Replay Channel
Fixed bug where character movement SFX are replaced by ambient stage sounds
Improved online match performance
Fixed localization issue in Spanish for the control customization UI
Fixed bug where grey box appeared around OPTIONS in MY LIST
Fixed resolution "snap" between menu transitions
Fixed crash bug where leaving the game in Trials for extended period
Addressed Juri pinwheel graphical corruption
Added Special Titles (from Prize Codes). Note: There are no more Prize Codes, which is why the input is disabled
Fixed bug where Title/Icon Scroll speeds were sluggish
Adjusted volume of announcer compared to other sound levels
Overall audio balancing to correct volume levels; several corrected audio bugs
Ahead of Microsoft's E3 briefing next week, Xbox boss Phil Spencer has spoken out to assure fans that--even though some exciting Xbox gameshave been delayed--2015 will still be an "exceptional" year for gamers thanks to the combined efforts of Xbox One and PC with Windows 10.
"This has been a great year for gaming at Microsoft, and it's only going to get better in the coming weeks and months," Spencer said in a post on the Xbox Wire. "With the greatest games lineup in Xbox history coming to Xbox One this year, and Windows 10 being the best operating system for gaming we've ever released, this is going to be an exceptional year for gamers."
"No matter where or how you play, I truly believe 2015 will be our biggest year yet."
As for Windows 10, the new operating system--which has a new Xbox app and game streaming support--launches on July 29. The operating system's integration into Xbox One, however, is coming later.
As part of Bungie's latest Weekly Update, the developer shared the image you see here of a crate it's packing for the show; it is sure to draw some attention from the TSA.
"Okay, so, uhhhhhh, we have one item labeled CAUTION EXPLOSIVE PROJECTILE, but it's totally harmless," Bungie said. "And, well, if you X-Ray it, you'll see something that looks like [redacted], but we promise it's not that either. Can you just trust us that it's not dangerous?"
"We know what you're thinking: "What's in the box?!" These and other surprises are on the way to E3," Bungie added. "Can't wait to show you what we'll unpack over the course of the show."
According to leaked marketing material, The Taken King will launch in September, priced at $40. Activision has previously referred to this add-on as the biggest Destiny expansion to date, which might explain why the price point is twice that of the previously released DLC, The Dark Below and House of Wolves.
In addition to The Taken King, E3 next week may bring news about even more Destiny expansions. Cowen & Company analyst Doug Creutz said in a note to investors today that, "We hope to hear some plans for further expansions later in 2015 and 2016." Analysts often meet with developers and publishers behind closed doors, so it's possible this content won't be shown publicly.
Destiny publisher Activision is not holding a press conference at E3, so it's unclear where Bungie's Destiny announcements will take place. One possibility is during Sony's briefing, as the company has a close relationship with Bungie.
The NPD Group has released its monthly sales report, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's physical sales in the United States during May 2015 has earned it the top spot.
According to the sales monitor, The Witcher 3 also had the best-selling first month unit sales within the role-playing genre for the current consoles.
Last month's top performer, Mortal Kombat X, moved down to second place, but its publisher, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, was crowned the top software publisher year-to-date through May 2015, with over 140 percent increase in dollar sales versus last year.
Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto V, a mainstay on most sales charts for this year, ended the month in third place, followed by Minecraft in fourth. Nintendo's newest IP, Splatoon, rounded off the top five.
Check out the list below for May's top sales (with the order of platforms indicating where games sold best).
NPD Group's US Games Industry Sales (New, Physical Only)
May saw a 13% decline in software sales compared to the same period in 2014. NPD attributes this to "poor comparisons to a strong release slate in May 2014." It goes on to cite the launches of Mario Kart 8 and Watch Dogs as big contributors to 2014's higher numbers.
"Collectively, May 2015 launches sold 55 percent less dollars than May 2014 launches," it says, "however, catalog games outside of the launch month sold 3 percent more dollar volume compared to catalog games in May 2014."
"Despite poor comparisons to May 2014 releases, eighth generation consoles software unit sales rose 8 percent in May 2015, and also gained 15 percentage points in overall software unit share to total 54 percent."
Interestingly, NPD also said that if the top ten software list for May 2015 was ranked based on a SKU basis instead of a title basis, Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster for PS4 would have made the list.
The NPD Group's monthly sales report for May 2015 has also been released, and the PlayStation 4 was the top-selling console in the US last month. Read more about each console's performance here.
Destiny's level 35 Prison of Elders arena is now the most difficult mode in the game, and its final Skolas encounter one of the most memorable. According to Bungie, over 370,000 teams have killed Skolas since the House of Wolves expansion launched last month.
However, the Skolas battle isn't perfect, and many players have reported unfair conditions that make it too punishing. In response, Bungie is releasing an update to tone back the difficulty of the Skolas fight and make it more consistent week-to-week.
Right now, a cycling series of buffs to arc, void, or solar damage can cause the difficulty to wildly shift, sometimes becoming nearly impossible. Creative director Christopher Barrett explains, "First off, the elemental burns proved to be too punishing (being one-shot by tracking Arc fire for example). This makes it too tempting to rely on one common tactic (three Gjallarhorns on a Solar Burn)."
Bungie will remove the elemental burns in the update, intending to increase the predictability of the encounter and the flexibility of options for players. The studio will also lower Skolas' overall health, to compensate for the lack of elemental burns. Finally, Bungie will make enemy spawns more consistent, as well as change the enemy waves' composition slightly.
Destiny will be at E3 next week, although it's still unknown what Bungie will show off. Earlier this week, Destiny's next expansion reportedly leaked. Titled The Taken King, the expansion is said to contain a raid, several strikes, and new subclasses.
Humans have many ways to passively express their love of something. We've got the tasteful emblematic tattoo that only the likeminded can appreciate. There's the loud-and-proud t-shirt that screams your passions as you saunter around the streets.
And of course, the braver among us can go the lifestyle choice route and wear a Konoha forehead protector while out on a weekly shopping trip at the local Walmart - which I definitely. Have. Not. Done. Ever.
Arguably the most important and effective of all is the desktop background. It's a subtle way of integrating the subject of your affection into daily life, and showing those around you how much you love it without being an obnoxious dude dressed head-to-toe in Akatsuki's uniform. Again, never done that. No sir.
I don't know about you, but I spend so much time in front of my computer screen that I'm pretty sure I've got a tan from it. So, every now and then--when the windows are tucked away--I get a little prompt to think about something that makes me very happy.
Currently my desktop wallpaper is an incredibly rad Street Fighter V wallpaper. I'm a big fan of M. Bison, so having his maniacal ear-to-ear grin pop-up every once in a while is a real treat. I see it and spend a few minutes thinking about strong jawlines, whether I could actually do a Scissor Kick in real life, and the colour purple. Lots of purple.
Sometimes I'll even shout "THIS PLACE SHALL BECOME YOUR GRAAAVE" if the passion overcomes me. Though HR have told me that I can't do that anymore as it "is alarming to those around me."
We all know how difficult it can be to find a good desktop wallpaper these days. They're either buried under layers of pop-ups on dodgy websites, or have FREEWALLPAPERZ4ULOL watermarked across it.
With that in mind, Capcom is letting us give these wallpapers to you. Below you'll find a selection of high-quality, super cool images for Ryu, Chun-Li, Nash, and M. Bison. Download. Resize. Enjoy.
Microsoft's E3 lineup has just gotten a little smaller.
According to a post on the Xbox website, Scalebound, Crackdown, and Quantum Break will not show up at the conference next week. Instead, Microsoft will hold off on showing these Xbox One exclusives until Gamescom, which takes place in Germany in early August.
Image from E3 2014's Scalebound Reveal Trailer
Head of Xbox Phil Spencer explained, "Having a jam-packed lineup of games to show at E3 means that there simply isn't enough time to give each of our upcoming titles its well-deserved time in the spotlight. We've decided to save some of our most eagerly-awaited future titles for Gamescom in August."
Additionally, he stated that the company will have more Windows and Xbox games to reveal at Gamescom alongside news about announced games.
The NPD Group's monthly sales report for May 2015 has been released, and the PlayStation 4 was the top-selling console in the US last month.
Following a month in which the Xbox One came out on top, the PS4 returned to the top spot that it's occupied more often than not since its launch in November 2013.
"As we head into E3, we would like to thank gamers for making PS4 the top selling console and the leader in software sales in the U.S. in May," a Sony spokesperson said in a statement about the NPDs. "PS4 continues to be the cumulative sales leader in the US and globally with more than 20 million consoles already in the market. We are truly humbled by this success and we look forward to sharing what's next for PS4 at our E3 press conference on June 15."
Microsoft, meanwhile, emphasized the strong uptick in Xbox One sales as compared with last year (when the system was still bundled with Kinect). "Xbox One sales in the U.S. were up 81 percent over May 2014 and active global Xbox Live members (Xbox One and Xbox 360) were up 20 percent," said Microsoft corporate VP Mike Nichols. "We are grateful to our fans for choosing Xbox One and for making Xbox Live the fun and vibrant community that it is. We can't wait to share more on the greatest games lineup in Xbox history at E3 next week."
There's not yet any word from Nintendo on how its platforms did in May, but we'll report back with anything it shares.
Overall sales of new hardware at retail were down 18 percent to $153.6 million, compared with $186.4 during May 2014. According to NPD analyst Liam Callahan, that drop can be attributed almost entirely to a decline in last-generation console sales, which were down 45 percent year-over-year. Current-gen console sales, meanwhile, were "stable," while portable sales were up 41 percent, presumably thanks to the New 3DS, which made a strong debut earlier this year.
Harmonix is now widely known because of its work on Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and other popular music games. But the studio didn't start making blockbuster rhythm titles. Most people had never heard of the small developer from Boston.
But the company wanted to get the word out, and so it made a pitch video. And, in my opinion, the result is about as much of a 90s-era product as anything imaginable.
Along with the sweet saxophone music, bizarre camera angles, and awesome text effects, the video showcases Harmonix's first project, an interactive music-production program called the Axe. Keep an eye out for the animation of the music. It's particularly great.
The video shows the lineage of Harmonix's work, and it's easy to see how it went from the Axe to Rock Band. The studio's been trying to make creating music accessible to everyone since the very beginning.
If only the developer's later games had more head-exploding claymation like the Axe...
Oculus VR hosted its video briefing today, unveiling the final version of the Oculus Rift consumer model and discussing its new features. In addition to the hardware reveal, several developers unveiled trailers of upcoming games for the Oculus Rift. Check out the trailers below.
From Insomniac Games, the developer behind the Ratchet & Clank series, comes Edge of Nowhere.
CCP Games showed off a gameplay trailer of Eve: Valkyrie being played on an Oculus Rift.
Role-playing game Chronos comes from Gunfire, a studio comprised of several ex-staff from Vigil, who made Darksiders II.
Lucky's Tale is a platforming game that is "built from the ground up for virtual reality," according to the developer's site.
Find out what's new in the final version of the Oculus Rift in our handy round-up video below.
For more details on the Oculus Rift and what was announced at today's event, check out further coverage in these articles.
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