The 2K basketball series last featured Michael Jordan on the cover of NBA 2K12. Now, he's returning to the cover of 2K16's special edition.
Publisher 2K announced the cover athlete today along with some details of what you can expect from the special edition. If you really like Michael Jordan, this edition is for you: it comes with a bunch of digital Jordan gear, as well as a couple real-world items. If you purchase this version of the game, you will get:
Jordan NBA 2K16 Poster
Jordan Fathead wall sticker
Digital Jordan shoes for your in-game player
Digital Jordan T-shirt for your in-game player
Digital Jordan jersey for your in-game player
30,000 Virtual Currency
MyTeam VIP package with 3 Emerald Packs and an exclusive Moments Card.
This is the third appearance for Jordan on a 2K basketball game, the first being NBA 2K11. The regular version of the game will have three different covers featuring Steph Curry, Anthony Davis, and James Harden.
This morning, Destiny publisher Activision announced a new deal with Red Bull, making a quest in the upcoming Taken King expansion exclusive to people who buy specific cans of the drink. Now, Dying Light developer Techland has responded with a satire of the Destiny ad.
The developer wrote on Twitter, "We're jumping on the latest trend in game marketing!" This caption is accompanied by a picture imitating the Destiny advertisement from the Red Bull site. Techland's picture encourages players to drink water, proclaiming water is "delicious and great for your health," a clear shot at the energy drink. The picture also states that if you take a picture while drinking water and tag it with the hashtag "DrinkRightDyingLight," you'll get a code for premium weapons.
You can see the original Destiny ad below.
Destiny: The Taken King's quest will be unlocked by codes on specially marked cans of Red Bull. These cans are available during July in 7-11 stores. The expansion launches in September.
If you haven't made the jump from the last generation of consoles to the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, GameStop announced a new deal today that will make that transition a little less expensive.
Starting now and continuing through June 28, GameStop is offering customers $150 in-store credit toward the purchase of a new Xbox One or PS4 if they trade in a PlayStation 3 (120GB or greater), or Xbox 360 (250GB or greater).
In addition, GameStop is making the deal a little more tempting by giving customers who choose a PS4 a free copy of Batman: Arkham Knight, and customers who choose an Xbox One any new Xbox One game of their choice at no additional cost.
Other deals that are part of GameStop's summer sale include:
Purchase a pre-owned original Xbox 360 for $59.99 after a mail-in rebate
50% off pre-owned interactive game figures (Skylanders, amiibo, Disney Infinity) with the purchased of three or more
Buy any pre-owned Wii and receive three pre-owned Wii games under $10 for free
Buy any pre-owned original Nintendo DS or DSi and get three pre-owned DS games under $10 for free
At a number of retailers this week, you'll be able to buy an Xbox One and get your choice of free select games. Participating stores include Amazon, Best Buy, and the Microsoft Store, with eligible games including recent title like The Witcher 3, Mortal Kombat X, and the just-released Batman: Arkham Knight.
Costco is selling Batman: Arkham Knight for $50 on Xbox One and PS4 with $2 shipping.
Save $15 when you buy Batman: Arkham Knight and any of the Christopher Nolan Batman movies (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, or The Dark Knight Rises) on DVD at Target. You can also get 10 percent off the game's season pass at Target.
Microsoft's latest Deals With Gold promotion is on, discounting a handful of Xbox One and Xbox 360 games, such as Evolve for $30, The Crew for $30, and Dishonored for $6.79. You can check out all the deals here.
The first episode of Telltale's Game of Thrones series is free on Xbox Live.
HyperX Cloud II Gaming Headset for PC & PS4 -- $90 (Amazon)
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.
Warner Bros. Interactive is still trying to resolve these issues, but in the meantime, the publisher has provided recommended, in-game graphical settings for those with minimum and recommended specs hardware that it believes "may help" alleviate some of the most frequent problems.
The recommended settings are:
Minimum Hardware Specs (or equivalent)
Resolution: 1280x720
V-Sync: Off
Anti-Aliasing: Off
Texture Resolution: Low
Shadow Quality: Low
Level of Detail: Low
Interactive Smoke/Fog: Off
Interactive Paper Debris: Off
Enhanced Rain: Off
Enhanced Light Shafts: Off
Warner Bros. added that it's incredibly important that users with video cards with 2 GB of dedicated VRAM, or 3GB on AMD, keep the resolution low to avoid significant performance issues. Even with these settings, users with AMD GPUs that only meet the minimum hardware specs can expect minor texture pops, occasional loading, and some hitches and stuttering when gliding or driving the Batmobile.
Recommended Hardware Specs (or equivalent)
Resolution: 1920x1080
V-Sync: On
Anti-Aliasing: On
Texture Resolution: Normal
Shadow Quality: Normal
Level of Detail: Normal
Interactive Smoke/Fog: Off
Interactive Paper Debris: Off
Enhanced Rain: Off
Enhanced Light Shafts: Off
Here too, users with AMD GPUs who meet the recommended hardware specs can expect minor texture pops, occasional loading, and some hitches and stuttering when gliding or driving the Batmobile.
"We continue to work closely with AMD to resolve these issues as soon as possible; make sure you have the most current drivers and check back here for updates on when the next driver version is available," Warner Bros. said.
Note that both of these recommended settings will result in an expected 30fps.
"Please know that we value input from those who are playing the game and we are continuously monitoring all threads posted in the Official Batman: Arkham Knight Community and Steam forums, as well as any issues logged with our Customer Support," Warner Bros. said. "If you are experiencing any issues with the game, please be sure to report it to support.wbgames.com."
You can find additional recommendations on how to mitigate technical issues here.
The PC version of Batman: Arkham Knight was ported by Iron Galaxy Studios. It previously worked on the PC port of Batman: Arkham Origins, which had a similarly rocky launch on the platform.
Batman: Arkham Knight shipped across North America and Europe on June 23.
Update: As expected, the Persona 5 trailer that leaked earlier today and included in this story was pulled down from YouTube.
An Atlus representative has contacted GameSpot explaining that the the company did not release the trailer. It was included on a blu-ray disc as part of the bonus items in Persona 4: Dancing All Night Crazy Value Pack released in Japan, and was intended for private use. That, of course, didn't prevent anyone from uploading it to the internet.
The original story follows below:
Atlus has released a new trailer for Persona 5, teasing the game's story and offering a new look at its gameplay.
The trailer, which you can watch below, opens with the main character awakening his inner Persona. From there it sets up the player to be a student by day, but a thief by night.
It's worth noting that, although a new Persona 5 trailer was expected soon, this video appears to be a leak. Should it be pulled, GameSpot will update this story with a working version as soon as it becomes available.
The trailer also highlights a big emphasis on traps in the dungeon, which is likely to tie into the idea of the player and his friends being thieves. Also shown are a few of the support characters, which includes a cat with a slingshot.
Persona 5 director Katsura Hashino previously offered information about the game, saying the developer is "going with a challenge that fuses together a juvenile school setting that is as large as life, together with a picaresque romance."
Atlus has confirmed the Persona 5 release will be before the end of 2015 in North America. This release window had previously been cited for the game, at least in Japan, but it was unclear if western audiences would also get it before 2016.
Destiny: The Taken King, the new expansion for Bungie's shooter coming out in September, is getting a quest unlocked via a code on certain Red Bull cans.
Following this week's controversy over special edition-exclusive content, publisher Activision announced the partnership with the energy drink company. There will be specially marked cans of the drink available that feature a code that will unlock both the quest and an experience boost.
According to Red Bull's website, the quest will be a "never-before-seen, multi-stage mission in The Taken King that will test the speed and strategic abilities of Destiny players in new ways." You'll get a 50% XP boost for thirty minutes when you redeem the code, as well.
You can only buy these cans at 7-11 stores in July.
Players who do not want to buy any Red Bull will have to wait until January 1, 2016 to play the quest, when it unlocks for everyone.
Bulletstorm and Gears of War: Judgment developer People Can Fly has regained its independence from Epic Games, and has confirmed it is working on a new project.
Additionally, the studio has acquired the Bulletstorm IP. Terms of the deal were not announced.
[Correction: A representative for People Can Fly has contacted GameSpot to clarify that the studio did not buy the Bulletstorm IP. The Poland-based studio said it already owns the IP, and retained it after the split from Epic Games.]
The studio was acquired by Epic Games and renamed Epic Games Poland in November 2013. In a new post on its website, however, it revealed the "Warsaw-based team's return to its original name, memorable logo, and roots as an independent game studio."
"Ownership of the company, which had been rebranded as Epic Games Poland in 2013, has returned to the local leadership to reflect the team's desire to create their own games, a move Epic supports."
Under studio director Sebastian Wojciechowski, People Can Fly is "actively contributing to Unreal Engine 4 and Epic's upcoming game, Fornite." It is also using Unreal Engine on an "entirely new unannounced game."
"We, as a People Can Fly team, are extremely excited about new possibilities ahead of us," said Wojciechowski.
"We're going to work on a new game, while continuing to partner with Epic and use UE4. We're grateful to Tim and the whole Epic team for our long and successful collaboration."
Epic Games chief executive Tim Sweeney added: "We've been honored to work with this brilliant group of programmers, artists and designers throughout their history: first as a partner using the Unreal Engine, then as a studio within Epic, and now once again as an independent company."
According to People Can Fly, it began the process to become independent again just after launching Gears of War: Judgement. Although went on contribute on projects including Unreal Tournament and Infinity Blade 3, it also had the desire to create its own games again.
"To dive into the game development process that starts in your head, through concepts and design ideas, realized in prototypes and finally in the game, to inspire each other every minute, to create and iterate, was stronger than all the benefits of being a part of Epic group."
"We are lucky that Tim Sweeney as well as Epic's board and its executive team members are fair and honest people and allowed us to reach for our dreams."
"JRPG" has become a commonly used term to describe not just an RPG from Japan, but any RPG whose presentation mimics the design sensibilities of anime and manga. You could argue that there are also certain mechanics or design philosophies that put a game in the JRPG category, such as turn-based battles, but it's typically the presentation and character archetypes that signal "this is a JRPG." Is that surface level definition good enough when there are people debating whether or not a Japanese-made RPG like Dark Souls qualifies as a JRPG?
Monolith Soft, developer of the upcoming Wii U RPG Xenoblade Chronicles X, has some legendary developers on its staff, including Tetsuya Takahashi. Takahashi played a major role in the development of classic RPGs such as Chrono Trigger,Xenogears, and Final Fantasy VI. I had the chance to speak with Takahashi and other members of Monolith Soft and Nintendo who've had a hand in creating Xenoblade Chronicles X, an upcoming, quintessential JRPG. I had to know: how do they feel about the term? Even among a team with strong ties to the genre, there were differing opinions.
The following interview was conducted with the help of an interpreter, representing the following members of Nintendo and Monolith Soft.
GameSpot: How would you describe the relationship between Nintendo and Monolith Soft?
Yamagami: At Nintendo, we're always thinking of how we can reach a variety of different users. One thing that can help us reach a certain kind of user--that core gamer--is by partnering with other companies. We were looking for someone to help us design games with that specific audience in mind. All we need to do is look for a good partner out there who is willing to work with us, and after looking, we started discussing with Monolith Soft [and] it all came together.
What about Monolith Soft makes them a good partner for Nintendo?
Yamagami: I think, what they bring that most impressed us, was the amazing quality of JRPGs that they're able to produce.
When you're developing a game like this, which you refer to as a JRPG, do you design it with a global audience in mind? Is a good game universal?
Yamagami: Yes, I absolutely agree that good games are universal, and whenever we're designing these games, it's not our idea to add the "J." Sometimes we talk about it that way, but in our minds, we're just making RPGs.
Yakota: Certainly, we have the Japanese audience in mind. We want to ensure that this will be a comfortable experience for them, but we don't mean to exclude anyone, we want to create something that can be picked up and played by everyone.
Yamagami: We're looking to take all of the best qualities, even from what might be Japanese design impulses, but make sure they can be enjoyed everywhere.
Key art for Monolith Soft's renowned RPG, Xenoblade Chronicles
Would you prefer it if there wasn't a designated separation between JRPGs and RPGs? Does it ever feel odd to have it categorized that way?
Yamagami: I feel like we just make RPGs I don't need anyone to add the "J," personally.
Kawabata: Certainly, I wouldn't want anyone to use "JRPG" in a negative way, I wouldn't want them to try to pigeon-hole a certain game with that designation if they meant something negative by it.
Takahashi: Personally, I don't feel people are saying anything negative when they say "JRPG," rather, I feel like it's become a genre category at this point, the same way you might have an action movie or a horror movie. If people say JRPG, then they're just trying to designate a certain approach to the subject matter or a certain way of dealing with themes, because it's nothing negative in general. I'm very happy with that usage.
RPGs are the only genre I can think of where there is a designation between the country of origin. Why do you think that's unique to RPGs?
Takahashi: You may not be aware of this, but I think a lot of the time when people use JRPG in the Japanese market, they actually do have negative feelings that are building up behind that. Unless the rest of the world shares those negative connotations, then that's not something I would worry about at all.
Yakota: Certainly, it often designated to people that they might see a similar presentation style that they see in anime or manga.
Takahashi: I like to think about the fact that even in the US market, you guys say "comics," but you also say "manga." The two words designate the country of origin, or the style, if it's the case of someone emulating that. It's the same in Japan where we say manga, but we also say american comics. I feel like this kind of usage is similar to what we're seeing with "JRPG" being used a term outside of Japan.
When Ubisoft's Child of Light hit the scene, there was no shortage of people labeling it as a JRPG.
There are also western developers who make games that are referred to as JRPGs. Is it odd to have someone from the west make a "JRPG?"
No, it doesn't bother us at all. It's kind of interesting for us to see people try to present in that particular sort of style. We'd love to see what people come up with. (Consensus of the group, streamlined by the interpreter.)
How do you feel about the current state of the Japanese gaming market? Does it seem like we're entering a new golden era of Japanese games?
Takahashi: This is just my opinion, but sometimes I wonder about the health of the industry. When I walk around E3, I see some wonderful games that Nintendo and other manufacturers are putting out, and these are games that I truly love, but I also worry about the shift towards mobile, and wonder [what] the shift towards developing for smartphones might mean for the future of the industry. Certainly, if you talk about the scale of the market including them, then yes it's doing well; there's a lot of money and activity there.
Yamagami: I certainly want to stress that Nintendo is doing well. I think our state is rather healthy, our games are selling well in Japan and the rest of the world, so we certainly don't see it as a problem. We do notice the trends of various developers embracing mobile, and we see a big push there, and people have different feelings about that when they think about it, but for us, smart devices can allow people to play games as well, so that, in our mind, is part of the market.
Driveclub's PlayStation Plus Edition will be available from Thursday, June 25, Sony has announced.
"We've spent a long time preparing for this launch after some difficult and unexpected set-backs," said Shuhei Yoshida, president of Sony's worldwide studios.
"To make absolutely certain that all players have the smoothest and most stable experience possible we are going to be duly cautious about how we release the game this time around."
PlayStation Plus members will be able to download the game and play it offline from Thursday. Sony will also begin rolling out online access and will "steadily bring more and more players online while continuously ensuring that all game systems are running smoothly."
"We know that this might be frustrating after the extra wait already," said Yoshida. [We] hope you can understand that we are taking extra precautions to protect your experience when you do get online. We want to make sure we don't overload the serbers as we invite millions of PS Plus members to download the game."
When Driveclub was released, it launched with serious issues. Sony later announced the Plus Edition's would be postponed indefinitely.
Sony repeatedly insisted the free PlayStation Plus version hadn't been canceled and when developer Evolution Studios was hit with layoffs in March, Sony claimed it would "now focus on Driveclub as a service going forward, with the important launch of the PS Plus Edition."
Bungie has said it is planning to remix two Destiny Strike missions once they are no longer exclusive to PlayStation platforms.
New content is scheduled to be added to the previously-released PlayStation-exclusive Strike missions Dust Palace and The Undying Mind, which had both first released on PS3 and PS4 last year. At some stage in the autumn, these two Strike missions will come to Xbox One and Xbox 360 too, and when they do, the remixed versions will also be available on all platforms.
In an interview with Eurogamer, a Bungie representative referred to the remix content as "a little extra something."
This extra content is tied to Bungie's next major expansion for Destiny, called The Taken King, which will ship on September 15.
Creative director Luke Smith explained that, after The Taken King is released, the old Dust Palace and The Undying Mind strikes will be updated with content that comes from the expansion. This could mean new weapons and enemies, and other such details.
However, if Xbox players want to play the two Strikes in their original form, that option will also be available to them.
"The previously Sony-exclusive strikes will be available this autumn on Xbox," said Smith. "But we're not just re-issuing them. We're [also] refreshing them completely with the Taken."
"We want you to experience The Undying Mind completely as it was with the Vex, and also in the Taken-ified version. We wanted to make it feel like more than last year's model."
In The Taken King's story, the antagonist Oryx arrives along with a corrupted army of enemies for Guardians to face. It is possible that these new enemies will spread into the older strikes.
"So [Xbox players] can play last year's model and, as a community, Destiny fans can play through the new versions together and figure them out," he explained.
In a separate matter, Bungie recently sparked controversy by making new gestures and in-game items exclusive to the expensive Collector's Edition of The Taken King. Since this package also comes with older expansions, long-time players would be forced to re-buy content they own just to get these gestures and items.
When faced with addressing concerns regarding this decision, Bungie's Luke Smith was dismissive, causing a backlash from players. Following this, community manager David Dague later promised that veteran players will be given something bonus in-game content to thank them for loyalty. The nature of this content is expected to be revealed on Thursday in Bungie's weekly update.
Take a look at some screenshots from The Taken King below.
Online retailer Green Man Gaming has said it will be offering refunds for digital purchases of Batman: Arkham Knight if the upcoming patch does not address its PC problems.
Posting on its official blog, the retailer issued guidelines for the PC port, highlighting Warner Bros Interactive's ongoing efforts to resolve the game's bugs and glitches.
GMG goes on to say it is hoping the patch "will be released soon," but will provide refunds if it does not help.
"We want you to enjoy your game," it says. "But if after the fix has been released, you still cannot play your game, we will process refund requests for the game."
For those that purchased the game through Valve's Steam platform, requests for refunds can be submitted within 30-days of initial purchase. This is due to a platform-wide refund policy for all Steam games.
Gary Lake-Schall, the VP of game technology at Warner Bros Interactive, has admitted "there are some known issues with the performance of Batman: Arkham Knight for PC owners using AMD graphics cards."
He said: "We are working closely with AMD to rectify these issues as quickly as possible and will provide updates here as they become available. We thank you for your patience in this matter."
Meanwhile, principal developer Rocksteady Studios has said "this is something that [the studio] takes very seriously."
"We are working closely with our external PC development partner to make sure these issues get resolved as quickly as possible," it continued.
The PC version of Batman: Arkham Knight was ported by Iron Galaxy Studios. It previously worked on the PC port of Batman: Arkham Origins, which had a similarly rocky launch on the platform.
New details have emerged online regarding ReCore, the new game from Mega Man, Onimusha, and Dead Rising creator Keiji Inafune, which was one of the big surprises during Microsoft's E3 press conference.
Beyond the reveal trailer, little is known about the game. As revealed in GameSpot's stage interview with Keiji Inafune, ReCore has been in development for 14 months, so it is still in the early stages.
A new video interview published by Xbox, however, has provided some insight into the characters at the heart of the story, and the world which it is set in.
Armature Studio's game director, Mark Pacini (whose studio is working with Inafune), reveals the main character of ReCore is called Jewel, while the robot companion--who starts off as a dog--is called Mack.
The two have a special relationship as Mack finds Jewel at the start of the game, and is part of a faction trying to help you bring back humanity to the planet. A separate faction of robots, meanwhile, is trying to stop Jewel and Mack from making this happen.
"One of the big features of this game is that the scenery completely changes after a sandstorm," Inafune adds. "[This] actually affects the maps in the gameplay."
Continuing, Inafune reveals that ReCore takes place in a world populated by very few humans, which means Jewel has mostly been by herself throughout her life, with the exception of her robot companion.
"As you continue on this adventure you are going to meet other companions, as well as enemies. The game's main theme focuses on how she is going to survive in this world," adds Pacini.
He continues: "The relationship between the friendly robots in the game and the enemy robots in the game, they get more volatile and deadlier as you go underground and find these areas. That's where all the good stuff is, and that's what you're trying to explore."
Central to ReCore is the ability to remove Mack's core and transfer his consciousness to another robot.
Inafune explains: "During the fight with the robots [in the trailer] Mack was defeated, but his core remained. Mack's consciousness still remains in the core and by implanting the core into another robot ... Mack will live on in another form.
"This is a very epic story full of mystery and adventure. As I said, robots play a very important role in this adventure, and there will be many more robots that will lead to a rich experience. There will also be many other companion robots you can partner with, and each of the different robots will lead to unique adventures."
The PlayStation 20th Anniversary DualShock 4 controller will be available to purchase standalone in September, PlayStation Europe has confirmed.
The controller, which is styled to look like the PS1 pad, was previously only available as part of the limited edition 20th Anniversary PS4 console bundle.
Sony has confirmed it will be available across Europe in September, but has not yet officially announced a North American release.
Online retailer Amazon, however, is listing the controller for pre-order, suggesting it will also be available in the territory soon.
Sporting the classic PlayStation grey colour, the controller also has the red, yellow, and blue PlayStation logo on the DualShock 4's home button.
Unlike the controllers in the PS4 bundle, however, the Touchpad will feature its normal dots, instead of the iconic PlayStation button shapes.
Originally, only 12,300 20th Anniversary PS4 consoles were produced. The online auction for the very first one, dubbed the world's rarest PlayStation 4, ended at ¥15.135 million, or about $129,000.
Sony released the 20th Anniversary PS4 in December 2014 to celebrate the original PlayStation's launch in Japan in December 1994. Units sold out in a matter of minutes.
Click on the thumbnails below to view in full-screen
The title, which is being developed by Next Level Games, creator of Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, with Metroid Prime series producer Kensuke Tanabe overseeing the project, is a co-operative shooter with a chibi visual style.
Fans of the Metroid Prime series have been clamouring for another exploration-focused entry from Retro Studios, or something in line with the classical 2D side-scrolling roots of the series, for many years.
As a result, the reaction to Federation Force's gameplay and visual departures has been somewhat negative.
Speaking to Kotaku, Fils-Aime said Nintendo knows what its fans want, but "will also push the envelope in developing something that we know is high-quality and that we know will deliver in the marketplace."
Fils-Aime drew a comparison to The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, which also received backlash from fans complaining about its cel-shaded visual style.
"Remember when that art style was first shown. The uproar from the Zelda community was intensely negative. If there had been social media then, there probably would have been a petition to make that game go away."
Later in the interview, the Nintendo exec indicated the platform holder was aware fans wanted a more traditional Metroid game, and suggested the company was picking its moment to deliver it.
"Look, we know that the fans want a straight Samus Aran game," he said. "We also know that the best way to launch a game like that is to surprise and delight them, to give them a launch date, in an environment like this let them play it versus what other companies do, which is to announce a project that you may not see for five, six years. It's just not the way we do things."
He added: "We know the community wants to see a straight-up Metroid game. We know it."
Metroid Prime: Federation Force will also feature Blast Ball, a 3v3 competitive game where teams compete to shoot a large ball into a goal. Both games are reminiscent of Metroid Prime Hunters, the first-person Nintendo DS game from 2006.
The game is scheduled for release in 2016. Nintendo has not clarified whether there's a single-player component, or if Federation Force and Blast Ball are multiplayer experiences only.
Nintendo has announced its quirky team-based shooter Splatoon has sold over one million copies worldwide.
According to official figures provided by the platform holder, more than 230,000 physical and digital copies were sold in Europe, while the Japanese market accounted for 360,000.
476,000 copies were sold in North America, while Australians purchased 20,000 units.
"Since Splatoon launched on May 29, it has been great to see so many players competing in online matches," said Nintendo of Europe president Satoru Shibata.
"We are pleased this new Wii U exclusive game is capturing the imagination of so many fans across Europe, and look forward to bringing more exclusive titles to both Wii U and Nintendo 3DS this year."
Nintendo is continuing to release new content for Splatoon regularly. In early June, it made a new weapon available, and it more content is planned for Splatoon throughout the summer.
GameSpot's Splatoon review described the game as "the antithesis to the modern shooter," but added that it "primarily deserves recognition for what it is, not what it isn't."
"It's a wonderful game with charm and inventive ideas that work and pave the way for new experiences in an otherwise stale category of games."
This fall you'll be able to play Fallout 4, and you can have a real-world Pip-Boy device strapped to your arm while you play it. Currently, the Pip-Boy Edition of the game is available for preorder at Best Buy, Walmart, and GameStop.
Although the game is currently labeled as unavailable on Amazon, a Bethesda blog post also suggests that additional units will be made available on Amazon later this week. The stock is very limited, so preorder soon if you want this edition of the game.
The $120 special edition comes with a replica Pip-Boy that can hold your phone, allowing you to run the Fallout 4 companion app as you play. It also comes with the game, a metal case, a guide, a display stand for the Pip-Boy, and a poster.
"Boy the world's one river, and I'm its king. Ain't no place I ain't been. Ain't no place I can't go again."
After releasing a brief teaser trailer last week, League of Legends' newest champion has finally been unveiled. His name is Tahm Kench, the River King. And despite his fiendish, swampy appearance, he's a champion with some pretty impressive and possibly game-changing abilities.
The theme of his powers revolves around his hefty appetite and his massive stomach. Tahm Kench will pretty much eat anything. Minions, foes, and even allies.
For example, his Q ability is called tongue lash. As the name suggests, Tahm Kench lashes his tongue out and if he hits an enemy, they take damage and they're slowed. If he hits this enemy with the same basic attack three times in a row, the enemy is stunned.
His W ability, devour, lets him swallow a target. If he swallows an enemy, they take damage and if swallows an ally, they're immune to any kind of damage for that duration. Mm, delicious.
But what makes him truly different from other champions is his R--or his "ultimate" ability, aptly titled "Abyssal Voyage."
This ability lets Tahm Kench open his mouth and give an ally a chance to jump inside his giant belly. Once they jump in, Tahm Kench creates a whirlpool beneath him and reappears on another part of the map.
It's a pretty game-changing ability. If you're being ambushed by the opposing team, you have a safe passageway out. Likewise, if you want to ambush a member of the opposing team, you can use this ability and transport to wherever they are.
Because of the nature of his kit, Tahm Kench has a support oriented play-style, which means his ultimate goal is to protect the damage dealers on his team. Riot stated in its reveal that, "Once he's wobbled into lane, his main role is to stick with his lane buddy, making sure they're safe."
What do you think about Riot's newest champion? What role would you play him in? Let us know in the comments below!
Humble Bundles are always great, and the new one is no exception. This bundle features steep discounts for the popular Borderlands series on PC. It also includes a whole bunch of the games' DLC, so if you already own one of the games, there is still incentive to pick this up.
As always, the first tier of the Humble Bundle is available at any price you'd like to pay. Remember, however, that you'll have to shell out at least $1 for Steam keys.
Don't Starve launched in April 2013 for the PC and January 2014 for the PlayStation 4. It even made it to the Vita in September last year and to the Wii U this May. After more than two years, it's finally going to be released on Xbox One.
Following a leaked European rating of the game, developer Klei Entertainment took to Twitter to confirm the port. "Hmmm... I guess the cat's out of the bag!" the Twitter post says with an image of the game's rating. "We'll update with more info once we have a date."
The game will launch together with its expansion, Reign of Giants.
Don't Starve is a roguelike adventure game that has a lot of objects and tools to craft and a huge world to explore. Players are given control of a character named Wilson, who must scavenge for food and build tents to survive the night. GameSpot gave it a 7, noting its expansive open world and beautiful art while criticizing its initial grind.
The official launch of Heroes of the Storm's new Diablo-focused event, the Eternal Conflict, isn't set to begin until the end of the month, but you can try out the game's newest map beginning today.
Battlefield of Eternity, HotS' newest map (or Battleground, in the game's parlance), has been released on the Public Test Realm. Much like in Blizzard's other games, this is a separate set of servers where you can try out new content prior to its official release. Getting in is easy, but it does require a separate download.
To access the PTR, click on the region/account drop-down menu above the big Play button in the Battle.net launcher (pictured below). From there, select the "PTR: Heroes of the Storm" option at top, and then click install to download about 4 GB's worth of data. Once that's done, you'll be able to try out the new Diablo-themed map.
The same rotation of free characters is available on the PTR, and you can take any of your unlocked heroes, mounts, and skins with you, but your various levels and gold won't carry over. Likewise, any progression made on the PTR won't transfer back to the official servers; this is merely a way for you to access new content early.
Unfortunately, the Butcher, the next character set to be added to the game, is not available on the PTR. You'll have to wait until the Eternal Conflict event begins on June 30 for him (and Battlefield of Eternity) to be released to the official servers.
At E3, we also learned about two more Diablo characters coming to the game: the Monk and the Skeleton King. The Monk marks HotS' first Diablo support class character, while the Skeleton King has some unique mechanics with the way he dies and respawns. You can read more about them here.
Coming off the success of San Andreas, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is set to appear in another movie where countless buildings are destroyed, this one based on a classic arcade game.
The new live-action movie will be based on Midway's Rampage, according to Deadline. Details on the plot have not yet been revealed, save for the fact that it will feature the core of the game: a giant gorilla, lizard, and wolf will all rampage across North America, destroying whatever gets in their way. There's no word on whether the monsters will heal themselves by eating a healthy diet of chickens and humans along the way.
Rampage's script will be written by Ryan Engle (Non-Stop) and be produced by frequent Johnson collaborator Beau Flynn (San Andreas, Hercules, Red Dawn). The New Line film is set to go into production next year, once Johnson is done with Fast and Furious 8. It wouldn't be his first film based on a video game, as he previously starred in 2005's Doom.
New Line was reportedly in the planning stages on a Rampage movie back in 2011. At the time, it was said that the film would be "in the vein and tone of Ghostbusters and Independence Day," though given how long it's been, that direction may have been scrapped many times over.
Rampage was originally released in arcades back in 1986 before being ported to more than a dozen other platforms--it's appeared on everything from the Commodore 64 to the PS2. It's also seen a number of sequels produced, though by the time the movie comes out, it will have been more than a decade since the last of these, Total Destruction, was released.
The trend of game-specific special-edition Xbox One consoles continues with a Forza Motorsport 6 version, and it's pretty different than previous designs.
Announced today on the Xbox website, the special-edition console commemorates the tenth anniversary of the Forza franchise. It's completely dark blue in color, with a couple stripes meant to evoke racing decals on cars. The controller has a similar design with "rubberized diamond grips," and the console comes with a 1 TB hard drive. Additionally, this Xbox will have racing sound effects to go along with the design.
You'll also get a digital copy of the game with a purchase of the system.
The Forza 6 Xbox One will cost $399 when it launches on September 15 along with the game itself. Check out our E3 2015 impressions of the game's visual fidelity here, and keep an eye on GameSpot for more news in the coming months.
I've spent $100 on Destiny content, and I'm planning to pay $40 more when the next expansion, The Taken King, launches in September. I've played the game since the day it came out, and I've loved my time with it.
In general, I have no problem spending a little more money on a game to get more content. The DLC model has become ubiquitous in games, and titles such as Batman: Arkham Knight, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, and Evolve all got substantial post-release additions.
However, this upcoming Destiny expansion poses a unique situation. When Bungie announced The Taken King at E3, players were generally excited about the upcoming additions to the game. The developer then announced a couple special editions for the expansion, including a collector's edition with exclusive in-game items. The problem is, the $80 Taken King Collector's Edition bundles the base game and all three expansions. In other words, if you're already a dedicated Destiny player and you want all of the in-game items, you have to buy the game and the prior expansions again.
Developer Bungie's decision to split content among the different editions has sparked controversy on the internet, with long-term players angered that the developer expects them to shell out so much money for a few emotes and some shaders. The studio has said that loyal users will get some unique gear, and Bungie's community manager Deej promised, "Year-one players won't get the same perks as people who buy a collector's edition. They'll get something better." But the dedicated fanbase should not have to face this decision. Destiny's most loyal players should get both the collector's edition perks and something more.
That's why Bungie should release a "Founder's Edition" of The Taken King. The developer has already announced a "Founder's Pack" with one shader, a sparrow, and an emblem, but that's really not enough for players who have paid full price and stuck with the game since its beginning. The Founder's Edition would let Bungie recognize loyal players more meaningfully than just letting them have an emblem and still expecting them to pay full price for the expansion.
My proposed Destiny: The Taken King Founder's Edition ($50):
The Taken King Expansion
Founder's Pack (already announced) with a sparrow, armor shader, and Year One emblem
Collector's Edition in-game content (already announced) including the class-specific items, emotes, and shaders
Founder's Weapon (proposed) with an exclusive legendary/exotic weapon
Founder's Armor (proposed) with an exclusive legendary piece of armor
Founder's Ship (proposed) with an exclusive ship
Founder's Emote (proposed) with an exclusive emote
This Founder's Edition would be available for purchase by players who've reached a certain level by the expansion's release. Such an edition would demonstrate to the community that Bungie does recognize the players who have dedicated themselves to the game.
Bungie's decision isn't new. Publishers have, for years, made some content exclusive to different versions of the games. For example, Watch Dogs infamously launched with a handful of separate, retailer-specific editions that all had unique items. What makes Destiny's situation feel egregious and noteworthy, is that it seems to prioritize enticing new players while simply expecting old players to keep paying full price for the game. For just $80, you can get the base game and all of the expansions, in addition to real-world objects and those exclusive emotes. If you don't care about all those extras, it only costs $60 to buy the entire Destiny experience.
But I will have spent $140 on Destiny when The Taken King launches. I will have played well over one hundred hours, and many others will have clocked countless more than me. We have played the game since its release, loving it for what it does but believing in its potential to grow. These players have kept the community alive and rabidly consumed all new content that's come to the game.
We don't deserve anything. I recognize that I am asking for Bungie to take time developing additional content as a reward for legacy players. I'm not going to stop playing, either, but I want to feel like I, and other loyal players, are as appreciated as newcomers. It would be a gesture of good faith for Bungie to at least make that Collector's Edition content available for legacy players for a slight premium. The dedicated fanbase passionately pursues any hint of a new shader or ship. It's not good for the company or the community for those items to be locked away from the players who want them most.
Bungie's nod to long-term players currently consists of an emblem and the promise of some other items. However, Bungie is not planning on giving those players the collector's edition content, and it still expects them to pay full price for the expansion. While the faithful will continue to buy additional content on the day of release for a time, eventually they will tire of the lack of recognition. A Founder's Edition would go a long way to keeping long-term players satisfied with having bought Destiny and its expansions on day one.
Despite injuring his pinky in a freak basketball accident (warning: graphic images), Doublelift managed to carry CLG to victory this week in their games against TDK and Cloud9, even securing a pentakill for himself in the latter game. Fantasy team owners rejoice.
At the same time, Team Dignitas and Gravity have continued their upward trend of victories, looking stronger and stronger each week, while Team Liquid looked uncharacteristically shaky and indecisive, falling to third place after losing their games to TSM and Team Dignitas.
GameSpot is here to bring you photos straight from the studio.
Update 2: The Driveclub Twitter account has posted a message saying, "Store update today with the Driveclub PS+ Edition was premature. The servers aren't ready yet, so it's been removed while we get them ready." There's still no ETA for exactly when it will return.
Update: It appears the Plus Edition went live earlier than intended, as the PlayStation Store page has been taken down. We'll keep an eye on its status and update you with anything more we learn.
Original Story: Following what feels like countless delays, the free PlayStation Plus Edition of PS4 racing game Driveclub is now available on the PlayStation Store.
Driveclub: PlayStation Plus Edition offers a mix of single- and multiplayer content. According to the PSN listing, it offers "every Driveclub feature," including "online multiplayer matches and challenges, to offline solo racing, Tour events, customization, replays, Photo Mode, and more." It also contains all 13 of India's tracks, 15 cars, and 27 trophies, including the Platinum.
As the name suggests, you'll need a PlayStation Plus subscription in order to download and play this free version of the game. Upgrading to the full version gets you 40+ additional cars and five other locations (comprising 65 total tracks).
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