By Anonymous on Jul 02, 2015 12:06 am
 Check out this gameplay from Life Is Feudal where you hunt and build a fortress of defense.
By Anonymous on Jul 02, 2015 12:02 am
Final Fantasy XV has been entrenched in one of the longest development cycles of all time, with few games rivaling its prolonged gestation. Announced long before Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 were put to pasture, Final Fantasy XV was originally called Final Fantasy Versus XIII, not to be confused with the mainline game, Final Fantasy XIII. Both games were announced at the same time, yet we've seen not just one, but three games tied to Final Fantasy XIII proper released since it was announced. Final Fantasy XV is supposedly nearing completion, but we still don't have a release date to hang our hat on. While we wait for more news on Final Fantasy XV, let's look back at the game's milestone moments, starting with a little press event in Tokyo almost ten years ago.
Sept. 2006 - Final Fantasy Versus 13 Announced at Tokyo Game Show
During a Square Enix press conference at Tokyo Game Show 2006, three Final Fantasy XIII games were announced: PlayStation 3 exclusives, Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII (which would eventually become Final Fantasy XV), and a mobile game, Final Fantasy Agito XIII. Agito aside, Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII were the first examples of what a then next-gen Final Fantasy could be. At the time, Final Fantasy XII still wasn't available outside of Japan, so for fans of the series in the west, these announcements were especially captivating. It was eight months before Versus XIII was seen again in the form of another cutscene trailer, but then the game would go dark for the next year, when signs of trouble with development began popping up online.
Jun. 2008 - Final Fantasy Versus 13 Development Confusion
After a long period of silence, an interview with Versus XIII director Tetsuya Nomura in Japan's Famitsu magazine seemed to indicate that staff working on the game had been appropriated by the Final Fantasy XIII team because the latter game was the studio's number-one priority. As such, work on Versus XIII would not resume until development on XIII was wrapped. However, despite being translated by numerous sources, Square Enix claimed that the quote was misinterpreted. Rather than what was reported, Square Enix clarified that "reports that development for Final Fantasy Versus XIII is on hold are false. The truth of the situation is that when free, some staff from the Versus team have been helping with the Final Fantasy XIII team on development...Development for both titles is continuing as originally scheduled." Whether the follow up from Square Enix was genuine or not, we now know that Versus XIII would not meet its initial release schedule, suggesting that Nomura's concerns were valid, even if the truth of the matter wasn't as dire as it first seemed. This was the last anyone heard of Versus XIII until 2010, when yet another brief trailer was released. That trailer gave us the first look at gameplay, but it was all too brief, with tightly composed tidbits of exploration and combat that lasted for less than a minute total. However, in early 2011, Square Enix would open the floodgates.
Jan. 2011 - Square Enix Unveils Final Fantasy Versus 13 Gameplay
Following years of short trailers based primarily on cutscenes, Square enix released a seven minute video in 2011 filled with footage of combat and new environments, including city streets, interiors, and grassy wilderness. There was also footage of Noctis, the main character, taking control of weaponized vehicles, including a bipedal mech and a tank, which he hijacked on-the-fly mid-battle. While it's anyone's guess whether or not he will still be able to do that when the game's ultimately released, given that we know a lot has changed in the last few years, it's safe to say that other scenes, particularly where the player is controlling one of Noctis' cohorts, Prompto, is something that won't be in the final game; we now know that you can only control Noctis, with other characters reacting to his needs automatically. Regardless, this trailer, coming five years after the initial announcement, was what players had been waiting for, being the first concrete evidence that the game has had significant work put into it. Despite this reassurance, in 2012, director Nomura would once again hint that something suspicious surrounding the game was afoot.
Jul. 2012 - Final Fantasy Versus 13 Cancellation Rumors
18 months after the massive gameplay trailer dropped in 2011, with little new info surfacing in the meantime, a source close to the game reportedly told Kotaku that production had been shuttered, six years after final Fantasy Versus XIII was announced. This came on the heels of Nomura talking to Famitsu, yet again, about impending news regarding the game's development. "We're almost done with preparing the latest info for the game," he stated. "Because of a totally unrelated reason, there are circumstances in which that info cannot be released." Kotaku was also told that development resources had been folded into the next, standalone game in the series, Final Fantasy XIII. This rumor would be addressed the following year, during Sony's press conference at E3 2013.
June 2013 - Final Fantasy Versus 13 becomes Final Fantasy 15
The rumor that Final Fantasy Versus XIII was being pushed aside was almost unbelievable, but at E3 2013, Square Enix confirmed that it was done with Versus XIII; instead, it would live on in a new form, as Final Fantasy XV. With the PlayStation 3 behind them, Square Enix had shifted development to the next generation of consoles, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. A new trailer accompanying the announcement showcased both new and redesigned characters, wide-angle views of large environments, and a wealth of combat scenarios against enemies big and small. It was the most substantial look at the game yet, suggesting that development had progressed quite a lot farther than previous trailers would have led us to believe. Considering that development moved to an entirely new and advanced generation of consoles, it was impressive, but another change, which would be announced over a year later, may have been the key to speeding up the pace of development.
Sept. 2014 - Hajime Tabata replaces Tetsuya Nomura as director of Final Fantasy 15
While Tetsuya Nomura was working on Final Fantasy Versus XIII, he was also working on Kingdom Hearts III, which was announced in 2010. With two massive franchises on his back, it's no wonder why development on Final Fantasy Versus XIII was taking so long. It's still unclear how the transition happened and when it became official, but around the time of 2013's Tokyo Game show, Square Enix announced that Hajime Tabata had taken over as director of Final Fantasy XV. Having previously worked on Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy Type-0, Tabata seemed to be the right man for the job, and his appointment would free Nomura up, making it a win-win for Square Enix. For Final Fantasy fans, it perhaps signaled that Nomura's influence would be brushed aside, but it was also a sign that efforts were being made to actually finish the game. Little did we know, we'd actually get a chance to play it in just a few months time.
Mar. 2015 - Final Fantasy 15 demo, Episode Duscae, ships with Final Fantasy Type-0 HD
Tabata, the newly appointed director, promised that a demo of Final Fantasy XV would be released alongside Type-0 HD at the 2014 Tokyo Game Show, and sure enough, people who picked up the initial printing were able to access a playable demo of the long-awaited game, subtitled as Episode Duscae. The demo was huge, giving you plenty of time to explore a single, large region of the world, and battle wildlife and soldiers to your heart's content. It also featured side activities such as cooking, but the most exciting moments included a battle against a large behemoth and a look at the game's summons, which in this instance, was a huge version of Ramuh, the series' elderly lord of lightning. When he announced the demo, Tabata noted that the game was 55% complete, but he also ensured everyone that it wouldn't take another eight years of development to complete the other half now that work on the demo was finished. As it turned out, the development on the demo wasn't exactly wrapped up.
Mar. 2015 - Square Enix seeks feedback from fans, updates Episode Duscae
A little over a week after it released Episode Duscae, Square Enix launched a survey where players could submit their feedback on the demo. Initially, this was pitched as a way for players to influence the final game, but this feedback was ultimately used by Tabata and his team to create an update for the Episode Duscae demo, which launched just a few months later in June. In addition to adjusting the camera and targeting system, Tabata's team also doled out a few new side quests, which partner Noctis up with one of his cohorts. One in particular, where Noctis teams up with Gladiolous, introduces a brand new mechanic known as cross chains. These tandem attacks allow you to take down larger, stronger enemies by following a series of button prompts that appear on screen during combat. It's interesting that such a patch would be released for the demo, but it's even more interesting that resources were devoted to it, rather than to the full game.
June 2015 - Changes from Versus 13 to 15 outlined by Tabata
During a episode six of Tabata's Final Fantasy XV livestream series, Active Time Report, he outlined some of the changes that were implemented into the game during its transition from Final Fantasy Versus XIII to Final Fantasy XV. Among them, Tabata pointed out that "after we had switched from Versus to XV, the first decision we made was to make sure that XV would have a complete, coherent story in one game." This suggests that the story was previously designed to suit multiple titles. This shift in thinking led to a reorganization of story events, but also characters. Previously, Noctis interacted in trailers with a character named Stella, who was intended to be the game's heroine. However, her character was totally scrapped in the transition to Final Fantasy XV because Tabata's team "found it increasingly difficult to make sense of Stella's character and role within Final Fantasy XV." Sensitive to the issue that such sweeping changes may have a negative impact on fans expectations, Tabata added: "All these things I have been talking about have been the subject of extensive debate, and were decided with a level of utmost resolve in order to make Final Fantasy XV into the best game possible, so at least in our minds, these decisions are making the game better."
Aug. 2015 - New information will be released during Gamescom
Square Enix and Tabata have promised that there will be lots of new information related to Final Fantasy XV coming out of the Gamescom convention in Cologne, Germany. What that could mean is anyone's guess, but there's a good chance we'll finally get a release date for the oft-delayed game. Will it be September 2016, to mark the 10th anniversary of the game's announcement? It would be a shame to have to wait that long, but after nine years, what's one more? If it means the team will get the time it needs to finish the game without sacrificing quality, the wait should be worth it.
By Anonymous on Jul 01, 2015 11:58 pm
Capcom's Street Fighter V won't be the only game on display next week at San Diego Comic-Con.  Microsoft will hold a special Halo 5: Guardians panel during the pop culture show, according to the official event schedule. The panel is called "Hunt for the Truth: Following the Trail of the Halo 5: Guardians Story." It will be held Friday, July 10, at 10:15 AM PDT and will run for a period of one hour. 343 Industries developers and "special guests" will sit on the panel to talk about Halo 5's story. "The panel will bring new insight into the mysteries surrounding the Master Chief and build connections between the stories that have been told so far, and sneak peeks of the stories yet to be told in game and beyond," reads a line from the panel's description. The "beyond" mentioned above could be a reference to some kind of Halos transmedia project. We recently learned that Microsoft's Halo TV show with Steven Spielberg remains in development. Could we learn more about it at Comic-Con? Check back next week to find out. Halo 5 launches October 27 exclusively for Xbox One. Microsoft recently announced a brand new, epic-scale multiplayer mode called Warzone. You can read our hands-on impressions here.
By Anonymous on Jul 01, 2015 11:50 pm
Monopoly is one of the most iconic board games ever, but it's still somewhat shocking to learn today that Hunger Games film studio Lionsgate and Hasbro have announced a movie based on it. Then again, a Tetris move is also in development, so basically anything that can happen in Hollywood will happen, it seems. Andrew Niccol, who earned an Academy Award nomination for The Truman Show, will write the screenplay for the Monopoly movie. According to a press release, the movie will be a "big, crowd-pleasing event film" that should appeal to everyone who has played Monopoly.  Lionsgate goes on to say that the Monopoly movie will be "a film for all ages, visually sumptuous, heartwarming, and full of action and adventure." The official plot synopsis is just the worst best: "The story centers on a boy from Baltic Avenue who uses both Chance and Community in a quest to make his fortune, taking him on a fun, adventure-filled journey. It's about making your own luck, what makes you truly rich and, of course, avoiding Jail time!" Hasbro claims Monopoly has been played by more than 1 billion people in 114 countries around the world. My most vivid Monopoly memories are marathon games with my brothers, sisters, and cousins growing up. Things often got heated and I'm pretty sure I never won.
By Anonymous on Jul 01, 2015 11:35 pm
[UPDATE] The stream has now ended. Did you like what you saw? Let us know in the comments. The original story is below. Uncharted fans are in for a treat today, as Naughty Dog will release a 17-minute gameplay trailer for Uncharted 4: A Thief's End at 11 AM PDT / 2 PM EDT / 5 PM UK.  You'll be able to watch the video right here through the Twitch embed below. The video is an extended version of the trailer Sony released during E3 last month. GameSpot (and Kanye West) got to see the extended cut, and you can check out our impressions in this video here. For more on Uncharted 4, which arrives in early 2016 exclusively for PlayStation 4, check out some recent stories below.
By Anonymous on Jul 01, 2015 11:23 pm
 Over on eBay, you can pick up the Batman: Arkham Knight PS4 system bundle for $370 today. Amazon appears to have a new discount program for Prime members. At least a few games are currently included, such as Batman: Arkham Knight for $50 (Xbox One/PS4), Elder Scrolls Online for $50 (Xbox One/PS4), Splatoon for $53, and The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D for $33. You won't see the lower price until you add the item to your cart and proceed to checkout. Project Cars is $50 at both Amazon (Xbox One/PS4) and Best Buy (Xbox One/PS4). Gamers Club Unlocked members can get it for $40 at Best Buy. Buy BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma Extend on PS4 or Xbox One at Best Buy this week and get a $10 gift card. You can preorder Mad Max or Rory McIlroy PGA Tour through Dell and receive a $15 gift card. Below you'll find the rest of today's best deals divided by platform. PlayStation 4Walmart continues to sell the Last of Us Remastered PS4 bundle with an extra controller or Battlefield Hardline for $399. Alternatively, you can add $10 to get The Witcher 3 or Mortal Kombat X in place of the controller/Hardline. Buy J-Stars Victory VS+ at Best Buy and get Dragon Ball Xenoverse for $30. This week's PlayStation Plus-exclusive deals on PSN include Toukiden: Kiwami for $42, Project Cars for $48, Dead or Alive 5: Last Round for $28, and more. Other PS4 game deals: - Batman: Arkham Knight -- $50 (Costco) / $47 (Rakuten)
- Project Cars -- $50 (Amazon) / $50 (Best Buy)
- Mortal Kombat X -- $41 (Amazon) / $41 (Walmart)
- Bloodborne -- $40 (Amazon)
- MLB 15: The Show -- $40 (Amazon)
- Guilty Gear Xrd Sign -- $32.50 (Amazon) / $34 (Best Buy)
- Devil May Cry: Definitive Edition -- $35 (Amazon)
- Borderlands: The Handsome Collection -- $49.41 (Amazon) / $40 (GameStop)
- Dead or Alive 5: Last Round -- $33.40 (Amazon)
- Battlefield Hardline -- $40 (Amazon)
- Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin -- $42 (Amazon) / $45 (Best Buy)
- Resident Evil: Revelations 2 -- $28 (Amazon)
- Far Cry 4 -- $30 (Amazon) / $30 (Target)
- The Order: 1886 -- $29 (Amazon)
- Final Fantasy Type-0 HD -- $39.53 (Amazon)
- Rayman Legends -- $20 (Best Buy)
- LittleBigPlanet 3 -- $40 (Amazon)
- Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition -- $30 (Amazon) / $30 (Best Buy)
- Final Fantasy XIV -- $25 (Amazon)
- Evolve -- $30 (Amazon)
- Grand Theft Auto V -- $49 (Amazon)
- Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare -- $32.50 (Amazon)
- Dying Light -- $40 (Amazon) / $40 (Walmart)
- Dragon Age: Inquisition -- $30 (Amazon)
- Alien: Isolation -- $22.50 (Amazon)
- The Crew -- $30 (Amazon)
- Destiny -- $34 (Amazon)
- WWE 2K15 -- $35 (Amazon) / $30 (Target)
- Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor -- $30 (Amazon)
- Natural Doctrine -- $33.40 (Amazon)
- Infamous: Second Son -- $42 (Amazon)
- Watch Dogs -- $18.59 (Amazon)
- Assassin's Creed: Unity -- $19 (Amazon)
- Killzone: Shadow Fall -- $24 (Amazon)
- The Last of Us Remastered -- $14.46 (Amazon)
- NBA 2K15 -- $30 (Amazon)
- Rocksmith 2014 with Cable -- $40 (GameStop)
- The Evil Within -- $40 (Amazon)
- Lego Marvel Super Heroes -- $15 (Amazon)
- Disney Infinity 2.0 Toy Box Starter Pack -- $28 (Amazon)
- Disney Infinity 2.0 Marvel Super Heroes Starter Pack -- $39 (Amazon)
- Call of Duty: Ghosts -- $19 (Amazon)
The free PlayStation Plus games for June are still available and include Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, Skulls of the Shogun, and more. July's games, which were announced today, should be available next week. Xbox OneWalmart is selling the Halo Master Chief Collection Xbox One bundle with a free second controller $349. You also get a free copy of Watch Dogs or Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, or you can pay a bit more to replace it with Need for Speed: Rivals - Complete Edition ($5), Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare ($20), or Batman: Arkham Knight ($30). Get a free copy of Assassin's Creed: Unity with the purchase of the Halo Master Chief Collection Xbox One bundle at the Microsoft Store. That same deal is available with the $399 1 TB model Xbox One that's now on sale with the new controller and a copy of Master Chief Collection. Trade in any Xbox 360 or PS3 at the Microsoft Store and get a $100 credit toward a new Xbox One. You can buy a year of Xbox Live Gold on eBay for $36. Microsoft's latest Deals With Gold promotion is on, discounting a handful of Xbox One and Xbox 360 games, such as Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare for $6.60, Tower of Guns for $9, and Peggle 2: Magical Masters Edition for $5. You can check out all the deals here. The first episode of Telltale's Game of Thrones series is free on Xbox Live. Other Xbox One game deals: July's free Games With Gold games are now available and include Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. PCThe latest Humble Bundle is entirely focused on the Borderlands series, allowing you to get the games and their respective DLC on the cheap. The new Humble Weekly Bundle is the latest in the Eye Candy series, featuring games like Where Is My Heart, Back to Bed, and The Dream Machine for just a few dollars. Get 23 percent off your purchase at Green Man Gaming using the promo code GET23P-ERCENT-OFFGMG. Ultima VIII: Gold Edition is free on Origin. Other PC game deals: - Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition -- $7.49 (Steam)
- Mafia II -- $6 (Steam)
- Styx: Master of Shadows -- $12 (Steam)
- Out There Somewhere -- $0.19 (Steam)
- Developer Alliance Bundle -- $1.49 (Steam)
- The Sims 4 -- $50 (Amazon) / $40 (Best Buy)
- World of Warcraft -- $10 (Best Buy)
- World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor -- $40 (Best Buy)
- StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty -- $10 (Best Buy)
- StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm -- $10 (Best Buy)
- Batman: Arkham Origins -- $14 (Amazon)
- Diablo III -- $27 (Amazon) / $20 (Best Buy)
- Diablo III: Reaper of Souls -- $20 (Amazon) / $20 (Best Buy)
- StarCraft II: Battle Chest -- $35 (Amazon) / $24 (Best Buy)
- Tropico 5 -- $24 (Amazon)
- Dying Light -- $48 (Amazon) / $48 (Walmart)
- South Park: The Stick of Truth -- $18.31 (Amazon)
- Battlefield Hardline -- $30 (Amazon)
- Assassin's Creed Rogue -- $30 (Amazon)
- Evolve -- $30 (Amazon)
- Watch Dogs -- $8 (Amazon) / $12 (Best Buy)
- Dragon Age: Inquisition -- $30 (Amazon)
- Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag -- $16.45 (Amazon)
- The Lego Movie Video Game -- $20 (Amazon)
Wii UIf you don't mind a refurbished system, Nintendo's online store has a Wii U bundle with Nintendo Land for $200, or Nintendo Land and Super Mario 3D World for $225. - Bayonetta 2 -- $45 (Amazon) / $45 (GameStop)
- Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker -- $32.60 (Amazon) / $32.60 (Walmart)
- Rayman Legends -- $17 (Walmart)
- Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze -- $40 (Amazon)
- Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director's Cut -- $14.38 (Amazon)
- Super Smash Bros. for Wii U -- $54 (Amazon) / $49 (Walmart)
- Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two -- $11.37 (Amazon)
- Hyrule Warriors -- $49 (Amazon)
- Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition -- $14 (Amazon)
- Watch Dogs -- $18 (Amazon)
- Sonic All-Stars Racing Transformed -- $20.65 (Amazon)
- Scribblenauts Unlimited -- $16 (Amazon)
- Transformers Prime: The Game -- $12 (Amazon)
3DSWalmart is offering a New 3DS XL bundle with Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and your choice of select Amiibo figurines for $219. Alternatively, the retailer has a New 3DS XL bundle with your choice of select games and a Pokemon figurine for $219. Eligible games include Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, Super Smash Bros., The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D, and quite a few more. Target is offering a buy one, get one 50 percent off deal on several 3DS games: Mario Kart 7 ($30), New Super Mario Bros. 2 ($29.49), Super Smash Bros. ($40), and Super Mario 3D Land ($30). A number of Sega 3D Classics are on sale for $3 on the eShop, including Streets of Rage, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Super Hang-On. - Xenoblade Chronicles 3D -- $30 (Amazon) / $30 (Best Buy)
- Persona Q: The Wild Cards Premium Edition -- $49 (Amazon)
- Mario Party: Island Tour -- $24 (Amazon) / $24 (Best Buy)
- Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance -- $20 (Walmart)
- Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 - Record Breaker -- $40 (Amazon)
- Pokemon Alpha Sapphire -- $30 with bonus figure (Walmart)
- Pokemon Omega Ruby -- $30 with bonus figure (Walmart)
- Pokemon Y -- $30 (Amazon)
- Steel Diver -- $8 (Best Buy)
- Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate -- $11 (Walmart)
- Scribblenauts Unlimited -- $8 (Best Buy)
- Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion -- $12.55 (Amazon)
- Code Name: Steam -- $25 (Amazon) / $25 (Best Buy)
- Crosswords Plus -- $6 (Best Buy)
- Lego Marvel Super Heroes -- $15 (Amazon)
- Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars -- $22 (Amazon)
- Sonic All-Stars Racing Transformed -- $23 (Amazon)
- Hometown Story -- $15 (Amazon)
PlayStation VitaThe PlayStation TV is available for $40 GameStop. There's a sale on Atlus games on the PlayStation Store this week, discounting primarily Vita and PS3 games. These include Persona 4 Golden for $15, Persona 3 Portable for $10, Persona 2: Innocent Sin for $10, and more. - God of War Collection -- $20 (Amazon)
- Persona 4: Golden -- $20 (Amazon)
- Gravity Rush -- $19 (Amazon)
- Freedom Wars -- $15 (Amazon) / $15 (Best Buy)
- The Wolf Among Us -- $13.39 (Amazon) / $15 (Best Buy)
- Borderlands 2 -- $20 (Amazon) / $20 (Best Buy)
- The Walking Dead: Season Two -- $15 (Best Buy)
- Mind Zero -- $31 (Amazon)
- Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed -- $18 (Amazon)
- Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F 2nd -- $21.62 (Amazon)
- Xblaze Code: Embryo -- $20 (Amazon)
- Arcana Heart 3: Love Max -- $26 (Amazon)
- Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars -- $21.45 (Amazon)
- Resistance: Burning Skies -- $5 (Best Buy)
- Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational -- $10.49 (Amazon)
- 16GB Memory Card -- $30.33 (Amazon)
- 32GB Memory Card -- $57 (Amazon)
Hardware- Insignia 3DS/3DS XL/New 3DS XL/2DS Starter Kit -- $18 (Best Buy)
- PlayStation 4 Camera -- $45 (Amazon) / $50 with $25 Dell gift card (Dell) / $45 (Walmart)
- Logitech G402 Hyperion Fury Gaming Mouse -- $40 (Amazon)
- Logitech G502 Proteus Core Gaming Mouse -- $60 (Amazon) / $80 with $40 Steam gift card (Best Buy)
- Logitech G602 Wireless Gaming Mouse -- $56 (Amazon)
- Logitech G700s Gaming Mouse -- $61 (Amazon)
- Logitech G910 Orion Spark Mechanical Keyboard -- $180 with $50 Steam gift card (Best Buy)
- Logitech G430 Over-the-Ear Headset -- $80 with $40 Steam gift card (Best Buy)
- Wireless Xbox 360 Controller for Windows -- $37.67 (Amazon)
- Wired Xbox 360 Controller for Windows -- $26 (Amazon)
- Black Xbox One Wireless Controller -- $49 (Amazon)
- Wave Blue DualShock 4 -- $46 (Amazon) / $46 (Walmart)
- PlayStation Silver Wired Stereo Headset -- $26 (Amazon)
- PlayStation Gold Wireless Stereo Headset -- $80 (Best Buy)
- Turtle Beach Ear Force PX22 Amplified Universal Gaming Headset -- $58 (Amazon)
- Logitech Wireless Gaming Headset G930 -- $89 (Amazon)
- HyperX Cloud II Gaming Headset for PC & PS4 - Gun Metal -- $84.53 (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.
By Anonymous on Jul 01, 2015 10:45 pm
Ubisoft announced its San Diego Comic-Con plans today, revealing that it is building another Assassin's Creed-themed obstacle course at the convention to promote the upcoming release of Assassin's Creed: Syndicate. If you're going to Comic-Con, you have the chance to run through the course, which features several tasks evocative of moves and activities from the Assassin's Creed series. You'll run up a wall and swing and jump from a pendulum, among other tasks. The final activity has you complete one of the series' most iconic moves, the leap of faith. Participants will jump from a tower down to the ground to land on cushions. This year's course is modeled after Syndicate's Victorian England setting, complete with a replica Big Ben tower. You can go try the course at Comic-Con next week from 10 AM to 6 PM from Thursday through Saturday and from 10 AM to 5 PM on Sunday. Attendees can also try out Ubisoft's upcoming shooter The Division. Competitive multiplayer is playable at the Xbox Lounge. The publisher is also holding two panels. The Assassin's Creed: Syndicate panel takes place next Friday from 2 to 3, and it will feature the voice actors of both main characters as well as the creative director of the game. An animated short will premiere during the panel. The Toy Soldiers: War Chest panel is on Thursday from 12 to 1 and will feature discussion about the inclusion of G.I. Joe and He-Man figures in the game. Last year, Ubisoft set up an Assassin's Creed obstacle course based on Assassin's Creed Unity. You can check out video of it here. Comic-Con runs July 9-12 in San Diego. Keep an eye on GameSpot for all video game news from Comic-Con as it becomes available next week.
By Anonymous on Jul 01, 2015 10:44 pm
Ahead of its release in November, Bethesda's post-apocalyptic role-playing game Fallout 4 is now available to preorder for Xbox One through the console itself, Microsoft announced today.  For a limited time, everyone who preorders Fallout 4 through their Xbox One will receive a free copy of Fallout 3 for Xbox 360. A code for the acclaimed 2008 RPG will be delivered to you in 7-10 days. This promotion was announced back at E3 2015 in June. Fallout 3 will be playable on Xbox One by way of the console's new backward compatibility functionality when the feature launches this fall. If you're an Xbox One Preview Program member, however, you can start playing Fallout 3--and other Xbox 360 titles--on your Xbox One right away. Fallout 4 launches on November 10 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. Recently, Bethesda explained why it has turned down every offer so far to make a Fallout movie.           
By Anonymous on Jul 01, 2015 10:15 pm
Batman: Arkham Knight publisher Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment had known about the issues plaguing the PC version for "months," but decided to focus on the console versions, according to purported inside sources. Speaking to Kotaku under the conditions of anonymity, sources said to be familiar with the game's development said the publisher knew about the various bugs, glitches, framerate, and resolution issues for months in advance of its release. "I will say that it's pretty rich for WB to act like they had no idea the game was in such a horrible state," said one unnamed quality assurance tester, which Kotaku claimed had worked on the game. "It's been like this for months and all the problems we see now were the exact same, unchanged, almost a year ago." The identity of these inside sources, and their claims, could not be verified at the time of going to press. GameSpot has contacted Warner Bros for comment and clarification. Shortly after release, the PC version of Batman: Arkham Knight was revealed to be carrying noticeable issues ranging from sporadic freezes and frame-rate stutters to audio glitches and texture degradation. According to the sources, Warner Bros. chose to ship the game because they believed it was good enough. Additionally, the source confirmed that principal developer Rocksteady Studios did not work on the PC version; porting duties was outsourced to Iron Galaxy Studios. Difficulties developing on new consoles were cited as a major factor in shifting priorities away from the PC version. According to the source, Rocksteady found getting Batman: Arkham Knight to work on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One "impossible for months," which is why "the game got delayed so many times." "[Rocksteady was] totally unprepared for how hard it was on next-gen consoles," the source stated. Another source, said to be close to the game's production, said QA teams were told the consoles were "not nearly as easy to work with as [Rocksteady] expected," and were told to focus on finding console bugs. Of the roughly 100 people on the QA team, ten percent were focused on the PC version. This figure, along with all statements from the purported sources, could not be verified at the time of going to press. Following the high-profile backlash from PC players--and Warner's decision to remove the game from Steam and UK store shelves--Rocksteady released a statement saying it was now working on remedying the port's problems. Another source told Kotaku that Warner's internal QA team focused on bug-checking at 720p only, which might possibly explain the significant decline in performance at higher resolutions.           Other development issues highlighted by sources were the sprawling nature of the game's world and its many missions, which made testing the game a considerable task. "We had some testers bugging more than 100 bugs per day [on console]. Devs would fix what they could but they were juggling that with actually finishing the game so they were insanely slow." Additionally, Rocksteady didn't want the game's story details to leak, which is why PC testing companies were not used, as is the case in many other multi-platform development projects. A statement laying out plans for ongoing support was also detailed, and the following statement was issued: "The work is significant and while we are making good progress on improving performance, it will take some time to ensure that we get the right fixes in place." For the ful list of claims from the purported insiders, visit Kotaku.
By Anonymous on Jul 01, 2015 09:30 pm
 Justin and Andy talk to Danny about the Fallout themed iPhone game, and how they might like to see it used in Fallout 4.
By Anonymous on Jul 01, 2015 05:20 am
Ronin is a stealthy, cyberpunk-themed action platformer starring an assassin with an axe to grind. Taking some cues from Kill Bill, slick tracksuit and motorcycle helmet included, you infiltrate enemy compounds to pinpoint the location of five targets who left a stain on your past. Marred only a little by control flubs, Ronin is a brief but entertaining ride, packed full of gripping covert infiltrations and plenty of bloodshed. As video games have often taught, it is a lot of fun to play as a lithe assassin, and Ronin is no exception. Here, you clamber up walls and dive through windows; you stick to the shadows, dodging traps and enemy eyesight; you crawl on ceilings, swing from a grappling hook, and slide down ventilation shafts--all the while sinking your sword into anyone who stands between you and your goals. The locomotion of your vengeful assassin is intuitive and fun. Hopping over platforms and rooftops is smooth, and ending your brisk sprint by bursting through a glass pane to knock down a dumbfounded security guard and plunge a katana into his back is a sinister thrill that never gets old. The combat is challenging; Keep an eye out for those lasers!But as fancy as your moves may be, it takes only one bullet for enemies to end your violent jaunt--so, naturally, you need to kill them first. Ronin employs a turn-based combat system, which makes for a rather dramatic gear shift from the methodically paced sleuthing. However, the combat is steady and challenging, and is a joy to boot. The game pauses the moment you enter battle, which offers a chance to scan the area and get your bearings on the fight ahead. Enemies train their laser sights on you, forcing you into a situation where you must escape harm. Using your mouse or analogue stick, you create a jumping arc line to evade incoming fire indicated by a red laser sight. Leaping into a guard knocks him over, which momentarily stuns him, occasionally giving you the chance to deal a finishing blow. Every action moves the battle forward one second, which is important to note, as enemies can call in lockdowns unless you can stop them within a 10-second time limit. You have access to all of your abilities while in combat, and your mastery of them can mean the difference between a successful dodge and getting blown to bits. The tense battles have you swinging through the air on your grappling hook or bouncing from wall to ceiling like Spider-Man. Knocking down or killing an opponent earns a point that goes into a handful of unlockable skills. After collecting enough unused points, you're granted a limit break, or one free move to use however you wish, from leaping to quickly finishing off a nearby enemy. Unfortunately, the controls aren't always as sharp as your helmeted assassin's blade.
 Completing all objectives in a mission earns you a point to put toward even more skills to be added to your arsenal of moves. As your move set evolves, you're soon able to stun multiple targets, drop a distracting hologram, or perform a stealth kill (the latter being a personal favorite). The animation for the kill--basically a black rope that reaches down to pull an enemy into the rafters--does admittedly look odd. But nothing offers the same level of grim satisfaction as sneaking into a room of hapless foes and leaving meaty piñatas behind. Unfortunately, the controls aren't always as sharp as your helmeted assassin's blade. At times, your character doesn't follow the jumping arc. It's rare, but it occurs enough to be an irritation--such as during moments when instead of leaping in an arc that leaves you a foot off the ground, the assassin jumps into the air and catches a bullet in the brainpan. For the lack of a better term, it's wobbly: controls work fine most of the time, but suddenly something shifts and you eat a bullet sandwich. Luckily, checkpoints are scattered throughout each mission, which keeps frustration to a minimum.  I really got the drop on this guy!Worse, however, and far more aggravating, are the mistakes made due to button prompts that change depending on the situation. For example, one button is typically used in order to enter doors, but the given prompt sometimes changes if you're near someone, such as a civilian--whom you typically try not to kill. So, after getting it stuck in your head that a certain prompt is used for entering a door, you may feel a tad perplexed as to why your assassin is suddenly dealing a death blow to a civilian standing just off to the side. This happens because Ronin allows for multiple button prompts to enable you to tackle many enemies at once while in combat. During exploration, typically only one particular button is used. But when there is suddenly another possible target, the button might swap with another (for example, from A to B), sometimes allowing the aforementioned unfortunate situation to occur. It can happen in combat as well; an accidently thrown sword will quickly teach you to take battles more slowly and stay mindful of the button prompts. It isn't a damning problem, but it is jarring, and can often lead you to reload your last checkpoint. Minor control issues don't keep Ronin down. Though the game can be finished in around six hours, it provides enough intense moments to keep your attention locked through every second. There is also a new-game-plus mode if you're hungry for more and looking for some tougher action. Enjoyable and captivating, Ronin proves that revenge is a dish best served cold--and sometimes hanging from the ceiling.
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