It's a big year for Xbox. The company's new console, Project Scorpio, goes on sale this holiday, promising to be the most powerful system ever made.
Now, a product page for the mega-powerful console has appeared on the Microsoft Store (via TrustedReviews). Unsurprisingly, it does not show a release date or price. It does list of some bullet points, including:
The most powerful console ever with 6 teraflops of graphical processing power
The first and only console to enable true 4K gaming and high-fidelity virtual reality
Compatible with all Xbox One games and accessories
You can provide your email to be notified of more details on Project Scorpio.
One of the biggest unanswered questions is about price. Spencer says the system will carry a "premium" price tag, more than the $300 Xbox One S, but that's all we know for now.
"I'm not trying to scare anybody on the price," he said. "We're going to come out on a price that we think is fair for the product that we build and the customers will tell us as they always do. I call it premium because I don't want people to get confused that somehow Scorpio is the thing that is going to take over the Xbox line."
Spencer added that he fully expects that Xbox One S, with its lower relative price point, will sell far better than Project Scorpio.
"The majority of the consoles that we're going to sell are the Xbox One S and I'm very proud of that," he said.
Keep checking back with GameSpot for more details on Project Scorpio.
Final Fantasy XV follows Prince Noctis and his entourage all over Lucis, but if you want to spend more time with the "best boys," your best bet is to play the upcoming character DLC chapters. Kicking things off is Episode Gladiolus, which focuses on the biggest, toughest member of the party. We sat down with Haruyoshi Sawatari, main producer on the DLC chapters, to discuss what's new.
GameSpot: In broad terms, what is the Gladiolus chapter all about?
Sawatari: Since you've played the main game, you remember when he got his ass handed to him by a Ravus at that encounter in the base. After that incident Gladio didn't think that he had enough power or strength to be Noctis' Shield of the King. So that's kind of the start of when Episode Gladio takes place.
Then about 30 years before the start of the main story there's a discovery of these ruins. Within these ruins are the bodies and the remains of the past Crownsguard from years and years back. Knowing that this exists and there's a trial there, Gladio left the party for a brief bit to go through that trial to see if he could get more powerful.
For people who are completely done playing Final Fantasy XV, what about Episode Gladio is going to bring them back?
Sawatari: The core of it is that we've made the episode all about Gladio. The cutscenes that are in there are another side to FF XV. People got hundreds of hours of Noctis, and if they want to see a little bit more of the other characters, that's what this DLC is all about. It's a different experience.
Gladio is definitely the "muscle" of the group. How does he play differently from Noctis?
Sawatari: Very good question. Noctis' fighting style is all about mobility. He can do the warp strike. He can do auto-dodging. Easy to maneuver and very quick. Gladio obviously has that big muscle but he needs to be the shield for Noctis. So his battle style is more focused on the action and getting in there, and less reliant on ability sets.
Sort of like what we would consider a "tank" character?
Sawatari: Maybe not necessarily a tank, but the battle system in Episode Gladio focuses both on offense and defense. There's kind of a duality where you have to take advantage of both to really perform well. So for example, when you defend against enemy attacks, his rage increases, and that rage is his attack multiplier. The more he blocks enemy attacks, the higher his attack output actually becomes.
And he has a special moveset called Glaive Arts. By chaining regular attacks together, that gauge gradually fills up, and each time it fills, there's a higher level Glaive Art that he's able to perform.
The main game features special skills for the party: Noctis has his fishing, and Gladio has his survival. Are we getting any new minigames or stats like that with this DLC?
Sawatari: There isn't anything like that that carries over to the main game, but within Episode Gladio, we've tailored the gameplay. Not even just the battle system, but the UI is different. Then if you complete Episode Gladio, there are a couple of items that you can carry over into the main game.
Are there new enemies or bosses here that we won't see in the main game?
Sawatari: As you can see in the trailer, Gilgamesh is waiting in these ruins to fight. You probably have an image of what Gilgamesh looks like, but this is Gilgamesh from the world of FF XV. He's considered the blade master. So that's an original character for Episode Gladio that's not in the main game.
These three upcoming DLC chapters for Gladio, Prompto, and Ignis -- are they a direct response to the complaint that we only played as Noctis in the main game?
Sawatari: The plans for the character episode DLCs were in place during development of the main game. During that time, we were evaluating which characters to create episode DLCs for, and we thought, "You know what? The three buddies that are with Noctis are with you the whole time. These are the characters the fans want to see more of."
Are there other characters you would like to explore once these three chapters are complete?
Sawatari: Outside of the three current episode DLCs, we don't have anything beyond that. But this year is all about giving back to our fan base, so if we were to continue the DLC, we would probably see what the feedback is. What character would you want to see a episode for?
Probably Iris.
Sawatari: [Laughs]
Or the boy who shows up 10 years later and picks you up in a truck because you're like, "How'd this kid survive?"
Sawatari: [Laughs] You've definitely proven that you've played it if you picked Talcott. The common answer is, "Oh, we want to see an Aranea episode."
Final Fantasy XV: Episode Gladiolus releases on PS4 and Xbox One on March 28.
Given that it's based on a classic 25-year-old movie, Reservoir Dogs: Bloody Days is both unexpected and surprisingly inventive.
There is, understandably, a stigma that comes with being a video game based on a movie. Direct tie-ins timed to release alongside a movie often turn out to be subpar at best. Those based on classic films arguably have a better track record (the Godfather games were kind of fun!), but it nonetheless raises an eyebrow when a company announces it's making a game based on a decades-old movie. That's especially true when the concept for the game doesn't match what the movie is about, as is the case with Bloody Days: it's a top-down shooter with a time-rewind mechanic.
This odd concept, combined with a somewhat cartoonish art style that doesn't match up with the gritty look of Quentin Tarantino's debut film, suggest Bloody Days would end up as fodder for some Top 10 roundup of the worst movie-based games. After spending some time with it at PAX East, however, I found that it's genuinely fun, and the time-rewind feature proves to be an original, innovative concept.
Bloody Days serves as a prequel to the original film, allowing you to live out a series of crimes in the lead up to--and including--the movie's failed diamond heist. Each mission sends you into a scenario with a total of three of the movie's characters--Mr. Blonde, Mr. Pink, Mr. White, et al. Two are pre-selected, but you can choose the final crew member.
Missions play out almost like a cooperative shooter, as you assist yourself over a series of turns. You first control one of the pre-chosen characters, who serves as the leader for the mission. He can freely move and attack as much as he wants until you're satisfied with your progress--say, after 10 seconds. At this point, you hit the spacebar to rewind time and assume control of the next character. The leader then proceeds through the same actions while you move around and shoot as the second character. Once the 10 seconds expire, you move on to the third character. Rinse and repeat.
After having this explained to me, I was intrigued but didn't fully comprehend the mechanic. Before trying the game myself, a developer briefly demonstrated how this actually works. He entered a room, shot a few people, but was quickly overwhelmed by more enemies entering from all around him. He took multiple hits and nearly died, causing me to think that the developer had made a mistake. He then rewound time and used the next character to follow a similar path, only he chose different targets. Suddenly enemies were being killed before they could attack the leader. By the time the third character rolled in, the area had been cleared out without any characters suffering any damage.
The action itself during a given turn is not especially remarkable; Bloody Days feels like a slightly slower-paced, less intense version of Hotline Miami. Attacking enemies and managing your weapons (you're free to pick up dropped weapons, which prove essential when you run out of ammo) are enjoyable enough, but the time mechanic is what ratchets up the intensity and keeps you on your toes. It demands that you remain constantly aware of your surroundings and the location of enemies.
This is not turn-based in the traditional sense: aside from a brief amount of time it takes to rewind, there's no break in the action--you need to immediately move. That's both because you have a limited amount of time for your turn (depending on how long your turn as the leader lasted) and because foes won't wait to attack your allies who are following your previously designated instructions.
A combo meter that builds when you're able to kill an enemy more than once provides further incentive to act quickly. This, along with optional loot you can capture throughout the level, contributes to your placing on a leaderboard.
Leaderboard rankings are one reason to replay missions, but they can also play out differently depending on which weapons and character you choose to bring. One of the characters has significantly more health than the others, another can move more quickly while carrying bags of cash, and a third is ideal for picking up the aforementioned loot.
Despite carrying the Reservoir Dogs name and elements of its plot, none of the characters feature the likenesses of the original cast. I, for one, was disappointed not to see Michael Madsen's face in there. However, considering this is a game with a top-down camera where you're constantly looking for enemies rather than at your characters, their looks don't matter.
Across the board, the Reservoir Dogs license doesn't add much--Bloody Days would be every bit as promising if it carried a different name (though this undeniably has helped to raise its profile). Diehard fans might appreciate being able to live out the failed diamond heist, but the game feels so divorced from the look and theme of the movie that I found it hard to care much about how it ties into the film.
And that's fine, because Bloody Days doesn't need to rely on nostalgia to be worthwhile. It offers the sort of original, inventive mechanic that you always hope to see, and it's one that kept me thinking about the game well after I was finished with my demo. For a game that could have easily tried to coast on its name alone, that's a pleasant surprise.
The company has been named to Fortune magazine's "100 Best Companies To Work For" list for 2017, coming in at No. 66. In a press release Activision pointed out that this is the company's third straight year making the cut. The company improved its position, as it was No. 77 last year.
"At Activision Blizzard, we hire the world's best talent to build new worlds," CEO Bobby Kotick said in a statement. "Our mission to inspire play, competition and community connects hundreds of millions of people, and creating a great place to work is the key to serving them well."
According to Fortune, Activision Blizzard has more than 9,400 employees.
Fortune works with the research company Great Place to Work for its annual 100 Best Companies To Work list. It's reportedly the "most extensive employee survey in corporate America," featuring feedback from more than 232,000 workers at select companies with more than 1,000 employees.
"Winning a spot on this list indicates the company has distinguished itself from peers by creating a great place to work for employees," reads a line from the methodolgy details.
For its part, Activision Blizzard said: "Activision Blizzard's culture of inclusivity, creativity, and fun resulted in high marks from employees in the Great Place to Work Trust Index survey's respect, fairness, and pride categories. Ninety five percent of employees reported that they're proud to tell others they work at Activision Blizzard, and the vast majority said it is a friendly, fun, and welcoming workplace where they can be themselves."
Activision Blizzard appears to be the only video game company to have made the list this year. Google was No. 1, with Wegmans Food Market, The Boston Consulting Group, Baird, and Edward Jones rounding out the top five. You can see the full list here.
Initially, I was worried by the premise of Quake Champions: a Quake game with a diverse set of of character classes didn't sound like a Quake game to me. Almost immediately after sitting down with the game at PAX East, however, my concerns were wiped away.
Over my first few lives, I rotated between a handful of characters--known as champions--to get a feel for just how different they are and how deeply that variety impacts the gameplay. While they're certainly distinct, they don't impact the game in as meaningful a way as the characters in Overwatch or Team Fortress 2.
Characters have varying amounts of health and armor, as well as movement speed and a unique ability. These include a totem you can deploy to heal teammates and damage foes or one that causes you to rush forward, killing anyone in your path. While pick-ups on the map allow you to speed up their cooldown, these can't be used all that often. The abilities are not hugely impactful--they might win you a fight, but it doesn't seem as if using one is likely to be a match-defining moment, as can be the case with a well-timed Ultimate in Overwatch.
Ranger, whom you'll be able to use for free, quickly became my go-to choice. His movement feels like that of a classic Quake character, but he has the ability to launch an orb that can do damage or that you can teleport to. This was useful for flanking players who were caught off guard, but I still spent the bulk of my time playing no differently than I would in Quake 3: Arena.
In talking with creative director Tim Willits following my hands-on, I learned that my experience of realizing that, yes, this really is still Quake, wasn't unique: "We do feel that when you come and play, you go, 'This is the right way to play.' You still run and jump and strafe-jump and rocket-jump and stuff, so it doesn't really change. I think people are like, 'Oh my god! There's abilities in Quake; you're ruining the game!' Luckily, people that have gone through [our PAX demo] are like, 'This is good,' and they see what we're trying to do."
But how does developer id Software maintain the feel of Quake while introducing more modern concepts? "We needed to tap into that core DNA of Quake: skill-based, it's fast, everyone has the same weapons; no one has a weapon advantage. We have the holy trinity: rocket launcher, railgun, lightning gun--we'll never mess with that. That core game loop, the recipe for our cookie, is good. So then we just need to add on stuff and push, push, push--oh, that was too much, come back a little bit and then push, push, push.
"It's 2017, and we want to have a lot of people to play the game. We both need to make our Quake fans happy but also make the game approachable and new and fresh and allow people to feel good when they play it."
Asked why we're suddenly seeing classic shooter series like Quake and Unreal Tournament being revived, Willits commented, "The popularity of arena shooters right now really helps us out," he said. "The fact that there are some other arena shooters that have done well is good for Quake. So I think it's just kind of a natural evolution and cycle in gaming, which is why you see more games with abilities, because it's that natural evolution of the genre."
More than the different champions and their respective abilities, what might distinguish Champions from past Quake games is its emphasis on teamwork. Players are warned when the pick-up that provides quadruple damage is about to spawn, giving savvy teams time to form up and control that area of the map. A subsequent notification about who controls the buff is useful in and of itself--it's nice to know you won't round a corner and walk right into a quad-damage rocket. In another of the game's modes (I only played Team Deathmatch), the buff is shared with nearby teammates, encouraging them to stick together. Similarly, one character's ability provides an area-of-effect heal, presenting another reason to play as a cohesive team.
"Historically, most of our Quake games are free-for-all, so you have one winner and 15 losers," explained Willits. "So we definitely want to push people more into teamplay because you have a better chance of winning--a 50-percent chance of winning. And it allows, especially new people, to find a champion they like, be successful, not have the entire weight of the game on their shoulders, and have these successes that build over time so you can feel more comfortable as your skills increase."
One problem that occurred to me as I played was the possibility that Champions could end up with too many characters. Team Fortress 2 gets by on having nine characters distinct enough that you can distinguish them by their silhouettes, for instance, and both it and Overwatch are generally not the sort of game where you die in an instant. Being a more twitch shooter, quickly and easily deciphering everything happening on screen could be more of a problem in Champions. Willits didn't seem especially concerned, as id apparently doesn't intend to go overboard with expanding its character roster.
"Our plan is not to have a massive amount of champions," he explained. "We want to be smart and find some ability or some kind of unique--something special about them--that fills a hole. So I think we'll have a good balance."
Based on the limited number of matches I played, Champions does strike the appropriate balance you'd hope to find a game that's seeking to integrate new elements into a classic formula. With a closed beta on the way soon and a proclaimed willingness to change based on feedback, Champions looks like it could turn out to be the game Quake fans want--even if that doesn't appear to be the case at first blush.
A new trailer for this summer's superhero movie Wonder Woman has come online. Posted during the Kids Choice Awards on Nickelodeon, the trailer shows more of the time before Wonder Woman left her home of Themyscira.
However, that's all there is to go on, as the image below teasing the reveal doesn't appear to contain any clues. This is the same image used to tease past reveals, though the date is of course different.
NetherRealm boss Ed Boon teased the reveal on Twitter, saying he's seen the reveal trailer believes fans will enjoy it.
Just saw the next Injustice 2 character reveal video & segment that airs Monday on @UpUpDwnDwn YouTube channel. You're gonna love it!
In other news, NetherRealm has confirmed that Swamp Thing will be the focus of an upcoming livestream for Injustice 2 scheduled for March 15.
Earlier this week, a new Injustice 2 trailer showed off the characters Captain Cold, Green Lantern, and Green Arrow, though it's not completely clear if they are indeed playable.
Confirmed playable characters for Injustice 2 include Doctor Fate, Swamp Thing, Cyborg, Batman, Blue Beetle, The Flash, Harley Quinn, Superman, Supergirl, Wonder Woman, Deadshot, Gorilla Grodd, Aquaman, Robin, Cheetah, Brainiac, Bane, Poison Ivy, Catwoman, Black Canary, and Atrocitus.
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