| Layoffs hit Square Enix Europe Apr 30th 2013, 04:07 Square Enix layoffs to hit European and UK offices; exact employee numbers unknown. 
Square Enix has begun a round of layoffs in its UK and European offices. In a statement to MCV UK, the company confirmed the news. The announcement comes after the publisher saw an "extraordinary loss" for the financial year ended March 31. Speaking to the trade publication, Square Enix said, "We are reviewing our business in Europe to ensure we have the right structure, content, and skills for the changing entertainment landscape." "We do expect changes to the UK office, which will affect personnel. We will update you when the time is right, but our priority right now is for the people within the business.” Last month, Square Enix president Yoichi Wada resigned from the company following the announcement of an expected 10 billion yen loss for the 2012-2013 financial year. Despite being well-received critically, sales for big-budget Square Enix titles Tomb Raider, Hitman: Absolution, and Sleeping Dogs failed to meet expectations in the North American market. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
|  | Ecco The Dolphin spiritual successor Kickstarter fails Apr 30th 2013, 03:23 Campaign misses $665,000 goal; Ecco creator reveals Little Blue project. 
The Kickstarter campaign for Big Blue, an oceanic adventure game being made by team members who created the Ecco the Dolphin series for Sega, has failed to meet its goal. The page raised $55,764, with its target goal being $665,000. Creator Ed Annunziata revealed his contingency plan in the form of a project called Little Blue. The game will serve as a small sampling of the original Big Blue project and requires less funding. Due to its smaller scale, the game will have fewer environments and creatures compared to the original project. If the funding for Little Blue is a success, the game will be out for free and will have a link that will bring players to an additional Kickstarter for a full-fledged Big Blue. The date for the Little Blue Kickstarter has yet to be confirmed. For more information on what could have been, check out GameSpot's coverage on Big Blue. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Call of Duty Online begins alpha test in China Apr 30th 2013, 03:21 Activision 2012 financial report states that releasing game in other regions "would be very relevant." 
Activision has released a new trailer for Call of Duty Online, which states that the China-based PC game's alpha phase will start on April 30. The new trailer shows off maps and features alpha testers will be experiencing. Players will get to play on maps called Storm, Crash Tropical, Bog, Desert Border, Underpass, and Estate Tropical. The game modes on this build are Kill Confirmed, a standard team deathmatch mode where collecting dog tags from dead opponents net a team points. Story missions will also be available; players will have to form a team and complete objectives ranging from capturing enemy informants to surviving waves of enemy soldiers. In addition, an Activision 2012 financial report said that Call of Duty Online may be released outside of China (via Seeking Alpha). Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg said that there are other regions where the game would be relevant, but did not announce plans at this point in time. Call of Duty Online has been in development for two years and is set in the Modern Warfare timeline. Chinese internet provider Tencent will be publishing the game in the country. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Respawn's first game an always-online Xbox 720 exclusive? Apr 29th 2013, 22:12 Sources reveal details on first game from studio founded by Call of Duty creators; will reportedly be multiplayer-focused online shooter described as battle of Davids and Goliaths. 
The first information about Respawn Entertainment's debut effort may have been exposed. Several sources have told Kotaku that the studio's first game will be a multiplayer-focused, always-online Xbox 720 exclusive. A version may also release for Xbox 360, but iterations for PlayStation and Nintendo consoles are not in the cards, one source said. Call of Duty studio Infinity Ward founders Jason West and Vince Zampella created Respawn Entertainment in 2010 after Activision fired them, claiming insubordination. The studio's first game will be published by Activision rival Electronic Arts. The game is reportedly a future-set online multiplayer shooter and was described as a battle of Davids and Goliaths. It is not clear if a traditional single-player campaign will be included or if there will be any way to play the game offline. "The Davids are heavily armed foot soldiers. The Goliaths are giant exoskeletons--Titans--that these soldiers can pilot. These Titans are big, mech-style walkers that move with an agility not seen in games like Mechwarrior or Steel Battalion," Kotaku writes. Respawn Entertainment recently filed a trademark application for the name "Titan," suggesting this may be the title of the company's first game. The new game is reportedly being made on a modified version of Valve's Source engine and not internal technology from Electronic Arts like Frostbite, which powers the Battlefield series, among others. Respawn is handling development of the Xbox 720 version, one source said, noting the company is in the process of choosing another studio to make the Xbox 360 version. Neither Respawn nor EA could be reached for comment. A Microsoft representative said, "We do not comment on rumors or speculation. We are always thinking about what is next for our platform, but we don”t have anything further to share at this time." Gamers may not have long to wait to learn official details about Respawn's first game. If the game is in fact an next Xbox exclusive, Microsoft may choose to show it off during the platform's reveal event on May 21. If the game is a no-show at Microsoft's event, it will likely be unveiled just weeks later. Zampella said last month that Respawn will attend the 2013 Electronic Entertainment Expo in June, adding "I have no intention of showing up empty-handed!" West has since left the company to take care of "family issues." Respawn's first title was previously hinted to be, by EA Labels president Frank Gibeau, a first-person science-fiction shooter. It may support 3D. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Star Citizen hits $9 million in funding Apr 29th 2013, 21:26 Upcoming space simulator from Chris Roberts and Cloud Imperium Games reaches new funding milestone. 
Wing Commander creator Chris Roberts' upcoming space simulator Star Citizen today reached $9 million in crowd-funding, up from $8 million in the middle of February. The game's Kickstarter campaign closed with $2,134,374, while funds through the Roberts Space Industries website stand at $6,885,668 million and climbing. The funding milestone for Star Citizen comes a week after developer Cloud Imperium Games announced it would expand its network of studios and open an office in Santa Monica, California. Star Citizen has been in development at Cloud Imperium Games for more than a year. The game itself includes a "sophisticated storyline" that is set in a persistent online universe. According to Roberts, it will fuse elements of his previous games, Wing Commander and Freelancer, and support for the virtual reality headset Oculus Rift is planned. Much like Guild Wars II, Star Citizen will be available through a one-time purchase, but will not require a subscription. Players can also purchase virtual items with real-world money to customize their ships. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Nintendo selling refurbished portables below GameStop rates Apr 29th 2013, 20:43 Mario maker now offering cleaned and tested DS and DSi XL units with one-year warranty online, undercutting GameStop's prices. 
Nintendo is now selling refurbished 3DS and DSi XL portables through its online store, with offers beginning at $99 and scaling to $170 for software bundles. Notably, Nintendo's prices are as much as $30 below what GameStop charges and are only available in the United States and Canada. The secondhand units come with a one-year warranty and have been cleaned, tested, and inspected to "meet Nintendo's high standards." They are sold directly through Nintendo and are guaranteed to be fully functional, though "minor cosmetic blemishes" may exist. Available refurbished units include $99 Metallic Rose or Midnight Blue DSi XLs, or in the same colors with Mario Kart DS packed in for $130. Those in the market for a 3DS can grab an Aqua Blue or Midnight Purple system for $130, or a bundle with the same color units and a copy of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D for $170. The prices Nintendo is offering are below what GameStop charges for refurbished units. The retailer's price for a standard refurbished 3DS unit is $160, while DSi XL units go for $110. A GameStop representative was not immediately to comment. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Diablo III PS3 preorders get XP-buffed Infernal Helm Apr 29th 2013, 19:38 Blizzard Entertainment reveals preorder perk for upcoming console version of dungeon-crawler. 
Gamers who preorder Diablo III for PlayStation 3 will receive the exclusive Infernal Helm (below right), which grants users an XP boost, Blizzard Entertainment announced today. "Wearable at level 1, the Infernal Helm confers a +EXP bonus to help you whip your new PlayStation characters into tip-top shape," Blizzard said in a statement. "Plus, it looks sweet as hell (pun intended) on all five mortal heroes of Sanctuary--Witch Doctor, Barbarian, Demon Hunter, Wizard, and Monk." Currently, Diablo III for PS3 is scheduled to launch sometime in 2013, with the Infernal Helm becoming available on launch day. The item will apply to all PS3 characters, but will not transfer to any characters from the PC version of the game. Diablo III was announced for the PS3 and PS4 during Sony's major media event in February and was playable at PAX East in March. Diablo III for consoles features a new interface and control scheme, allowing players to directly control their character. The console version allows for offline play, while the PC and Mac iterations mandates that players be connected to Blizzard's Battle.net service, even when playing single-player. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
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