| Anno Online now in open beta May 16th 2013, 05:19 Strategy simulation title is playable within browser; closed beta accounts will not get an account wipe. 
City-builder fans can now get their hands on the public beta version of Anno Online, according to Ubisoft. Players can check out the open beta version of the simulation on the official site and play it through their internet browser. Furthermore, players who participated in the game's closed beta will not have their accounts wiped and will receive a decorative statue as a gift. Gamers who have started on the open beta on the first week will get a premium ship that can carry more freight and has increased speed. Anno Online's closed beta started on April 23. The game is a sequel to Anno 1404. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
|  | EA Dropping Online Passes - Report May 16th 2013, 03:28 Future EA games won't require Online Passes; the service is being scrapped after tepid player response. 
EA will be dropping Online Passes from all of its future games, citing lacklustre player support, according to a report by Venture Beat. EA senior director of corporate communications John Reseburg revealed the news. “Yes, we“re discontinuing Online Pass,“ he said “None of our new EA titles will include that feature.“ EA is not the only game publisher that elects to bundle an Online Pass with new copies of its games. The one-time codes are designed to restrict access to key features, such as online multiplayer. Players who buy a second-hand version of the game are given the option to purchase an Online Pass for a fee, prior to being able to play with others. “Initially launched as an effort to package a full menu of online content and services, many players didn“t respond to the format,“ Reseburg said. “We“ve listened to the feedback and decided to do away with it, moving forward.“ “We“re still committed to creating content and services that enhance the game experience well beyond the day you first start playing,“ Reseburg said. Online Passes have often been viewed as ways for developers and publishers to offset the financial shortfall of not seeing revenue when games are traded in and resold through retailers. Last November, Square Enix revealed that it would make the Contracts mode in Hitman: Absolution accessible to all players. The trend continued in March with the Tomb Raider reboot providing unfettered access to online play without a key, while Insomniac Games“ upcoming shooter Fuse--which is published through the EA Partners program, and built around four-player cooperative play--will also ship without the need for an Online Pass. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Sony considering Gran Turismo 6 for PS4 May 15th 2013, 20:16 Polyphony Digital president says version of just-announced racing simulator "in mind" for next-generation platform; GT6 demo launching in July. 
Sony has a PlayStation 4 version of Gran Turismo 6 "in mind for the future," the company said today during a London event where the game was announced earlier this morning. "We have a PS4 version in mind for the future" Polyphony Digital president Kazunori Yamauchi told GameSpot. "But for this holiday season we thought that it would be best for users to release the PS3 version," he added. "I thought the best scenario would be for the game to come out, and we're planning to have new content, and DLC every few months." The PlayStation 3 version of Gran Turismo 6 is due out this holiday season. As for when a potential PS4 version could arrive, Yamauchi said it may not be for some time. "Once the players have thoroughly played out the game, if the PlayStation 4 version just came out naturally in the process, we think that would be the best scenario for the game," he said. Regarding whether or not player progress could be applied from the PS3 version to the PS4 version, Yamauchi said this would "probably" be the case. Separately, Sony announced today that a demo for Gran Turismo 6 will launch in July. No further information about the pre-release trial was divulged. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Valve confirms Steam Trading Cards May 15th 2013, 19:49 New service to offer gamers rewards like DLC, coupons, and emoticons for playing titles through Steam. 
First revealed in a Steam database entry, Valve today confirmed Steam Trading Cards, a new service that offers rewards to gamers who play on Steam. Launched today in beta, Steam Trading Cards gives participants game-specific trading cards that can be collected to earn rewards like badges, profile backgrounds, and coupons. Participating games in the Steam Trading Cards beta include Don't Starve, Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Team Fortress 2 Portal 2, and Half-Life 2. Valve said the service will expand over the coming months to include "many more" titles. Up to half of a given card set is dropped through game play, while the other half must be earned through collection. Once gamers have collected a set of cards, they can craft them into a badge. These badges are tied to an account and are shown off in a player's profile. When a player is crafting a badge, they will receive random rewards for game-related items. These rewards are tradable and include downloadable content or game coupons, emoticons, and profile backgrounds. Gamers can also level up their badges by collecting the set again and earning additional items. All badges now have XP, which in turn contributes to a player's Steam level. When a player levels up, they can receive non-tradable items like profile showcases and extra friends list slots. Right now, Steam Trading Cards drops are tied to playtime within a game, independent of achievements players may receive. Valve said it is "definitely" looking into adding more rules concerning how cards are drops. "Many games have achievements that are grindy or un-fun to get, and we want the act of getting game cards to be fun for all users in games," Valve said. "We also don't want to push users to cheat or use achievement-unlockers in games in order to get cards, since that devalues achievements and isn't that fun either." More information, including a FAQ, is available at the Steam Trading Cards website. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
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