| More Maxim-sponsored Gears of War: Judgment DLC revealed May 10th 2013, 14:27 Men's magazine's latest sponsorship includes Dreadnought multiplayer map for OverRun mode. 
The next Maxim-sponsored Gears of War: Judgment downloadable content has been revealed. Thanks to a partnership from the men's magazine, gamers can download a new multiplayer map--Dreadnought--for free beginning May 15. The map is playable in Gears of War: Judgment's OverRun mode. Dreadnought is set on the on CNV Pomeroy, a naval vessel where the COG transported captured Locust Berserkers in the months following Emergence Day. However, things quickly went awry. "Little did they know that the Locust had waterborne beasts from the underground rivers of the Hollow, or that the Locust soldiers would use them so relentlessly to rescue the captured Berserkers," reads a line from the map's description. "The Pomeroy was corralled into a narrow channel and forced ashore, where the Locust sent a mass of troops to assault and overwhelm the beached vessel." The first Maxim-sponsored DLC for Gears of War: Judgment took the form of multiplayer maps Haven and Capitol, as well as an Execution mode. According to Epic Games, its partnership with the men's magazine is simply a co-promotional deal that allows the developer to release the content for free. For more on Gears of War: Judgment, check out GameSpot's review. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
|  | Watch Dogs multiplayer will blend 'seamlessly' with single-player May 10th 2013, 13:49 Ubisoft says line will be blurred between single-player and multiplayer in upcoming cross-generational action game. 
The multiplayer and single-player components of Watch Dogs will overlap "seamlessly," according to comments from Ubisoft made to the PlayStation Blog. The cross-generational action game's multiplayer mode will be set in the streets of Chicago, like the rest of the game, though Ubisoft is not talking specifics just yet. The developer's ambition is to break down the wall between single-player and multiplayer that has existed for decades, Ubisoft said. Watch Dogs is powered by an all-new proprietary engine called Disrupt. Ubisoft Montreal is leading development on the game, with support from Ubisoft's Bucharest, Paris, Quebec, and Reflections studios. It launches November 19 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U, and PC. The PlayStation 4 version will be available "at the launch" of the system, while a next Xbox iteration is rumored, but has yet to be revealed. Set in Chicago, Watch Dogs puts players in the shoes of Aiden Pearce, a hacker who uses his smartphone to break into the city's central operating system to control things like security cameras and also to obtain personal information. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Study: Violent games can desensitize players May 10th 2013, 13:17 New research finds frequent exposure to violent games can have numbing effect on teenagers, though no cause-and-effect relationship proven. 
Frequent exposure to violent games can desensitize players to brutality, according to the results of new research. The study, as explained by Health Day, focused on 30 teenage boys, aged 13 to 15, divided into two groups. One group played violent games for three or more hours a day (high exposure), while the other played such games for less than an hour (low exposure). Researchers then tracked the boys' attitudes after playing a violent game (Manhunt) and and a non-violent game (Animaniacs). Each game was played for two hours on separate evenings. "Differences between the boys' reactions emerged later in the night after gaming. During sleep, the boys in the low-exposure group who played the violent game had faster heart rates and poorer quality of sleep than those in the high-exposure group," Health Day writes. "The boys in the low-exposure group also reported increased feelings of sadness after playing the violent game." The study, published in the May issue of Psychosomatic Medicine: Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine, concluded that both groups of boys exhibited higher anxiety and stress levels after playing the violent game. "The violent game seems to have elicited more stress at bedtime in both groups, and it also seems as if the violent game in general caused some kind of exhaustion," said Stockholm University researcher Malena Ivarsson. "However, the exhaustion didn't seem to be of the kind that normally promotes good sleep, but rather as a stressful factor that can impair sleep quality." The researchers concluded that the disparity between the two groups' responses suggest continual exposure to violent games could have a "desensitizing effect" on players. Notably, however, the study did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship between exposure to violent games and desensitization to brutality. In addition, researchers explained that adolescents with "certain traits" may be more attracted to violent games than others. Violent games have been a heated topic in the wake of the December schoolhouse massacre in Connecticut that left 20 children and six adults dead. The shooter was reportedly a "deranged gamer." Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Witcher 2 modkit accidentally released May 10th 2013, 12:40 CD Projekt Red confirms Redkit was available for a "brief moment," but access has since been blocked. 
The mod toolkit for The Witcher 2: Assassin's of Kings was briefly available recently due to a mistake on the part of developer CD Projekt Red. Access to the tools has since been blocked. "Just a word of clarification. We were running some tests on the website and it went public for a brief moment," CD Projekt Red community manager Marcin Momot wrote in the game's forums (via Edge). Momot told gamers who were able to grab the Redkit to "have fun," noting that the files are official. The modkit will be released officially in full soon, he promised, though an official release date was not provided. "Please give us just a little bit more time (it's almost here!)," Momot said. "We apologize for the confusion." CD Projekt Red aims to simplify the modding process with the Redkit. The goal is to give users the tools to establish their own worlds, quests, and branching storylines. The Redkit is a spiritual successor to the Djinni toolkit for the original Witcher, though the interface and workflow have been refined in the update. The Redkit includes access to all assets from The Witcher 2, including character models, textures, shaders, animations, and sound effects. For more, check out GameSpot's impressions of the technology. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Microsoft appoints first female CFO May 10th 2013, 12:04 Company veteran Amy Hood replaces Peter Klein as first woman in chief financial officer position at Xbox maker. 
Xbox owner Microsoft this week appointed Amy Hood as chief financial officer. She will replace outgoing CFO Peter Klein and is the first female CFO in the company's history. Klein announced his intentions to leave Microsoft last month. He will stay on-board at the company through June to ensure a "smooth transition." Hood, 41, becomes CFO effective immediately. Hood joined Microsoft in 2002 and most recently served as CFO of Microsoft Business Division, where she oversaw all financial strategy and management of the $24.1 billion business. Hood also oversaw the execution of several acquisitions, including Skype for $8.5 billion and Yammer for $1.2 billion. “Amy brings the right talents and experiences to the role as we continue to strengthen our focus on devices and services,“ Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said in a statement. “She has been an instrumental leader in the Microsoft Business Division (MBD), helping lead the transition to services with Office 365 and delivering strong financial and operational management throughout her time on the business.“ Prior to joining Microsoft, Hood worked at investment firm Goldman Sachs in various roles. She attained a bachelor's degree in economics from Duke University and a master's degree in business administration from Harvard University. Hood is Microsoft's first woman to serve as CFO and one of four female executives at the company. Others include Windows CFO and chief marketing officer Tami Reller, Windows corporate vice president Julie Larson-Green, and chief people officer Lisa Brummel. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Manhunt hits PSN next week May 10th 2013, 12:04 Rockstar North's decade-old dark action game coming to PlayStation 3 for $10 May 14; The Warriors will be available "soon." 
Rockstar North's controversial dark action game Manhunt is coming to PlayStation Network next week, the company has announced. The 2004 game, blamed for a murder in the United Kingdom, will be available for PlayStation 3 users in North America on May 14, arriving a day later for gamers in Europe. Manhunt on PSN will cost $9.99 / €9.99 / £7.99. It will be the latest in the growing catalog of PlayStation 2-era Rockstar Games titles coming to PSN, following Bully, Red Dead Revolver, as well as multiple Grand Theft Auto and Midnight Club games. In addition, Rockstar Games teased that The Warriors, the 2005 game based on the 1979 gang film of the same name, will hit PSN "soon." Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Aliens: Colonial Marines has shipped 1.31 million copies May 10th 2013, 11:25 Sega posts 54 percent increase in profits for the year, with Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed the publisher's best-selling title. 
Aliens: Colonial Marines has shipped 1.31 million copies to retailers across the US and Europe as of March 31, Sega has confirmed. Speaking during its annual financial report, Sega revealed that the disappointing FPS was slightly outsold by cheery kart racer Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, which managed to ship 1.36 million copies though has enjoyed a slightly longer shelf life. Aliens: Colonial Marines is currently the target of a class action lawsuit under the claim it used false advertising in its trailers and demonstrations. One of the game's developers, TimeGate Studios, is also reported to have been closed. Football Manager 2013 also managed to shift 940,000 copies, while the currently Japan-only release of Yakuza 5 has shipped 590,000 copies in the publisher's home territory. Elsewhere in the financial report, Sega said it made an 54 percent year-on-year increase in profits with ¥33.4 billion ($329/£214 million). Looking to 2014, Sega is hoping to make ¥47 billion. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Too Human developer Silicon Knights 'definitely alive' May 10th 2013, 10:08 Silicon Knights says it is still working despite downsizing, closing its offices, and selling equipment. 
Too Human developer Silicon Knights says it is "definitely alive" despite the studio's former president Denis Dyack leaving to form Precursor Games. Talking to Polygon, Silicon Knights chief financial officer Mike Mays declared that the studio was still alive. Despite the assurances, Mays would not say where Silicon Knights is currently located, what projects it's working on, or how many employees the studio currently has. However, the studio did confirm it has closed its offices, downsized its staff, and sold some of its equipment. Some computers were even sold to Precursor Games, the new studio founded by ex-Silicon Knights staff. "Silicon Knights was selling off extra assets to laid-off employees and we, along with others, purchased some of them," said Precursor Games CEO Paul Caporicci when asked. "Like so many others who have been laid off in this difficult economy, we are simply trying to turn a tough situation into something positive. This helps give us an opportunity with Shadow of the Eternals to give the gamers something that they have been wanting." A $4.45 million lawsuit between Silicon Knights and Epic Games ruled in favour of the latter in May 2012, and in November 2012 the studio was ordered to destroy all copies of its ill-fated Xbox 360 action RPG Too Human and X-Men: Destiny. Precursor Games is currently working on Shadow of the Eternals, a spiritual successor to cult survival horror title Eternal Darkness. Caporicci also asserted that Precursor Games hasn't inherited any of the Silicon Knights technology currently tangled up in a lawsuit with Epic Games. "We are a completely separate and independent entity and always have been," he said. "Precursor is not and never has been a party to that case, and is not involved in it whatsoever. We purchased completely wiped clean machines, that is all. There is no basis for any liability or any claim against Precursor Games." "We wish Silicon Knights the best of luck in their future," concluded Caporicci. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Konami reveals net decrease in financial results May 10th 2013, 08:18 Company to promote more Metal Gear at this year's E3. 
Konami has published its financial results for the fiscal year ending on March 31, 2013, and highlights that it experienced a net decrease in revenue. According to the report, the company has suffered a 15 percent decrease in net revenue and a 42.8 percent decrease in net income year-over-year. Its Digital Entertainment business section--which manages the video games division--experienced a 17.1 percent decrease in net revenue year-over-year. Notable properties that were highlighted include the Dragon Collection, Pro Evolution Soccer/Winning Eleven, and Metal Gear series. Konami stated that it may get out of its downturn because of the depreciation of the yen and the rise of stock prices. It also plans to diversify out to the smartphone and tablet market to reach more consumers. The company also stated that it will promote the Metal Gear series at this year's E3 2013, most likely showcasing more information on Metal Gear V. Previously, Konami saw a 77.9 percent increase in net income and a 3 percent increase in net income year-over-year net revenue in the fiscal year period ending March 31, 2012. For more information, check out the full report here. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Star Ocean lead programmer leaves Tri-Ace May 10th 2013, 08:15 Yuichiro Kitao departs after 14 years of service. 
Tri-Ace lead programmer Yuichiro Kitao has announced his departure from the company on Twitter (via Siliconera). Kitao was known for working on the Star Ocean series and was in the company for 14 years. He was also involved with the Valkyrie Profile games and Resonance of Fate. His last day will be on May 12. Tri-Ace worked together with Square Enix on Final Fantasy XIII-2 and with Level-5 on Little Battlers eXperience W. The last game the company worked on under its own name was Beyond the Labyrinth for the 3DS, which has yet to be localized for North American markets. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Former THQ head announces new sci-fi fantasy horror game-and-film project May 10th 2013, 08:05 New idea to involve producer of Hellboy and Tomb Raider films; ex-executive VP Danny Bilson adds that his old company "couldn't change fast enough". 
The former executive vice president of THQ, Danny Bilson, announced a new sci-fi fantasy horror project during the GameHorizon conference in Newcastle, UK. According to the presentation (via Eurogamer), Bilson said that the project is a game-and-film tie-in reminiscent of SyFy and Trion World's Defiance project. His partner in the project is Lloyd Levin, producer of films like Watchmen, Tomb Raider, and Hellboy. He has yet to announce his distribution partner at this point in time. He plans to launch three two-hour episodes per year, while releasing a narrative of three to four interactive chapters in-between the episodes. He continues, "“let's take the fan from the film through three chapters of the game right into the next film. We've got the writers of the film writing the game narrative. We've got the actor's likeness, voice, and the players - fans - can participate in the narrative, up to a point, and then rejoin the film narrative and it's all delivered on the same devices: the PC, the pads or any digital device." He added that no one has ever been able to move a story from a linear to an interactive form back-to-back because there's a barrier between the film makers and game developers that restrict them from making creative liberties to that story. He also said a few things about his time in THQ during the conference. He said that the company "couldn't change fast enough" from a licensed games-making company to a core games publisher. He said that six out of the 17 studios under the company "didn't know what they were making", so he was given the task to manage their direction. During his time, he was also given control of both the production and marketing departments to fix the relationship between the two divisions. For more information, check out the video of the presentation. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| |
Niciun comentariu:
Trimiteți un comentariu