 | Hitman dev cuts staff, cancels projects Jun 17th 2013, 17:13 IO Interactive lays off half of entire staff and ceases production on multiple projects as it focuses on development of new AAA Hitman game. 
Hitman: Absolution studio IO Interactive has cut half its staff and canceled multiple projects as it makes "significant changes" to its business strategy. A Square Enix representative confirmed the cuts with Games Industry International and then with GameSpot, saying the studio--under the direction of new boss Hannes Seifert--will refocus "resolutely" on a new AAA Hitman game going forward. "We are making significant changes at IO Interactive as we align our business against a changing and challenging market," the Square Enix representative said in a statement. "The studio will focus resolutely on the future vision for the Hitman franchise and is in pre-production on a new AAA Hitman project," the statement goes on. "However, we have taken the difficult decision to cancel other studio projects and initiatives at IO and reduce the workforce in this studio, which will impact almost half of the employees currently at IO, as we make internal adjustments to face the challenges of today's market." Square Enix said it is "extremely grateful" for the affected developers' hard work and, where possible and appropriate, will try to relocate staff to open internal and external positions. IO Interactive is based in Denmark. The studio's most recent game was last year's Hitman: Absolution. The company also created the Kane & Lynch franchise. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Xbox One headset revealed Jun 17th 2013, 16:13 New wired headset designed for "long gaming sessions and clear voice chat." 
Microsoft has revealed the chat headset for Xbox One. The new headset is similar in appearance to the existing product for Xbox 360. It is wired to the controller and is designed for "long gaming sessions and clear voice chat," Microsoft said. The mono chat headset sports wideband digital audio and a unidirectional microphone. In addition, players will be able to access mute and volume controls without taking their hands off the controller. Microsoft has also revealed a new play and charge kit for the Xbox One controller. It packs in a "long-lasting" rechargeable battery that Microsoft said can be juiced up fully in under four hours. Recharging can be done during gameplay or when the Xbox One is in standby mode. The Xbox One launches this November for $500. Xbox boss Don Mattrick recently spoke out to defend the price point (a full $100 above the PlayStation 4), by saying Microsoft is in fact "over-delivering value" with the new system. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Microsoft defends Xbox One $500 price point--"We're over-delivering value" Jun 17th 2013, 15:46 Xbox boss Don Mattrick says when compared to other modern products, $500 is not a "ridiculous" price point. 
Microsoft's Xbox boss Don Mattrick has spoken out to defend the Xbox One's $500 price point, saying the company is in fact over-delivering value with the next-generation system. "It's a lower number than some of the analysts had forecasted," Mattrick said on Bloomberg TV. "We're over-delivering value against other choices I think consumers can get. Any modern product these days you look at it [and] $499 isn't a ridiculous price point. We're delivering thousands of dollars of value to people, so I think they're going to love it when they use it." Competitor Sony will offer its PlayStation 4 at $400 this holiday season, but Mattrick believes consumers will choose Xbox One for its suite of exclusive services and applications like an improved Xbox Live, as well as Skype, Twitch TV, SmartGlass, and Kinect. "We're really making the living room your center of fun for your family," Mattrick said. Every Xbox One will include a Kinect 2.0 sensor, while PS4 gamers will need to pay $60 to purchase a PlayStation Eye camera. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Dead Space series not killed Jun 17th 2013, 15:05 Electronic Arts confirms Dead Space 4 is not in development, but says that the series will live on. 
The Dead Space series is a "great brand" for Electronic Arts, but a new entry in the series not in active development, the publisher has confirmed with Eurogamer. "I wouldn't say [the Dead Space franchise is] cancelled at all," EA Games boss Patrick Söderlund said. "Dead Space remains a brand that is close to Electronic Arts' heart. It's been a great brand for us done by a very passionate team." Söderlund explained that Dead Space 3 developer Visceral Games is now working on an "exciting new project," which he believes is a better fit for the studio than a fourth entry in the action-horror series. "Is that team working on a Dead Space game today? No they're not," he said. "They're working on something else very exciting. You have to think of it from that perspective. Is it better to put them on the fourth version of a game they've done three previous versions of before? Or is it better to put them on something new that they want to build, that they have passion for?" Visceral Games is one of three EA studios working on all-new Stars Wars games, joining DICE and BioWare. In March, a report claimed the Dead Space series was canceled outright after Dead Space 3 failed to meet sales expectations. EA called this report "patently false." Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Witcher dev: The game counts, not the money Jun 17th 2013, 14:34 CD Projekt Red CEO says people buy their games because they trust them; "If we screw that up, it's the end of the story..." 
CD Projekt Red CEO Marcin Iwinski has spoken out regarding the business of making games. In an interview with Rock, Paper, Shotgun, Iwinski said making money is important to the health of the studio, but it should not be put before gamers' best interests. "But at the end of the day, the game [counts]--and not the money. Because the game will make the money if it’s good," Iwinski said. He said some people believe it's the other way around; and in the short-term, from a business perspective, this makes sense. However, putting aspirations for money before game design could lead to gamers losing faith in the company, something Iwinski wants to avoid. "I think it's in a way our trademark. People buy our games on day one because they trust us," Iwinski said. "And if we screw that up, it’s the end of the story pretty much." Elsewhere in the interview, Iwinski said downloadable content and updates for the PC version of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will be free, while console pricing has yet to be determined. "It's too early to talk specifics, but definitely all the DLCs and updates will be free," Iwinski said. "Of course, we'll see what the platform holders will allow--what we can do for free [on next-gen consoles]. I mean, there are different business models on consoles. From our standpoint, we'll definitely do everything we can to deliver the same experience across all platforms." If CD Projekt Red decides to create "big" expansions for The Witcher 3, the studio will charge gamers an "honest and fair" price for the content, Iwinski said. "But again, it's all value for money," he said. "I think $15-$20 for new gameplay is a pretty honest and fair deal. But additional weapons and fixes, those of course come as part of the package." The Witcher 3 launches in 2014 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Just Cause dev: Most games traded in because they're too short Jun 17th 2013, 14:02 Avalanche boss Christofer Sundberg claims most games don't offer enough replayability; says Just Cause 2 still has "hundreds of thousands" of daily players. 
Just Cause developer Avalanche Studios founder Christofer Sundberg believes most games are too short and that is why they are traded in. Speaking with Edge, Sundberg said games that are longer--or more replayable--are less likely to sold back to retailers. "I'm sure it's been an issue but that's because games have been too short," Sundberg said about why used games have been a hot topic of late. "I mean, when you can play a game through from 8 to 10 hours, I would return the game too, because there's no reason for players to play it again." Sundberg said Just Cause 2, released in March 2012, still has "hundreds of thousands" of daily players, demonstrating the strength of a highly replayable game. "If you're offering little variation, then there's no motivation for the player to keep that game--unless they want to have a nice bookshelf. That's why we answered that with Just Cause. I go into game stores each week and I always go to the used game boxes--I usually don't find that many [copies of Just Cause]." Mario and Zelda company Nintendo shared a similar opinion. Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime said developers concerned over used game sales should make more compelling and replayable titles so that gamers do not trade them in. The latest project from Avalanche Studios is Mad Max, which will release in 2014 published by Warner Bros. The car combat-focused game does not feature any multiplayer. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Dota 2 to be released this summer Jun 17th 2013, 13:44 Free-to-play sequel launching in full in North America and Europe later this summer, Valve confirms. 
Valve's free-to-play sequel to the genre-defining, worldwide popular competitive title Defense of The Ancients--Dota 2--will be released in full in North America and Europe this Summer, Valve's VP of marketing Doug Lombardi has told GameSpot. Lombardi confirms a report that Dota 2, which has been in an official Beta state since September 13, 2011, will come out before this year's The International 3 competition, held August 7-11 at Benaroya Hall in Seattle. Valve told GameSpot that it will release more details in the next week or two. "Dota 2 being officially released to the public acts as the next step for Valve in shipping the finished Dota 2 project," said David "GoDZ" Parker, Dota 2 Broadcaster for The BTS Studio. "While anyone interested in obtaining a beta key and playing the game could have already done so with minimal work, having the ease of play that being public brings will make it a true free-to-play game in the ARTS/MOBA genre." Less than three weeks ago, Dota saw one of its largest updates in the form of patch 6.78, including various changes to Captain’s Mode, and balance changes to nearly 75 percent of the heroes. "These big patches allow for the meta to remain constantly fresh and helps separate the teams in terms of how well they can react to the changes," Matthew "Cyborgmatt" Bailey said. "It is one of the reasons why Dota is so loved." At the same time Nexon, Valve's distributor of Dota 2 in South Korea, has announced it will put up $1.7 million in prize money for the launch of the game in the eSports-centric nation. Nexon's release of Dota 2 in South Korea, much like Perfect World’s release in China, will focus on developing infrastructure for local servers. Nexon will begin with a starter league tournament, with the winning Korean team getting travel and lodging to attend The International 3 as VIP spectators. Nexon is shooting for a fall release in South Korea. "Dota 2 is a phenomenal game with elements of strategy and competition that has already garnered much fame in North America and Europe," Valve’s Director of Dota 2 Erik Johnson said. "With the help of Nexon and its experience in the Korean market we hope to have great success." GameSpot will have an exclusive interview with Nexon on the release of Dota 2 in South Korea later this week. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | E3 2013 attendance hits 48,200 Jun 17th 2013, 13:24 Entertainment Software Association reveals attendance figure for this year's show, says hotel spending brought in $40 million for Los Angeles. 
48,200 industry professionals, analysts, journalists, and retailers from 102 countries attended E3 2013, event owner and organizer the Entertainment Software Association has announced. This is up from 45,700 for E3 2012. The show resulted in an approximated 28,000 hotel room nights, generating about $40,000,000 for the host city of Los Angeles. E3 2014 will take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center June 10-12, 2014. E3 will remain in Los Angeles through at least 2015. The annual gaming gala has been held in Los Angeles for 16 of its 18 years of existence. Other host cities have included Santa Monica, California (2007), and Atlanta, Georgia (1997). Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Xbox One, PS4 coming to Jimmy Fallon this week Jun 17th 2013, 12:51 Late night program hosting fourth annual video game week beginning this evening with Forza 5; Knack, Watch Dogs, CoD: Ghosts, and Super Mario 3D World also on the schedule. 
NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon will host its fourth annual Video Game Week beginning this evening with a demonstration of Xbox One racing simulator Forza Motorsport 5. Other titles on display this week include the PlayStation 4's Knack (June 18), Ubisoft's Watch Dogs (June 19), Activision's Call of Duty: Ghosts (June 20), and Nintendo's Game & Wario and Super Mario 3D World (June 21). Late Night with Jimmy Fallon airs at 12:35 a.m. on NBC. Fallon is no stranger to games and technology. Past Video Game Weeks have featured The Last of Us, Halo 4, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Wii U, and Madden NFL 13, as well as Oculus Rift and Razer Edge. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | XCOM: Enemy Unknown hits iOS June 20 Jun 17th 2013, 12:26 Strategy game coming to iTunes this Thursday for $20; head-to-head multiplayer mode will be added later as free update. 
XCOM: Enemy Unknown will launch in the iTunes App Store on Thursday, June 20, 2K and Firaxis Games announced today. The strategy game will be available for $20 and is compatible with iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. XCOM: Enemy Unknown for iOS was announced in March and is described as the "complete XCOM experience." It includes GameCenter support and makes use of iCloud functionality, allowing players to save games across every iOS device they own. The game's head-to-head multiplayer mode will not be available at launch, but will see release "at a later date" as a free update to the title. Supported devices for XCOM: Enemy Unknown iOS include: iPad 2, iPad 3, iPad 4, iPad mini, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, and iPod Touch 5th Generation. XCOM: Enemy Unknown for consoles and PC launched last October. For more, check out GameSpot's review. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Microsoft's Xbox One games will be $60 Jun 17th 2013, 12:09 Xbox maker confirms its titles will be sold for current-generation standard; other publishers have yet to discuss pricing. 
Microsoft's Xbox One games will retail for $60, the same price as Xbox 360 titles, the publisher has confirmed. This pricing will put Xbox One games level with PlayStation 4 titles, as PlayStation executive Jack Tretton said in February that PS4 titles will max out at $60. Other publishers--like Activision, Electronic Arts, and Ubisoft--have yet to disclose pricing information for their next-generation games. Industry analyst Michael Pachter in March predicted that Xbox One and PlayStation 4 titles would follow the previous generation in jumping by $10 from $60 to $70. The Xbox One ($500) and PS4 ($400) launch later this year. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
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