| Microsoft has "no plans" to release Xbox One without Kinect Jul 24th 2013, 17:34 In response to new report, Microsoft says "we believe in Kinect," adding $500 price point is a "great value." 
Microsoft is not currently considering releasing an Xbox One without Kinect, a representative for the company told GameSpot today. "We have no plans to introduce an Xbox One without Kinect. We believe in Kinect and the value it brings to both games and entertainment, and believe $499 is a great value for what consumers receive with their Xbox One," the representative said. The statement came in response to an Inside Gaming Daily report, which claimed, citing an anonymous source, that Microsoft would release a Kinect-free Xbox One in summer 2014. Every Xbox One unit includes Kinect, unlike the setup on Xbox 360, where the motion-sensing camera is a peripheral. The new Kinect is reportedly ten times more powerful than the prior model and capable of detecting facial structure, hair, skin color, body composition, and expression. The Xbox One launches in November. Microsoft will reveal the exact launch date later this summer. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
|  | Horror game Outlast launching September 4 Jul 24th 2013, 17:10 Survival horror title from Red Barrels launching on Steam this fall for $20; no word on PlayStation 4 version launch date. 
Survival horror game Outlast will launch September 4 on Steam for $20, developer Red Barrels announced today. No release date was provided for the PlayStation 4 version of the game. Outlast is set in the mountains of Colorado, and focuses on journalist Miles Upshur. The writer breaks in to the Mount Massive Asylum to get the scoop on why it has been mysteriously re-opened by a branch of a transnational corporation. The game is the debut project from Red Barrels, which was founded last year by industry veterans who have worked on franchises like Army of Two, Assassin's Creed, and Uncharted. For more on Outlast, check out GameSpot's previous coverage. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Former Blizzard, SOE, Relic execs create new studio Jul 24th 2013, 16:12 San Diego-based Molten Games working on AAA online game with multimillion dollar investment from NCSoft. 
Former Blizzard Entertainment, Sony Online Entertainment, and Relic Entertainment executives have created a new studio called Molten Games. Based in San Diego, California, the outfit is currently working on a AAA online game made possible in part by a multimillion dollar investment led by Guild Wars publisher NCSoft. "We created Molten Games in order to truly have control over our game development and IP, and we're going to create something epic," said Molten Games CEO and cofounder Jungwon Hahn in a statement. Hahn spent nine years at Blizzard Entertainment, where he worked as managing director and regional managing director. Also leading Molten Games is Paul Della Bitta, who spent seven years at Blizzard Entertainment, as well as SOE and Relic veteran Blaine Smith. No information about Molten Games' debut title has been released, though the company's new Facebook page features an image (above right) of a city at night. Job listings at the studio suggest the game will run on Epic Games' Unreal technology. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Saints Row IV anal probe weapon exclusive to season pass Jul 24th 2013, 15:48 Deep Silver details Saints Row IV season pass as game goes gold. 
Saints Row IV publisher Deep Silver has detailed the game's season pass content, which includes the "Rectifier" alien probe weapon. A Deep Silver representative confirmed to GameSpot that the alien probe weapon will be available to all players in one of the game's missions, but only owners of the season pass will be able to use it elsewhere in the tongue-in-cheek open-world title. The Saints Row IV season pass will be sold for $9.99/€9.99 /£7.99 and, alongside the exclusive weapon, contain two mission packs. The first will be the Enter the Dominatrix DLC, which takes the form of a mockumentary, and the second will be released later in 2013. The alien probe weaponry is one of the main reasons Saints Row IV was refused classification in Australia, though the Australian government has since said it will consider reclassifying the game. Along with the announcement of the game's season pass, Deep Silver confirmed that Saints Row IV has now gone gold. Saints Row IV will be released on August 20 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | PS4 launch bundles back in stock on Amazon Jul 24th 2013, 15:39 Watch Dogs, Battlefield 4, and Knack bundles now available through online retailer, while non-bundle editions remain sold out. 
PlayStation 4 launch-day bundles are back in stock on Amazon, after the online retailer sold through all units earlier this month. The official Amazon Video Games Twitter account says the bundles are "guaranteed on release date," though Sony has yet to announce an official launch day for the PS4. PS4 Bundles available through Amazon include Battlefield 4 + PlayStation Plus ($500), Killzone: Shadow Fall + PlayStation Plus ($500), Knack ($460), and Watch Dogs ($460). A PlayStation Plus subscription is required to play PS4 titles online. Non-bundle PS4 launch editions remain sold out. By comparison, standard Xbox One units are available on Amazon, though all launch-day Xbox One systems are sold out through the retailer. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Activision criticises "immature, whiny a**holes" who threaten CoD devs Jul 24th 2013, 15:21 Activision community manager Dan Amrich criticises Black Ops II players sending threats of violence to Treyarch developers following Black Ops II patch. 
Activision community manager Dan Amrich has appealed to members of the Call of Duty community who verbally insult and threaten its developers over social media. Amrich's blog post stems from the fallout following the game's latest balance patch, which reduced the rate of fire on the DSR 50 and Ballista and nerfed the damage on the AN-94. Following the balance changes, Treyarch studio design director David Vonderhaar--one of the most recognisable faces at the studio--took to Twitter to say that the changes weren't worth the threats of violence he was receiving. "The DSR fire time was 0.2 seconds. It's now 0.4 seconds," he said. "The rechamber time was 1.0 seconds. It's now 1.1 seconds." "Not sure these fractions of seconds are worth the threats of violence," added Vonderhaar. Writing on his blog, Amrich said that Vonderhaar "often gets told he should die in a fire or kill himself or is a horrible person. If anybody thinks for a second that this is okay, it is not. But if the loudest voices in the Call of Duty 'community' act like an angry mob instead, guess how the entire world views Call of Duty? Now consider that these Internet Tough Guy rants and demands are not unique to COD, but exist everywhere, in many gaming communities. This is why the world often does not take gaming seriously; this is why gamers are assumed to be immature, whiny a**holes. Because the immature, whiny a**holes are louder." "The fact that [Vonderhaar] focuses on the useful feedback, puts that intel to good use fixing the problem, and doesn’t irrationally lash out at the immature, whiny assholes is amazing." "Role-play this for a second. When you make a mistake--because you do, we all do--or someone finds something wrong with something that you created, whether it be a meal or driving instructions or even a blog post, how would you prefer to find out that there is an issue? Would you like someone to just say 'hey, I noticed this and I think it’s not quite right; are you seeing what I see?' Or would you react better to having someone scream in your face that since your mother didn't have an abortion, you should commit suicide instead? This is not the way to show a developer that what they do matters to you. Not at all." "If you enjoy your games, have a little respect for the people who make them--and stop threatening them with bodily harm every time they do their job." Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Bioware considered charging for Mass Effect 3 Extended Cut Jul 24th 2013, 15:06 Developer says there was "discussion" about charging for end-game DLC, but executive producer Casey Hudson ultimately said no. 
BioWare considered charging for Mass Effect 3's Extended Cut downloadable content, community lead Chris Priestly has revealed. "Probably shouldn't say this; there was discussion [about] should it be charged," Priestly said during a recent PAX Australia panel. "And [executive producer Casey Hudson] said 'No, we can't do that. We have to make this better. We can do a better job finishing the game, providing clarity, answering some questions.' And it was very important to the team to end it as best as possible. " Recalling the fan blowback surrounding Mass Effect 3's controversial endings, Priestly said the team at BioWare could have ignored the feedback and just moved on. However, BioWare ultimate re-assesed the endings and released the Extended Cut because "it was the right thing to do." "It would have been really easy for them to have hidden. To have put their heads down and said, "nope, we're done. That's it. DLC coming next month,'" Priestly said. "They didn't. And it's hard; it's really hard when you've put stuff in as a dev team for years making this game to have people say how bad it is. But they didn't. They listened and they made the Extended Cut because it was the right thing to do and release it for free to the fans because again, it was the right thing to do." The Mass Effect 3 Extended Cut launched in June 2012 as a free download for all platforms. It features new epilogue scenes that expand on the original Mass Effect 3 ending and aims to give greater clarity to the conclusion of Commander Shepard's story. BioWare is currently working on an all-new Mass Effect game described as "fresh and new." Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Rare: Xbox One Kinect is 10x more powerful Jul 24th 2013, 15:06 Kinect Sports Rivals developer says new motion-sensor is ten times more powerful than Xbox 360 camera. 
The Xbox One's new Kinect camera is ten times more powerful than the existing Xbox 360 unit, according to Rare Ltd. technology development lead Nick Burton. Speaking during San Diego Comic-Con this weekend (via Xbox Wire), Burton explained that the new camera can register fingertips from 3 meters away, something that is impossible for the Xbox 360's Kinect sensor to do. Rare's latest game, Kinect Sports Rivals for Xbox One, will leverage the new Kinect camera to provide a "new layer of precision and depth of mastery." Subtle movements like how hard a player twists their wrist while revving the throttle of a jet ski will be measured in the game. Kinect Sports Rivals will also boast a new Champions feature that can capture a player's facial structure, hair, skin color, body composition, and expression--all in the name of creating a virtual athlete in "seconds." Unlike the Xbox 360, every $500 Xbox One comes with a Kinect camera built in. Competitor Sony will offer motion-based camera functionality with the PlayStation 4, though gamers will need to pay $60 for the PlayStation Eye. Also during the Comic-Con panel, Xbox Live director of programming Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb revealed that Microsoft will announce the Xbox One's release date this summer. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Square Enix has great games but doesn't know how to sell them, says former exec Jul 24th 2013, 13:53 Eidos Montreal founder Stephane D'Astous said "last year was supposed to be a home-run reason"; downplays Thief development issues. 
Square Enix has great games, but doesn't know how to sell them, according to Eidos Montreal founder Stephane D'Astous, who left the company on Friday. The publisher "has some things to learn about how to sell their games," D'Astous told Polygon in a new interview. "We are in a situation that we have great games that could have sold more," he said. "They need to attack that very, very seriously," he said. "Last year was supposed to be a home-run season, but we didn't hit a single home run; maybe a double or a triple, but they weren't home runs." Hitman: Absolution (3.6 million), Tomb Raider (3.4 million), and Sleeping Dogs (1.75 million) all failed to reach sales targets for Square Enix. President Yoichi Wada resigned in March amid the company posting an "extraordinary" financial loss. D'Astous cited this financial shortcoming as a reason for leaving the company, as well as "divergent opinions" on what must be done to turn the ship around. "The lack of leadership, lack of courage, and the lack of communication were so evident, that I wasn't able to conduct my job correctly" D'Astous said. "I realized that our differences were irreconcilable, and that the best decision was unfortunately to part ways." D'Astous also discussed reports that Eidos Montreal's latest project, Thief, has struggled through a troubled development. He said these reports were "blown out of proportion." "Thief has been a long project," he said. "Some of your articles [about the game's development] were a little bit harsh. If you take into perspective every different element, it was blown out of proportion in some aspect. Every triple A has its up and downs and I guess we were exposed more to the public when we were at the bottom of the barrel. That was a long time ago." Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | White Xbox One development kit spotted online Jul 24th 2013, 13:52 Shot of a white Xbox One development kit surfaces online, and anonymous Xbox One developer says current Xbox One development kits look like the retail units. 
A picture of an alleged white Xbox One development kit has been posted online. The top-down view of the hardware, posted on Reddit, shows a machine that looks reminiscent of the Xbox One retail model. Anonymous Reddit poster XboxOneDev, who has been verified by site moderators as an Xbox One developer, added that previously-spotted shots of a zebra-patterned unit were for old iterations of the hardware. "The zebra ones were also earlier devkits. We've gone through several revisions since the original alpha kit (giant server case) and the current one we have looks like the launch version." In June, Xbox creative director Carl Ledbetter showcased dozens of original prototypes for the Xbox One at Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference 2013. "We wanted to make [the Xbox One design] simple and elegant, and we wanted it to be crafted and tailored, so it's all about quality," said Ledbetter at the time. "Using those principles, we started to design." Xbox One will launch in 21 territories this November for $499/€499/£425. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | BioWare discusses "competition" with The Witcher Jul 24th 2013, 13:09 Writer Patrick Weekes says it's not true that video game companies hate each other; hopes The Witcher 3 is fantastic. 
Despite what some might think, video game companies aren't out for each other's throats, according to BioWare writer Patrick Weekes. Asked during a recent PAX Australia panel how he views competition with CD Projekt Red's Witcher series, Weekes said he hopes gamers buy games from both companies. "I think 'compete' is the wrong word. I think there's a story that people want to tell, where the video game companies hate each other and 'our game is going to crush theirs.' And that's really not true," Weekes said. "I came to BioWare because I love games. And I hope that the next Witcher game is fantastic and I hope that ours is fantastic, and I hope that people buy both and play both." "Every time another great game comes out, and raises the bar, that's not threatening; it's only threatening if we don't think we can ever do anything better," he added. "So we look at something and go 'that's a fantastic game. How am I going to incorporate that awesome thing and do it in a BioWare fashion?'" Weekes explained that with every new BioWare title, the company tries to advance further and further, so much so that past games look "antiquated and quaint." "So, no, I think our biggest competition, and the only thing we absolutely want to crush, is what we've done in our past games," he said. "That's one of the reasons I'm so proud to be on the Dragon Age team, it's one of the reasons I was proud to be on the Mass Effect team; every new project we said 'let's look at the best things we did on our previous game and let's see how we beat that. Let's see how we make that look antiquated and quaint as we go into our next game.'" BioWare is currently working on Dragon Age: Inquisition, a new Mass Effect game, and an untitled new IP. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
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