| Saints Row IV publisher to distribute Wasteland 2 Jul 11th 2013, 16:12 Deep Silver announces distribution deal with developer inXile to publish retail release of Kickstarter success story Wasteland 2. 
Saints Row IV and Metro: Last Light publisher Deep Silver has announced a distribution partnership with developer inXile for runaway Kickstarter success Wasteland 2. Deep Silver will now handle the publishing duties for the retail release of Wasteland 2, QA testing for the non-English versions of the game, and the fulfillment of the physical goods given as part of the Kickstarter reward tiers. Creative control of the game remains with inXile. “This has the added bonus of allowing us to spend more of the Kickstarter funds on development while continue to retain all ownership and control,“ said inXile CEO Brian Fargo. Wasteland 2 raised a whopping $2.93m on Kickstarter in April last year, with the post-apocalyptic RPG more than trebling its original target of $900,000. Following the success of Wasteland 2, inXile also saw huge success with another Kickstarter campaign for Torment: Tides of Numenera, a spiritual successor to Planescape: Torment. Tides of Numenera raised $4.1m. Wasteland 2 is aiming to be released later in 2013. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
|  | Fallout: New Vegas dev was working on "sci-fi Skyrim" Backspace Jul 11th 2013, 16:10 Single-player role-playing game was reportedly built on Skyrim's engine and featured guns, time travel, and cyborgs. 
Multiple sources have informed Kotaku that a small team at Fallout: New Vegas and Alpha Protocol developer Obsidian Entertainment was working on a "sci-fi Skyrim" in early 2011. The project was called Backspace and was reportedly going to feature guns, time travel, and an alien invasion--all powered by The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim's game engine, including its "Radiant AI" system. Obsidian Entertainment CEO Feargus Urquhart confirmed the studio was working on the game, saying Backspace "was a project concept that we neither cancelled nor greenlit." "We've been around for ten years now and have had a bunch of great ideas that we still have sitting around that we may be able to return to in the future," he added. According to a design document obtained by Kotaku, Backspace was a single-player action-RPG set in a sci-fi space environment with "simple elements of time travel." The combat was reportedly paced "similarly to Skyrim, but slightly faster since there is no concept of blocking." "The easiest way to look at it is a mix of Mass Effect, Borderlands, and System Shock 2 for gameplay and setting," the document reads. Backspace was designed, according to the documents, casting players as a cyborg--90 percent human and 10 percent machine. The game was set in the "distant future" when mankind had colonized the "far reaches of the galaxy." The game's story, according to the design documents, revolved around players jumping back and forth in time between the occurence of an alien attack and an alien-occupied future. Backspace was also planned with a leveling system likened to that of Skyrim or Fallout: New Vegas, with players able to choose a preset background for their characters, including The Mad Scientist, The Lone Wolf, and The Arrogant Savant. Combat in the game was reportedly "Skyrim with guns," with players able to wield machine guns, shotguns, semi-automatic rifles, sniper rifles, and rocket launchers--as well as melee weapons like mauls, battle axes, and chainsaws, among others. Backspace is not the only unreleased project Obsidian Entertainment has spoken of. The Irvine, California-based developer also spent time developing a Snow White prequel and pitched an idea to the now-defunct LucasArts for a new Star Wars RPG. Obsidian Entertainment is currently working on South Park: The Stick of Truth and Project Eternity. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Ubisoft: Watch Dogs "the same game" on current- and next-gen Jul 11th 2013, 15:30 Publisher says number of characters on-screen cut down for PS3, Xbox 360 versions, though game is fundamentally the same across generations. 
The current-generation and next-generation versions of Ubisoft's upcoming open-world game Watch Dogs will be "the same game," according to a new blog post from the company. Ubisoft explained that the game's new Disrupt Engine is "flexible" enough to allow those who pick up the game on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 to "still get an amazing experience." "We knew we would have next-gen hardware coming out before we ship," senior producer Dominic Guay said. "But we started off knowing we wanted to support PS3 and Xbox 360." Though both versions of the game will be fundamentally "the same," Guay said current-generation players will see fewer characters on-screen at any given time. "On current-gen systems we may need to cut down the number of people on the street a little, but it's still the same game," Guay said. "You don“t get the same sense of the crowd, but it allows us to scale certain bits and keep the same experience." Animation director Colin Graham expanded on the differences between the two versions, saying though the Xbox One and PS4 iterations will be the "real HD experience," players on current-generation machines won't find the game to be lacking in any way. "Players are going to know they aren't getting a bad experience if they play Watch Dogs for the current-gen, but the next-gen is the real HD experience. You can zoom in another level. You can have better shaders, better simulation on the wind or the water, more particles, better atmospherics“ Basically anything you can get with more computing power." "So have no fear if you plan on playing Watch Dogs on the PS3 or 360," Ubisoft concluded. "There are no trimmed-down mechanics to make you feel as though you are missing out on the core experience." Watch Dogs launches for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U, and PC on November 19. The Xbox One and PS4 versions will release sometime this holiday. For more, check out GameSpot's previous coverage of Watch Dogs. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Ubisoft CEO says next-gen won't be the last Jul 11th 2013, 14:46 Yves Guillemot believes Xbox One, PS4, Wii U won't be the last round of consoles. 
The next-generation of consoles won't be the last, according to Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot. Speaking with CVG, Guillemot said he envisions a console future beyond the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Wii U. "I still think it is not the last generation, because the manufacturers want a way to control their platform and the machine is the best way to have a specific access to that," he said. God of War creator David Jaffe holds a different opinion, saying in June 2012 that dedicated consoles will die off after the Wii U, Xbox One, and PS4. "I'll go on the record and say that the next generation of hardware will be the last consoles. And they should be," Jaffe said at the time. Elsewhere in the interview, Guillemot--who has been critical of the extended length of the current-generation cycle--said the industry has the potential to grow "very fast" with the arrival of the Xbox One and PS4 this holiday. "What I'm happy with is, because we've been waiting for a long time, if we really come with high quality games then the public will come very quickly to buy them. So we will see a big increase in the market," Guillemot said. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Epic: Graphics indistinguishable from reality in 10 years Jul 11th 2013, 14:22 Founder Tim Sweeney says games will reach photorealism in next decade, though doing so will create new challenges, he argues. 
Epic Games founder Tim Sweeney believes game graphics will be indistinguishable from reality in the next decade. Based on the current rate of progress, Sweeney claimed today at Develop, as reported by Games Industry International, that games will be "absolutely photorealistic within the next 10 years." "An indistinguishable-from-reality level of graphics," he added. Along with this visual advancement, Sweeney cautioned, will come new challenges and difficulties that will require a great investment in research before full virtual reality is accomplished. "That just moves the challenge of graphics to the problems we don't know how to solve. Like simulating human intelligence, animation, speech, lip-syncing," Sweeney said. "There are still a lot areas that will require ongoing research for probably the rest of our lives before we come close to approaching reality." Sweeney's comments echo those of Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) visual effects supervisor Kim Libreri, who said in August last year that game graphics will be "indistinguishable from reality" over the course of the next decade. Libreri worked on Star Wars 1313, as well as Super 8 and The Matrix. Epic Games is the creator of the Unreal Engine as well as the Gears of War franchise. The company's most recently released title was March's Gears of War: Judgment. The studio is presently working on Fortnite, an Unreal Engine 4-powered PC game due out this year. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Julie Larson-Green confirmed as new Xbox boss in Microsoft restructuring Jul 11th 2013, 13:53 19-year Microsoft veteran Julie Larson-Green the new head of Microsoft's Devices and Studios Engineering Group, overseeing all Xbox development. 
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has announced a major organisational shake-up at the company, confirming former Windows boss Julie Larson-Green as the new head of Xbox hardware. Writing a memo to all Microsoft staff, Ballmer speaks of his vision for "One Microsoft" will enable the company to operate at "greater speed, efficiency and capability in a fast changing world." Larson-Green, a 19-year veteran of the company, will now lead Microsoft's Devices and Studios Engineering Group, and will look after all of Microsoft's hardware development--including the Xbox brand. As the head of Microsoft's Windows division, Larson-Green oversaw the launches of Windows 8 and Windows 7. She also led the visual redesign introduced in Microsoft Office 2007. Former Microsoft boss Don Mattrick was reported to have been lined up for Larson-Green's new role, but recently departed Microsoft to join social gaming giant Zynga as its CEO. Elsewhere in the company, former Windows Phone boss Terry Myerson will now head up the Operating Systems Engineering Group that will encompass all versions of the company's flagship operating system across console, mobile, and PC. The Applications and Services Engineering Group, led by Qi Lu, will focus on developing applications services, and search. Former Skype boss Tony Bates will take charge of Microsoft's Business Development and Evangelism Group, and will work on strengthening the company's relationship with other manufacturers and developers. "Lots of change," said Ballmer. "But in all of this, many key things remains [sic] the same. Our incredible people, our spirit, our commitment, our belief in the transformative power of technology--our Microsoft technology--to make the world a better place for billions of people and millions of businesses around the world. It“s why I come to work inspired every day. It“s why we“ve evolved before, and why we“re evolving now. Because we“re not done." "Let“s go," concluded Ballmer. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | NHL 14 gets NHL '94 Anniversary Mode Jul 11th 2013, 13:27 Upcoming EA Sports pro hockey simulator will include throwback game mode to mark SNES/Genesis game's 20th anniversary. 
To mark the 20th anniversary of NHL '94, this fall's NHL 14 will include a NHL '94 Anniversary Mode that will bring the look and feel of the SNES/Genesis game to modern consoles. The NHL '94 Anniversary Mode is built within the NHL 14 game engine and features retro presentation including blue ice, star-shaped player indicators, 16-bit arena powerbars, and throwback music In addition, the NHL '94 Anniversary Mode does not feature penalties, offsides, or icing calls and includes a "new take on classic goal celebrations." NHL 14 launches September 10 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | League of Legends Season 3 World Championships to be held at Staples Center Jul 11th 2013, 13:00 Riot Games announces League of Legends Season 3 World Championships to be held at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. 
League of Legends developer Riot Games has announced that the World Championship finals for season 3 of its global eSports tournament will be taking place at the Staples Center, home of the Los Angeles Lakers and Kings. Over 10,000 people are expected to attend the final match in the League of Legends tournament on Friday, October 4. The University of Southern California's Galen Center will hold the start of the group stages on September 16. The Galen Center hosted the Season 2 grand finals last year, to an audience of 7,000 spectators at the venue and over 8.2m spectators online. Qualifiers for each of the regions are taking place soon, with the North American and European matches occurring in late August at PAX Prime and Gamescom respectively. Following the qualifiers, 14 teams from Korea, China, Southeast Asia, Europe, North America, and an international wild-card team will fly to Los Angeles to compete in the semi-finals through both a group stage and a two round single-elimination stage for the $2m prize pool. The world championship prize pool is expected to bring the total sum of League of Legends prize money for Season 3 to over $8m globally, with $1m going to the championship's winning team. The Season 3 finals are expected to beat the 18 million unique viewer peak of the recent League of Legends All-Star tournament, held in Shanghai in May. Tickets will be available soon at lolesports.com and through other various ticketing outlets. GameSpot will be covering the event, so be sure to check out the GameSpot eSports hub. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Black Ops II Vengeance DLC coming to PS3, PC on August 1 Jul 11th 2013, 12:52 Third DLC pack for latest Call of Duty coming to new platforms next month; included with Season Pass, $15 otherwise. 
Vengeance, the third expansion for Call of Duty: Black Ops II, will launch for PlayStation 3 and PC on August 1, Activision has announced. The content originally launched on Xbox 360 July 2. The Vengeance DLC for Black Ops II includes four multiplayer maps--Cove, Rush, Detour, and Uplink--as well as a new Zombies adventure called Buried. The Uplink multiplayer environment is a reimagining of the original Black Ops' Summit map. The DLC is included with the $50 Black Ops II Season Pass and will sell for $15 as an individual download. Vengeance follows expansions Revolution in January and Uprising in April. Four map packs are planned for the game in total. For more on Vengeance, check out the video below. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Crazy Taxi hits Android Jul 11th 2013, 12:34 Following iOS release last year, open-world Dreamcast racing game hits Android for $5. 
Open-world Dreamcast racing game Crazy Taxi is now available to download for Android devices from the Google Play store for $5, Sega has announced. The game has been available for iOS devices since October 2012. The Android version of Crazy Taxi is a remastered version of the 2000 Dreamcast title, complete with original music from punk bands The Offspring and Bad Religion. Crazy Taxi for Android supports 3, 5, or 10 minute gameplay in Arcade and Original modes, as well as touch and tilt controls. Other features include 16 mini-games and physical controller support. Crazy Taxi joins a growing catalog of Sega titles available for iOS and Android devices that includes various Sonic the Hedgehog games, as well as Super Monkey Ball and Virtual Tennis games. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Nintendo releases Wii U 3.1.0 system update Jul 11th 2013, 12:17 Nintendo releases a minor update for the Wii U, ahead of a more significant update planned to release before the start of October. 
Nintendo has released system software 3.1.0 for the Wii U, which offers various updates ahead of a more significant update later this year. The headlining change is that the Wii U will now "regularly connect to the Internet when the Wii U is powered down to check for available SpotPass data or software and system updates." Any downloaded software updates will be installed while the Wii U is off, while downloaded system updates will install the next time the console is switched on. Nintendo also adds that "improvements to overall system stability and other minor adjustments have been made to enhance the user experience," but does not detail the changes. The Wii U's second major update of 2013, which company president Satoru Iwata first mentioned back in January, will now be released at the end of September or start of October, Nintendo says. The Wii U's first major update, released in April, sped up the loading of system menus. Wii U owners can manually update the Wii U by connecting it to the Internet and selecting System Update from the System Settings option in the main menu. Nintendo warns that the update may take up to an hour to install on some systems. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Hideo Kojima depressed by GTAV Jul 11th 2013, 12:01 Iconic designer says he doesn't think Metal Gear Solid V can "reach that level," compared to Rockstar's open-world game. 
Industry veteran Hideo Kojima has spoken out on Twitter to say he is "depressed" by Grand Theft Auto V, because he does not believe Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain can match it. In a pair of tweets, he praised Rockstar Games, saying its upcoming open-world action game will raise the bar for developers the world over. "GTA V" new trailer was awesome! This free control is future of the game, way higher than anywhere, makes me depress as matter fact.(cont..) — HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) July 11, 2013
I don't think our "V" can reach that level. Rockstar's team are the best. W/o question they will pull up the possibility of game. — HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) July 11, 2013
Like GTAV, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is an open-world game. Kojima's latest is in development for current- and next-generation consoles, while Rockstar's game is coming only to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Microsoft suggests small businesses buy an Xbox One for the workplace Jul 11th 2013, 10:58 Microsoft says its upcoming next-generation console would be excellent at servicing networking and conferencing needs in the workplace. 
Alongside gamers and families, Microsoft is now saying the Xbox One would be a perfect device for small businesses. In a public letter to small business owners, Microsoft director of consumer camp Marques Lyons has said many of the applications and features available to the upcoming next-generation console would be valuable to the networking and conferencing needs of offices. "In fact, it's entirely justifiable to make the Xbox One a business expense," wrote Lyons. "The Xbox One, priced at $499, is an affordable option for small business owners, as there are many features built into the console that could help it rival even the most modest of video conferencing and networking platforms." "What is being positioned as an excellent entertainment device can be just as enticing for you and your small business." "Utilize Skype," continued Lyons, "and the power of group chatting, to have that collaborative exchange with clients and co-workers, no matter where in the world they happen to be." "Utilize the size of that nice TV screen to see every smile and nod as your next great plan comes together. The Xbox One with Kinect, as a Skype provider, is just as capable as a PC with an attached/included microphone and webcam. The difference here is that Xbox One and Kinect gives you the open space to move, gesture, show examples, and see everyone more clearly." Lyons also suggested a workplace mix of SkyDrive, Office Web Apps, and Kinect. "The SkyDrive app can let you easily access both photos and videos for viewing. If you're hosting a meeting at your office, don't worry about attaching a PC to the TV or using a projector. Store your videos in SkyDrive and then use the app to open that video. Do you have photos from recent travels or images showing details and diagrams? Open them with SkyDrive, navigate them with Kinect voice or hand gestures, be free from tethering that PC around." "With SkyDrive via Internet Explorer, you can use it with the Office Web Apps to open that Excel spreadsheet or PowerPoint. Use the Kinect voice and hand gestures to navigate to websites. Now you're free of clickers and light pens to use your hands to for more expressive gestures." Lyons also said a mix of SmartGlass and Wi-Fi Direct would be useful in the workplace, allowing workers to beam presentations onto a large TV screen and control them with a tablet. Future applications might also be released to assist businesses, added Lyons. "The app story of Xbox One has yet to be written, therefore it is entirely possible to find apps down the road that could be of benefit for you and your business. With the processing power, snap mode, and connection to a large screen, that the Xbox One has, this device is capable of going from the 'break room' to the 'board room'." The Xbox One will be released this November for $499/€499/£425. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | PS4 system architect: Indie trend to "accelerate" Jul 11th 2013, 09:26 Mark Cerny says that the upcoming console will set a proper business structure to support indie development. 
The lead architect of the PS4, Mark Cerny, said that the numbers of indie developers developing for PlayStation platforms will grow at a fast rate. During a Develop Conference interview in Brighton, Cerny said that the PS4 ecosystem was in an ideal position to speed up the trend. "I see it that on PlayStation 4, [indie development] trends are going to accelerate. I think we now finally have the proper business structure to really support indie development. And the PlayStation 4 overall user experience is also set up very well for indie; you can share screenshots and videos of the games and elevate their visibility within the gaming community quite easily," he said. Besides being the lead architect for the PS4, Cerny was responsible for programming, designing, and producing legacy titles such as Marble Madness, Sonic The Hedgehog 2, and Crash Bandicoot. Sony's next generation console is due to launch before the end of 2013. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Keiji Inafune not impressed with E3 2013 software line-up Jul 11th 2013, 09:15 Mega Man and Dead Rising creator says that launch games for upcoming systems do not "do anything new." 
Former Capcom producer and current Comcept head of game design Keiji Inafune said in a Famitsu interview that he wasn't impressed with the software lineup during his visit to E3 2013. Inafune was at E3 this year to promote his upcoming title Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z, and said there wasn't anything on the show floor that grabbed his attention. "We're right at the cusp of new hardware launches, after all, so my impression was that it was nothing but sequels and there aren't any new titles in the end. With the previous generational shift, too, it seemed like they couldn't do anything new, and the launch games for the new systems didn't really seem made for the systems, but were instead previous-gen games made for next-gen systems" he said. Despite the comment above, he seemed positive about the reveal of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. "[Sony and Microsoft's new consoles have] great capabilities as machines. However, instead of focusing on those capabilities, they're devoting their time to thinking about how to position the gamer with the hardware, or how to get them playing it. The first parties are challenging the game makers here, since it's their job to make their mission a reality," he said. "Both game creators and the gamers themselves are taking up this challenge and looking toward these new types of games. In that way I think they're both very meaningful platforms. Looking at the PS4 and Xbox One, I see very few cases of 'this platform can do this' and 'that one can't do that'. There are lots of differences in the hardware design and other details, but in terms of differentiating themselves from each other, I don't feel there are massive differences." He also gave praise to Sony's initiative to get indie games on the PS4, stating in the interview that "they felt innovative and interesting, in part because indie games have to be." He added that at the very least, he gained confidence on what to do as a game creator for the upcoming next-generation consoles. "This E3 helped [push me forward to] make new games. I'd like to continue surprising users with how the next generation of games can evolve, and I want to keep making games that push them in new directions." Inafune's latest game, Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z, will be out early next year for the PS3 and Xbox 360. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Microsoft reveals Xbox One prototypes Jul 11th 2013, 07:20 Xbox One prototypes placed in lounge rooms to indicate how they would look in a real-world setting; company trialled more than 200 controller mock-ups. 
Microsoft has taken the wraps off some of the design process and prototype looks for its upcoming Xbox One console. Xbox creative director Carl Ledbetter discussed the journey to the final look and feel of the console as part of Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference 2013, as reported by Polygon. "We wanted to make it simple and elegant, and we wanted it to be crafted and tailored, so it's all about quality," Ledbetter said. "Using those principles, we started to design." The process involved a team of 30 staff creating initial sketches, which were then turned into physical prototypes. Those models were then put in situ, placed in lounge rooms to give the team an indication of how the devices would look alongside other consumer electronics. "The design you see here," Ledbetter said, showing the final Xbox One unit, "this is where we start to apply things like gloss and matte finishes. How does the vent pattern look? How does the brand come through the front? How do we make the font look high quality, just like the high-definition televisions in people's living rooms?" The creative director also revealed that Microsoft created more than 200 prototypes for its new Xbox One controller, with users able to discern minute differences between different configurations. "We found that, when people put these in their hands, [they] could tell the difference between a 10th of a millimetre in size," Ledbetter said. The Xbox One is scheduled to go on sale this November. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
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