 | Sony says Xbox One's free FIFA offer is "kind of odd" Aug 28th 2013, 16:02 SCEE CEO Jim Ryan says "why should we do that?" about offering a similar deal at PlayStation 4 launch, believes real challenge will be meeting consumer demand. 
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe CEO Jim Ryan has called Microsoft's free FIFA 14 on Xbox One offer "kind of odd." Speaking with Metro at Gamescom, Ryan said Sony is not tempted to offer a similar deal, noting the real challenge of the PlayStation 4 will be meeting demand. "Why should we do that?" Ryan said. "Our problem is gonna be matching supply to demand. It's perfectly rational when a platform holder, or indeed a publisher, runs a preorder campaign to engage in promotional behavior to dial it up if you feel it's not where you need it to be. That’s a rational thing for any businessman to do. We're perfectly happy with where our preorder are." "Why would we go out and add something? Giving away stuff on day one of a new platform launch, in my mind it’s kind of odd," he added. All new and existing Xbox One preorders in Europe will include a bundled copy of FIFA 14 when the console launches. The offer will be available while supplies last. Sony announced during Gamescom last week that preorders for the PS4 have exceeded 1 million units worldwide. According to Ryan, based on retailer checks, Sony is pacing ahead of Microsoft in this department. "We obviously talk to retailers, who quite properly will not share precise numbers with us but who are typically prepared to give an indication of how the land lies," Ryan said. "And it varies from retailer to retailer and it varies from country to country, but I'm not hearin' of too many places at all--at all-- where they're ahead of us." Microsoft has not disclosed preorder figures for the Xbox One. Sony recently nailed down a November 15 release date for the PS4 in North America, while Microsoft has committed to releasing the Xbox One sometime in November. The PS4 will sell for $400, while the Xbox One will debut at $500. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Nintendo 2DS launching October 12 Aug 28th 2013, 15:20 New entry-level portable gaming system coming to United States and Europe alongside Pokemon X and Y this fall for $130. 
Nintendo today announced an all-new piece of hardware: the Nintendo 2DS. The entry-level handheld will launch on October 12 alongside Pokemon X and Y for $130. The 3DS currently retails for $170. The Nintendo 2DS will play all Nintendo 3DS games and is backwards compatible with Nintendo DS titles. It will be available in two versions: black with blue trim and black with red trim. The form factor of the Nintendo 2DS is completely different than the 3DS. The new model is not hinged. And though it features two screens (of identical size to the 3DS), it bears a more tablet, slate style. The Nintendo 2DS features two cameras with which users can snap photos or record video. Users can't play back this content in 3D on their systems, but can insert their SD card into a 3DS to view their content in 3D. Just because Nintendo is releasing a non-3D handheld, it does not mean the company is distancing itself from 3D altogether, as the 3DS will remain on sale. Instead, the 2DS is aimed at attracting more consumers overall through its lower price point, according to Nintendo marketing executive Scott Moffitt. "It doesn't mean that we are not committed at all to 3D and that we don't think that's a really valuable, unique eye-popping feature for a lot of gamers," Moffitt told GameSpot. "We just wanted to continue growing the installed base and needed to find a way to get to a price point that was more accessible for a broad swath of consumers." "As we surveyed the marketplace, it seemed to us that there was an opportunity for something at that lower, entry level price point," he added. Nintendo will also release a carrying sleeve for the 2DS. For more on the 2DS, check out GameSpot's hands-on impressions of the device. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Wii U getting price cut September 20 Aug 28th 2013, 15:20 32GB model dropping to $300 effective next month in US and Europe; Wii U Basic model will be phased out; Wind Waker HD bundle revealed. 
The Wii U is getting a price cut on September 20. Nintendo announced today that the struggling system will drop to $300 for the 32GB version in the United States and Europe. The $250 8GB Wii U Basic model will be phased out. In addition to the price cut, there will be a new Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD Wii U bundle, which will debut on September 20. This bundle will include a digital copy of The Wind Waker HD redeemable immediately and ahead of the game's October 4 retail launch date. The bundle will also feature a custom GamePad with Zelda graphics, as well as the digital version of the Hyrule Historia book. The Wind Waker HD will be available digitally on September 20 for all consumers, not only those who purchase the special bundle. Nintendo also confirmed that the current 32GB Wii U bundle that features Nintendo Land as a pack-in game will remain on the market. The Wii U has struggled thus far, selling 160,000 units worldwide in the April-June quarter and 3.61 million units overall. Nintendo is aiming to boost sales by releasing a steady stream of marquee titles. Nintendo dated several of these games today, including Super Mario 3D World (November 22) and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (December 6). The company also announced a brand-new handheld: the Nintendo 2DS. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Super Mario 3D World launching November 22 Aug 28th 2013, 15:20 Upcoming Wii U game to be available a week before Black Friday shopping craze; Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze hitting December 6. 
Wii U game Super Mario 3D World will launch on November 22, a week before the Black Friday shopping bonanza in the United States, Nintendo announced today. The game will retail for $60. Nintendo also revealed today that Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze will be released on December 6 for $50. Previously, Super Mario 3D World was set to launch in December while Tropical Freeze was penciled in for November. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD will be available on September 20 digitally through the Wii U eShop and on October 4 at retail, Nintendo has confirmed. The game will sell for $50 digitally and at retail. Gamers can also purchase a special physical copy of The Wind Waker HD at GameStop that includes the game and a Ganondorf figurine. Lastly, Nintendo announced today that Wii Party U will be released on October 25 for $50. It includes a Wii Remote Plus controller and stand. The 32GB Deluxe Wii U will receive a $50 price cut effective September 20, dropping from $350 to $300. Meanwhile, the 8GB Basic model will be phased out. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Microsoft: "Absolutely no plans" to release Xbox One without Kinect Aug 28th 2013, 14:27 Phil Spencer squashes possibility of Kinect-less bundle of upcoming next-generation console. 
Microsoft has reiterated that it has no plans to release the Xbox One without Kinect. Corporate vice president Phil Harrison told Metro in a new interview that Kinect is a core component of the next-generation console. "Absolutely no plans at all," Harrison said when asked if a Kinect-free bundle may be offered. "We think Kinect is an integral part of our platform. All of the magical experiences that you get, both as a games-player and also the way you navigate the system are made even more amazing because of Kinect." Harrison said that because every Xbox One console will come with Kinect, developers can design projects for the "widest possible install base." Last week at Gamescom, Harrison said there is no differentiation between Xbox One and Kinect. The two systems are one, he said. "Xbox One is Kinect," Harrison said at the time. "They are not separate systems. An Xbox One has chips, it has memory, it has Blu-ray, it has Kinect, it has a controller. These are all part of the platform ecosystem." Microsoft has said that the Xbox One will launch this November for $499/€499/£429/A$599. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Guild Wars II sales climb to 3.5 million Aug 28th 2013, 14:00 On game's first anniversary, ArenaNet reveals new sales milestone; peak concurrent player figure reaches 460,000 people. 
Guild Wars II has now sold over 3.5 million copies, developer ArenaNet announced today on the game's first anniversary of release in August 2012. The game also reached a milestone of over 460,000 peak concurrent users during the year, though it's not clear when this figure was achieved or what player levels are today. Studio president Mike O'Brien said the fantasy MMO sold "far beyond our expectations" and recalled that sales were at one point shut down to avoid overwhelming the game's servers. Guild Wars II is the fastest-selling Western MMO ever, according to data from research company DFC Intelligence. The game's playerbase is expected to grow substantially when it is released in China. O'Brien penned a blog post speaking to achievements made and struggles endured during the year. He said creating Guild Wars II was an "enormous undertaking" of two hundred developers working for five years to bring the game to market. Now the company's focus is keeping Guild Wars II a vibrant and compelling place to visit. "The real challenge is in evolving the world over time," O'Brien said. "And I think the real mark of a success of an online world is how that world grows and evolves, and the extent to which players can take the world and make it their own." O'Brien said he is very proud of the company's ability to release new content for Guild Wars II on a regular basis. In the game's first eight months, ArenaNet shipped eight major releases; and in the following four months, the studio released eight more substantial releases, he said. "We're releasing new content every two weeks. Think about the power of that," O'Brien said. "We're now updating Guild Wars II about five times as often as the typical MMO." Check out O'Brien's full blog post for more on Guild Wars II. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Activision defends yearly Call of Duty releases Aug 28th 2013, 13:30 Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg says "there's demand and excitement" every year for new game. 
Activision has spoken out to defend the yearly release cycle for its popular Call of Duty series. Speaking with Eurogamer, Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg said one gamer per year is on par with player's demands. "The cadence of the releases seems to have found a nice equilibrium with people's appetite," Hirshberg said. "There's demand and excitement each and every time out. Then people are playing throughout the year." Hirshberg explained that more people are playing Call of Duty today, in 2013, than ever before. This success hasn't blinded Activision, Hrishberg said, noting, "We don't take anything for granted." Activision is able to release a new Call of Duty game every year by spreading development across two major studios. Infinity Ward, creators of the series, typically release their games in odd-numbered years, while Treyarch ships its games during even-numbered years. This two-studio approach has helped the Call of Duty series stay fresh, Hirshberg said, as each outfit is attempting to one-up the other every year. "Having alternating studios is one of the secrets to the franchise's success," Hirshberg said. "You have different creative people who are strong-willed and have minds of their own. Everyone gets what makes a great Call of Duty game. Treyarch and IW are the masters, and have built this thing. So, there's a lot of common DNA from year to year." "But then people come in and want to top each other," he added. "There's some healthy competition. There's a desire within the creative team to not do the same thing and not be stagnant, the same way there is in the player community." Hirshberg also spoke to the growing popularity of the Call of Duty series, saying the franchise has now become a "big pop culture event" every November. Gamers just can't stay away, he said. "A lot of non-hardcore sci-fi fans saw Avatar because it was an even," Hirshberg said. "You felt you had to be a part of it. We've reached the status with Call of Duty of this sort of pop-cultural inevitability, where the game itself, the critical mass of the player base, the marketing tonality and the bigness of the presentation all combine to turn it into an event that I think is unique within the industry." Call of Duty: Ghosts launches on November 5. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Deep Silver won't compromise "Metro's unique DNA" Aug 28th 2013, 12:59 Publisher confirms it will make the world of Metro "more accessible to a broader audience " for new games, but this won't jeopardize the integrity of the franchise. 
New Metro franchise owner Deep Silver is working to make the series "more accessible to a broader audience," but whatever changes are made to the series in future games won't jeopardize the integrity of the franchise, the publisher has said in a new blog post. "Fans of Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light have been justifiably concerned by a story that surfaced at Gamescom last week, and we wanted to set the record straight," Deep Silver global brand manager Huw Beynon said. Deep Silver CEO Dr. Klemens Kundratitz told Joystiq that, "Our ambition is to absolutely continue with that brand and we will also, in the next phase, look to making it more accessible for a broader gamer audience." Beynon said this quote has, in some cases, been interpreted to mean Deep Silver will "dilute" Metro's core gameplay values or "dumb down" the game "in a bid to woo a wider, more casual audience." He said that Deep Silver understands this concern, but made clear that the company "has absolutely no intention of compromising Metro's unique DNA." "Whatever direction a new Metro game takes (and we are still assembling the drawing boards), it will build on the bleak, post apocalyptic pillars of atmosphere, immersion, challenge, and depth that sets this franchise apart from the crowd," Beynon said. "However, Deep Silver will seek to make the world of Metro more accessible to a broader audience," Beynon said. "Through a commitment to ever higher product quality; through greater strategic investment in the brand; and, in the immediate term, through the release of dedicated Mac and Linux versions of Metro: Last Light. This is just the first stage of a broader initiative to bring Metro to a wider audience, without compromising the product's strengths." Metro: Last Light launches for Mac on September 10, while the Linux version will be out later in the year. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Microsoft considering allowing users to resell digital games? Aug 28th 2013, 12:38 Tipster suggests survey could hint at possible new game marketplace; if true, users may be able to buy and sell digital games. 
Microsoft may be considering the introduction of a virtual marketplace that could allow users to buy and resell Xbox One digital purchases, according to a reportedly leaked survey by a user on the NeoGAF forums. While nothing has been confirmed--and the source, known mole, user "crazy buttocks on a train" (better known to the website’s community as CBOAT) acknowledges that the details are simply potential scenarios--if implemented, the concept could allow console owners to purchase and sell new and pre-owned digital games. According to the report, users may be offered virtual goods at a range of prices and with differing features, though no specifics were detailed. An undisclosed service fee may also be charged to the seller following a successful transaction through the system. The survey the information supposedly comes from makes note that the service could be available through the console’s premium subscription service, and makes mention of both Xbox Live Gold and Sony’s PlayStation Plus service. The inclusion of the latter has prompted some users to conclude that the survey may have originated with a third-party publisher, retailer, or a contracted external marketing company rather than Microsoft itself. Unconfirmed rumours surfaced earlier this week suggesting that the Xbox One could launch at retail on November 8, before later being retracted and pointing to an another window in November. CBOAT mocked the claims and noted in the forum post that Microsoft customer service staff are being called in on November 15 to coincide with the roll out of a new "Assisted Support Desktop" system for Xbox One. Its introduction will reportedly include a more robust security system designed to thwart Xbox account phishing attempts. While CBOAT has previously correctly broken details about Microsoft’s platforms, as with any unofficial information, its authenticity remains unknown. GameSpot attempted to contact the poster, and will update if further information becomes available. A Microsoft spokesperson was unavailable for comment at time of publication. Microsoft has so far only confirmed that the Xbox One will launch this November for $499/€499/£429/A$599. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Borderlands 2 Game of the Year Edition confirmed Aug 28th 2013, 12:26 New version of 2012 shooter launching October 8 for $60 with all Season Pass content and more. 
After leaking earlier this week, 2K and Gearbox Software today announced the Borderlands 2 Game of the Year Edition. It will be available on "all platforms" in North America on October 8 and internationally on October 11 for $60. The Borderlands 2 Game of the Year Edition includes all four expansions within the Borderlands 2 Season Pass, as well as the Creature Slaughter Dome, all Premiere Club content, the Psycho character class, collector's edition heads and skins, and the Ultimate Vault Hunters Upgrade Pack 1. Borderlands 2 originally released in September 2012. It has since shipped over 7 million copies and is on pace to become the highest-selling title in the history of 2K. Gearbox Software will discuss the Borderlands series, as well as its other upcoming games, during a PAX Prime panel on Monday, September 2. GameSpot will be in attendance. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
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