| League of Legends Season 3 World Championships kick off Sep 18th 2013, 00:03 The $2,000,000 League of Legends Season 3 World Championships have begun. 
Riot Games has kicked off the League of Legends Season 3 World Championships, with 14 of the best teams from North America, Europe, South Korea, China, and Southeast Asia battling for $2,000,000 and the title of best League of Legends team in the world. The Season 3 finals began with the first day of group matches, where the top two teams from each group advanced to the quarterfinals to meet with the first-place finishers of each region. Teams in the group stage include Team SoloMid and Team Vulcun from the United States, Samsung Galaxy Ozone and SK Telecom T1 from South Korea, Fnatic, Gambit Gaming (Russia), Lemondogs (Sweden), GamingGear (Lithuania) from Europe, OMG from China, and Mineski from the Philippines. Cloud 9 from the United States, Gamania Bears from Taiwan, Najin Sword from South Korea, and Royal Club from China wait the winners in the Quarterfinals. [ Watch Video ] Games kicked off with TSM taking a quick victory over a GamingGear team who will have a rough road ahead of them these playoffs, and Lemondogs putting up a battle with tournament favorites SKT1. Things ramped up much quicker for TSM's next match against OMG, a team that is playing outside of China for the first time. OMG AD Carry Guo "San" JunLiang left no question of their tournament inexperience by leading them to two wins over TSM and SKT1. Guo led the day in average gold per game, and second in KDA with 19. "I never thought we could beat SKT1," midlaner Yu "Cool" JiaJun told GameSpot about their wins. "We've watched all of their previous games and their AP and AD carries are so strong. I think the reason we were able to win against SKT1 was because our Jungler [Yin "LoveLin" Le] played great in the beginning. He was able to get us our advantages." "We didn't know much about TSM before our game. We didn't put a lot of pressure on ourselves before playing them. We actually have very high expectations for ourselves. I think it's important to have confidence in your own team." "The biggest thing was that we lost mid," said TSM support Alex "Xpecial" Chu. "Fizz vs. Ahri is supposed to be a winning matchup for [TSM Captain] Reginald, and he lost the lane. Ahri got out of control. Today was a frustrating experience and hopefully we learned a lot from it. We've still got six more games, and if we can win five we have a really good shot of making it out of the group stage." Chu believes Group A to be a much more difficult group, stating that most analysts have picked SKT1, OMG, and Lemondogs as the best teams in each of their regions--Korea, China, and Europe, respectively. "I say we'll get out of group stage, and I firmly believe Vulcun can get out and have a really good shot," said Chu. "I'm 100 percent sure if we were in Group B, we would get out." Group B saw Vulcun with a big win over Fnatic to start things off, and SG Ozone return the favor soon after. SG Ozone closed out the day against Gambit Gaming, which earned the final spot in the European playoffs after a close decider against Evil Geniuses. Gambit used Vulcun's similar lineup in their game against SG Ozone for their own benefit, getting them a crucial win against one of Korea's best teams. "I think we were not that nervous, we knew what they were going to do," said Gambit Captain Alexey "Alex Ich" Ichetovkin. "They really suffered versus Vulcun, and we were pretty sure we had an edge. We decided to pick our comfort picks, and we knew [what they would pick] because we picked similar to Vulcun." Ichetovkin says that Gambit has used their preparation against teams like OMG in the days leading into the event. "We're scrimming a lot against the Chinese teams, against OMG. They brought a lot to our teamplay and game overall. We've changed a bit about our game. We're pretty confident. I think we should be able to win against the other teams. The only team we’re not sure against is Fnatic. They're really good against us." Day two was headlined by a battle between Gambit and Fnatic for the top spots in Group B. Fnatic has not lost a game to Gambit since the Spring Playoff Finals, having lost all the games in the Summer Season. Ichetovkin's worries came true as Fnatic continued their streak to tie up both teams 3-1 on the top of Group B. Fnatic Top Laner Paul "sOAZ" Boyer believes the picking phase played a key factor in their win. "Everyone thought went good for us. I think we really out banned and out picked them, and we played good. I think Gambit is the team we know the most in Europe. We know how to play against them. Gambit is really predictable on their picks." "We expected a bit more from the Koreans. I think they're really strong individual players but their teamplay is not that good compared to what we've seen before." Hundreds of thousands of viewers tuned in from around the globe to watch the opening day of the championships on live-stream, though no confirmation could be given on peak concurrent viewers or total views. The #Worlds hashtag trended third in the United States above NFL games at certain times, and at one point there was over 25,000 concurrent users on the League of Legends community hub on Reddit. Reddit General Manager Erik Martin tells GameSpot that the League of Legends subreddit was the most active subreddit on the entire site yesterday. "It was indeed the most active (by pageviews) subreddit for the day," he said. Riot Games head of eSports Dustin Beck told GameSpot that the developer has been blown away by the event's reception thus far. "We're just completely floored by the community's reception as we kick off the group stages of the Season 3 World Championship," Beck said. "We can't wait to see which teams make it out of the Group Stages, and we hope fans enjoy the rest of this week's games as much as we're gonna!" The group stages continue again tonight and every night at 7 p.m. PST through till Saturday, September 21. Watch the event live on GameSpot each night. GameSpot eSports is live on location provided interviews every day of the championships. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
|  | Star Citizen funding climbs to $19 million Sep 17th 2013, 21:54 Record-setting crowdfunding campaign for Chris Roberts' PC space simulator reaches new milestone; $21 million stretch goal revealed. 
The crowdfunding campaign for Chris Roberts' PC space simulator Star Citizen has reached $19 million, propelling the record-setting effort to new heights. Star Citizen is the most crowdfunded project--of any kind--of all time. "It's hard to believe we're here again already in just over a week! Star Citizen Backers have brought us to an astounding $19 million!," Roberts said in a statement. "Stretch goals we thought would take months to reach are being unlocked every week. Thanks to you, the dream of a true AAA PC game without the restrictions of a publisher has become a reality." Should funding for Star Citizen reach $20 million, developer Cloud Imperium Games will add first-person combat, though no new details are available about this mode. The $21 million Star Citizen stretch goal was also revealed today. If funding reaches this level, the Salvage Mechanic "career" will be introduced to the game. According to Roberts, "Salvage isn't an aside: it’s a career, with its own mechanic, story tie-ins, and universe-shaping endgames." To mark the announcement of this stretch goal, Roberts revealed the first concept art (below) for Star Citizen's female explorer. Explaining her design, Roberts said, "we didn't want a cheap pinup," but rather a "badass space explorer." Star Citizen has been in development at Cloud Imperium Games for more than a year. The game itself includes a "sophisticated storyline" that is set in a persistent online universe. According to Roberts, it will fuse elements of his previous games, Wing Commander and Freelancer. Support for the virtual-reality headset Oculus Rift is planned. Star Citizen is expected to be released in late 2014. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Mega Man creator's Mighty No. 9 coming to consoles Sep 17th 2013, 21:53 Kickstarter proceeds for Keiji Inafune's side-scroller exceed $2.2 million, meaning game is coming to Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii U. 
The Kickstarter campaign for Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune's Mighty No. 9 has surpassed $2.2 million, meaning the side-scroller will now be released on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii U. At press time, funding for Mighty No. 9 stood at $2,246,203 from 39,204 backers. If funding for Mighty No. 9 reaches $3.3 million, the game will also be released on next-generation consoles the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The campaign closes on October 1. Inafune announced and launched the Kickstarter campaign for Mighty No. 9 during PAX Prime last month. It reached its initial $900,000 target in under two days. For more, check out GameSpot's interview with Inafune about the Kickstarter project and his thoughts on the Japanese gaming industry, among other topics. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Andrew Wilson named EA CEO Sep 17th 2013, 21:41 EA Sports veteran appointed Chief Executive Officer at Battlefield, Mass Effect publisher, replacing John Riccitiello; says he envisions EA as the "world's greatest games company;" will be paid $800,000 salary. 
EA Sports veteran Andrew Wilson has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Electronic Arts, it was announced today. Wilson replaces John Riccitiello, who resigned in March. EA considered internal and external candidates for the role. Wilson most recently served at EA as executive vice president of EA Sports and Origin. He will be paid an annual salary of $800,000 as EA's new CEO, and his target bonus percentage will be 150 percent of his salary. Wilson released a statement on his appointment, the full text of which is available below. "Let me start by saying I am deeply honored and humbled to become EA's CEO. I have a profound respect and passion for this organization, as well as for our global community of fans, and I'm incredibly motivated to serve our people, our gamers and our shareholders at such an exciting time in our industry. From my start at EA in Australia back in 2000, through stops in Asia, Europe and now North America, I've worked with people in this company who have consistently amazed and inspired me. It's my passion for our people and the great products we all impact that gives me such excitement for our future. I hope you all feel the same level of energy and optimism that I do as we embark on this journey together. I envision EA as the World's Greatest Games Company. This is not about what we are aiming for or what we will become. Rather, it is about an unfaltering commitment to what we will be every day. This is an attitude that must drive our culture as one team. I also believe EA's strategy is sound. Our focus on our talent, our brands and our platform together with our investment in next-generation consoles, mobile and PC free-to-play, as part of our ongoing transition to digital, is right. But we have plenty of work ahead to ensure our collective success. In the short term, our mission is crystal clear: We are 100 percent focused on delivering our FY14 business plan. We have made strong progress in the first half of the fiscal year, establishing financial discipline and continuing to create a slate of fantastic games for current and next-generation consoles, mobile and PC. But now we've got to finish the job--execute in Q3 and Q4 and deliver on the promises we made to our fans and our shareholders. Looking ahead, my focus will be on three things: 1. Continued transformation for our digital future; 2. Delivering amazing games and services across platforms; and 3. Instilling a culture of execution that will drive profitable growth. In the days and weeks ahead, I will provide a greater level of operational detail behind the plan that will make these goals a reality. I could not be more proud to lead you as CEO of EA. Thank you in advance for your support." EA executive chairman Larry Probst released a statement on behalf of EA's board of directors regarding Wilson's appointment to CEO. He said EA conducted a "rigorous search" for Riccitiello's successor, and mentioned "several talented executives" from inside the company and out were considered. These people were not named. "He is a compelling and charismatic communicator who cares deeply about organizational development, teams, and the individual careers of people who work for EA," Probst said about Wilson. "Most of all, he has a powerful sense of respect for and commitment to our consumers." In support of Wilson's transition to EA CEO, Probst will continue to serve as EA's executive chairman for an indefinite period, earning a $1.03 million salary. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Capcom releases Capcom Cup global qualifier dates Sep 17th 2013, 19:40 Capcom has released the dates for its Capcom Cup global qualifiers in a video the posted to YouTube today.   
Today, Capcom released the dates for its Global Qualifiers for the 2013 Capcom Cup Finals on YouTube. September 7-8 - Treta in Curitiba, Brazil. Winner qualifiers for Capcom Cup Finals September 14-15 - The Fall Classic in Raleigh, North Carolina. Winner qualifiers for Capcom Cup Finals September 22 - Tokyo Game Show Mad Catz Tournament in Chiba, Japan. Winner qualifies for Capcom Cup Finals October 19 - Cafe ID in Seoul, Korea. Top 2 qualify for Asia Finals October 26 - Location TBA in Taiwan. Top 2 qualify for Asia Finals November 2 - Tough Cookie Gaming Cafe in Singapore. Top 2 qualify for Asia FinalsCup Finals November 8-10 - Asia Finals at the Razer Headquarters in Singapore. Top 2 qualify for Capcom Cup Finals October 12-13 - Play Expo in Manchester, United Kingdom. Winner qualifies for Capcom Cup Finals October 12-13 - Shadowloo Showdown in Flemington, Australia. Winner qualifies for Capcom Cup Finals The 2013 Evolution Championship Series Street (EVO) Fighter IV AE winner Ho Kun "Xian" Xian will have a direct invitation to the Capcom Cup finals. The 2013 Capcom Cup was originally announced by Capcom during a panel at this year's EVO. Capcom mentioned at the time that Capcom Cup would include both Street Fighter IV: Ultimate Edition and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 was not included in the video. The prize pool for the event has not been announced yet. Capcom Cup will take place on December 14 at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport in Burlingame, California. Doors open at 9:00 a.m. PST and the games begin at 10:00 a.m. PST. [ Watch Video ] Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Skylanders Giants two-week sales exceed 500,000 copies Sep 17th 2013, 19:31 Publisher says its latest toys-to-life game sold over half a million copies during launch period in 2012, compared to 294,000 for Disney Infinity. 
Activision Publishing announced today that Skylanders Giants sold more than 500,000 combined Starter Packs and Portal Owner Packs in the United States and Europe during its first two weeks on sale in October 2012. The announcement comes on the same day that Disney Interactive revealed that Disney Infinity sold 294,000 Starter Packs in the United States alone during its own two-week launch period last month. Disney did not reveal a combined sales figure for the U.S. and Europe, but said the company is "very pleased" with the game's global sales performance. According to Activision, Skylanders Giants is the best-selling console and handheld game year-to-date in terms of overall dollars spent on the game, as well as its toys and accessories. The game remains the "biggest kids' video game launch in the U.S. and Europe," Activision said. Activision also said that Skylanders figures are "expected" to have outsold the "top action-figure properties" in the U.S. and Europe for the first eight months of 2013. These competing action-figures were not named. In all, the Skylanders franchise has generated more than $1.5 billion in worldwide retail sales. The next entry in the series is Skylanders: Swap Force, which will be released this fall on current- and next-generation consoles, as well as PC and handhelds. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
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