 | New IP from Killzone dev is "completely different" Sep 30th 2013, 22:37 Guerrilla Games lead designer Eric Boltjes says studio has begun work on all-new, non-Killzone title; "As a studio, we do want to branch out." 
Killzone series developer Guerrilla Games has begun development on an all-new intellectual property that is "completely different" than the sci-fi shooter series that the Sony-owned studio has become known for. "As a studio we do want to branch out, and we have started work on a new IP, something completely different to Killzone," lead designer Eric Boltjes told Eurogamer. "I don't want to say anything about it right now, but as a studio we do want to keep it fresh." Guerrilla Games managing director Hermen Hulst originally revealed that the Amsterdam-based studio was working on a new franchise during GDC Europe 2010. No details about the game have been announced to date. A new franchise from Guerrilla Games has been a long time coming. The developer has not released a non-Killzone game since 2004's Shellshock: Nam '67, the studio's very first game. The next title from Guerrilla Games is PlayStation 4 launch game Killzone: Shadow Fall, which will be available on disc and as a 50GB download. For more on that game, check out GameSpot's previous coverage. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Ubisoft hoping to add 500 jobs in Quebec by 2020 Sep 30th 2013, 22:36 Ahead of next-gen console launches, Far Cry publisher announces "concentration of American operations of online games" initiative with plan to invest over $360 million in seven years. 
In the lead-up to the arrival of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 this November, Far Cry and Assassin's Creed publisher Ubisoft announced today that it plans to add 500 jobs to its Quebec offices by 2020. By that time, the company plans to employ 3,500 people in the region. The new positions come through the company's "concentration of American operations for online games" initiative in Montreal. This includes an expansion of Ubisoft's motion capture technology as part of a total investment of $373 million CAD ($363 million) over seven years. "The imminent arrival of the next generation of consoles, the expansion of mobile platforms, the multiplication of connected, immersive, and social environments, and the strategic importance of the relationship between developers and players are profoundly transforming the video game industry," Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said in a statement. "Today's announcement allows us to anticipate the growth of our future needs with the main objective of strengthening proximity with our players and creating value for them," he added. The 500 new positions cover a range of "new skills" required for next-generation game development, according to Ubisoft. These include community and network management specialists, business intelligence analysts, mathematicians, telemetry experts, systems operators, and monetization and interactive marketing specialists. As part of the deal, the Quebec government has announced a $9.9 million CAD ($9.6 million) contribution to the endeavor. Ubisoft has been set up in Quebec since 1997. "Their growth and concrete economic benefits for the Quebec nation are true sources of pride," Quebec premier Pauline Marois said of Ubisoft. "The project announced today, bringing about important job creation, allows us to foresee success in the future." Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Zynga settles lawsuit over casual sex app Bang With Friends Sep 30th 2013, 22:33 Companies reach "amicable resolution" in legal dispute over casual sex app; Bang With Friends will change corporate name. 
Zynga and Bang With Friends, Inc. today announced that they have reached a settlement in their legal dispute. According to a joint statement, an "amicable resolution" was reached. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed, but Bang With Friends, Inc. said it acknowledges the trademark rights Zynga has for "with friends" and will change it corporate name. Zynga sued the developer behind casual sex app Bang With Friends in July, claiming the company's software infringes on Zynga's trademark for its "with friends" suite of games. The Bang With Friends app was recently renamed "Down." The company is currently working on a new version of the app. According to the original complaint, Bang With Friends, Inc. "selected the name 'Bang With Friends' for its casual sex matching app with Zynga's game trademarks fully in mind." The complaint claimed Bang With Friends directly infringes on Zynga's games Words With Friends and Chess With Friends. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Eidos life president steps down Sep 30th 2013, 22:33 Ian Livingstone departs Deus Ex, Tomb Raider studio after over 20 years. 
Eidos life president Ian Livingstone has left the Deus Ex and Tomb Raider studio after more than 20 years with the company, it was announced today on the Square Enix blog. "Ian is one of the original founding fathers of the UK games industry and is setting out on a new chapter to focus more time on the important projects he is working on outside of Square Enix," the company said. This includes establishing The Livingstone Foundation to open Free Schools and Academies, an initiative that aims to foster creativity, collaboration, coding, and problem-based learning. The program also seeks to help establish games as an education tool. In addition, Square Enix said Livingstone will "remain active" in the industry, serving as both an advisor and an entrepreneur for social and mobile games. No specific projects were announced. On top of helping establish Eidos and launch brands like Tomb Raider, Hitman, and Deus Ex, Livingstone cofounded iconic role-playing game company Games Workshop. Livingstone's role as life president at Eidos saw him working in public affairs, giving talks around the world, and working closely with the United Kingdom government. He is also credited with playing a significant role in the recent production tax credits submission for the UK game industry. "We're not saying a full goodbye as we're hopeful we will get to work with Ian on some future projects," Square Enix said. "But all of us at Square Enix do want to take this opportunity to publicly thank Ian for his unparalleled tenure and contribution to this business and the UK games industry. And we wish him every success with his future projects and new ventures." Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag PC out November 19 Sep 30th 2013, 22:22 Ubisoft confirms launch date for PC version of upcoming action game. 
The PC version of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag will launch on November 19, just under a month after the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii U versions ship on October 29, Ubisoft announced today. Game director Ashraf Ismail revealed that the PC version of the game would not be available alongside Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii U iterations this past June. "We're working hard on the PC version," Ismail said at the time. "It's one of the main platforms we work on in the office. For our PC fans, don't worry. The game on PC looks phenomenal." Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag will be available as day-one launch titles for the PlayStation 4 (November 15) and Xbox One (November 22). The free-roaming action game set during the Golden Age of Pirates stars a young captain Edward Kenway, the grandfather of Assassin's Creed III's Connor and descendant of Desmond Miles. Players will meet up with legendary pirates including Blackbeard and Charles Vane as they journey through the West indies. For more on Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, check out GameSpot's just-published hands-on preview of the game. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Microsoft streaming service called Rio - Report Sep 30th 2013, 17:16 Source reveals name of recently outed streaming platform; another report says service could be means to support backward compatibility on Xbox One. 
GameSpot sister site CNET has heard from a source that Microsoft's recently revealed cloud-powered streaming service is called Rio. Its former codename was Ridgeway, another source said. During Microsoft meetings last week, the company reportedly demonstrated Halo 4 being streamed to a Surface tablet and a Windows Phone. This was achieved at "Xbox-level visual quality," CNET's source said. Noted Windows blogger Paul Thurrott added some additional insight into Rio, based on information from his own sources. "The firm noted that latency was down to 45 milliseconds, which is probably OK for simple single-player gaming but is in fact pretty high for real-time multiplayer gaming," Thurrott said on his site. "But here's a secret benefit of this technology: Microsoft might use this to solve the backward-compatibility problem of the Xbox One, which cannot play Xbox 360 games: It could simply stream these titles to customers." Microsoft hinted at tapping into the power of the cloud for backward compatibility on the Xbox One earlier this month. "There are so many things that the servers can do. Using our Azure cloud servers, sometimes it's things like voice processing. It could be more complicated things like rendering full games like a Gaikai and delivering it to the box," senior Xbox director Albert Penello said at the time. "We just have to figure out, over time, how much does that cost to deliver, how good is the experience." Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
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