 | Microsoft's Spencer says the clever Xbone nickname will stick Oct 3rd 2013, 16:26 "I guess the thing that bugged me the most is I didn't see it," says Spencer regarding the popular Xbox One nickname. 
Microsoft Studios head Phil Spencer has weighed in on his personal stance towards the popular Xbone nickname for the Xbox One. "At first, I guess the thing that bugged me the most is I didn't see it," said Spencer in an interview with GameSpot. "I'd been looking at the name for Xbox One for months, and I wasn't clever enough to merge them and come up with Xbone." Microsoft took ownership of the Xbone.com domain in September. In the same week, the Xbox UK Twitter account used the Xbone term in a Tweet to musician Snoop Dogg, and Microsoft spokesperson Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb said the nickname "disrespects" the system's developers. "I don't like it…it disrespects the teams that have put thousands of hours (already) into the development of the product. Sure, it's cheeky, but I don't care for it myself," said Hryb in September. Spencer admits that he thinks Microsoft is going to have to endure the nickname. "But, you know, I think it's going to stick," he said. "I think we can say we don't like it as much as we want, but it's a clever use of the name. Probably not the most flattering name, but I think it's going to be there." But does Spencer think that Microsoft should embrace the moniker? "Embrace? I think we know it's there. I don't think you'll see us running ads that say Xbone… but, yeah, it's a clever use of the name," he concluded. The Xbox One will launch on November 22. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Plants vs. Zombies 2 nearing global Android launch Oct 3rd 2013, 16:24 PopCap confirms game now available in Australia and New Zealand as part of expanded soft launch; worldwide rollout expected "soon." 
Free-to-play downloadable game Plants vs. Zombies 2 will be released across the world on Android "soon," PopCap Games announced today. The game originally launched on iOS in July. The developer has also expanded the game's soft launch territories, pushing Plants vs. Zombies 2 live on the Google Play store today in New Zealand and Australia. This follows the game's release in China last month. Plants vs. Zombies 2 has not been without controversy. A report from last week cited EA Labels president Frank Gibeau as saying "Apple gave us a truckload of money to delay the Android version [of Plants vs Zombies 2]." EA said this comment was taken out of context and thus caused an "unfortunate misunderstanding." A paid relationship between Apple and EA does not exist, the company said at the time. Plants vs. Zombies 2 launched in July as an iOS-exclusive and has been downloaded nearly 25 million times to date. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Sony "reengineering" The Last Guardian Oct 3rd 2013, 15:43 Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida says team working on long-awaited game is "well-staffed," can't talk about platform just yet. 
Sony is "reengineering" long-awaited PlayStation game The Last Guardian, Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida told GamesIndustry International in a new interview. It is not clear what this means for the project. Yoshida was asked about SCEA Jack Tretton's recent comment about the game being on "hiatus." He said describing development on the game this way is a little off-the-mark. "Hiatus, I never… It was Jack Tretton! He used that term, and I said no, hiatus is misleading," Yoshida said. "It was a hiatus in terms of releasing new information. The game has never stopped--the team has always been here. They're going through the reengineering of the game, so the team size is smaller, because it's more engineering focused right now." Asked what platform The Last Guardian would be released for, Yoshida said, "That I cannot talk about." The game was formally announced in June 2009 for the PlayStation 3. "So, we're waiting for the right time to reintroduce The Last Guardian in an appropriate way. I can't… Well, the game is in development, and it's well staffed, and Ueda-san is here, working--even though he's not a Sony employee, he's dedicated to the product. But we're not ready to update yet." The Last Guardian has made "slow progress" for years. Sony senior vice president of product development Scott Rohde said during E3 2012 that the game will ship "when it is absolutely ready." He also said Sony has no deadline whatsoever for the game. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Witcher dev reveals collaboration with Dark Horse Oct 3rd 2013, 15:08 CD Projekt Red and comic book publisher will announce "something truly special" for fantasy fans at New York Comic Con next week. 
The Witcher developer CD Projekt Red today announced and teased a collaboration with Dark Horse Comics for an all-new project. Fans won't have to wait long to find out what the announcement is all about, as the two companies will unveil "something truly special for fans of the fantasy genre" at New York Comic Con next week. CD Projekt Red teased, "There's a mystery near the end of the Black Forest." The announcement will be made during the Full Color Fantasy: Fantasy Comics Past, Present, and Future! panel, to be held on Friday, October 11 at 1:30 pm. EDT. Check out a teaser video for the announcement below. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is currently in development for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC for release in 2014. For more on The Witcher 3, check out GameSpot's previous coverage. [ Watch Video ] Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Capcom to cut its European workforce by half - Report Oct 3rd 2013, 14:31 Capcom to lose over half its European workforce after string of unsuccessful game releases, new report says. 
Capcom is looking to cut its European workforce by more than fifty percent, an MCV report says. A difficult year is cited as the reason for the redundancies, after many of the publisher's titles failed to meet sales expectations. The company's latest financial reports showed that Resident Evil 6 and DmC: Devil May Cry both failed to meet sales expectations, and the recently-released Lost Planet 3 was unable to crack the UK top 20 in its first week on sale. In a statement to MCV, Capcom said "following a restructure at its US operation, Capcom…s European organisation is currently evaluating its structure to ensure it is in the best position to take advantage of the changing market conditions the industry is facing." Looking ahead, Capcom has Xbox One launch title Dead Rising 3 on the cards, and chart company Media Create reported that 3DS exclusive Monster Hunter 4, which is yet to launch across North America and Europe, sold 1.7 million copies during its first weekend on sale in Japan. The publisher is also working on free-to-play adventure Deep Down for the PlayStation 4. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus out November 12 Oct 3rd 2013, 14:28 $30 PlayStation 3 game arriving next month; preorder bonuses revealed. 
Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus will launch exclusively for PlayStation 3 on November 12, Insomniac Games announced today. The game will sell for $30. Into the Nexus is an epilogue to the Future games (Tools of Destruction, Quest for Booty, A Crack in Time) and features a new story and arsenal of weapons and gadgets. The game will be "shorter" than other entries in the action game series, and this was intentional, Insomniac Games community lead James Stevenson said. "Some of you have asked us why we made a shorter Ratchet game. The truth is, we relished this ability to tie a bow on the PS3 era of Ratchet with a shorter title," he said. "All of us love the Ratchet universe--and after 12 years developing the series, it feels like a very close friend. We have a lot of stories to tell, some longer, some shorter. This one felt just right." Insomniac also announced that those who preorder Into the Nexus will receive Pyronox Armor for Ratchet, which provides 5 percent damage reduction. In addition, preorders placed through Amazon will receive a "huge package" of Ratchet & Clank-themed content for PlayStation Home. [ Watch Video ] Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Report: PS4 to outsell Xbox One this holiday Oct 3rd 2013, 13:58 International Data Corporation says PlayStation 4's lower price point will help platform edge out Xbox One; console sales expected to grow in 2013 for the first time in four years. 
The PlayStation 4 will outsell the Xbox One at release this holiday due to a "variety of factors" but most directly its price point, according to a new report from the International Data Corporation (IDC) released this week. The PS4 will sell for $400, while the Xbox One will launch at $500. Sony has previously said that "price isn't everything" and that the lowest-priced console isn't always the most successful. For its part, Microsoft Xbox director Albert Penello said last month that the Xbox One is worth $100 more than the PS4. "I just believe that we're going to have a better system," he said at the time. The IDC report also concludes that the number of game consoles shipped worldwide in 2013 will be "marginally higher" than 2012's 33 million, bringing to a halt a four-year slide that started in 2009. The research group also predicted that prepaid full-game, micro-game, and add-on revenue generated through Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, and eShop will exceed that of worldwide PC-based digital sales of the same nature for the first time ever this year. The IDC also pointed out that while subscription-based PC game revenue is currently declining, connected console subscription revenue (Xbox Live Gold, PlayStation Plus) is up so far in 2013. IDC gaming research manager Lewis Ward said the online console game market is expected to exceed 165 million people worldwide by 2017. Details about how many people would be playing offline were not provided. "As a result, the opportunity to sell these gamers digital assets through Wii U, Xbox One, and PS4 online storefronts will grow substantially in the next several years," Ward said. The Chinese government's recent decision to lift its 13-year console ban "should" lead to millions of additional hardware sales for Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony within the next three years, Ward said. Lastly, Ward said emerging platforms like Ouya, Valve's new Steam Machines, smart TVs, and other microconsoles are "unlikely" to have a material impact on the traditional console business, at least for a few more years. "It appears unlikely that Nintendo, Microsoft, or Sony will be driven out of the living room from a gaming perspective by 2017 as result of non-console competition from the likes of Valve/Steam, Ouya, cable/telecom companies, or related hardware and Web service providers," Ward said. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Leaked Watch Dogs PC specifications state 64-bit OS requirement Oct 3rd 2013, 13:38 Ubisoft's "ultra" specification for Watch Dogs on PC also asks for an Nvidia GTX 670 or Radeon HD 7970 graphics card, and an Intel Core i7-3930K or AMD FX-9370 processor. 
Watch Dogs will require PC users to be running a 64-bit operating system, leaked system specs for the game suggest. The specifications, which popped up briefly on Ubisoft's Uplay store before being taken down, were archived by NeoGAF, detailing the 64-bit OS requirement alongside the need for 20GB of hard drive space and minimum, recommended, and "ultra" specifications. The game's minimum specifications require a DirectX 11 graphics card with 1GB RAM, a quad-core CPU, and 4GB of system RAM. The recommended specs are a DX11 GPU with 2GB of RAM, an eight-core CPU, and 8GB of system RAM. Meanwhile, Ubisoft's "ultra" specs for Watch Dogs recommends over 8GB of system RAM alongside an Nvidia GTX 670 or Radeon HD 7970 graphics card, and an Intel Core i7-3930K or AMD FX-9370 processor. Ubisoft will released Watch Dogs for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii U on November 19. Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions will also be available at launch. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Sony on Xbox One changes -- "That shows how smart they are" Oct 3rd 2013, 13:00 Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida praises Microsoft for reversing policies, says PS4 is the "most powerful console ever made." 
Microsoft's decision to change a number of its Xbox One policies this summer "shows how smart they are," according to Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida. "We know they're very smart people," Yoshida told GamesIndustry International in a new interview. "It's great that they were able to quickly realize that some of the things they were doing were not popular, and were able to make really quick decisions to change some of those things--even things that their engineering group must have spent a lot of time preparing before the launch. It must have been a very tough time for them. That shows how smart they are, and it shows their dedication to making Xbox One successful." Also in the interview, Yoshida explained that Sony "never took [Microsoft] lightly," acknowledging that Sony is the underdog in the United States. "Some of the messaging that they stumbled on just gave us more chances to compete with them in the States," Yoshida said. "Other markets are very different--in Europe, we have a larger market share and in Japan, we have a much longer history of being here. Being consistent and persistent helps; the legacy and people's associations with the brand, their memories of having a great time before." What will help Sony during the upcoming console transition is its experienced management team, Yoshida said. He pointed out that in addition to himself, SCE president and CEO Andrew House and SCEA CEO Jack Tretton have been with Sony since the original PlayStation days. "We've gone through great times and pretty difficult times together," Yoshida said. "I've never worked for another company, so I can just imagine, but we have a very efficient way of discussing issues and being open and honest. We make quick decisions when necessary, and that's something that's very fresh to me." Asked to provide a reason why gamers should choose a PS4 over an Xbox One this holiday, Yoshida explained that the console is not only gamer-focused, but also has been designed to be enjoyable for developers. "We continue to say what we've been saying since February: PS4 is really designed for consumers and focused on how people want to play games," Yoshida said. "At the same time, we've really made sure that it's hardware which game developers will enjoy making games on. We want consumers to look at how much fun it is to use this system, not just for playing games but for finding out about games and sharing the experience with other people." Another selling point for the PS4 is its $400 price point, Yoshida said, a full $100 below Microsoft's $500 Xbox One. This, in addition to exclusive titles, a robust independent development community, and powerful hardware, is what will set the PS4 apart, the executive claimed. "The ease of use, the performance… It's very powerful hardware. We believe this is the most powerful console ever made," Yoshida said. "The content, the games available, the usage of PS4 surrounding games… That's the message we've been communicating, and we'll continue to do that." The PS4 launches November 15 in North America and November 29 in Europe. Sony plans to have 33 titles available on the platform by the end of the year. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Ubisoft explains why Assassin's Creed launches last on PC Oct 3rd 2013, 12:15 Lead designer Jean-Sebastien Decant says PC versions of franchise entries are last to be worked on internally. 
Ubisoft has explained why Assassin's Creed games have historically launched on PC several weeks, and in some cases months, after the console versions come to market. Speaking with Polygon, lead designer Jean-Sebastien Decant said the reason is because the PC version of each game is simply the last version the development team works on. This will again be the case for Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. Ubisoft confirmed this week that the pirate-themed action game will hit PC on November 19, almost three weeks after its initial debut for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii U on October 29. The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions arrive as launch titles for those platforms in November. Decant said at the onset of development, Ubisoft will focus on one "master version" and concentrate its efforts on this version before moving to other iterations. The PC version comes last, he said. "It all depends on what is the master version," Decant said. "If for instance, the [Xbox 360] version was the master version, or the PlayStation 3 version was the master version, then we'd need a little bit more time to adapt it for the PC. But we need to finish that other version first." As a result of the PC version being the last to be completed, Decant said the development team often needs a few additional weeks to implement final tweaks to assure a polished experience. In the case of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, the current-generation versions for Xbox 360 and PS3 were the "master" versions, Decant said. "The technology goal we had [for ACIV] was for the current-gen," Decant said, noting development shifted to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC thereafter. "You need to finish one and make sure that it's clean before you can then finish the others." Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | EA cuts Probst's salary to $515,000 Oct 3rd 2013, 11:44 Electronic Arts halves compensation for executive chairman Larry Probst from $1.03 million following appointment of Andrew Wilson to CEO. 
Electronic Arts has cut executive chairman Larry Probst's annual salary from $1.03 million to $515,000 effective October 1. The reduction in pay was a result of the recent appointment of Andrew Wilson to CEO, EA said in a federal government filing this week. Though EA has cut Probst's salary in half, the board of directors continues to have the option to award Probst a one-time discretionary bonus with the amount to be determined by the board at the end of his tenure. As part of the new arrangement, Probst will not receive further cash retainer fees for his role on the EA board of directors while performing duties in the role of executive chairman. Probst was appointed to the position of EA executive chairman in March 2013 as part of John Riccitiello's departure from the company as its top executive. His $1.03 million compensation package was announced in the weeks after. Probst has been in a leadership position at EA since 1991 and was CEO from 1991 to 2007. He is also the current executive chairman of the United States Olympic Committee and serves on the International Olympic Committee's International Relations Commission. Past positions include national sales manager at Activision and national accounts manager at Clorox. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Gridiron Thunder delays release to go multiplatform Oct 3rd 2013, 10:19 American Football game now coming to iOS and Android at the end of October. 
Kickstarter game Gridiron Thunder has pushed the release of the American Football game to the end of October, its developers have said, so that the one-time Ouya exclusive can be made multiplatform. The game will now be released on Ouya, iOS, and Android on October 30. "Because we recently chose not to participate in the Free The Games Fund," reads an update on the game's Kickstarter page, "we are no longer bound by the exclusivity requirement of the program and can make Gridiron Thunder available on all Android and iOS phones and tablets, in addition to the Ouya." Gridiron Thunder originally qualified for Ouya's Free the Games funding campaign, where the company behind the Android microconsole is offering to match any money gained from crowdfunding if the developers pledged Ouya exclusivity for six months. Developer ModoTXT raised $171,009 for Gridiron Thunder. Many questioned the fact that the game was virtually complete when it took to crowdfunding, and that the total sum had been raised with just 183 backers. Gridiron Thunder was accused of inflating its Kickstarter page to make itself eligible for Ouya funding, and subsequently the developers removed the game from the fund as Ouya changed the rules of its Free the Games campaign. "Gridiron Thunder is coming along very well and looking great," concludes ModoTXT. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Battlefield: Bad Company 3 will happen, says DICE Oct 3rd 2013, 09:44 "The Bad Company [team] isn't forgotten, they are just on a very long vacation," says DICE creative director. 
A third title in the Battlefield: Bad Company series will happen, DICE creative director Lars Gustavsson has said. "My feeling is that I would love to do it. For me, when we started the company with 1942, it was really a work of passion," said Gustavsson at a press event reported by Polygon. "And then we worked our way through the era of different wars, and I loved them all, like my little babies. When it came to Bad Company, it was creative freedom; don't take yourself too seriously." Battlefield: Bad Company 2 was released in 2010 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC, following the 2008 original in the offshoot series. The games cast players as Private Preston Marlowe, and featured a comedic cast of supporting characters in Private Terrence Sweetwater, George Gordon Haggard Jr., and squad leader Sergeant Samuel D. Redford. "So I love it. I want to see it again," continued Gustavsson, "whether it can happen [right] now with the newly announced Mirrors Edge 2 and Star Wars: Battlefront… but we'll see." EA's E3 2013 press conference in June unveiled both Mirror's Edge 2 and Star Wars: Battlefront, with both next-gen titles in development at DICE alongside the upcoming Battlefield 4. EA later said that it plans to rotate between Battlefield, Titanfall, and Star Wars: Battlefront as the publisher's main annual shooter. EA has previously said that Bad Company 3 is not in active development at present. "But trust me, the Bad Company [team] isn't forgotten, they are just on a very long vacation," he continued," concluded Gustavsson. "They are out there, they're coming back." Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
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