This episode has the compatible gamer "type" qualities specific to introverted people in general. Last episode seemed to cater to extroverted people which is why, being an introverted person myself, i felt a lack of connection.
Two episodes, two camps of gamers. One camp is full of twitchy fingered , stat boosting and foamy mouthed extroverts, while the second camp is full of misty eyed, zen filled "games are art MAN" introverts.
Crystal Dynamics confirms upcoming Lara Croft reboot will feature a head-to-head mode.
Next year's Tomb Raider reboot will not be a single-player-only affair. Crystal Dynamics global brand director Karl Stewart recently revealed via Twitter that the game will in fact ship with a multiplayer mode.
This was first speculated when United Kingdom retailer GAME listed multiplayer as a major feature for Tomb Raider. The details have since been removed, but it was suggested that players would be able to control Lara's shipmates or Yamatai scavengers in a variety of modes.
First details on Tomb Raider's multiplayer mode will be revealed in Official Xbox Magazine's January issue, due to subscribers this week.
Tomb Raider is due out March 5, 2013 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. For more, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.
Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He lives in Connecticut, works out of the company's New York City office, and loves extra chunky peanut butter.
Creator Markus "Notch" Persson reveals franchise sales of sandbox game nearly totaled half a million on Tuesday.
The Minecraft franchise sold 453,000 copies on Christmas Day, series creator Markus "Notch" Persson revealed over Twitter recently. The game is available on PC and Mac, Xbox Live, and iOS and Android smartphones and tablets.
Christmas Day sales for Minecraft add to the 17.5 million franchise sales tallied as of earlier this month. Minecraft for PC and Mac remains the breadwinner of the bunch, selling 8.6 million copies. The Pocket Edition has sold 5 million copies, and the Xbox Live Arcade version of Minecraft has moved 4.48 million copies as of earlier in the month.
Gamers interested in getting an inside look at the development of Minecraft can check out 2Player Productions' official Minecraft documentary. It debuted on Xbox Live last week and is now available to purchase from the company's website.
Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He lives in Connecticut, works out of the company's New York City office, and loves extra chunky peanut butter.
Gamers holding out for a Diablo III player-versus-player mode may want to get comfortable. Blizzard Entertainment announced through a new blog post that the dungeon-crawler's Team Deathmatch mode "isn't where we want it to be," noting it "falls short" of company expectations.
"In continuing to develop this mode, playtest it, and put it in front of other developers within the company, we've found that it falls short of our expectations for a high-quality Blizzard experience," Diablo III game director Jay Wilson said.
Wilson further explained that the shortcomings are the result of a "few issues," the first of which is depth. The designer said the PVP experience in place "gets old" quickly, and though some playtesters enjoyed their time with it, overall this was not the case.
"Simply fighting each other with no other objectives or choices to make gets old relatively quickly," Wilson said. "We've brought a lot of people in to try out Team Deathmatch and, while some found it entertaining, most of our testers didn't feel like it was something they'd want to do beyond a few hours. Without more varied objectives, or very lucrative rewards, few saw our current iteration as something they'd want spend a lot of time in."
A second issue with Diablo III's Team Deathmatch mode is that of class balance.
"Like Diablo II, Diablo III was designed to be a PvE-first kind of game, where we never compromised on player abilities in the name of future PvP balance. We want to be able to carry over as many of the crazy runes, items, and skills as possible, with their crazy effects, and alter them as little as possible," Wilson said. "In a casual PvP mode, something equivalent to a WoW Battleground, this would be fine, but Team Deathmatch felt very hardcore, and it put a laser focus on class balance in a way that we didn't think would be good for the game as a whole."
Though Blizzard is no longer pursuing a Team Deathmatch mode for Diablo III, Wilson said time spent developing it has not gone to waste, as it has provided unspecified benefits in the areas of controls and combat model tuning. However, "at this point, we don't believe it's the experience we feel it needs to be in order to ship, so we will be shelving it for now and exploring other options."
Wilson also explained in the blog post that Diablo III will soon support dueling options for players. This will be added to the game through patch 1.0.7, which is expected to arrive sometime in 2013.
However, a full replacement for Team Deathmatch is further away, as Blizzard is now exploring "new modes that play up to the strengths of the character classes, focus on objectives beyond just defeating other players, and possibly even integrate PvE elements and rewards." Whatever this turns out to be, it will be offered a free download, Blizzard said.
Outspoken The War Z creator Sergey Titov has apologized for the game's controversial launch (and subsequent de-listing from Steam) earlier this month. In an open letter to the community, Titov said developer Hammerpoint Interactive "failed to effectively communicate" its plans for the new zombie survival game, which led to some "very negative feedback" from members of the community.
"I became arrogant and blinded by the early success and quick growth of The War Z, our increasing number of players, numbers we were getting from surveys, etc., and I chose not to notice the concerns and questions raised by these members of the game community as well as others," Titov said. "This failure is entirely on my shoulders and if anything I owe thanks to that vocal minority and admit that I should have paid attention sooner. I chose instead to concentrate on the bigger picture: my dream of turning The War Z from being a game developed by a small indie team into a large online venture, instead of addressing small things first and staying focused on the game issues."
Titov further noted that the events of the past week were "especially humbling." He said the past cannot be changed, but promised the same mistakes will not be made in the future.
"I was too focused on how great we are and how a small independent team got their first game to over 700,000 users in a two-month period," Titov said. "Though that is something to be very proud of, allowing that to overshadow the existing community and their satisfaction was poor judgment."
Titov explained that community management and moderation for The War Z fell short. He said Hammerpoint relied too heavily on forum moderators, whose primary directive was to punish those who broke rules, he said, instead of engaging the community and guiding conversations toward constructive discussion. Additionally, Titov said there was not enough attention paid to talking about upcoming War Z features or appropriate dialogue through social networks.
"There wasn't enough presence of the development team on forums; there wasn't enough updates on development of upcoming features. We failed to communicate our position and messaging on the outside platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and various online websites, and when we did this we chose to rely more on arrogance rather than being humble and trying to understand why people were saying negative things," he said.
The solution to the community management and moderation problems, Titov said, is an overhaul of Hammerpoint's community management procedures and rules. "We're going to reevaluate publishing and marketing team performance, and I will make sure that Hammerpoint Interactive developers will have a much stronger voice when it comes to community management."
Titov also shared that one of his proposed ideas to engage the community further is to invite 10 players from around to the world to visit the Hammerpoint offices in Los Angeles, California. There, these gamers would meet the development team, get a look at in-development features, and addresses concerns, wishes, and other thoughts.
Lastly, Titov clarified that the current version of The War Z is titled "Foundation Release," which is a "first-stage" release used as a foundation to build on top of.
"I do believe that we aren't even close to uncovering the true potential for The War Z, and I hope that in the coming year, we'll be able to regain trust from people who were alienated by our actions and we'll be able to move forward and grow the game together," Titov said.
Controversy surrounding The War Z came to light upon the game's release through Steam last week. Users quickly began reporting numerous issues with The War Z. Further, many players criticized the game and Hammerpoint for being misleading and for censoring their comments about issues with the game. The game has since been pulled from Steam.
Day Z creator Dean Hall previously said the controversy left him "depressed," noting he contemplated leaving game development altogether as a result.
Only for certain games am I completionist. I am one of those people that cared enough about Mass Effect to go all the way back to the beginning of the franchise twice after I've beaten two a few times just to make sure I do everything so I can have it set for three, but not every game am I compelled to get 100 percent. My brother's mostly a speed runner except for when it comes to JRPG's.
I'm certainly not the extrovert, I almost never play like that. I don't believe I'm the exterminator either. I'm pretty much just a completionist when it comes to certain games I like enough, and at times, I can even be a speed runner if I'm near the end of some games and just want it finished. I'm definitely none of those to the fullest extent. I just love to play games, and depending on what I play, a certain style can take place.
Tune in December 23 - January 6th as the MvP Tournament will showcase the MLG vs Proleague players.
The MvP Invitational will feature 48 of the best StarCraft II players in the world, including 24 of the top ranked players from the KeSPA Proleague. Notable players like Flash, Jaedong, Rain and more will be competing for your viewing pleasure. In addition 12 players from North America, six players from Europe, and six players from Korea/Taiwan will compete for $10,000 in prizes. These amazing games will be casted by Nick "Axslav" Ranish and Alex "Axeltoss" Rodriguez. See below for the FREE live HD stream and the schedule.
Broadcasts times start at 6 pm ET
Sunday
Tuesday 12/25
Wednesday 12/26
Thursday 12/27
Friday 12/28
Saturday 12/29 - Wednesday 1/2
Thursday 1/3
Friday 1/4
Saturday 1/5
Sunday 1/6
For more information regarding the tournament check out majorleaguegaming.com.
The GameSpot editors reveal their personal top 10 lists for 2012.
Last year, I asked some members of the editorial team to write about their favorite games of the year. It gave a chance for us to speak from our hearts, and allowed the games that meant the most to us take the stage. This year, even more of the GameSpot staff participated, and we are excited to share our individual thoughts with you. Each day this week, we will unveil top ten lists from the GameSpot staff so that we might celebrate our favorite games of 2012.
Mind you, there is a difference between "favorite" and "best," and it's an important distinction to make. I don't believe that a few of my entries represent the best of 2012, but they nonetheless mean something to me, and sparked a part of me that made that game remain in my consciousness well after I had moved on to others.
Of course, such personal lists are always a reminder of all the wonderful games that I haven't played this year. I am still only halfway through The Walking Dead: Episode 1 - A New Day and Halo 4; I have only dabbled in Sound Shapes and Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward; and I haven't even touched FTL: Faster Than Light and Lone Survivor. (And those are only a few examples of my 2012 pile of shame.) If only I had unlimited hours! But of the games I have played that came out this year, these are the ones that made the biggest impact. Please note: there are minor spoilers within.
I liked but didn't love the original Planetside, which at its launch, made it difficult to actually get to the action. Planetside 2 has its downtime, but you need moments of respite in this game, which makes it easy to participate in its massive battles no matter where you are. Obviously, this massively multiplayer shooter deserves attention for its thrilling battles, but Planetside 2's structural successes deserve nods too. You don't need to wait for vehicles to spawn or to invade chat to find a group to buddy up with, and you can jump quickly to major battles--but not so often that you can exploit the system. Planetside 2 has the right mix of risk and reward, which in turn keeps you firing on the opposing faction.
Darksiders II might be the least original game on my list, but this is one of those times where I don't really mind. This game mixed Diablo looting, God of War slashing, Prince of Persia wallrunning, and Zelda exploration into a moody journey through a dark fantasy world. It may have looked to other sources of inspiration, but Darksiders II feels like one cohesive vision. Developer Vigil Games knew what tone they wished to strike, and understood what they wanted to convey with their world, their combat, and their characters. This consistency made the disparate elements come together wonderfully, and the overall result was fun and absorbing.
It's important not to confuse unnecessary obstacles in games with depth--just as it's important not to confuse the removal of such obstacles with a "dumbing down." XCOM: Enemy Unknown strikes a great balance: easy to get into, but still complex enough to inspire thoughtful decisions. What I loved most about the game was how I felt at war with percentages. How do I position myself to increase my chances of hitting while reducing my chances of being hit? Is it worth taking a shot when I have a 48% chance to hit, or should I get behind cover and activate overwatch? The resulting rhythm of tension-and-release made XCOM a real winner in my book.
From a gameplay perspective, Spec Ops is just a regular old cover shooter. And if its narrative were to work, it absolutely had to be. In most military shooters, those big moments where you kill legions of bad guys or hop behind a turret and mow dudes down are supposed to make you feel like a badass. In Spec Ops, you are supposed to feel shame. The game takes the expected recipe and turns it inside out, forcing you to reconsider all the power trips you've had in shooters before and look into the soul of a man who loses his soul in a power trip of his own. Spec Ops subverts the very expectations it originally expresses, initially passing itself off as just another military shooter, and ultimately condemning you, itself, and the entire genre. This kind of self-awareness is decidedly rare in games--and all but unheard of in shooters.
I admire developer Funcom. They have made three major MMOGs (not counting expansions), and each one is different from the last. Anarchy Online's sci-fi universe, complex character progression, and palatable mission structure make it my favorite MMO to date. Age of Conan's dark fantasy universe was so thick with atmosphere you could practically smell the fertile land. And then came The Secret World, a modern-day mythical adventure that mixes adventure-game elements with open-world exploration and intense storytelling. It has its problems, but The Secret World is one of several games that proved to naysayers in 2012 that modern MMOGs aren't just World of Warcraft clones anymore. This is an online RPG with the gall to actually make you think, and along with Guild Wars 2 and Tera, represents a trifecta that should influence developers of future games.
I am exhausted of hearing that "Far Cry 3 is like Skyrim with guns." That's silly. Far Cry 3 has similarities to other games, and is the product of a developer that employs some of the same themes from game to game. (Assassin's Creed was a clear inspiration, for instance.) But Far Cry 3 is above direct comparisons, instead standing out as an individual shooter in a genre crowded with copycats. While linear power-trip shooters will probably always have a role, I suspect that Far Cry 3, Natural Selection, and Planetside 2 pave the way to the future. If you still believe that games are just the same-ol' same-ol, I implore you to take a closer look. That is, if you can tear yourself away from Far Cry 3, which can get you easily hooked on freeing outposts, hunting tigers, and poking around in dark caves to see what secrets might be hidden there.
The final game in Commander Shephard's story greatly affected me. While some folks were up in arms over an ending that disappointed them, I was still mourning the losses of friends I'd grown close to. Bioware handled these moments of loss with great care, giving the characters the honor they deserved. I never saw Mass Effect as a franchise about plot: it was about people, places, and relationships. I will miss those things, which speaks to the power of this wonderful series. With its variety, its pacing, and the emotional investment it inspired, Mass Effect 3 made a mark on me.
Any MMOG made from here on out exists in a post-Guild Wars 2 world. Guild Wars 2 fixed problems with the genre-standard quest limit by eliminating the quest journal completely. It brought exploration back to the forefront by rewarding you for moving through its world and investigating every nook. It shipped with enticing, broad player-versus-player regions. ArenaNet reconsidered everything we take for granted in role-playing games, and crafted them in new ways that made so much sense, it was a wonder no one had done it before. Guild Wars didn't drastically rethink the online RPG. Instead, it rethought the individual elements and brought them together in a great game that is both fresh and familiar.
Dragon's Dogma won't get out of my head. It's uniquely flawed and a teensy bit broken, but if you were to ask me at any given time what game I wish I were most playing, this would probably be the answer. To walk out of Gran Soren, only for a shrieking griffon to land with a thud and engage you, is a thrill. Climbing upon it and stabbing it while your pawns fling magic at it is more thrilling still. And holding on for dear life should the griffon soar into the air is the greatest thrill of all. The frustrations in Dragon's Dogma are many, but the battles, the nighttime journeys, and that ending--oh, that ending--are what make this game so special.
Journey seems to be a game that either works for you or it doesn't. For some, Journey is too mechanically simple; it lacks challenge and complexity, relying on atmosphere to convey its meaning. Those players never establish a connection.
I feel fortunate that Journey spoke to me so profoundly. Each time I played it, I was moved to tears, yet the game features no spoken dialogue, no named characters, and no traditional storytelling. It's just you, perhaps a human companion, and the entities that inhabit the land.
Simplicity isn't always an asset, but Journey is transcendental precisely because it strips interaction down to the essentials, and perfects those essentials so that you never struggle with the mechanics. Instead, the struggle is felt in the slow steps through snowdrifts, the shining eye of a hovering beast, and the force of the wind blowing you backwards. The struggles, though, are outshined by the joys. There are moments in which the slope of the land carries you forward, and all you can do is steer yourself through this gorgeous world and take in the sights and sounds, the lonely desert no longer a vast and empty prison, but a sun-drenched oasis.
There comes a moment when all seems lost. And then: a glimmer of hope, followed by a rush of freedom and ecstasy. If you have played, you know the moment I speak of. The uplift of the moment, and the ones that follow, is overwhelming. My spirit is lifted higher and higher, and then I understand. I understand.
Journey is exquisitely crafted precisely so that it might speak to you in this way. To call it too basic is to miss its true power. Journey strips away the intellectual elements almost universally associated with games so that it can instead directly impact the heart. Yet it wouldn't work as a film. To love Journey, you must feel it, and interact with it, and understand the flow. You can't just watch it happen--it must happen to you.
If you haven't played Journey, I hope that you will, and I hope that it speaks to you in the same way it did to me. I want people to feel the joy that I did; it's a feeling so wondrous, so overwhelming, that I want to share it with everyone. Like any experience designed to elicit emotion, the experience I had with Journey isn't universal. But even if Journey doesn't carry you away as it does with so many, I hope you are glad that such a game can exist, and that there are developers seeking new ways to explore the human condition.
California senator Leland Yee, whose high-profile violent game law was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2011, has spoken out against the National Rifle Association's recent response to the deadly Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
In a statement to his website, Yee said when his violent game law was brought before the Supreme Court last year, the NRA was nowhere to be seen.
"I find it mind-boggling that the NRA suddenly cares about the harmful effects of ultra-violent video games," Yee said. "When our law was before the Supreme Court--while several states, medical organizations, and child advocates submitted briefs in support of California's efforts--the NRA was completely silent."
Yee further claimed that the NRA, instead of facing the reality and becoming part of the solution to gun proliferation, is attempting to "pass the buck."
"More guns are not the answer to protecting our children, as evident by the fact that armed guards weren't enough to stop the tragedy at Columbine High School," Yee said. "The NRA's response is pathetic and completely unacceptable."
NRA vice president Wayne LaPierre said at a press conference Friday violent video games like Bulletstorm and Mortal Kombat were partially to blame for December 14's deadly shooting in Connecticut.
Earlier in the week, West Virginia senator Jay Rockefeller introduced a bill to Congress that would direct the National Academy of Sciences to investigate how violent games and other such programming affect children.
Latest batch of screenshots for Rockstar Games' upcoming open-world title show shark, submarine, planes, and blimp.
Rockstar Games has provided a holiday gifts to gamers: new Grand Theft Auto V screenshots. In a post to the company's blog titled "Happy Holidays - Enjoy", Rockstar released five new screens from the hotly hyped open-world action game.
The first screenshot shows a character floating in the ocean with a shark below. Another depicts a yellow contemporary submarine outfitted with various gadgetry. Yet another screenshot shows GTAV protagonist Franklin driving down a street with a dog in the passenger seat.
Finally, one screenshot is focused on air travel. It shows a fighter jet, what appears to be a passenger plane, and a blimp far away in the distance. Check out the Rockstar Newswire for all five new GTAV screenshots.
GTAV is officially due out during spring 2013 only for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, though Rockstar cofounder Dan Houser said PC and Wii U versions are "up for consideration."
Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He lives in Connecticut, works out of the company's New York City office, and loves extra chunky peanut butter.
California senator Leland Yee, whose high-profile violent game law was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2011, has spoken out against the National Rifle Association's recent response to the deadly Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
In a statement to his website, Yee said when his violent game law was brought before the Supreme Court last year, the NRA was nowhere to be seen.
"I find it mind-boggling that the NRA suddenly cares about the harmful effects of ultra-violent video games. When our law was before the Supreme Court--while several states, medical organizations, and child advocates submitted briefs in support of California's efforts--the NRA was completely silent."
Yee further claimed that the NRA, instead of facing the reality and becoming part of the solution to gun proliferation, is attempting to "pass the buck."
"More guns are not the answer to protecting our children, as evident by the fact that armed guards weren't enough to stop the tragedy at Columbine High School," Yee said. "The NRA's response is pathetic and completely unacceptable."
NRA vice president Wayne LaPierre said at a press conference Friday violent video games like Bulletstorm and Mortal Kombat were partially to blame for December 14's deadly shooting in Connecticut.
Earlier in the week, West Virginia senator Jay Rockefeller introduced a bill to Congress that would direct the National Academy of Sciences to investigate how violent games and other such programming affect children.
Attention PS Vita owners, we're giving away 4 copies of Dokuro for the PlayStation Vita, not only is this an amazing little puzzle plat former but the copies are signed by the procurers! There are two ways to enter, our Dokuro Doddle Hustle or the Dokuro Caption Contest.
One of the whimsical characteristics to Dokuro is its charming chalk board art style. Participants will inspire themselves with GameSpot screen shots and images to create a Dokuro Doodle.
You can capture any element of the game in your drawing so long as there is a clear correlation between your art and the game. The traditional art medium to the game is very chalk like, but for this contest we will be accepting all styles.
The Rules:
You must be a GameSpot Registrant
Deadline to submit your entry for this contest is January 11th at 10:00am PST
Send your entry to contests@gamespot.com making sure to include your mailing address and your GameSpot Username
Prizing:
One (1) winner will be selected for the Dokuro Doodle contest and will receive a copy of Dokuro for the PS Vita. Judging for the entries will take place on Friday January 11th and a winner will be selected by GameSpot Staff members.
The story of Dokuro is a charming and simple one, our heroic skeletal friend may not get the love he clearly deserves, but that will not stop him from trying to save his Princess. To enter in the Dokuro Caption contest simply fill in the following caption and email it to contests@gamespot.com:
"Sticks and stone will break my bones, but __________________."
Want an example? Here's a freebie! (But you can't use it as an entry):
"Sticks and stones my break my bones but I will always love you."
The Rules:
You must be a GameSpot Registrant
Deadline to submit your entry for this contest is January 11th at 10:00am PST
Email your entry to contests@gamespot.com with the subject "Dokuro Caption Contest" making sure to include your mailing address and your GameSpot Username
Prizing:
Three (3) winners will be selected for the Dokuro Caption Contest, each of the three (3) winners will receive 1 copy of Dokuro for the PS Vita. Winners will be determined based on a raffle of all the entrants for the Dokuro Caption Contest on Friday, January 11th.
Happy Holidays! BioShock, bankruptcy, Borderlands DLC, the decline of western civilization, Bobbty Kotick's dating life, and the NRA.
Attempts to find some kind of meaning, and something to vilify, in the wake of a tragedy such as the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, are completely understandable. As seems to be the norm of late, attention is yet again turning to violent video games as something to be singled-out for blame. The political attention began this week with this Tweet from Obama administration advisor David Axelrod.
This sparked plenty of attention on Twitter, and fueled a number of stories throughout the week predicting an escalation of finger-pointing in gaming's direction. It arrived in force on Wednesday when Democratic West Virginia senator Jay Rockefeller (picture below, and no - that's not this particular bill he's waving around) introduced a bill to congress that would task the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to study the effects of violent video games and other programs on children. The measure comes less than a week after the horrors at Sandy Hook. "Major corporations, including the video game industry, make billions on marketing and selling violent content to children," Rockefeller said in a statement on his website. "They have a responsibility to protect our children. If they do not, you can count on the Congress to take a more aggressive role." The bill would direct the NAS to conduct a "comprehensive study and investigation" of the link between violent games and other violent video programming and harmful effects on children. More specifically, the NAS would be charged with looking into whether or not video games cause children to act aggressively or "otherwise hurt their wellbeing," and if so, determine if that effect is notably distinguishable from other types of media. This study would also look at the "direct and long-lasting impact" of violent content on a child's well-being. "With respect to violent video games, NAS must look at whether current or emerging aspects of games, like their interactive nature and the personal and vivid way violence is portrayed, have a unique impact on kids," the statement reads. Separately, Rockefeller said he will call on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to further their work in this area. "Changes in technology now allow kids to access violent content online with less parental involvement. It is time for these two agencies to take a fresh look at these issues," he said. If the bill passes, NAS must submit a report on its study within 18 months to Congress as well as the FTC and FCC.
If you've been following this kind of thing for the last few years, you'll no doubt be rolling your eyes at yet another potential waste of government resources and taxpayer money. After all, previous studies of this nature have failed to turn up any data that supports a connection between violent games and real world gun violence, so why will this one show anything different? The Washington Post ran a story on Monday this week demonstrating that video game consumption "does not seem to correlate at all with an increase in gun violence," and cited data from 10 different countries including Germany, Australia, South Korea, and the Netherlands. The outlier on gun violence? The United States.
On Friday, the National Rifle Association finally broke their silence on the subject, taking the opportunity to finger violent games as partially to blame for last week's tragedy. "There exists in this country a callous, corrupt, and corrupting shadow industry that sells, and sows, violence against its own people," NRA executive vice president Wayne LaPierre said. "Through vicious, violent video games with names like Bulletstorm, Grand Theft Auto, Mortal Kombat, and Splatterhouse. And here's one: it's called Kindergarten Killers. It's been online for 10 years. How come my research department could find it and all of yours either couldn't or didn't want anyone to know you had found it?" He went on to question whether violent media of any kind should be called entertainment. "But is that what it really is?" he questioned. "Isn't fantasizing about killing people as a way to get your kicks really the filthiest form of pornography?"
"Isn't fantasizing about killing people as a way to get your kicks really the filthiest form of pornography?" - Wayne LaPierre, NRA
LaPierre argued that media conglomerates are caught up in a "race to the bottom," and in fact compete with each other to "shock, violate, and offend every standard of civilized society." Complicit in this behavior, according to LaPierre, is the national media, their corporate owners, and stockholders, who are "silent enablers" and even "co-conspirators." He claimed media "demonize" lawful gun owners and "fill the national debate with misinformation and dishonest thinking."
The NRA's solution? "As parents, we do everything we can to keep our children safe. It is now time for us to assume responsibility for their safety at school. The only way to stop a monster from killing our kids is to be personally involved and invested in a plan of absolute protection. The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. Would you rather have your 911 call bring a good guy with a gun from a mile away ‚ or a minute away?"
If you want to read the full text of the statement, you can find a PDF of it here. LaPierre's comments drew a sharp response from gun-control advocates. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg accused the NRA of "a shameful evasion of the crisis facing our country. They offered a paranoid, dystopian vision of a more dangerous and violent America where everyone is armed and no place is safe," he said.
Please share your feelings on the subject in the comments. There's certainly plenty to chew on.
Irrational Games creative director Ken Levine has offered a tease regarding the BioShock Infinite endgame. Speaking to Outside Xbox, Levine claimed the game's ending is unprecedented and consequently may not be full accepted or embraced by all fans of the franchise. "The plot actually gets more interesting as it goes on, Levine said. "The end of the game, I can't tell whether people will like it or not like it. I can say it's something we're incredibly proud of. It's like nothing you've actually experienced in a video game before. It's quite unique and quite particular to this world, these characters, and this franchise." Levine didn't share much more on the subject, however he did say Irrational is working to make sure the story doesn't decline in its second half, as many feel was the case in the original BioShock. "You had a situation there where you had this amazing character and once he's gone the story loses some of its steam," he said. "That is something we took to heart in this game."
Levine bookended this statement on Wednesday by releasing video of the first five minutes of the game (below. Watch it at your peril.) "Want to see the first few minutes of Infinite?" he asked on Twitter. "If you watch it and complain about SPOILERS, you're dead to me."
Keeping up the media onslaught ahead of the Holiday break, Levine held a Reddit Ask Me Anything session on Thursday where he talked about his inspirations and motivations. When asked about the decision to stick to a first person perspective to tell the new game's story, he explained that the method allows for a more intimate level of detail. "I love first person because it gets you so close to the detail of the world," Levine said. "[BioShock Infinite] wouldn't work in any other perspective." He was also asked if he would consider tackling other genres for different products in the future, but he did not respond. Later in the session, Levine revealed that original BioShock and BioShock 2 composer Garry Schyman is returning to create the music for BioShock Infinite. Levine teased that Schyman's score this time around is "very different" from the first two games, but at the same time "very much guided by the same aesthetic principles."
Beleaguered Saints Row publisher THQ filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Wednesday. The company has entered into an asset purchase agreement with a bidder to acquire "substantially all of the assets of THQ's operating business." This includes THQ's four wholly-owned studios and games in development. "The sale will allow THQ to shed certain legacy obligations and emerge with the strong financial backing of a new owner with substantial experience in software and technology," the company said in a statement. The company's day-to-day operations will not be affected during the sale period, the company said. Every THQ studio remains open and development on all projects (Saints Row 4, Homefront 2, Metro: Last Night, South Park: The Stick of Truth, and Company of Heroes 2 along with the unannounced game from Assassin's Creed developer Patrice D√©silets at the company's Montreal studio) is unaffected. No layoffs are expected. Employees will continue to work on their usual schedules and will receive their previously agreed upon compensation and benefits. "The sale and filing are necessary next steps to complete THQ‚ transformation and position the company for the future, as we remain confident in our existing pipeline of games, the strength of our studios, and THQ‚ deep bench of talent," said THQ CEO Brian Farrell in a statement. "We are grateful to our outstanding team of employees, partners and suppliers who have worked with us through this transition. We are pleased to have attracted a strong financial partner for our business, and we hope to complete the sale swiftly to make the process as seamless as possible."
"We have incredible, creative talent here at THQ," new THQ president Jason Rubin said. "We look forward to partnering with experienced investors for a new start as we will continue to use our intellectual property assets to develop high-quality core games, create new franchise titles, and drive demand through both traditional and digital channels." Rubin spent much of the day responding to questions on Twitter. He assured concerned gamers that he is doing "everything in my power" to ensure that the Saints Row sequel, in particular, is unaffected by the changes. To hammer the point home, he made this comment accompanied by a photo of himself wielding the iconic dildo bat from Saints Row 3.
In a blog post at the end of the day, Rubin noted "Chapter 11 is a safety net for U.S. companies. American Airlines is currently in Chapter 11 restructuring, yet I flew back and forth on that airline when I visited Volition two weeks ago. Donald Trump and his companies have been in Chapter 11 four times. You can add to that list household names such as Macy‚ Eddie Bauer, the Chicago Cubs, Chrysler, Delta Airlines, General Motors, the Pittsburgh Penguins, Marvel Studios, and MGM, among many others. MGM filed Chapter 11 two years ago, and this year it released ‚ Skyfall‚ and ‚ The Hobbit,‚ two of the biggest titles of the year. That‚ what I mean when I say new start!"
On Friday morning it was revealed that Ubisoft is one of the top candidates interested in purchasing THQ's assets,. Sources told trade news site MCV that the French publisher has shown interest in buying THQ's wholly-owned studios and franchises. As you may recall, this is not the first time Ubisoft has publicly acknowledged interest in THQ. Last month, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said, "They have good things. We are always interested in good brands. For sure, it's something we can consider, but I can't tell you more." MCV's sources say Ubisoft has held "lengthy discussions" with THQ to get a deal done. One of the main sticking points in the negotiations, according to the sources, is that of price. Ubisoft is reportedly interested in a "bargain buy," and will hold out until THQ decides to sell specific properties instead of a total package.
Dissatisfied consumers took to Reddit early this week to voice their concerns surrounding the release of The War Z on Steam. Users accused developer Hammerpoint Interactive of releasing a patch for the Steam version of the game following Reddit reports that claimed this version of the game wasn't complete. According to Reddit user "IAmFluffey", the patch "proves [Hammerpoint Interactive's] quick money-grabbing and game-breaking schemes."
"After changing the description of their game due to [Reddit user] TotalHailbut calling them out on false advertising, they have now updated the game with a new patch," he continued. The post goes on to list a variety of changes in the new patch, including "increasing the respawn-timer from 1 hour to 4 hours", while adding a "revive" button where players can spend real-world money to revive instantly. Reddit users have suggested that this addition forces players into a micro-transaction model. According to the post, the update is also forcing players to sign a terms of service agreement before playing, which reportedly "disallows refunds" of the game. After publishing a similar thread on the Steam forums, user "IAmFluffey" was reportedly banned. The users claim that Hammerpoint Interactive subsequently shut down the entire The War Z discussion thread on Steam.
On Wednesday the game itself was removed from Steam. A Valve representative told Kotaku that the game was mistakenly published in the store and will not return until the company speaks with Hammerpoint Interactive to resolve issues. "From time to time a mistake can be made and one was made by prematurely issuing a copy of War Z for sale via Steam," the Valve rep said. "We apologize for this and have temporary [sic] removed the sale offering of the title until we have time to work with the developer and have confidence in a new build." Gamers who already bought The War Z can continue to play it. Those who bought the game and are not satisfied can seek a refund by opening a support ticket at Valve's website.
On Thursday, Arma II mod Day Z creator Dean Hall spoke out about the situation, saying the controversy had left him "depressed" and led to him considering quitting game development altogether. Writing on Reddit as "rocket2guns," Hall broke his silence, saying, "I know I have been very quiet lately. So this will be really all I'll say for the moment. I've been pretty depressed about the whole situation," Hall said. "From a personal standpoint, this whole 'saga' of the development made me seriously question if I wanted to be involved in the industry and I gave serious thought to cutting my losses and not being involved in the project." Hall said he has been "hammered" with requests from media and fans alike, asking for his take on the situation and for further information about Day Z. He declined to provide any insight, noting he is keeping to himself while working on the standalone version of Day Z, which is scheduled for release next year.
Minecraft: The Story of Mojang will premiere Saturday, December 22 on Xbox Live. The documentary from 2Player Productions will be available for Xbox Live Gold subscribers in the U.S., UK, Ireland, Belgium, Portugal, Austria, France, Finland, and Sweden. As for the film itself, Minecraft: The Story of Mojang follows Notch, and documents the challenges he faced during the company's first year. It addresses the massive success of Minecraft, and also features insight from journalists and industry professionals. The documentary began its life as a Kickstarter project in February 2011 and surpassed its $150,000 target, raking in a total of $210,297 when it closed in March of that year.
Electronic Arts has been removed from the NASDAQ-100, an index of the 100 largest domestic and international non-financial companies. Electronic Arts was pushed out as part of NASDAQ's annual reshuffling of the list to make room for newcomers like Western Digital and Liberty Global, and the new list will be effective from December 24. EA had a rough time of it this year, with shares hitting their lowest prices since 1999 partially due to its struggle to retain subscribers to Star Wars: The Old Republic, a game rumored to be one of the most expensive (if not the most expensive) video game ever made. Netflix, Blackberry maker RIM, and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters were also dropped. Major EA competitor Activision is now the only traditional video game publisher to remain on the NASDAQ-100 list, though several companies with ties to the business like Microsoft and Nvidia remain.
‚ Think about what it‚ like for my dating life when the first picture that comes up is me as the Devil." - Robert Kotick, Activision
Speaking of Activision, CEO Robert Kotick was profiled by the New York Times this week, in which he noted that firing Infinity Ward head honchos Jason West and Vince Zampella in 2010 was not a difficult decision for him to make. Kotick addressed the swift and severe action taken against the high-profile developers. You find out two executives are planning to break their contracts, keep the money you gave them, and steal 40 employees. What do you do? You fire them,‚ Kotick said. Activision's high-profile court case against West and Zampella, along with those 40 former Infinity Ward developers, was settled in May this year before it could be heard by a trial. Terms of the deal were not disclosed at the time and have not been since, though one analyst previously projected this figure to be in the tens of millions. Elsewhere in the profile, it was revealed why the massively popular Call of Duty brand has not spawned a Hollywood adaptation. Kotick said game-to-film adaptations rarely work out and could in fact blemish the franchise. Hollywood studios have reached out to Activision, he said, though all requests thus far have been denied.
Kotick also noted in the profile that the online hate (which frequently manifests as Photoshopped pictures of him with horns) directed his way is cramping his style with the ladies. Think about what it‚ like for my dating life when the first picture that comes up is me as the Devil,‚ he said, noting that he is recently divorced. ‚ You see all this chatter and you realize that they game the search results. These super-sophisticated 19-year-olds are smarter than our expensive PR firm.‚
On the subject of unpopular game publisher CEO's, here's something about everyone's least favorite gaming executive. Zynga CEO Mark Pincus was awarded the illustrious title of one of the "worst CEOs of 2012," by Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business professor Sydney Finkelstein. His list of the five worst honchos was published at Bloomberg, and provided multiple reasons for why Pincus came up short this year. Finkelstein said Pincus made some "rookie mistakes" including depending far too heavily on Facebook. Additionally, the professor cited Pincus unloading 16 million Zynga shares as a reason to believe he may not have much confidence in his own company. As you'd expect, Zynga's PR folks were reluctant to give comment to Bloomberg and have also not responded to GameSpot's requests either. The other four CEOs named were Best Buy's Brian Dunn, Chesapeake Energy top executive Aubrey McClendon, Avon's Andrea Jung, and Bankia executive Rodrigo Rata. Zynga shares have tanked this year. After peaking in March at around $15, the company's per-share value as of Friday stands at $2.32.
On a much lighter subject: Fans wishing that Gordon Freeman's iconic Gravity Gun was a real thing are in luck. Kinda. Toy maker Neca will release a 1:1 recreation of the classic Half-Life weapon this spring, the company announced through its blog. A price for the gun was not announced and quantities will be limited, much as they were for the original version of the firm's Portal gun earlier this year. As any self-respecting fan is aware, the Gravity Gun's real name is the Zero Point Energy Field Manipulator. It first appeared in Half-Life 2, given to players by Alyx Vance at Black Mesa East. Neca's Gravity Gun will be on display at the 2013 New York Toy Fair in February and preorders for the toy will begin "soon." The company has created a prototype, which shows that the Gravity Gun will also light up.
On the subject of Half-Life and Valve, the Steam sale season kicked off on Thursday this week. Among the many bargains is the entire Valve Collection for just $49.99.
Peter Molyneux's new God game Godus reached its Kickstarter goal on Wednesday, with just under two days to go to its final funding deadline. The fund closed at over £526,000 ($850,385) pledged of an original £450,000 ($727,515) target. Godus, as you may be aware, is a reinvention of Molyneux's classic God game Populous. It is in development at 22Cans for PC, Mac, and mobile devices, and will not require a constant Internet connection for its single-player mode. The game is due out during September 2013. Separately, 22Cans announced that it has been contacted by a range of composers and musicians wishing to contribute to Godus. One such musician is Harry Waters, son of Pink Floyd bassist and vocalist Roger Waters. No firm collaboration plans have been nailed down yet, but 22Cans said it is exploring how it can work with Harry Waters on the soundtrack for Godus.
The third batch of downloadable content for Borderlands 2 has been revealed. Due out January 15 (that's my birthday, in case you care) for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC will be Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt. It follows Captain Scarlett and Her Captain's Booty and Mr. Torgue's Campaign of Carnage. Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt is included with the $30 Borderlands 2 Season Pass and will be available for others at $10. The content adds a new zone called Aegrus, as well as new areas to explore like Savage Lands, Lodge, and Scylla's Grove. It also brings new hunting-themed weapons (including legendary weapons) and loot, and a fanboat vehicle, which is kinda similar to the sand skiff from Pirate's Booty. The new content takes place just after the end of Borderlands 2, and pits players against a new villain named Professor Nakayama. You will also be battling new creatures including Wetland Drifters, Spores, Armored Boroks, Scaylions, Bandit-style Savage Warriors, and a new Seraph Guardian team raid boss called Voracidous. What's most interesting about these creatures is that there are new behaviors associated with them, notably more of a tribal hierarchy whereby "chiefs" both coordinate and heal their minions. Savages are controlled by Witch Doctors, the Varkid-like Scaylions have a queen that controls their behavior.
This is the final (and looking back at it, somwhat depressing--sorry about that) entry in This Week in Games for 2012, as it will be on a break during the Holidays. Have an excellent season, plays some awesome games, and have a great New Year. See you in 2013.
GameSpot's Laura Parker is joined by Polygon's Tracey Lien, former 2K developer Bryan Ma, and former Managing Director of Sega Australia Darren Macbeth to discuss some of the issues that affect Australian gamers: pricing and classification.
Posted Oct 7, 2012 | 34:14 | 2,419 Views
It's not video games fault, it's not movies fault and its not even guns fault for the crazy crap that goes on in this world. We live in a "no accountability" world now, where nothing is ever your fault, it's always something elses.
People go crazy and do crazy things and that's just what happens sometimes. Banning certain games, certain movies, certain books and even certain guns doesnt circumvent or prevent anything bad from happening. Guy in Canada a few years ago beheaded a young guy on a bus. What then? Ban knives? Guy burns down a house with people inside... ban gas? Kid strangles his younger brother with a Yo-Yo... lets just ban string altogether. The list goes on and banning anything has proven nothing.
Everything under the sun affects people. From video games, to books, to cartoons, to school, to work, to everything. You can make negative connections to everything bad that happens. By these government officials reasoning, maybe Hilter was a terrible person because of all that CRAZY jazz music he was listening to back in the 20's...
Perhaps the government should spend the money on educating the public on what is and isnt acceptable forms of entertainment for children... instead of trying to filter it, regulate it, edit it, censor it, delete it, and monitor it, all for the sake of the super-minority.
Middle Manager of Justice project lead Kee Chi explains how his team is testing the waters of free mobile games.
Released last week on iOS devices, Middle Manager of Justice bears all the hallmarks of a Double Fine Productions game. It's witty, it's silly, and at no point does it take itself seriously. But this tongue-in-cheek depiction of what it's like to manage a team of superheroes does represent one key change of pace for the San Francisco developer: it's the studio's first foray into the increasingly popular free-to-play market.
Middle Manager of Justice is the brainchild of Kee Chi, a gameplay programmer at Double Fine who previously worked on Psychonauts, Brutal Legend, and Stacking. I caught up with Chi earlier this week to get his take on exploring this new business model.
According to Chi, the game concept came about last year during an Amnesia Fortnight event, Double Fine's regular series of internal game jams where employees come up with quick prototypes and pitch them to the rest of the studio. "At that stage we didn't think at all about what business model the game would fall under," says Chi. "It was more about the game's mechanics and how to make it fun."
That's a tall order considering that "fun" is probably the last word most players would associate with the life of a corporate middle manager. But while you do indeed play a balding, tie-wearing desk jockey, your place of work is anything but ordinary. Middle Manager of Justice has you running a regional branch for the fictional Justice Corp, training superheroes in the ways of cold, hard justice and sending them to battle against thugs, henchmen, and evil masterminds.
According to Chi, he and his team were highly conscious of avoiding the dreaded paywall, that familiar artifice in free-to-play games where players eventually face no choice but to spend money if they want to continue their progression through the game.
"In a video game, you provide a challenge so that the player makes choices to advance and have fun," says Chi. "But in a free-to-play game, I think there's this specter there saying, 'This is how far you can go. This where I expect you to pay me.' That idea was never in play."
Instead, Middle Manager of Justice employs microtransactions that essentially function as a fast-forward button for player progression. Keeping the citizens of the world safe will reward you with coins, which you can spend on upgrades ranging from treadmills for improving your heroes' physical abilities to a rec room television to boost morale. There's also a secondary currency called Superium, which is used to purchase new heroes.
Both currencies are acquired in-game over the course of normal play, but if you want to cut down on the time it takes to acquire either one you can spend anywhere from $0.99 to $19.99 for an instant infusion of cash. But where this game differs from so many free-to-play titles it that you almost have to go hunting through the menus to make such a purchase. At no point in my time playing the iPad or iPhone versions have I seen a pop-up alert encouraging me to spend a few bucks for more Superium.
It's as though the paid options were an afterthought. And in many ways, they were.
"There's nothing behind a total paywall" says Chi. "Whenever I balanced the game, it was never with extra currency [in mind]. I would always play it from the standpoint of the free player."
Talking to Chi, it's hard to escape the idea that Double Fine's delicate approach to this business model comes from a position of luxury not all mobile developers enjoy--insofar as you can describe Double Fine's status as an independent developer in today's gaming climate as "luxurious." But fresh off a $3.3 million Kickstarter campaign and a stable of other PC and console projects, this is a studio that can afford to simply get its feet wet in the free-to-play space. (It also helps that the game is a relatively low-overhead endeavor--it began with a team of just three people.)
I ask Chi how gung ho Double Fine is about free-to-play and he's quick to point out that this is hardly the default business model moving forward. "It's definitely an experiment for now," Chi assures me. "I wouldn't consider it a default model for Double Fine. We try so many different things here that having a default anything doesn't make sense! It made sense to try it out for this game at this particular time. Who knows what we'll be doing in the future. We'll be focused on making fun games first!"
But as for the immediate future, Chi will continue to support Middle Manager of Justice with ongoing content. "There's definitely more stuff coming," says Chi. "In January, we're going to add story-based boss fights from the last two areas and a new hero. And we'll keep [adding more] in the coming months."
"Obviously if the game's making no money, we can't really do that," he jokes. "But hopefully that's not the case."
Trine 2 may appear to be the storybook fantasy world of your dreams. In this stunning landscape, you travel through musty old libraries, encounter moss-covered statues at ancient shrines, and marvel at fog-shrouded hillsides that fill your heart with hopes for grand adventure. Every aspect of the visuals, from the most glorious mountaintop vista to the smallest detail, contributes to the creation of a world that appears to have sprung, fully realized, from someone's vivid imagination. But all is not so wondrous in this breathtaking world. The physics-based puzzles you must frequently fumble with are more like housework than the glorious exploits of wizards and warriors, so while this adventure looks magical, it too often feels mundane.
Well, that's one way to water a plant.
You play as a trio of characters: the wizard Amadeus, the thief Zoya, and Pontius, the knight whose appetite for adventure is rivaled only by his appetite for food and drink. The characters are established only in broad strokes, and the tale Trine 2 tells is a flimsy one; it's a shame that a world this rich in visual detail doesn't get a story to match.
The three heroes are bound together through the magic of a mysterious artifact called the Trine, the upshot being that you can swap between them instantly. This is essential as you progress through Trine 2's side-scrolling levels, in which you frequently encounter puzzles and obstacles that you can't simply leap over. Amadeus can conjure boxes and planks, and can move and manipulate some objects from a distance, making his skills vital in overcoming most puzzles. Zoya can fire arrows at distant targets and can grapple on to wooden surfaces, letting her swing up and reach areas others can't. Pontius can smash stuff real good with his sword, and that's about it, at least initially. You encounter enough goblins and other nasty creatures that Pontius' skills come in handy, though the combat here is just a shallow and easy diversion that only serves to give your brain a break between puzzles.
Those puzzles are the heart of Trine 2, and though they're dressed up in gorgeous fantasy trappings, trying to devise solutions to them usually feels something like trying to fix a pesky problem around the house with whatever supplies you have laying around. Given the physics-based nature of the puzzles, you can often solve them in a number of ways, which may sound like it opens the door to satisfyingly creative problem-solving. Instead, because solutions don't click satisfyingly into place, you often don't feel like you're really solving anything at all.
Fumbling with conjured boxes and planks, you may eventually jerry-rig something that lets you climb the ledge you need to climb or water the plant you need to water. But it feels like you've stumbled on a makeshift solution that happens to get the job done, rather than cleverly worked out a challenging conundrum. And because you sometimes need to have things positioned perfectly for a particular solution you have in mind to work, it can be difficult to know if the concept you're working with won't work, or if you're just not executing it well enough. As a result, you can waste a lot of time experimenting with bad ideas, or give up on sound ideas that didn't work because you didn't have all the pieces in exactly the right spot.
Further dampening the pleasure of progressing past Trine 2's puzzles is the game's floaty movement. The buoyant jumps make it feel as if your characters aren't rooted in the world, and those characters have an odd tendency to sometimes scramble up onto ledges or platforms that seem like they shouldn't be reachable, so you can sometimes bypass puzzles without coming up with anything resembling a proper solution. The first time it happens, you might think you just got lucky. By the fifth time, you realize that the game's physics are too easily exploited.
There are potions scattered throughout levels and dropped by defeated monsters that serve as experience points; for every 50 you collect, you earn a skill point you can spend to unlock new abilities for your characters. Zoya can earn explosive arrows, for instance, while Amadeus can become capable of having more items conjured simultaneously, among other things. These upgrades are useful and empowering, and heck, after you've unlocked a few of Pontius' abilities, he actually becomes good for more than just hacking goblins to death.
The Wii U version of Trine 2, dubbed Trine 2: Director's Cut, can be played entirely on the GamePad, and you can use the touchscreen to do things like whip up boxes and planks as the wizard or to aim Zoya's bow. This version also includes the Goblin Menace expansion, which takes you to some memorable new locations that break away from the typical fantasy fare of the core game. You traipse across vast deserts, explore booby-trapped tombs, and even find yourself fighting through a massive creature's innards. Additionally, the goblins--who are a forgettable nuisance in Trine 2 proper--have a number of offensive contraptions in Goblin Menace that makes fighting them more interesting, though hardly more difficult. Unfortunately, you can't skip to the expansion, so if you've played Trine 2 on another platform and were hoping to jump right to the new content, you're out of luck.
Trine 2 supports local and online multiplayer for up to three players. Working with others can make overcoming Trine 2's puzzles much easier. (For instance, there's no need to devise a way to hold open a gate using boxes and planks so that you can switch to the thief and shoot an arrow at a target therein if there's two of you; simply have Amadeus actively hold the gate open and have Zoya simultaneously shoot the target.) However, the online play here doesn't support voice chat, making it impossible to coordinate with your partners, which in turn makes it very difficult to actually work together to overcome obstacles. If you've got friends in the room with you, though, you can enjoy making short work of puzzles that take a good deal of finagling when you're on your own.
Trine 2 is elevated by its art design, which is second to none. But as enchanting as its visuals are, they aren't enough to imbue the game's puzzles with magic. This is still an adventure worth embarking on just to take in all the stunning sights, but it's unfortunate that its beauty doesn't run deeper.
Firing Infinity Ward top talent Jason West and Vince Zampella in 2010 was not a difficult decision for Activision CEO Robert Kotick to make. In a New York Times profile published this week, Kotick addressed the swift and severe action taken against the high-profile developers.
"You find out two executives are planning to break their contracts, keep the money you gave them, and steal 40 employees. What do you do? You fire them," Kotick said.
Activision's high-profile court case against West and Zampella, along with 40 other former Infinity Ward developers, was settled in May this year before it could be heard by a trial. Terms of the deal were not disclosed at the time and have not been since, though one analyst previously projected this figure to be in the tens of millions.
Elsewhere in the profile, it was revealed why the massively popular Call of Duty brand has not spawned a Hollywood adaptation. Kotick said game-to-film adaptations rarely work out and could in fact blemish the franchise. Hollywood studios have reached out to Activision, he said, though all requests thus far have been denied.
AU Shippin' Out December 10-14: Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth
What games hit Australian shores this week? Marvel fans may be interested in the release of Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth on the Wii U. Check AU Shippin' Out for the full list of games which were released this week.
The OzSpot: Game of the Year Edition
It's nearly Christmas, and we celebrated with our final OzSpot podcast episode for the year! Join the GameSpot AU team--Dan, Laura, Ed, Zorine and Jess--as we looked back at the year that was 2012, and recounted some of our favourite gaming moments.
12 Plays of Christmas
With such an exciting line-up of games this year it would have been easy for some titles which may not have been on your radar. To help out, the GameSpot AU team round up their hidden gems of 2012, and share their thoughts on why they may have been missed! Best of all, you could win yourself one of twelve Turtle Beach Ear Force Z6A headsets worth $140!
For a brief explanation of what 12 Plays of Christmas is about, check out this video.
Sony Entertainment Network now available via PC
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has officially announced a new online store that allows PC users to purchase PSN content for their PlayStation 3 or PlayStation Vita. The store rolled out for over 15 European countries, as well as Australia and New Zealand. Check out the full article for more details.
We have a weekend packed with things you can do. Check it out!
We have a weekend pack of things you can do! First and foremost, the Reader's Choice Round 1B has 15 more hours left to vote. If you want to see your game shine, be sure to support it by creating a signature and remind people who they should vote for!
If you're curious about Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, you won't want to miss out on asking what we think about it! Drop by the Ask GameSpot forum to post your question and it might be answered in our next episode!
In case you were wondering about why there's been more talk about League of Legends among other GameSpotters, we're celebrating the game and its community in the month of December. This week's writing challenge is about your knowledge around the game. Have you been playing since the beta or perhaps started this week? Share your history with the game or if you have friends that play it. Even if you've never tried the game, you can even write about avoiding it and why. To submit your writing challenge entry send an email to contests@gamespot.com by December 17th and be sure to include your username and League of Legends summoner name to receive credit!
Lastly, Synthia and Jody will be playing League of Legends this weekend! If you want to get in some games with new and veteran gamers, visit the GameSpot Players Network for the schedule.
The imminence of the Steam Box, what Cliff's up to next, the mysterious Phantom Pain, Dark Souls, and the next Mega Man game is fan made.
We're in the thick of year-end retrospective and Game of The Year territory already, but that doesn't mean it was a quiet week for game news. Since last weekend we've (finally!) had official acknowledgement of a "Steam Box" of some kind, we've seen a mysterious trailer that may or may not have something to do with the new Metal Gear game, Dark Souls 2 was announced, a game was nominated for a Grammy, the BioShock Infinite box art was revealed to be unbelievably generic and crappy, and we found out what Cliff Bleszinski is up to next.
This piece of news just missed last week's This Week in Games by just a few hours, but it's definitely worth brining up this week. Valve co-founder and managing director Gabe Newell has begun to discuss his expectations for custom PCs that will allow users to run Steam from their living room TVs as early as next year. Speaking to Kotaku, Newell said these PC configurations would compete with next-generation consoles from Sony and Microsoft. He went on to say that Valve would be looking to develop these kinds of packages, but that other PC companies would jump in as well. "Certainly our hardware will be a very controlled environment," Newell said. "If you want more flexibility, you can always buy a more general purpose PC. For people who want a more turnkey solution, that's what some people are really gonna want for their living room." He also hinted that Valve is working on an updated engine which will reportedly work with next-generation consoles.
Newell also told Kotaku that he wants to bring Dota 2 to tablets, saying that a touchscreen version of the free-to-play multiplayer online battle arena game is one of the "interesting projects" that the company is currently working on, though initial tests have left much to be desired. "We were working on getting Dota 2 running on some tablets," Newell said. "That ended up being kind of a disappointment. But the good news is that tablets are getting faster very quickly, so I think we'll get the kind of performance we want and other game developers want in the near future." Dota 2 is currently scheduled for release on PC and Mac. The game combines action and real-time strategy elements in multiplayer matches that pit teams of player-controlled heroes against one another. The game will include integrated voice chat and computer-controlled characters that will take over for players who disconnect during play sessions, as well as a coaching system, where veteran players will have the chance to tutor newcomers.
Later in the week, Valve continued its recent flurry of activity with the launch of the Steam Community Market on Wednesday. Currently in beta and only compatible only with Team Fortress 2, the virtual market allows users to buy and sell in-game items using their Steam Wallet funds. Support for other titles will be introduced next year. The launch was due to the huge popularity Steam Trading, which is a service that allows users to exchange in-game items and gifted titles between themselves. Valve software engineer Tony Paloma said that over 500,000 trades are made every week and that, "giving players a way to turn gameplay into funds for new items and games is a key component for moving that success forward." A transaction fee of 15 percent paid by the buyer and collected by Steam will be applied to every sale. Valve said this fee is used to protect against fraud incidents as well as the cost of development and future Steam economy features. The fee may be increased in the future, Valve said.
The service followed this with the launch of a new Game Guides section on Thursday. The new feature allows members of the Steam Community Beta to create and share game guides with other players. The full extent of the feature is outlined in this blog post which notes that you'll be able to upload images or use screenshots already in your Steam cloud, insert YouTube videos, and invite friends to help you flesh out the guide further.
Last Friday night was the tenth 2012 Video Game Awards show on Spike TV, which meant that numerous studios had saved up all their exclusive announcements to blow on a single night of unremarkable television. Arguably the most talked about of the evening was a project called The Phantom Pain from a new Swedish outfit Moby Dick Studio. Though the trailer itself was fairly spectacular, it was the speculation that it is actually something Metal Gear Solid related that kept the message boards humming throughout the week. Not only does the main character of the trailer resemble Snake from Metal Gear Solid (including the iconic mullet, and the scar on his right cheek) but also the that fact that previously unheard of Moby Dick Studio CEO Joakim Mogren's first name is an anagram of Kojima. There's also the matter of the Volgin-lookalike striding through the flames, and the white flower petal hallucination from the Metal Gear Solid 3 climax.
The other big announcement from the VGAs that we all got excited about was the news that Dark Souls is getting a sequel. There wasn't a huge amount of information revealed, but what we do know is that it'll be available for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC, and that Demon's Souls and Dark Souls director Hidetaka Miyazaki is not the going to be the big-cheese on this one. He will serve as a "supervisor" on the project, with development instead led by From Software director Tomohiro Shibuya, who we understand has previously worked on Ultima Underworld, Monster Hunter, and Resident Evil: Outbreak. Dark Souls 2 will feature a new hero, a fresh storyline, and an "unfamiliar" setting. "Epic battles with gruesome enemies" are promised, as well as a revamped server-based multiplayer mode that aims to "put a distinct Dark Souls 2 twist on the concept of playing with others." You can also expect something a little less confusing, it seems. "[Dark Souls 2] will be more straightforward and more understandable," Shibuya told Edge in an interview soon after the reveal.
Upset that there is no Wii U version of the game currently listed, enterprising fans have taken to Change.org to start a petition with the goal of encouraging Namco Bandai to reconsider. By Friday morning the petition hit over 12,000 signatures, and continues to grow. The creator of the petition says the Wii U is a worthwhile platform for Dark Souls 2 for two main reasons. The first, he said, is that the Wii U's GamePad would open up beneficial inventory management options. The second is the console's "affordability" compared to the PC and PS3, as well as online fees associated with Xbox Live. Online access for the Wii U is free, with the exception of a 50-cent charge for minors. Whether you agree with his logic, we'll invite you to discuss it in the comments.
The answer, in case you couldn't figure it out, is composer Austin Wintory. We learned in the past week that Journey is the first video game to earn a Grammy nomination for its soundtrack. The Recording Academy revealed its nomination last Thursday, and Wintory's beautiful score was listed alongside those for The Artist and Hugo in the dryly-titled "Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media" category. Wintory has previously scored thatgamecompany's games flOw and Flower, but has actually produced hundreds of works since he began composing in 2003. Journey is no stranger to accolades of late. Earlier this year it was proclaimed the Fastest Selling PSN game, and last Friday it picked up awards at the Spike TV VGA's for Best PS3 Game, Best Independent Game, and Best Original Score. It will no doubt pick up many more before the end of year awards season is through.
Next up for Wintory? He'll be trying something very different. According to a recent interview with Polygon, he will be trying his (very talented) hand at composing the score for the upcoming Leisure Suit Larry remake from developer Replay Games. Leisure Suit Larry creator Al Lowe apparently reached out to Wintory during the Spike VGA awards. The composer stated that he had some experience writing "sexy music" for films; the game developers made sure that Wintory was comfortable creating "seedy, back alley kind of stuff", given the nature of the Larry series.
A console version of Diablo III is "up and running" at Blizzard Entertainment, but the game is still not an official project at the company. This is according to Blizzard executive Rob Pardo, who told Polygon the fate of a console version of the dungeon crawler has still not been decided. "We're still kind of exploring it," Pardo said. "We've got builds up and running on it. We're hoping to get it far enough along where we can make it an official project, but we're not quite ready to release stuff about it, but it's looking pretty cool." Blizzard has been teasing a console version of Diablo III for more than two years now, though the project remains largely a mystery. It has never been said which consoles exactly Blizzard is working with.
What do you think? Are you over Diablo III already? Or do you think a console version would give it a new lease of life for you? Let us know in the comments.
Bungie founder Alex Seropian has big plans for his first game with new studio Industrial Toys. The company announced its first game this week, Morning Star, a sci-fi shooter for iOS devices that aims to "raise the bar for mobile graphics" when it arrives spring 2013. "With Morning Star, we're looking to change expectations for what kind of experience core gamers get from their mobile devices," Seropian said in a statement. Morning Star was built from the ground up for touch-based controls and is billed as a "complete reimagining of the shooter." It is set 120 years into the future (around 2132) and brings players aboard the MSRV-Joplin, a research vessel equipped with heavy weaponry. Players seek out a mysterious signal, and as is often the case, disaster takes hold and gamers are thrust into the middle of an intergalactic war.
Gamers that got all bent out of shape about BioShock Infinite's "controversial" (OK, that might be stretching things a little) box art may be happy to learn the 2013 shooter will come bundled with a reversible cover. Irrational Games creative director Ken Levine made the announcement on Wednesday, also noting that fans can vote for one of six covers at the Irrational Games website. Levine said print deadlines are approaching quickly, so fans should place their voices as soon as they are able. Fans not happy with whatever the community chooses are not out of luck. Irrational Games will make "a whole mess" of additional alternate covers available to download and print at a later date. These were not revealed.
If you're not familiar with the fuss about the box art, here's a quick update to get you up to speed. Irrational Games unveiled the art last week, and it surprised a lot of people for being an image of a tough dude holding a gun (above). "Disappointment" would be the polite expression for what a lot of people expressed. Levine acknowledged this, but explained himself in an interview with Wired. "We went and did a tour… around to a bunch of, like, frathouses and places like that. People who were gamers. Not people who read IGN. And [we] said, 'So, have you guys heard of BioShock?' Not a single one of them had heard of it." Levine then likened games to salad dressing. His point being, just because some gamers do not keep up to date with the happenings of the business does not mean they are any less important to market to. In fact, he said it is the opposite; these gamers are keeping the business alive. "Our gaming world, we sometimes forget, is so important to us, but… there are plenty of products that I buy that I don't spend a lot of time thinking about. My salad dressing. If there's a new salad dressing coming out, I would have no idea," Levine said.
In keeping with our ongoing weekly observations about just how big the really big games are, this week we can safely assure you that yes, Assassin's Creed 3 is appropriately sizable. Just how much of a whopper is it? Ubisoft announced this week that the excellent stealth-action game is now the fastest selling game in company history, having shifted 7 million copies since its launch on October 30. Not satisfied with boasting about just one number though, Ubisoft's publicity machine went into overdrive and started spitting out all kinds of similarly gigantic numbers based on in-game statistics, like "82 centuries of game time in single-player missions" and "over 3 billion assassinations!" Company representatives were also appropriately pleased with themselves on the subject of multiplayer sessions too, noting that the new game has attracted more than double the number of players of Assassin's Creed: Revelations, and that 5 billion sessions have already been played.
The Minecraft franchise continues to prove itself seemingly unstoppable, and that means there's new of its hugeness hitting every other week lately. Mojang developer Johan Bernhardsson announced via his Twitter page on Thursday that Minecraft: Pocket Edition has now sold 5 million copies across iOS and Android (at $6.99 a pop,) pushing the series total to over 17.5 million.
Minecraft for PC and Mac remains the breadwinner, selling 8.3 million copies but the Xbox Live Arcade version of Minecraft is no slouch either, having sold 4.48 million copies as of last week.
Apple rolled out it's Best of 2012 awards on Thursday this week, including a large selection of games-related gongs to guide the recipients of iPad, iPhones, and iPods this Holiday season. Ubisoft's beautiful endless-runner Rayman Jungle Run took the prize for best iPhone game, while Fireproof's spectacular "physical puzzler" The Room won the award for best iPad game. Honorable mentions went to Atebit's elegant word puzzle game Letterpress and Tiger Style's thoughtful sic-fi adventure Waking Mars (which just arrived on Steam for PC and Mac this week, too.) Other highlights were Rovio's near-ubiquitous Bad Piggies, Adult Swim's spectacularly addictive Super Monsters Ate My Condo, and Sega's turn-based strategy-fest Total War Battles. Single-out as "showpiece games" for iPad were The Walking Dead, Need for Speed Most Wanted, Dead Trigger, Bastion, Chaos Rings 2, and Horn.
In somewhat related news, we also learned this week that the Angry Birds movie will hit theaters during the summer of 2016. Rovio Entertainment announced the news on Tuesday, to the groans of many and the jubilation of many more. Iron Man producer David Maisel is attached as executive producer, with Despicable Me producer John Cohen also on board in a producing role for the untitled 3D CGI film. The Angry Birds film will be produced and financed entirely by Rovio Entertainment with no help from an outside studio. This will allow the company to "retain full creative control while creating innovative entertainment at the highest level of quality," the company said in a statement. The Angry Birds film marks Rovio's first foray in the movie business. Prior to his work with Illumination Entertainment/Universal Pictures on Despicable Me and Hop, Cohen was vice president of production at Twentieth Century Fox Animation. There, he worked with Greenwich, Connecticut-based Blue Sky Studios on its major films including Ice Age, Robots, and Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who. "I've personally spent countless hours playing the Angry Birds games over the last few years, which I can now happily justify as research for the movie," Cohen said in a statement. Maisel is a former chairmen of Marvel Studios and served as executive producer on Captain America: The First Avenger, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, and the aforementioned Iron Man and its sequel, Iron Man 2.
If you had any doubts as to Microsoft's intentions with the Kinect technology, it seems that its commitment was further asserted this week with a job listing to find talent to form a new team that will "tell the story of what the future of entertainment will look like." The req for a software development engineer reveals a successful candidate should be ready to fail in a new high-risk environment. "Joining this team comes with risks," the job ad reads. "Most of what we work on is top-secret; you may not know what your new project is until you've accepted an offer. Not all of our ideas will fly. We will fail, and fail fast, on some projects. We will celebrate those failures because they are vital to making sure the right ideas take off in a big way." The job description makes clear that those seeking a "comfortable" or "standard" role at Microsoft should not apply. To be considered for the position, a candidate must have shipped at least one consumer-focused product and worked on side projects like Kinect hacks or websites. Additionally, candidates must have experience with contemporary game engines like Unreal, CryEngine, or Unity, as well as knowledge of Kinect for Windows SDK or similar technologies.
On the subject of Kinect, we learned this week that Dead Space 3 for Xbox 360 (due February 5, 2013) will feature voice controls using the device. Players will be able to use simple voice commands like "Find partner," "Fire stasis," "Attack enemy" and others during gameplay in both single- and cooperative multiplayer. As you'd expect, the voice controls are entirely optional, and no gesture-based functionality was announced.
Last week we questioned the recent Epic Games exodus, but this week we finally get some clarity on the future of one of arguably the highest-profile departures; that of design director Cliff Bleszinski. In an interview for G4, Bleszinski expressed his eagerness to open a new studio, and become known for more than just the Gears of War franchise. "I don't really want just the whole chainsaw gun to be my legacy," Bleszinski said. "A lot of these kids who have only been playing games for the last however many years, they think that's the only thing I ever did. They forget about Jazz Jackrabbit, Unreal, Unreal Tournament; that I worked on things like Bulletstorm and a little bit of Shadow Complex." Bleszinski then compared himself to iconic film director Steven Spielberg, saying just like the Saving Private Ryan and E.T. director, he must also branch out in new directions. "Moving forward, I would hope to work on something new and fresh and kind of redefine my legacy," he said. "Steven Spielberg didn't want to be known for just E.T., right? So he made a lot of different kinds of things."
The product that he hopes will redefine him in this way is currently called Silverstreak, a new intellectual property that he says is "gestating slowly" at the moment. The matter of him starting a new studio to work on the idea is simply a matter of "when" and "with whom," he claims. When asked about the celebrity personality that he cultivated during his 20 year tenure with Epic, Bleszinski stressed that it yields both benefits and dangers. "You have to be careful when you have a certain amount of cult of personality," Bleszinski said. "You can use it, and leverage it to some extent, but you have to be careful to not believe your own crap. And surround yourself with people who will question you at the right times; you don't want to surround yourself with a lot of yes men."
In an unusually frank interview about the 10th anniversary of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City this week, Rockstar North's Leslie Benzies told Digital Trends' Adam Rosenberg of his long-term ambitions for the franchise. "At some point we would like to have one big world containing all our cities, and let the player fly between them and revisit their favorite areas," he said. "In that context, re-imagining Vice City would be very interesting."
Looking back at the attention that Rockstar drew with each of its earlier Grand Theft Auto titles, the Benzies also opened up about of the challenges of creating mature content. "I think the scrutiny we suffered … has helped keep us creatively sharp. We do not sit down for design meetings and say 'let's make the most appallingly violent game possible'. We choose to set our games in places where violence is, or was a part of everyday life: the Old West, or the criminal underworld, or cocaine-flooded Miami. If we censored ourselves and sanitized the violence, we would not be able to properly explore these settings and themes, and make the games we make. That is a compromise we have never been willing to make."
On the mobile front, Benzies revealed that Rockstar would like to see a number of the studio's previous titles on tablets and mobiles, although he did not state which in particular. "Whether these are repurposed versions of existing games or entirely new IPs, I couldn't say, but if you look at Chinatown Wars, you can see that we are always up for the challenge of designing games for new technologies and making the most of all their features, not just their processing power."
The next Mega Man game will be available on Monday, and is something a little unusual; it's going to be completely free, only available for Windows, is a crossover with the Street Fighter universe, and is fan made. Polygon's Mike McWhertor spoke to Capcom senior vice president Christian Svensson about the project, observing that the project is in some ways an attempt to make good on past promises from Capcom while celebrating the 25th anniversaries of two of the company's iconic brands. "It was a great way for us to build free content that people will enjoy, and in some way to make up for the lack of Mega Man that's been in the world in the last two years." Capcom-Unity senior community manager Brett Elston posted in his blog, "Singapore super fan Seow Zong Hui (maybe you've seen his Dhalsim skills?) approached our own Christian Svensson back at EVO 2012 with the skeleton of SFxMM running on a laptop. Seeing the potential and serendipitous opportunity, Sven shared it with GregaMan and I a week later. We evaluated (aka played to death) it and said uh yeah, this is pretty damn cool. Then it all started coming together."
There are currently no plans to bring Street Fight X Mega Man to consoles, or to mobile platforms, though Svensson says that "We may look at [releasing the game] on other open platforms", citing that Mac, Linux and iOS are "potentially" under consideration.
Santa, games, hats, and more! Join us for the final episode of The OzSpot for 2012 looking back over some of our favourite gaming moments of this year.
It's nearly Christmas! Join the GameSpot AU team--Dan, Laura, Ed, Zorine and Jess--as we look back at the year that was 2012, recounting some of our favourite gaming moments.
What made it into our top list of games for this year? What games will be playing over the holidays? And what are we looking forward to in 2013?
As always, join us live and ask us questions, leave comments, and participate in the discussion!
We'll also be dipping into the lucky hat every now and then for a wildcard topic. Tune in!
Watch live video from gamespot's channel on www.twitch.tv
Laura Parker is the Associate Editor of GameSpot Australia. She loves adventure games, sparkly stuff, Trivial Pursuit, cake, Master Chief, earthworms, and rhetorical questions. She once stole a sandwich from Peter Molyneux.
