Gamespot's Site Mashup

Gamespot's Site MashupGlitchspace Early Access ReviewBorderlands 2: Headhunter 5 - Sir Hammerlock vs. the Son of Crawmerax ReviewSkullgirls' first male character, Big Band, arrives next weekGS News Top 5 - PlayStation 4 sells more consoles than Xbox One + The Next Civilization Is In Space!BioShock movie could be back in developmentWorld of Tanks - Update 9.0 Trailer$1 PS3 and Vita game sale on PlayStation Store this weekendTrials Frontier downloads top 6 million in one week, new content on the wayIn memoriam: MIT Officer slain in Boston marathon bombing was gamer at heartGameStop Easter sale offers buy two, get one free deal on used gamesThe Point - Watch Dogs & Misleading Game TrailersPlayStation 3's newest bundle pairs it with The Amazing Spider-Man 2The Elder Scrolls Online players discover serious item duping exploitGameSpot GamePlay Podcast Episode #69Trials Frontier and the Dangers of Free-to-Play

http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Fri, 18 Apr 2014 21:33:11 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/glitchspace-early-access-review/1100-6419083/ GameSpot's early access reviews evaluate unfinished games that are nonetheless available for purchase by the public. While the games in question are not considered finished by their creators, you may still devote money, time, and bandwidth for the privilege of playing them before they are complete. The review below critiques a work in progress, and represents a snapshot of the game at the time of the review's publication.Give Glitchspace a little time to grow on you. Loading up this puzzler for the first time is a mystifying experience to say the least, for reasons beyond the obvious. Developer Space Budgie has included absolutely nothing in the way of tutorials or guidance to help you figure out the interface. That's a big problem, because this early access game currently available via Steam is one of the more unique games you will encounter this year, an initially aggravating but eventually engaging mix of an experimental first-person game like <a href="/portal/" data-ref-id="false">Portal</a> and visual programming.<figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2508536-0001.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508536" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2508536-0001.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508536"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/416/4161502/2508536-0001.jpg"></a><figcaption>This virtual programming stuff looks a lot more confusing than it actually is. </figcaption></figure>Space Budgie calls Glitchspace a "first-person programming game," and that description does the game justice. You play as a nameless explorer wandering through a dreamy cyberspace world beset by random glitches that make it impossible to move from point A to point B. Reprogramming the environment as you go is the only way to get around falling off the edge of the world into oblivion. The game environment is made up of stable white blocks and unstable, "glitching" red ones that can be edited via the use of a visual programming language called Null, which allows you to manipulate these red blocks in just about any way you can imagine. You can shrink them, extend them, rotate them, make them immaterial, make them solid, turn them into bouncy platforms, and even create them out of nothing. So you're both programmer and player at the same time.The 11 levels included in the current (alpha 1.4) build of the game throw out devious pitfalls that require serious thinking to get past. You generally run into chasms that cannot be crossed without twisting or turning a red block in such a fashion that you can use it as the next platform. Visual programming consists of a simple system. Everything is handled by dragging and dropping various commands, which are illustrated in little boxes adorned with plug-ins that allow you to connect commands into linked programming strings. Some blocks are decrypted, so you just right-click to bring up partially locked programming options, which are easier to figure out because you have already been given some of the puzzle pieces. Others are encrypted, which forces you to hit the E key to bring up a fuller list of options and then do pretty much everything from scratch before blasting the changes into existence with your shooter-style programming gun.<blockquote data-align="left">This early access game currently available via Steam is one of the more unique games you will encounter this year.</blockquote>Either way, the goal is to create a logical programming string that makes a block dance to your commands. Some strings are simple, with just a few conditions. Others are more convoluted, with a dozen or more different conditions involving all manner of programming lingo: setting true or false and negative or positive, turning collision detection on or off, selecting a vector, scaling objects, applying force to objects, and so on. It doesn't necessarily help to have any programming experience, but it sure doesn't hurt, especially when you move beyond the two or three hours of the straightforward story levels into the much more grueling and open-ended sandbox mode of play.Glitchspace is ingenious. Levels begin with basic maneuvers that require just a couple of manipulations to raise up a block or extend it toward you, but gradually progress to much more difficult situations where you need to play with a series of blocks, use one to trigger the action of another, and so forth. Thinking is paramount. The game features a relaxed atmosphere that is almost meditative in the way that it encourages you to focus. Elevator mood music and quasi-psychedelic visuals encourage a Zen approach to everything, too. You're supposed to be inside a computer, but it feels more like you're on some kind of high-tech acid trip. This place is a long way from Tron.<figure data-align="right" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2508538-0002.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508538" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2508538-0002.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508538"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/416/4161502/2508538-0002.jpg"></a><figcaption>OK, this is kind of confusing. Still, the game gradually ramps up to this level of complexity, which is only present in sandbox mode in the current alpha build.</figcaption></figure>That said, Glitchspace is far too unwelcoming at the outset. The game comes with no tutorial or even any sort of documentation, so you're on your own when it comes to learning how to program. Without the assistance of a YouTube video, you may not have a clue as to how to manipulate the interface controlling the various programming options. The developers need to provide more information to players before the final game is released. Right now, programming is too bewildering in the beginning.Once you get the hang of the visual programming mechanics, Glitchspace soon becomes a mesmerizing experience. The game is also remarkably stable and full-featured for an alpha build costing just $6.99 at present, providing you with many hours of play in the campaign levels and the more hardcore sandbox option. If some of the issues around accessibility are addressed through the addition of a tutorial, or even a quickie video illustrating basic programming concepts, Glitchspace could become one of the more inventive puzzle games to arrive on the PC in some time.<table data-max-width="true"><tbody><tr><td>What's There?</td><td>The 1.4 alpha build reviewed here features 11 levels offering two or three hours of gameplay, along with a complex sandbox mode that can occupy many more hours of your life.</td></tr><tr><td>What's to Come?</td><td>While the developers aren't clear about what additional content will be added to the final game, expect new levels and some fine-tuning of the existing puzzles.</td></tr><tr><td>What Does it Cost?</td><td>$6.99, available <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/290060/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">via Steam</a>.</td></tr><tr><td>When Will it Be Finished?</td><td>No final release date has been announced at present. The game is largely bug-free, and all of the features seem to be in place, though, however.</td></tr><tr><td>What's the Verdict?</td><td>If you're up for something unique and innovative, the game is well worth the $6.99 asking price, even in alpha. </td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 18 Apr 2014 17:33:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/glitchspace-early-access-review/1100-6419083/ http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/borderlands-2-headhunter-5-sir-hammerlock-vs-the-s/1900-6415736/ To be a vault hunter means a life of tough, dirty, bloody work. Mostly bloody, but still, it's a lot of exhausting labor for that precious loot. Naturally, after fighting through a full game and plenty of content packs filled to the brim with rambunctious bandits, enormous monsters, and ambitious, murder-happy villains, the vault hunters could do with a little vacation.In the final Borderlands 2 Headhunter downloadable content pack, called Sir Hammerlock vs. the Son of Crawmerax, we see our fatigued antiheroes taking a trip to beautiful Wam Bam Island, where they hope to kick their feet up, get some sun, and enjoy a fruity cocktail with Sir Hammerlock. But just as you start to feel relaxed, Hammerlock is snatched away by a neon-blue claw and dragged underground, leaving you to lock and load, and get back to work.So much for that vacation.<figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2508332-bl2+dlc+0210.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508332" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2508332-bl2+dlc+0210.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508332"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/416/4161502/2508332-bl2+dlc+0210.jpg"></a><figcaption>Bathing suit? Check. Sunscreen? Check. Instruments of death and destruction? Check, check, and check. </figcaption></figure>Sir Hammerlock vs. the Son of Crawmerax ends the Borderlands 2 legacy, putting the cap not only on the Headhunter packs, but on any more content for the game. Thankfully, Son of Crawmerax delivers a proper end to the Borderlands 2 saga. This is both the lengthiest of the holiday-flavored Headhunter packs and the best, providing a challenging story boss, a hilarious side mission, a gorgeous, sizable new area to explore, and plenty of humorous narration from enemies and beloved characters.A bright, blue sky envelops Wam Bam Island, a paradise adorned with white, sandy beaches, jungle flora, rocky cliffs, and an underwater dome surrounded by multicolored coral where clown fish thrive. You warp onto the island next to a small resort made up of huts and buildings raised on stilts and crowned with thatched roofs. The resort is split by a colossal water wheel, and is decked out in bright Easter colors of pink, yellow, and light blue. In the distance, an angry volcano erupts, belching smoke into the sky. Don't get caught staring too long at the environment; the areas are crawling with new and returning enemies, and all of them are eager to see your head on a pike.<blockquote data-size="large" data-align="center">This is both the lengthiest of the holiday-flavored Headhunter packs and the best.</blockquote><figure data-align="left" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2508338-bl2+dlc+0229.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508338" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2508338-bl2+dlc+0229.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508338"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/416/4161502/2508338-bl2+dlc+0229.jpg"></a><figcaption>Oops--forgot flip-flops!</figcaption></figure>Making a comeback from the game's first DLC pack, Captain Scarlett and her Pirate's Booty, are pirate bandits, this time sporting tropical apparel. The flying varkid insects also make a return to not just annoy, but also inadvertently aid you in your hunt for Hammerlock. New enemies include craboids, which are crustaceans that come in two varieties: small and irritating, snapping at your shins from under shallow pools of water, and large and surprisingly fierce. The dark recesses of the island are inhabited by natives, whom you battle on sandy beaches and in their home village nestled deep within a shattered dome. These warriors defend themselves with large wooden shields while throwing spears, distracting you long enough for their dimunitive witch doctors to fling a slag-charged spell in your direction.It's impossible to become one of Pandora's chosen gun-toting badasses without making a few enemies in the process. Veteran vault hunters may remember Crawmerax the Invincible, the titanic crab worm that appeared in the optional mission of the Borderlands DLC pack The Secret Armory of General Knoxx. Long after his father's defeat, Crawmerax Jr. has emerged seeking revenge, and since the original four hunters have hung up their guns, he decides to set his claws on Pandora's new group of vault hunters instead. Whether you're still running to the hills from the flying rakks, or you're the undisputed terror of skags, Crawmerax Jr. is a challenging foe, who mimics many of his father's moves and abilities. He slashes and bites, and bores into the sand causing massive shock waves while his army of craboids attempt to soften you up. But you are well rewarded in your victory with a wealth of loot, chests to unlock, and a small version of Crawmerax Jr.'s head to wear as a mask.<blockquote data-align="right" data-size="small">It's impossible to become one of Pandora's chosen gun-toting badasses without making a few enemies in the process.</blockquote>Finishing the story mission isn't the end of your island adventure. With Crawmerax's lineage ended, a new enemy appears, hungering for vengeance. In the optional mission, you are contacted via radio by Sparky Flynt, son of Captain Flynt, one of the first bosses you kill in Borderlands 2. Furious at you (and apparently his father), Sparky gathers six people who have been harmed by the latest group of vault hunters and turns them into assassins, sending them out one at a time with the goal of putting an end to your stay on Pandora. The optional quest isn't that strenuous, because the actual goal is to leave you in hysterics as you come face-to-face with all of Sparky's, ahem, formidable assassins. You don't know what to expect to come out of these reunions, but it's worth taking the time to see each one to its comical end.As you play the pack, you are joined by the original vault hunters, who pipe in through your radio offering to aid you in your search for the missing Hammerlock, while provide entertaining back-and-forth dialogue. With Handsome Jack defeated, the tone of the conversations is unusually friendly. Mordecai talks about his new pet, Talon, which captures the adoring affection of Lilith. Her determination to befriend the bird, despite its tendency to occasionally bite her, leaves Brick bewildered. Though their presence was brief, they kept me smiling throughout most of the story mission. I'm going to miss those guys. Also making an appearance is Crazy Earl, who offers some assistance after asking for one last favor.<figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2508340-bl2+dlc+0235.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508340" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2508340-bl2+dlc+0235.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508340"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/416/4161502/2508340-bl2+dlc+0235.jpg"></a><figcaption>Welcome to your next stop, the famous Flying Numbers of Borderlands campsite. </figcaption></figure>The pack comes in at around three hours, but there are plenty of reasons to visit Wam Bam Island more than once. You can fight Crawmerax Jr. a second time, which ups the difficulty but provides rarer loot. Defeating him again also unlocks a room filled from floor to ceiling with loot chests. You can fight through the areas while hunting down the new skins, which dress your character up in bright, tropical hues. Lastly, somewhere on the island lies a buried chest, filled with even more booty to plunder.The second trip to Pandora has been a long and entertaining ride. Handsome Jack is gone for good, and this latest content pack ties up any remaining loose ends. Sir Hammerlock vs. the Son of Crawmerax is a short but entertaining episode that ends on a high note, with things finally looking brighter for the battle-weary vault hunters. Perhaps now they can start on that well-earned break. Fri, 18 Apr 2014 16:59:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/borderlands-2-headhunter-5-sir-hammerlock-vs-the-s/1900-6415736/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/skullgirls-first-male-character-big-band-arrives-next-week/1100-6419082/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNhADoCjdoI" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FjNhADoCjdoI%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DjNhADoCjdoI&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FjNhADoCjdoI%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div>The roster in indie fighting game <a href="/skullgirls/" data-ref-id="false">Skullgirls Encore</a> grows by one character next week, as Big Band--the game's first male fighter--joins the fray.Described as a "high risk, high reward" type of character, Big Band is the second of five characters being released as DLC for Skullgirls. The DLC comes as a result of a successful crowdfunding campaign last year that saw almost $830,000 pledged to developer Lab Zero Games.The eight characters included in the base game, as well as the first DLC character (Squigly), are all female, although a second male is planned as DLC. What sets Big Band apart from the rest of the roster, in addition to his gender and being a former cop who was injured and then rebuilt with a huge, mechanical body, is his ability to parry attacks. Doing so does subject him to do some damage, but the ability opens up new techniques in battle.Big Band will be available for free for a limited time following release. The DLC that includes him (as well as a new stage, story mode, and tutorials) will be released on the PlayStation 3 and PC this Tuesday, April 22. The Xbox 360 version of the Big Band DLC remains in Microsoft's certification process as of this afternoon, meaning Lab Zero won't be able to announce a release date until next week at the earliest.Skullgirls was originally released on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in 2012 before being removed from both services late last year when a partnership between Lab Zero and publisher Konami came to an end. The game was then <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/psn-gets-indie-fighter-skullgirls-back-on-feb-11-xbox-live-release-coming-as-quickly-as-possible/1100-6417622/" data-ref-id="1100-6417622">rereleased as Skullgirls Encore</a> this past February, with existing Skullgirls owners being entitled to a free copy.<table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col">Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSmokingManX" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 18 Apr 2014 16:28:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/skullgirls-first-male-character-big-band-arrives-next-week/1100-6419082/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-top-5-playstation-4-sells-more-consoles-th/2300-6418419/ Sony sells off all of it's Square Enix shares, Watch Dogs Ultra PC specs revealed, and Diablo III running on the PS4 at PAX. Fri, 18 Apr 2014 16:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-top-5-playstation-4-sells-more-consoles-th/2300-6418419/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/bioshock-movie-could-be-back-in-development/1100-6419081/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2508504-bioshock1.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508504" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2508504-bioshock1.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508504"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2508504-bioshock1.jpg"></a></figure>After being shut down altogether several years ago, the <a href="/bioshock/" data-ref-id="false">BioShock</a> movie may again be moving forward, as evidenced by several domain names registered last month by Sony Pictures.The domain names, as found by <a href="http://kotaku.com/ubisoft-has-over-9-000-employees-1563003254" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Kotaku</a>, include bioshock-movie.com, bioshock-movie.net, and bio-shock.net. All three list Sony Pictures in their registration information. Sony was never publicly involved with previous attempts to develop a BioShock film, but these registrations suggest it may now be looking to do so.Back in 2008, Pirates of the Caribbean director <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/verbinski-bioshocks-hollywood/1100-6190664/" data-ref-id="1100-6190664">Gore Verbinski was set to direct</a> a BioShock film being financed by Universal Pictures. A year later, reports circulated that Verbinski was <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/verbinski-rethinking-bioshock-film-report/1100-6210608/" data-ref-id="1100-6210608">thinking of backing out</a>, which he did after <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/bioshock-film-preproduction-halted/1100-6208624/" data-ref-id="1100-6208624">production was halted</a> due to concerns regarding the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/r-rated-bioshock-movie-couldnt-get-funding-verbinski/1100-6299092/" data-ref-id="1100-6299092">budget and the R rating</a> Verbinski wanted. 28 Weeks Later director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo was then <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/juan-carlos-fresnadillo-to-direct-bioshock-movie/1100-6216057/" data-ref-id="1100-6216057">tapped to direct</a>, but the movie again fell apart, with BioShock creative director Ken Levine stating last year that <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/levine-explains-why-he-killed-bioshock-movie/1100-6405153/" data-ref-id="1100-6405153">he was responsible for ultimately axing the project</a>."And so they brought another director in, and I didn't really see the match there," Levine said. "Take-Two is one of those companies that gives a lot of trust to their creative people, and so they said to me, 'If you want to kill it Ken, kill it.' And I killed it.""Which was weird, having been a screenwriter going around begging to rewrite any script to being in a position where you're killing a movie that you worked so much on," he added. "It was saying, 'You know what? I don't need to compromise.' I had the [BioShock] world, and I didn't what to see it done in a way I didn't think was right."Kotaku raises the possibility that Levine himself could be involved with writing a script for the movie. He is currently working on a script for the new Logan's Run movie, and he has <a href="http://www.polygon.com/features/2013/1/10/3853198/ken-levine-bioshock-infinite-vgas" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">said he would consider</a> working on a BioShock screenplay following the completion of <a href="/bioshock-infinite/" data-ref-id="false">BioShock Infinite</a>.The studio Levine founded, Irrational Games--developer of the original BioShock and BioShock Infinite--was <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/bioshock-creator-irrational-games-is-shutting-down/1100-6417821/" data-ref-id="1100-6417821">shut down in February</a>. Levine and a select number of employees planned to start a "new venture" under the 2K Games umbrella that "focus[ed] entirely on replayable narrative." The BioShock property, meanwhile, remains in the hands of 2K.Earlier this year, concept artist Jim Martin <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/canceled-bioshock-movie-concept-art-surfaces/1100-6417209/" data-ref-id="1100-6417209">published concept art</a> he had created for the BioShock movie, providing us with some sense of what had been envisioned when Universal was involved with the movie's production.<table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col">Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSmokingManX" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 18 Apr 2014 15:47:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/bioshock-movie-could-be-back-in-development/1100-6419081/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/world-of-tanks-update-9-0-trailer/2300-6418417/ Update 9.0: New Frontiers, adds an all new game mode Historical Battles, upgraded graphics and marks the beginning of the transformation World of Tanks will receive in 2014. Fri, 18 Apr 2014 15:04:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/world-of-tanks-update-9-0-trailer/2300-6418417/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/1-ps3-and-vita-game-sale-on-playstation-store-this-weekend/1100-6419080/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2508473-gci.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508473" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2508473-gci.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508473"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2508473-gci.jpg"></a></figure>If you've been hoping to build up your digital PlayStation game library, this weekend should represent a great opportunity to do so. As part of a weekend flash sale, Sony has dropped the prices of more than 30 games for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita--ranging from $6 PlayStation Classics to $20 PS3 games--to $1.This promotion doesn't require a PlayStation Plus membership or anything of the sort; from now until Monday, April 21 at 7 a.m., everyone is free to take advantage of this $1 deal.Included in the sale are games like <a href="/braid/" data-ref-id="false">Braid</a> (regularly $15), <a href="/tokyo-jungle/" data-ref-id="false">Tokyo Jungle</a> (regularly $15), <a href="/sam-and-max-the-devils-playhouse-2010/" data-ref-id="false">Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse</a> (regularly $20), <a href="/gotham-city-impostors/" data-ref-id="false">Gotham City Impostors</a> (regularly $15), and <a href="/super-stardust-hd/" data-ref-id="false">Super Stardust HD</a> (regularly $10), as well as a number of PlayStation Classics like <a href="/crash-bandicoot/" data-ref-id="false">Crash Bandicoot</a>, <a href="/crash-team-racing/" data-ref-id="false">Crash Team Racing</a>, and <a href="/spyro-the-dragon/" data-ref-id="false">Spyro the Dragon</a> (all regularly $6).The full list of games follows below:<ul><li dir="ltr"><a href="/back-to-the-future-the-game/" data-ref-id="false">Back to the Future: The Game</a> - Full Series - $0.99 (original price: $19.99)</li><li dir="ltr"><a href="/blast-factor/" data-ref-id="false">Blast Factor</a> - $0.99 (original price: $9.99)</li><li dir="ltr">Braid - $0.99 (original price: $14.99)</li><li dir="ltr">Crash Bandicoot - $0.99 (original price: $5.99)</li><li dir="ltr"><a href="/crash-bandicoot-2-cortex-strikes-back/" data-ref-id="false">Crash Bandicoot 2</a> - $0.99 (original price: $5.99)</li><li dir="ltr"><a href="/crash-bandicoot-3-warped/" data-ref-id="false">Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped</a> - $0.99 (original price: $5.99)</li><li dir="ltr"><a href="/crash-commando/" data-ref-id="false">Crash Commando</a> - $0.99 (original price: $9.99)</li><li dir="ltr">CTR: Crash Team Racing - $0.99 (original price: $5.99)</li><li dir="ltr"><a href="/echochrome-ii/" data-ref-id="false">echochrome ii</a> - $0.99 (original price: $9.99)</li><li dir="ltr"><a href="/everyday-shooter/" data-ref-id="false">Everyday Shooter</a> (PS3) - $0.99 (original price: $9.99)</li><li dir="ltr">Everyday Shooter (PSP | PS Vita) - $0.99 (original price: $7.99)</li><li dir="ltr"><a href="/gex-enter-the-gecko/" data-ref-id="false">Gex: Enter the Gecko</a> - $0.99 (original price: $5.99)</li><li dir="ltr">Gotham City Impostors - $0.99 (original price: $14.99)</li><li dir="ltr"><a href="/jurassic-park-the-game/" data-ref-id="false">Jurassic Park: The Game </a>- Full Season - $0.99 (original price: $19.99)</li><li dir="ltr"><a href="/plants-vs-zombies/" data-ref-id="false">Plants vs Zombies</a> - $0.99 (original price: $10.49)</li><li dir="ltr"><a href="/red-faction-ii/" data-ref-id="false">Red Faction 2</a> PS2 Classic - $0.99 (original price: $9.99)</li><li dir="ltr"><a href="/red-faction/" data-ref-id="false">Red Faction</a> PS2 Classic - $0.99 (original price: $9.99)</li><li dir="ltr"><a href="/red-faction-battlegrounds/" data-ref-id="false">Red Faction: Battlegrounds</a> - $0.99 (original price: $9.99)</li><li dir="ltr"><a href="/retro-city-rampage/" data-ref-id="false">Retro City Rampage</a> (PS Vita) - $0.99 (original price: $9.99)</li><li dir="ltr">Retro City Rampage (PS3) - $0.99 (original price: $9.99)</li><li dir="ltr"><a href="/retro-grade/" data-ref-id="false">Retro/Grade</a> - $0.99 (original price: $9.99)</li><li dir="ltr">Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse - $0.99 (original price: $19.99)</li><li dir="ltr"><a href="/spyro-2-riptos-rage/" data-ref-id="false">Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!</a> - $0.99 (original price: $5.99)</li><li dir="ltr">Spyro: The Dragon - $0.99 (original price: $5.99)</li><li dir="ltr"><a href="/spyro-year-of-the-dragon/" data-ref-id="false">Spyro: Year of the Dragon</a> - $0.99 (original price: $5.99)</li><li dir="ltr"><a href="/stuntman-ignition/" data-ref-id="false">Stuntman: Ignition</a> PS2 Classic - $0.99 (original price: $9.99)</li><li dir="ltr">Super Stardust HD - $0.99 (original price: $9.99)</li><li dir="ltr"><a href="/tales-of-monkey-island/" data-ref-id="false">Tales of Monkey Island</a> - $0.99 (original price: $19.99)</li><li dir="ltr">Tokyo Jungle - $0.99 (original price: $14.99)</li><li dir="ltr"><a href="/urban-trial-freestyle/" data-ref-id="false">Urban Trial Freestyle</a> (PS Vita) - $0.99 (original price: $9.99)</li><li dir="ltr">Urban Trial Freestyle (PS3) - $0.99 (original price: $14.99)</li><li dir="ltr"><a href="/when-vikings-attack/" data-ref-id="false">When Vikings Attack</a> (PS Vita) - $0.99 (original price: $9.99)</li><li dir="ltr">When Vikings Attack (PS3) - $0.99 (original price: $9.99)</li><li><a href="/world-gone-sour/" data-ref-id="false">World Gone Sour</a> - $0.99 (original price: $4.99)</li></ul><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col">Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSmokingManX" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 18 Apr 2014 14:27:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/1-ps3-and-vita-game-sale-on-playstation-store-this-weekend/1100-6419080/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/trials-frontier-downloads-top-6-million-in-one-week-new-content-on-the-way/1100-6419079/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418256" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418256/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div>In addition to the console release of <a href="/trials-fusion/" data-ref-id="false">Trials Fusion</a> this week, the Trials series also saw the release of another game--a free-to-play mobile title--last week in the form of <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/trials-frontier/" data-ref-id="false">Trials Frontier</a>. In its first week alone, the game has been downloaded from the iOS App Store 6 million times, Ubisoft announced today.That figure bests the number of downloads seen by any previous mobile game from Ubisoft during its first week. And that reception is not entirely undeserved: Frontier manages to successfully translate the feel of Trials to the touchscreen interface of iOS devices. However, there have been criticisms about the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/trials-frontier-and-the-dangers-of-free-to-play/1100-6419069/" data-ref-id="1100-6419069">constraints placed on the experience</a> due to the free-to-play model Ubisoft and developer RedLynx elected to use.However you may feel about the usage of free-to-play in this case, more content is on the way for Frontier. As part of "regular" updates RedLynx intends to deliver, new bikes, missions, and multiplayer modes (including "infinite multiplayer brawls") will be released in the future.While Frontier was the first Trials game to be released on a mobile platform, it was not the first mobile project for RedLynx. Many of its previous iOS releases are, like Trials, 2D racing/platforming hybrids, and include games such as MotoHeroz and Monster Trucks Nitro.<table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col">Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSmokingManX" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 18 Apr 2014 13:41:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/trials-frontier-downloads-top-6-million-in-one-week-new-content-on-the-way/1100-6419079/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/in-memoriam-mit-officer-slain-in-boston-marathon-bombing-was-gamer-at-heart/1100-6419078/ This article originally appeared on <a href="http://www.ongamers.com/articles/memorializing-boston-marathon-bombing-s-slain-mit-officer-sean-collier-gamer-at-heart/1100-1246/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="1100-1246">GameSpot sister site onGamers.com</a><figure data-align="left" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2508440-4029226107-8421-.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508440" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2508440-4029226107-8421-.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508440"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/1534/15343359/2508440-4029226107-8421-.jpg"></a></figure>One year ago today, MIT Police Officer Sean Collier's life was taken inside his police cruiser, allegedly by the suspected Boston Marathon bombers. While Seans' dream was to become a city police officer, many may not know of Collier's passion for video games as a lifelong competitive gamer and fan of esports for more than 15 years. Collier's best friend Brandon Kelly wishes to tell the story of their love for video games, and for each other.While Seans' dream was to become a city police officer, his passion was video gaming. On this day of reflection, best friend Brandon Kelly would like to pay tribute to his friend by recalling their friendship and the large part video gaming played in it.Known as Sean 'defX' Collier, Officer Collier met Brandon 'heLiarc' Kelly at Shaesheen Elementary School in Wilmington, Massachusetts at the young age of 4. Born only 10 days apart--January 3, 1986 and January 13, 1986--Collier and Kelly instantly hit it off, going over to each other's houses to play the original <a href="/mortal-kombat/" data-ref-id="false">Mortal Kombat</a>, along with Yoshi's Island, <a href="/contra-iii-the-alien-wars/" data-ref-id="false">Contra III</a>, and Mario Kart. Not only did the bond of Sean and Brandon grow together, but also did each of their brothers, and the families of Collier and Kelly as a whole. They considered themselves brothers in every sense of the word."I remember playing the original Nintendo when we were really young, blowing into the cartridge to make games work", Sean's brother Andrew Collier told onGamers. "It was something he was really interested in from a pretty young age. It was definitely a big part of him growing up."While their time playing on Super Nintendo was memorable, Collier and Kelly's true gaming companionship began with PC gaming. Collier was a hardcore Intel fan, running a Pentium 1 166 Mhz, while Kelly preferred AMD, running a similar AMD 166 Mhz machine. Their PC gaming started with <a href="/lemmings-2006/" data-ref-id="false">Lemmings</a>, <a href="/duke-nukem-ii/" data-ref-id="false">Duke Nukem II</a>, <a href="/wolfenstein-3d/" data-ref-id="false">Wolfenstein 3D</a>, and <a href="/warcraft-ii-the-dark-saga/" data-ref-id="false">WarCraft II</a>.Collier and Kelly both upgraded their computers; Collier to a Gateway PII 333 Mhz, and Kelly to an IBM AMD K2 333 Mhz. Soon after came the most pivotal game at the time for them, and the one that first led them down the path of competitive gaming - <a href="/starcraft/" data-ref-id="false">StarCraft.</a><figure data-align="right" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2508442-6690524596-8424-.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508442" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2508442-6690524596-8424-.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508442"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/1534/15343359/2508442-6690524596-8424-.jpg"></a><figcaption>Brandon 'heLiarc' Kelly on the left, Sean 'defX' Collier in the middle</figcaption></figure>"Due to his love for Blizzard, Sean immediately picked up <a href="/starcraft/" data-ref-id="false">Starcraft</a> on its release and first fell in love", Kelly told onGamers. "Sean and I were in the 6th or 7th grade and after we got out of school, we would both go over to his house and switch off playing competitive ladder on his computer. I learned a lot from Sean, his micro skills were unbelievable and no matter what strategy anyone threw at him, he knew how to defend and counter.""Doing really well in Starcraft, Sean and I joined our first ever gaming clan called Protoss Domination [pD] where we played for the better part of two years. The clan was split into two 'elite' groups of players, and Sean was in the better of the two. He played Starcraft non-stop for years and even still played up until last year with Starcraft II."Collier and Kelly's love for competitive gaming grew from there with the rise of first-person shooters. "Some people may have heard of this game called <a href="/team-fortress-classic/" data-ref-id="false">Team Fortress Classic</a>. You should have", exclaims Kelly. "It was quite a revolutionary mod that came from Half-Life. Sean and I played quite a bit of TFC together and got really good at it. He enjoyed playing a Soldier/Demo/Sniper while I was Medic/Sniper/Soldier. We started getting really into TFC, had plenty of fun on conc jump maps and eventually joined a team (which I completely forget the name of) led by some kid named 'TriggerHappyGuppy'. We played in I believe it was OGL Open for a season, but fell in love with this other FPS called Counter-Strike."Playing Counter-Strike was only made possible through another feat of its own: a championship run in the NASCAR game at the time by Sean and his brother Andrew to win new computers to run the game in the first place."I remember back then Gateway had stores. The gateway stores had a competition for the then current NASCAR game, where the fastest time trial would win a computer", says Andrew. "Sean and I won that tournament, and that's how we each got our own computer. I had to have been 13 or 14, and he was 15 or16."<a href="/goldeneye-007/" data-ref-id="false">GoldenEye 007</a> had come out by then, and Kelly talks of many nights of split-screen multiplayer. But for many PC FPS players during that era, Sean and Kelly's main FPS attention turned to Counter-Strike.<figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2508443-9411054833-8427-.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508443" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2508443-9411054833-8427-.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508443"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1534/15343359/2508443-9411054833-8427-.jpg"></a><figcaption>Memorial at MIT</figcaption></figure>"We were just trying it out really, and we fell in love with the game", says Kelly. "CS drew our attention almost immediately and we both started playing at the ripe age of fourteen. As we entered High School, we came across another CS junkie who was also a freshman. His name was Zachary 'Hyperion' Mitzan and us three were becoming some very competitive players who were very close in skill which allowed us to push each other to get better.""We also eventually attended local LANs's when we were 16 and Sean could drive us to BattleLAN / Dream Machine in Danvers, MA. We use to smoke kids as they came through thinking they knew how to game.""Sean being the leader he was, formed a Counter-Strike team called Elite Assassins (eA). We started off running through pubs and destroying kids like it was our job. Our goal was to see who could be called a "cheater" or "hacker" first. From being pub stars, we ran into a couple of kids in which we expanded the team, by picking up Alex 'Woll' Woll, Vivi, Sabin and EyEdeA.""With this roster, Sean signed us up for this Cyberathletic Amateur League (CAL). We joined CAL-OPEN and stayed OPEN for two seasons in which I left after the first or during the second because Sean and I would fight like little girls. I moved on to hop into a CAL-MAIN team Pitcrew, Last Breath and eventually Point bLanK (teammates with zEx Titus, yuK` and hickeyyy). Sean continued to successfully lead his team into CAL-im as well as becoming a DJ for an online radio #DigitalRadio on GamesNet IRC. He loved DJing and would host giveaways as well as LMS tournaments."He spent a lot of time following his favorite team Team 3D, as well as his favorite player 3D's Sean 'Bullseye' Morgan. His favorite CS video was 'BSL from the Block'." <blockquote data-size="small" data-align="left">The gateway stores had a competition for the then current NASCAR game, where the fastest time trial would win a computer. Sean and I won that tournament, and that's how we each got our own computer.</blockquote>Some of brother Andrew's fondest recollections of Sean's childhood growing up is one that many competitive gamers can relate to through their own personal experience."I remember waking up in the middle of the night going to the bathroom, I walked out and you can see the glow of his computer screen under the door", says Andrew. "I would go back to sleep for hours and when it was time to wake up, he would still be there playing."Collier and Kelly were so close and so competitive that they would fight like "boyfriend and girlfriend", as Kelly puts it. Both of them had to be right, but only one could be the leader of the team. This clash combined with their dislike for the 1.6 iteration of CS--and move to college--called for them to split for a brief period of time."We were both just young and didn't like taking orders from each other," says Kelly. "It was better for our friendship. Sean and I both went our separate ways and ended up quitting CS when version 1.6 was released. We hated the changes so much and came to the realization that we were never going to make it to the CPL. We both went our separate ways freshman year of college. He attended Salem State College while I went to UMass Amherst.""Though this didn't keep us apart. Sean would often drive out to Amherst for the weekend to party with me. Boy that kid could drink!"That split didn't last for long, as the world's most popular MMORPG of all time was about to be released: Blizzard's <a href="/world-of-warcraft/" data-ref-id="false">World of WarCraft</a>.<figure data-align="right" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2508444-8294197593-8426-.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508444" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2508444-8294197593-8426-.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508444"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/1534/15343359/2508444-8294197593-8426-.jpg"></a></figure>"After the first semester was over, I recall Sean coming over to my parents house and bringing his laptop, he tried convincing me to get this game called World of Warcraft back in December of 2004", says Kelly. "I hadn't much interest in MMORPG's, but due to his convincing nature and ton of peer pressure, I decided that I would.""It was shortly after Christmas, December 29th, and we started off to a GameStop. We embarked on a journey to the closest GameStop probably around 6pm EST and no luck, they were sold out. We drove a couple towns over to the next GameStop only to run into the same result. Well, we figured what the hell, we drove to the next closest GameStop while I was calling 411 (before Smartphones) for phone numbers to all of the GameStops in the area. Sean really wanted me to get this game but we were having shit for luck. Finally I got ahold of a GameStop in Portsmouth, NH area that had ONE copy of WoW left. Sean sped there as fast as he could to get there just before it closed at 10pm. We finally had our copy of World of WarCraft."Collier began his police career around this time by interning at the Somerville Police Department in 2004 in the IT department, before later becoming a Somerville Auxiliary Officer."He was roughly level 22 and I was just starting out. I had a lot of work to do to catch him. He gave me advice and we sat next to each other for the remainder of the school break, leveling my character to catch him. Within a week and a half I caught up to him. With Sean being an intern at a Police Station, he didn't have much time and I started pulling away. As I hit level 30 and he was still back at 27, he got pissed and stopped playing WoW, as he really didn't have the time, either."I ended up being consumed by the game, craving the end-game content. I started 40-man raids with an Alliance team on Skullcrusher and made some Horde friends and re-rolled Horde on Skullcrusher. I got Sean to level 60 and joined Nightmares Asylum (for a while they were thought to have world first on Ragnaros) which was a guild that had pretty much every server first and came close a couple of time for World First.""Throughout casually playing WoW and the end of his CS days, Sean had also began toying with <a href="/battlefield-1942/" data-ref-id="false">Battlefield 1942</a> and played that in his spare time. He continued playing Battlefield throughout all of college and up until present day. He switched over to Xbox in 2008 because all of his new friends had been console gamers.""Even until recently, Sean and his roommate Travis 'Vaporburn' Dixon would setup their flatscreens next to each other in the living room and game for hours while throwing back a few brews. He also started getting back into Starcraft II after the release of <a href="/starcraft-ii-heart-of-the-swarm/" data-ref-id="false">Heart of the Swarm</a>."<div data-embed-type="html"> </div>"Sean had a natural talent for any video games and would instantly develop skills that were superior to above average gamers with absolutely no effort at all. This was how he was with computers, HTML and graphic design. Even though I knew he had wanted to become a Police Officer all of his life, I really thought he was going to pursue web design or graphic design."Collier was posthumously sworn-in to his dream job at the Somerville police department in August of last year. Collier and Kelly had been playing and watching video games since they were kids. Before esports had a name, let alone an industry. Two gamers whom we can look at and see a lot of ourselves in. Kelly will always see himself in Collier."Sean was a lively and curious individual who wanted to get to know about and explore everything that there was to be explored. He never turned down a good adventure and was always up for a beer. He would do anything for anyone and always was helping people when he could. His dark sense of humor as well was a riot and definitely could make people laugh. It's funny because he truly couldn't stand crowds or large groups of people and at first wouldn't mesh well. Once he had a few bevvies to loosen up, he was the life of the party with a good balance of crazy antics and laughter.""I deeply regret not being able to spend more time with him as we both had been pursuing demanding careers. After I lost my leg, we promised to spend more time hanging out and he was going to help me rehab this summer by hiking together, get me rock climbing but most of all be around him. Sean I will forever miss you and there will always be a part of my heart with emptiness that can never be filled. Sean and I were brothers, I loved him."Not only will Sean be my early influence into competitve gaming, he will always be a major influence on who I am and continue to grow to be. Sean loved to do many things and went through many phases in life. But no matter where he went or what he did in life, he always kept gaming close to his heart. This is the essence of a true gamer. Love you brother."Today at a memorial for the passing of Sean Collier, US senators Edward Markey and Elizabeth Warren praised Collier, and Cambridge Mayor David P. Maher said the intersection at Main and Vassar where he was killed would now be called Sean Collier Square in his honor.Collier was 26-years old.<table data-max-width="true"><tbody><tr><td>Rod Breslau is an editor at onGamers.com, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/Slasher" rel="nofollow"> Twitter @Slasher</a> Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div data-embed-type="html"><script type="text/javascript" src="http://CBSBOS.images.worldnow.com/interface/js/WNVideo.js?rnd=796225;hostDomain=video.boston.cbslocal.com;playerWidth=620;playerHeight=349;isShowIcon=true;clipId=10068498;flvUri=;partnerclipid=;adTag=News;advertisingZone=CBS.BOSTON%252Fworldnowplayer;enableAds=true;landingPage=;islandingPageoverride=false;playerType=STANDARD_EMBEDDEDscript_EMBEDDEDscript;controlsType=overlay"></script></div> Fri, 18 Apr 2014 13:13:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/in-memoriam-mit-officer-slain-in-boston-marathon-bombing-was-gamer-at-heart/1100-6419078/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamestop-easter-sale-offers-buy-two-get-one-free-deal-on-used-games/1100-6419076/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2508412-metal+gear+rising.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508412" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2508412-metal+gear+rising.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508412"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2508412-metal+gear+rising.jpg"></a></figure>To celebrate Easter, GameStop is offering a buy two, get one free deal this weekend on all of its used games priced under $20.The promotion has already begun and runs through the weekend, ending on Sunday, April 20. GameStop notes it's recently dropped the price of many of its used Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 games to $20 or less, making them eligible for this deal. A number of Wii U games are included, but no Xbox One or PlayStation 4 games fall under the $20 mark.Among the games you'll be able to pick up with this deal are <a href="/halo-4/" data-ref-id="false">Halo 4</a> ($13), <a href="/uncharted-2-among-thieves/" data-ref-id="false">Uncharted 2: Among Thieves</a> ($7), <a href="/fallout-3/" data-ref-id="false">Fallout 3</a>: Game of the Year Edition ($19 on the PS3, $13 on the 360), <a href="/metal-gear-rising-revengeance/" data-ref-id="false">Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance</a> ($18 on the PS3 and 360), <a href="/red-dead-redemption/" data-ref-id="false">Red Dead Redemption</a> ($10 on the PS3 and 360), <a href="/zombiu/" data-ref-id="false">ZombiU</a> ($20), and <a href="/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-3/" data-ref-id="false">Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3</a> ($7 on the PS3, $10 on the 360).While PC games are exempt from a preowned deal, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/battlefield-4-pc-on-sale-for-25-titanfall-48-on-origin/1100-6419065/" data-ref-id="1100-6419065">Origin is currently holding a big sale</a> on many of its digital PC games, including <a href="/battlefield-4/" data-ref-id="false">Battlefield 4</a> and <a href="/titanfall/" data-ref-id="false">Titanfall</a>.<table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col">Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSmokingManX" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 18 Apr 2014 12:30:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamestop-easter-sale-offers-buy-two-get-one-free-deal-on-used-games/1100-6419076/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/the-point-watch-dogs-misleading-game-trailers/2300-6418400/ Danny explores why early video game trailers are so often misleading. Also he closes a car door and everyone on the internet goes crazy. Fri, 18 Apr 2014 12:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/the-point-watch-dogs-misleading-game-trailers/2300-6418400/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/playstation-3-s-newest-bundle-pairs-it-with-the-amazing-spider-man-2/1100-6419075/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2508384-spiderman.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508384" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2508384-spiderman.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508384"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2508384-spiderman.jpg"></a></figure>Not content with selling upwards of <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-reports-7-million-playstation-4-consoles-sold-worldwide/1100-6419044/" data-ref-id="1100-6419044">7 million PlayStation 4s</a>, Sony has announced a new, Amazing Spider-Man-themed PlayStation 3 system bundle that will be sold exclusively at Wal-Mart beginning later this month.The $269 bundle consists of a black 500GB PlayStation 3 console, a copy of <a href="/the-amazing-spider-man-2/" data-ref-id="false">The Amazing Spider-Man 2</a> game, and a voucher for The Amazing Spider-Man movie that can be redeemed on VUDU, the streaming service which, conveniently enough, saw a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/vudu-comes-to-ps3-nov-23/1100-6284168/" data-ref-id="1100-6284168">PS3 app released last year</a>.This bundle will be released alongside The Amazing Spider-Man 2 on April 29 and is available for <a href="http://www.walmart.com/ip/35758653?sf2633115=1" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">preorder</a> now.In addition to the PS3, the game is also scheduled for release on the PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, PC, Wii U, and 3DS; the status of the Xbox One release is <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/has-activision-cancelled-the-amazing-spider-man-2-for-xbox-one-update/1100-6419050/" data-ref-id="1100-6419050">up in the air</a>.<figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2508388-ps3bundle.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508388" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2508388-ps3bundle.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508388"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2508388-ps3bundle.jpg"></a></figure><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col">Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSmokingManX" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 18 Apr 2014 11:59:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/playstation-3-s-newest-bundle-pairs-it-with-the-amazing-spider-man-2/1100-6419075/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-elder-scrolls-online-players-discover-serious-item-duping-exploit/1100-6419073/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2508345-elder+scrolls+online2.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508345" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2508345-elder+scrolls+online2.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2508345"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2508345-elder+scrolls+online2.jpg"></a></figure>An exploit in <a href="/the-elder-scrolls-online/" data-ref-id="false">The Elder Scrolls Online</a> allowing players to farm unlimited sums of gold has been discovered and is making waves today. While developer ZeniMax Online Studios has already stepped in to prevent further use of the bug, it's unclear just how much the exploit has thrown off the in-game economy and what can be done to rectify the situation.A <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/23cc8j/elder_scrolls_online_dupe_bug_found_billions_of/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Reddit post</a> by user Mistress-Rarity today brought the issue--which has reportedly been known about since launch, and possibly the beta--to the attention of the public. Without going into detail, it describes the simple process of duplicating stacks of materials by depositing them into a guild bank. Those materials can then be sold to vendors for gold, and by repeating this process, players can amass huge fortunes without having actually done anything to earn them.In response, ZeniMax <a href="http://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/discussion/81473/notice-guild-banks-disabled" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">disabled access</a> to guild banks early this morning. Additionally, the most recent <a href="http://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/discussion/81292/patch-notes-v1-0-4" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">patch</a> includes changes to the way auto-stacking in guild banks is handled, which may prevent the exploit from continuing to be used once guild bank access is restored.The existence of an exploit like this has much more serious ramifications in the case of an MMO as compared with a single-player Elder Scrolls game. ZeniMax has not yet indicated how it plans to address the impact of the exploit. Earlier this month, it announced <a href="http://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/discussion/74534/taking-action-against-cheaters-in-eso" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">permanent bans for thousands of players</a> found to be cheating, but bans alone may not suffice in this case, as the money and materials accumulated through the exploit may now belong to players who did nothing wrong.Following a lengthy beta, The Elder Scrolls Online was released on PC on April 4 and is set for release on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in June. The first update for the MMO, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-elder-scrolls-online-will-get-free-craglorn-update-later-this-month/1100-6418821/" data-ref-id="1100-6418821">entitled Craglorn</a>, is coming to PC later this month.<table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col">Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSmokingManX" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 18 Apr 2014 11:24:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-elder-scrolls-online-players-discover-serious-item-duping-exploit/1100-6419073/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gamespot-gameplay-podcast-episode-69/2300-6418402/ Join Kevin VanOrd and crew as they talk about NPDs, Marty O'Donnell's firing from Bungie, Borderlands Pre-Sequel, and more! Fri, 18 Apr 2014 11:04:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gamespot-gameplay-podcast-episode-69/2300-6418402/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/trials-frontier-and-the-dangers-of-free-to-play/1100-6419069/ Trials Frontier accomplishes something that I did not think possible: It miraculously brings the precise racing Trials is defined by to a touchscreen--albeit in a streamlined form--and offers a welcome alternative to the real thing when you're not in front of your television. And for the first half hour, I was tilting my rider through crazy obstacle courses on my way to racking up gold medals. It was only after I had been amazed by how much fun I was having that the door was shut in my face. The dark side of this free-to-play offering showed itself, and I stared at the screen, puzzled at this invasive pricing model, and how it has kept me from enjoying this mobile experience.Although free-to-play business models have become an omnipresent way to rope people in on both mobile devices and PCs, I've somehow never been directly exposed to them. More by happenstance than conscious avoidance, my ignorance of this field has kept me out of the many debates that have sprung forth; I could only nod as voices rose and fell with each new outrage. After almost 30 years of buying games in the traditional way, I was used to those games being complete experiences, and Frontier introduced me to a style that was immediately off-putting. When engagement is difficult to obtain and so many pieces of entertainment are vying for my interest (and dollars), why, I wondered, would a developer choose to interrupt my enjoyment? Isn't the risk of alienation so strong that the developer would fear monetary prompts would push people away? I had no concrete answers, so I could only imagine the psychological cost of such endeavors.<div data-height="100%" data-width="100%" data-ref-id="2300-6418357" data-embed-type="video"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418357/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div>Frontier is not sleazy in the way it uses its free-to-play model. Completing races earns you items you use to upgrade your motorcycle, including money, gems, and parts. Such a system makes sense no matter which pricing scheme a game uses, but it's how Frontier manages its finite resources that pushed me away. You see, upgrading your bike takes time. In the beginning, I stayed in the shop for a few seconds as modifications were made. Then it went up to half a minute, half an hour, and then two hours. I could choose to speed up that time by spending my precious gems, but I chose to put my iPad down instead while I worked on other endeavors. And it's that action that has informed much of this editorial. Why would a developer purposefully include a system that could urge you to walk away, to enjoy something else while the game ticked away in the background?And these delays aren't the only thing that irked me. After a little time playing Frontier, I had missions to track down specific parts. What started as a free-flowing, exciting racing game transformed into a tedious grind as I strove to gather every part that I needed. Parts are earned by spinning a wheel at the end of each race and hoping that you land on the right space. You can spin more than once if you spend your hard-earned gems, though I quickly went through my cache. Eventually, I ran out of gas, so I had to wait while my tank refilled. Every element of this game is conspiring to push me away. Given the choice, I would have paid a premium (say, $10) to play this game without the grind, but as it is, I want nothing more than to play <a href="/trials-fusion/" data-ref-id="false">Trials Fusion</a> on the PlayStation 4 rather than spend another minute in Frontier's exploitative ecosystem.<blockquote data-size="large" data-align="center">Isn't the risk of alienation so strong that the developer would fear monetary prompts would push people away?</blockquote>The world is filled with excellent games. And I do not use the word "excellent" lightly. Even if we focus on just the iPad--ignoring the dozen other devices out there--there have been a bounty of riches released in just the last couple of weeks. <a href="/hearthstone-heroes-of-warcraft/" data-ref-id="false">Hearthstone</a>, <a href="/videos/monument-valley-mobile-minute-the-lobby/2300-6418245/" data-ref-id="2300-6418245">Monument Valley</a>, <a href="/ftl-faster-than-light/" data-ref-id="false">FTL: Faster Than Light</a>, and Hitman Go are all fighting for people's attention, and winning that battle with ease. When there are so many alternatives out there, many of which either employ a F2P model (such as Hearthstone) or can be purchased for less than what your lunch costs (Monument Valley and Hitman Go are less than $10 combined), what would compel me to stick with Trials Frontier when I know that more breaks will interrupt any rhythm I've built?<figure data-ref-id="1300-2507968" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/725/7253563/2507968-screen568x568.jpeg" data-size="medium" data-align="right" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/725/7253563/2507968-screen568x568.jpeg" data-ref-id="1300-2507968"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/725/7253563/2507968-screen568x568.jpeg"></a></figure>There's a certain confidence that goes along with a free-to-play model. Or maybe it's cockiness. The model supposes that a certain number of people will be so enthralled by a game that they will ignore the barriers being constructed. It assumes that, for some people, any minor bump can be safely overlooked. I admire a team that could have such faith in what they've been working on, though it seems like a dangerous road to venture down. With Frontier, I need only exhibit a bit of patience and I can have fun without shelling out a dime, or just switch to another game or application while I wait for the upgrades to complete. But once I moved on to Faster Than Light, I became so invested in my space conquests that the act of digital motorcycling seemed dull. Frontier is fun, there's no doubt about that, but not fun enough that I can swallow what the developers have shoved on my plate. So they've pushed me away.Not everyone feels the same way that I do. Free-to-play games have done a masterful job of destroying the initial barrier that could keep people from trying a game. By letting us test a game for no money, the developers open the door for more potential customers than those games that require an investment up front. However, getting people to play a game doesn't pay the bills. It's keeping them coming back that can be lucrative. So a free-to-play game has to be so good and so immediately captivating that not only will people continue playing, but they will eventually shell out money to keep the experience going. Even ad-supported games need to keep you coming back. That's a tall order, especially in a world filled with so many entertainment options. We know from a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/two-thirds-of-players-ditch-free-mobile-games-in-less-than-24-hours/1100-6418893/" data-ref-id="1100-6418893">recent study</a> that two-thirds of people stop playing free-to-play games less than 24 hours after they begin, and such a turnover is probably assumed before pricing models are set. Many of us are window shoppers, happy to look without buying, so it's no surprise that people would get a taste before moving on to something else.<figure data-ref-id="1300-2507972" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/725/7253563/2507972-trials_frontier_screenshot_3.jpeg" data-size="medium" data-align="left" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/725/7253563/2507972-trials_frontier_screenshot_3.jpeg" data-ref-id="1300-2507972"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/725/7253563/2507972-trials_frontier_screenshot_3.jpeg"></a></figure>The problem with Frontier was not just that it was asking for money, but how it did so. By halting my progress, the game held me captive. "Wait or pay," the game seemed to say to me. "It's your choice." But neither of those options was appealing. Waiting rubs me the wrong way because I wasn't interested in other activities. I wanted to play Frontier, and was prevented from doing so. But paying was just as ugly. I buy more games than I have time to play (mostly on the Vita), so rewarding developers for their hard work has become a decent part of my budget. But I need to know exactly how much I'm going to spend before it makes sense. With a traditional game, I shell out, say, $12, and know that I will never be asked to spend another cent. If I had relented with Frontier, I knew I would have faced a similar money-versus-time dilemma down the road, so I didn't want to spend any money.In my eyes, free-to-play games can work only if payments are integrated seamlessly into the action without halting your fun. By letting you earn cards through payment or playing, Hearthstone is much less invasive. Or we could look at how <a href="/path-of-exile/" data-ref-id="false">Path of Exile</a> gives you clothing options that have a purely visual impact. There are many acceptable approaches to free-to-play integration. It's when progress is stopped, that you have to waste time grinding or waiting for an arbitrary counter to tick down, that it's a problem. Competing for people's attention is one of the toughest things a creator has to deal with today. Don't make your lives harder by pushing people away. Fri, 18 Apr 2014 10:33:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/trials-frontier-and-the-dangers-of-free-to-play/1100-6419069/

Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang

Gamespot's Site Mashup

Dengan url

http://romantisem.blogspot.com/2014/04/gamespots-site-mashup_19.html

Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya

Gamespot's Site Mashup

namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link

Gamespot's Site Mashup

sebagai sumbernya

Romantisme