Far Cry 10th Anniversary Retrospective

Crysis may be the series that we most associate with developer Crytek, but it was Far Cry that put it on the map. The original Far Cry was a visual marvel, featuring a vast and gorgeous tropical island to explore, but it was more than just pretty. It was also a highly immersive game that made getting lost in its world both tense and joyous as it introduced elements that were more and more removed from the reality we know.

While some new Far Cry adventures would make their way to consoles packaged with the original game, it wasn't until 2008 that a proper sequel arrived, courtesy of Ubisoft Montreal. The game met with mixed reactions, but it found a passionate audience that loved its African setting and weapon degradation. Far Cry 3 met with wider acclaim, but it's the original game that has proven most important, providing a foundation not just for the Far Cry series itself, but for Crysis and its sequels as well.

Daniel Hindes

The thing I most fondly remember from my tropical vacation in the first Far Cry was the only thing that was excised from the series' later installments: its tone. Protagonist Jack Carver's bright orange Hawaiian shirt was a constant reminder of Far Cry's playful origins. This was a first-person shooter that didn't care about the evils of arms smuggling, or about the definition of insanity. It cared about saturating you with its colorful, open levels, and keeping you on your toes with what were, at the time, some of the most intelligent enemies I've ever seen in a shooter. These mercenaries actually used the jungle for cover, creeping behind plants and--get this--not shooting at you until they had snuck right up behind you for a kill shot. I can't remember a time in a game since then that an enemy has surprised me like that.

Of course, what's not surprising now is Crytek's desire to change up the enemy roster halfway through, such as the introduction of Crysis' aliens, or here, mutated apes. Once I started fighting these trigens in a volcanic caldera, I checked out. But until that point, Far Cry was a pure and refreshing shooter about bright colors, big guns, and loud shirts.

Kevin VanOrd

There comes a "Holy crap!" moment just minutes into Far Cry when the sight of your lush island prison is revealed to you for the first time. It's one of the most stunning sights I've ever witnessed in a game, and at the time, I couldn't believe my eyes. How could a game look this incredible? What was in store for me in this violent paradise?

I couldn't believe my eyes. How could a game look this incredible?

It was the best birthday present I could imagine, and the game arrived only a week after the awesome Unreal Tournament 2004. My time was split between both games afterward--Far Cry for its single-player thrills, and UT 2004 for the continuing excitement of onslaught matches. Far Cry was my personal jewel, however. I can still envision the heightened tropical ambience when swimming underwater, surrounded by impossibly vibrant fish and perfect round bubbles. I can still remember the opening cutscene, which begins with a rewind shot depicting floating flotsam reassembling itself into a sailboat. I still remember using the different rendering options, which let you change the look of the entire game. If you grabbed the recently released HD version (called Far Cry Classic), try turning on the cartoon setting, which makes the game look rather like Borderlands.

Crytek moved on to Crysis, and Ubisoft now handles the Far Cry franchise, and while both Far Cry sequels were great on their own terms, I miss the Island of Doctor Moreau vibe of the original. The series tastes best with a touch of the unnatural.

Shaun McInnis

My experience with the original Far Cry requires a little bit of backstory. Back in 2004, I was a sophomore at the University of Washington. In between reading stacks of 18th-century English novels and trying to convince myself that dirt-cheap beer wasn't so bad once you got used to it--college is a weird place--I somehow still managed to find time for video games. So here I was, browsing reviews on a little website called GameSpot.com, in search of that one game I should check out next. And that's when I saw it: Far Cry.

It was a review done by former GameSpot editor Jason Ocampo. I mention that because one year prior, I shared an English literature class with him and had absolutely no idea he went on to write about video games for a living. And that's what grabbed my attention. Yes, Far Cry looked great, but my PC at the time was a feeble Dell laptop--I was a console gamer back then. But seeing someone I had taken a class with was just too weird for me. I had to see what this game was about.

I'm glad I did, because that game was really something else. Even on my sad little laptop, Far Cry's jungle environment was amazing. The way prowling through lush foliage made you feel like a predator stalking its prey, the freedom with which you could approach enemies, the way everything just felt so reactive--it was one of the first games I could remember where I really felt like I was using the world around me as a weapon.

And it's a series that I still love to this day. Even as Crytek has moved on to different projects, I still enjoy the legacy that studio created. I'm just happy that a wild coincidence convinced me to take a shot on it in the first place.

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http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Thu, 29 May 2014 21:24:45 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-ps4-exclusive-project-beast-footage-emerges/1100-6419973/ <p style="">Alleged new footage from the PS4-exclusive Project Beast has surfaced online.</p><p style="">Posted on <a href="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=827572&amp;page=8" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">NeoGAF</a>, the alleged GIFs show some of the game's environments and a brief look at its combat system. The footage aligns with screenshots previously posted online.</p><p style="">Project Beast is reportedly the working title for a new PlayStation 4-exclusive game from <a href="/demons-souls/" data-ref-id="false">Demon's Souls</a> and <a href="/dark-souls/" data-ref-id="false">Dark Souls</a> studio From Software in partnership with Sony Japan. Last week, Demon's Souls creator and director <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/demon-s-souls-dark-souls-director-named-president-of-from-software/1100-6419775/" data-ref-id="1100-6419775">Hidetaka Miyazaki was announced as the president of From Studio</a>.</p><p style="">For more on what we might see at the upcoming E3, check out our <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-rumors/1100-6419935/" data-ref-id="1100-6419935">E3 2014 rumour round-up</a>.</p><p style="">(<em>Gallery credit: NeoGAF</em>)</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2545374-7995508574-Highl.gif" data-ref-id="1300-2545374" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2545374-7995508574-Highl.gif" data-ref-id="1300-2545374"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/280/2802776/2545374-7995508574-Highl.gif"></a></figure><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2545375-8445028689-Madeu.gif" data-ref-id="1300-2545375" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2545375-8445028689-Madeu.gif" data-ref-id="1300-2545375"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/280/2802776/2545375-8445028689-Madeu.gif"></a></figure><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2545376-2089896470-Corru.gif" data-ref-id="1300-2545376" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2545376-2089896470-Corru.gif" data-ref-id="1300-2545376"><img src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/280/2802776/2545376-2089896470-Corru.gif"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Zorine Te is an associate editor at GameSpot, and you can follow her on <a href="https://twitter.com/ztharli" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @ztharli</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p> Thu, 29 May 2014 19:25:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-ps4-exclusive-project-beast-footage-emerges/1100-6419973/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/magic-duels-of-the-planeswalkers-2015-brings-full-/2300-6419036/ Duels of the Planeswalkers 2015 pits players against the feared Garruk Wildspeaker. Thu, 29 May 2014 17:36:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/magic-duels-of-the-planeswalkers-2015-brings-full-/2300-6419036/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/flyhunter-origins-announcement-trailer/2300-6419035/ Take your first look at Flyhunter Origins. Thu, 29 May 2014 17:20:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/flyhunter-origins-announcement-trailer/2300-6419035/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-former-microsoft-ceo-steve-ballmer-to-buy-the-clippers-for-2-billion/1100-6419972/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2545296-steveballmer.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2545296" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2545296-steveballmer.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2545296"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/280/2802776/2545296-steveballmer.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Steve Ballmer, former chief executive officer at Microsoft, has reportedly won a bid for NBA team the Los Angeles Clippers. His $2 billion bid has set a record as the highest price paid for an NBA team.</p><p style="">According to the <a href="http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-sn-clippers-sale-ballmer-20140529-story.html" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Los Angeles Times</a>, Ballmer's offer beat investors Tony Ressler, Steve Karsh, and a group including David Geffen and Guggenheim Group executives. The Geffen group and Ressler allegedly bid at $1.6 billion and $1.2 billion respectively.</p><p style="">Steve Ballmer's retirement from Microsoft was announced <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-ceo-steve-ballmer-to-retire/1100-6413579/" data-ref-id="1100-6413579">in August last year</a>, having served as the company's CEO since 2000. He was succeeded by Satya Nadella in February this year, but remains on the company's board of directors.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Zorine Te is an associate editor at GameSpot, and you can follow her on <a href="https://twitter.com/ztharli" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @ztharli</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p> Thu, 29 May 2014 16:57:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-former-microsoft-ceo-steve-ballmer-to-buy-the-clippers-for-2-billion/1100-6419972/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/60-for-a-game-in-2014-is-insane-former-bulletstorm-dev-says/1100-6419971/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2545242-bulletstorm.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2545242" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2545242-bulletstorm.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2545242"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2545242-bulletstorm.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">The accepted, standard price of $60 for a new video game "is a little insane," according to Adrian Chmielarz, former creative director of <a href="/bulletstorm/" data-ref-id="false">Bulletstorm</a> developer People Can Fly. According to him, gamers paying that much expect a great deal in return for their money these days, and by focusing so heavily on $60 AAA games, the industry is leaving money on the table.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Everybody is smart in retrospect, and looking back I do think that we were possibly among the first victims of this giant shift in gaming, where the middle-class AAA games began to die--not 'middle-class' by quality, but we didn't have ten multiplayer modes and co-op and all of that," Chmielarz said of Bulletstorm in an interview with <a href="http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2014-05-29-the-astronauts-in-2014-USD60-for-a-game-is-a-little-insane" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="2014-05">GamesIndustry International</a>. "The saying in the industry right now is, 'If you want to sell a game for $60, to the player it has to feel like $200.'"</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Bulletstorm was a $60 game for $60," he added. "And these days $60 for a game sounds basically crazy, when there are literally hundreds of high quality games out there for a much smaller price--even on console. In 2014, $60 for a game is a little insane."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Bulletstorm was released by People Can Fly and Epic Games in 2011 and, despite <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/bulletstorm-review/1900-6300186/" data-ref-id="1900-6300186">positive reviews</a>, it didn't turn out to be a huge seller. Epic president Mike Capps <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/epic-shelved-bulletstorm-sequel/1100-6370603/" data-ref-id="1100-6370603">said of the game</a> in 2012, "I think Bulletstorm was very critically successful, and I think a lot of folks really enjoyed seeing something new. From a sales perspective it was good, but not amazing. I think EA was hoping we'd do better." Epic <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gears-of-war-judgment-creative-director-leaves-studio/1100-6391206/" data-ref-id="1100-6391206">acquired People Can Fly</a> in 2012 and Chmielarz parted ways with the developer, which would be <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gears-of-war-judgment-dev-renamed-epic-games-poland/1100-6415921/" data-ref-id="1100-6415921">renamed Epic Games Poland</a> a year later.</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2545291-ds.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2545291" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2545291-ds.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2545291"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/123/1239113/2545291-ds.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Chmielarz also talked about how publishers often seek to turn franchises into something they are not. He pointed to <a href="/dead-space/" data-ref-id="false">Dead Space</a> as a series that EA has attempted to turn into a major, <a href="/call-of-duty-ghosts/" data-ref-id="false">Call of Duty</a>-level franchise, rather than being satisfied with sales of 2 or 3 million copies. "That could be a profitable series, but only if you're smart about the budget and the content," he said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">He's not the first to share this sentiment and cite Dead Space as an example. Lamenting the addition of multiplayer modes into games where they don't belong, Gearbox president Randy Pitchford spoke about <a href="/dead-space-2/" data-ref-id="false">Dead Space 2</a>'s multiplayer in a 2011 interview with <a href="http://www.edge-online.com/news/pitchford-bemoans-multiplayer-obsession/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"><em>Edge</em></a>, stating "It's ceiling-limited; it'll never do 20 million units. The best imaginable is a peak of four or five million units if everything works perfectly in your favour. So the bean counters go: 'How do I get a higher ceiling?' And they look at games that have multiplayer. They're wrong, of course. What they should do instead is say that they're comfortable with the ceiling, and get as close to the ceiling as possible. Put in whatever investment's required to focus it on what the promise is all about."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Since leaving People Can Fly, Chmielarz cofounded The Astronauts, developer of <a href="/the-vanishing-of-ethan-carter/" data-ref-id="false">The Vanishing of Ethan Carter</a>, which he says will shy away from having filler simply to justify a $60 price tag.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"There is a necessity to add filler in AAA games, whether it be collectibles or one more wave of enemies," Chmielarz said. "It's unfortunate, and it's also proof that the world is insane." He points out how players' calls for longer games clash with data suggesting "70 or 80 percent of people never finish the game."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"But I think that's connected to the price, and there we go again. Lower prices would allow us to stop thinking about filler for our games, and start focusing on making the experience just right," he said. "You have to live with the fact that some players will complain no matter what, but I think that when your game is tight, and the story you want to tell is told exactly the way you want, I think the effect is way more powerful than anyone complaining that they didn't get 100 hours of entertainment for their €20."</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>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></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Thu, 29 May 2014 16:51:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/60-for-a-game-in-2014-is-insane-former-bulletstorm-dev-says/1100-6419971/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-battlefield-3-is-free-shadow-warrior-on-xb/2300-6419032/ See what games Origin and PlayStation Plus want to give you for free, Quantum Break gets a release date, and we get Shadow Warrior resolution details! Thu, 29 May 2014 16:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-battlefield-3-is-free-shadow-warrior-on-xb/2300-6419032/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-division-dev-boss-scared-to-death-of-f2p-pushing-away-blockbusters/1100-6419970/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2544679-division.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2544679" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2544679-division.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2544679"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2544679-division.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">David Polfeldt, managing director of <a href="/tom-clancys-the-division/" data-ref-id="false">The Division</a> developer Massive Entertainment, readily admits he likes the data that game developers now have access to. At the same time, he believes there is an ethical problem with data being used to wring as much money as possible out of gamers, and his love for blockbuster games has caused him to worry about the future.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"I think it's super interesting what we can do now with big data and that type of research we can do. We find patterns that we didn't know of. That to me is incredibly sexy," Polfeldt told <a href="http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2014-05-29-success-buys-freedom-its-really-just-as-simple-as-that" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="2014-05">GamesIndustry International</a>. "Then there's a another step, where you get that data and the only thing you use it for is to fool people into paying for things that they didn't intend to. Then it becomes unethical. Then to me it's no longer a conversation. Then it's just, I'm just trying to find your trigger mechanisms and fool you."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Particularly in the free-to-play space, data-driven game design has become increasingly common in recent years. <a href="/farmville/" data-ref-id="false">FarmVille</a> maker Zynga is one of the preeminent examples of data-driven design, which, put simply, is the practice of relying heavily on data and metrics when making design choices.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"I do think there's an ethical problem there," Polfeldt continued. "Now you've found out everything about David. Good, will you now use that to tell him a story that matters to him--or are you going to use that to make him pay for things that he didn't want to pay for? To me, that's completely different."</p><blockquote data-align="right"><p dir="ltr" style="">"I embrace data. I think it's enormously educational, but it is important to ask yourself, what am I using this information for?" -- Massive Entertainment managing director David Polfeldt</p></blockquote><p dir="ltr" style="">Free-to-play design is not always such a negative thing for gamers, and there are many examples of games that are widely accepted because they aren't perceived as being manipulative. The model has come to dominate the mobile space, and there are those who believe it will eventually <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/is-free-to-play-going-to-take-over-consoles-and-pc/1100-6418934/" data-ref-id="1100-6418934">pervade the entire industry</a>. Polfeldt sees a clear distinction between the development of traditional games and other types of games that will only become more apparent, but that doesn't mean part of him doesn't worry about the future.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"I actually think they're not so close together," he said when asked about mobile and console game development. "I think we will see a separation where it's like nobody today thinks that a one-armed bandit is a games developer, like, 'Why aren't the one-armed bandits at E3?' Of course, they're not games. It's something else.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"I think many of the free-to-play games we will start looking upon them more as one-armed bandits. It's not a bad product in its own genre, but it's probably not an interactive experience as I mean that it is. Long answer, but it is a really complicated question because I like it. I embrace data. I think it's enormously educational, but it is important to ask yourself, what am I using this information for? That is where we do have a responsibility.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"As a gamer I'm afraid to death of it, because I love blockbuster games. I love big, long, epic games that will occupy my attention for a long time. I love the games that other people are doing, so I'm really afraid that it's all going to be different. It's all going to be small games. It's all going to be free. That to me is just something else. I can't see how that would replace my need for an epic experience. I just don't get it. They have to be different. That's really my conclusion. They just cannot be seen as the same for very long."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Polfeldt and Massive won't have to grapple with these issues directly when developing The Division, which is expected to be a traditional retail title when it's released next year. The open-world RPG was recently <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ubisoft-s-the-division-delayed-to-2015/1100-6419662/" data-ref-id="1100-6419662">delayed until 2015</a>, but would appear to comfortably fit into the "blockbuster" category that Polfeldt is so fond of.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><em>Do you worry about the future of the sorts of games you like to play, or do you believe there will always be a market for them? Let us know in the comments below.</em></p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em><strong>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></strong></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Thu, 29 May 2014 15:29:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-division-dev-boss-scared-to-death-of-f2p-pushing-away-blockbusters/1100-6419970/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/crea-gameplay-trailer/2300-6419026/ Check out the gameplay trailer for Crea. Thu, 29 May 2014 15:07:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/crea-gameplay-trailer/2300-6419026/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/die-like-a-cockroach-in-bad-mojo-redux-random-enco/2300-6419025/ Danny experiences what life would be like if he was a cockroach in Bad Mojo Redux. Thu, 29 May 2014 15:04:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/die-like-a-cockroach-in-bad-mojo-redux-random-enco/2300-6419025/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-7th-guest-a-condemned-classic/1100-6419968/ <p style="">If you played PC games in the early '90s, you knew <a href="/the-7th-guest/" data-ref-id="false">The 7th Guest</a>--the haunting puzzle-adventure game that mixed comedy, horror, full-motion videos, and challenging puzzles, for an experience that was wholly unique in its day. The halls of Stauf's haunted mansion looked real, and you never knew when a ghost might saunter in to share in your company. The 7th Guest developer Trilobyte needed high-res, prerendered bitmaps and FMV to create the desired effect, and it took a risk by chasing its vision: due to the massive amount of storage space that was required, it could only sell The 7th Guest to PC owners with CD-ROM drives, which were uncommon at the time. If Trilobyte tried to cram all of the data from the game's two CDs onto the preferred medium of the day--the floppy disk--the game would have needed a box big enough to fit over 900 disks.</p><p style="">If you ask Rob Landeros, co-creator of The 7th Guest, he'll tell you that it, along with <a href="/myst/" data-ref-id="false">Myst </a>in 1993, paved the way for a new breed of game and a new era for PC gaming. He's right. "The most difficult aspects were that the tools necessary to do the things we wanted to do didn't exist. Heck, the CD-ROM platform itself didn't even exist at the mass-market level. That is why The 7th Guest is often credited with kickstarting the CD revolution. So, what didn't exist, such as the ability to create a 3D environment and play back high-res animations, we had to invent. Fortunately, Graeme Devine was genius enough to create the video codec that allowed us to fit everything on two CDs and stream video directly off of them. Also, very fortunately, Autodesk 3D Studio Max arrived in our hands midway through the development process, which allowed us to build the virtual environment. We, along with Cyan, were the first to use 3D graphics for our games and develop specifically for the CD-ROM medium."</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2544376-7thscreen.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2544376" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2544376-7thscreen.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2544376"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1406/14063904/2544376-7thscreen.jpg"></a><figcaption>It may not look like much now, but these graphics were unprecedented for a PC game in 1993.</figcaption></figure><p style="">CD-ROMs enabled designers to tap into the power of high-res images and video, but it meant a lot to musicians and composers, too. Composer Tommy Tallarico (<a href="/earthworm-jim-1996/" data-ref-id="false">Earthworm Jim</a>, <a href="/mdk/" data-ref-id="false">MDK</a>) recalls the advent of CD-ROMs, and the freedom it gave him as a sound designer: "From an audio perspective, we really wanted the sound design to be as real as possible to help draw you into the entire experience. In the early '90s, most people were still hearing bleeps and bloops for sound [effects]. But because of the CD-ROM format, we were able to create 'real' sounds and recordings, which were so important in helping to create the atmosphere and vision that the team wanted. Hearing 'real' sounds back then was pretty revolutionary at the time."</p><p style="">For Tallarico, The 7th Guest was a turning point for the industry, not just technologically, but also financially. "Not only was The 7th Guest the first of its kind, but it helped to drive actual hardware sales because it was the only way people could play it. The 7th Guest was the first in many categories (including the first $1 million budget for a game) and represented a <i>lot</i> of risk taking and foresight by both the developer and the publisher (Virgin Games)."</p><blockquote data-align="right" data-size="medium"><p style="">...what didn't exist, such as the ability to create a 3D environment and play back high-res animations, we had to invent.</p></blockquote><p style="">The risk paid off, and The 7th Guest was successful enough to warrant a sequel, <a href="/the-11th-hour/" data-ref-id="false">The 11th Hour</a>. It turned the clock forward 65 years and stuck to the pattern set by its predecessor, but it failed to achieve comparable success. Perhaps it was the fact that The 11th Hour shipped late, or that the novelty of FMV had faded, but whatever the case may be, the series stalled. A disenchanted PC audience focused its attention elsewhere, and outside of a smattering of ports, the series has laid mostly dormant ever since.</p><p style="">But, late last year, Trilobyte reopened under new management and attempted to crowdfund the apparent conclusion to the 7th Guest trilogy on Kickstarter, titled <a href="/articles/the-7th-guest-3-announced-for-pc-and-mobile/1100-6404953/" data-ref-id="1100-6404953">The 7th Guest 3: The Collector</a>. It didn't work. Trilobyte needed $425,000 to make The Collector, but only $121,318 was pledged. The team had to walk away empty-handed.</p><p style="">Landeros recognizes that funding the revival of a classic series by opening a <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/roblanderos/the-7th-guest-3-the-collector" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Kickstarter</a> campaign isn't a simple walk in the park, but he's still driven to make it happen. "While it has been worth the effort to reintroduce these classic games to old and new audiences in the era of mobile gaming, the team and I have an innate need to flex our creative muscles, to work collaboratively developing new ideas with the new tools at our disposal, drawing upon our considerable collective experience in game development. Besides, I always felt that there should be a third in the series that would not only be better than the preceding ones, but would allow us to tell more of the Stauf saga in a more fun and effective way."</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2544355-t7g3_title01.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2544355" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2544355-t7g3_title01.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2544355"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1406/14063904/2544355-t7g3_title01.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Earlier this year, Trilobyte returned with a new pitch, this time on <a href="https://trilobyte.crowdhoster.com/the-7th-guest-3-the-collector/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Crowdhoster</a>, asking for $65,000 to create a slice of The Collector--a beta, effectively--but with just over a week to go at the time of this writing, and more than $25,000 left to raise, things aren't looking much better than before. By all accounts, the team should have had an easy time meeting its new goal when the asking amount is just over half of what was pledged previously, but it seems that the public has lost confidence in the dream; only 494 people have put their hands up on Crowdhoster, or less than 30 percent of the number of people who pledged on Kickstarter (1,713).</p><p style="">The 7th Guest is still a cherished series, so why is Trilobyte having such a difficult time garnering interest in a new chapter? Is now really the right time? The COO of Trilobyte, Charlie McHenry, still believes that it is. "The fans are ready; the team is largely reformed and ready; and new technologies, platforms, and tools will allow us to develop the rich environments; memorable characters; complex, detailed puzzles; and engaging plot/gameplay that serious gamers require. Pair that with developments like virtual reality, that promise to bring a whole new dimension to our well-known mansion and the horror that lurks within, and the stars are aligned. The advent of crowdfunding as a viable financial engine is also key to the equation."</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418960" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418960/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">McHenry may be on to something. After all, the original game rose to prominence with the help of a wave of new technology, and perhaps there's a chance for Trilobyte to do something special with its knowledge of game design and create one of the first killer applications for virtual reality. On the other hand, though new tools may be great from a development standpoint, there's no evidence that the fans are ready, at least not to the extent that McHenry believes. Though there are many cases of crowdfunding campaigns that experience a last-minute surge of support and reach their goal in the final hours, The Collector doesn't appear to be on that path. Like Stauf's creaky mansion, the future for the conclusion to the 7th Guest trilogy looks grim.</p><p style="">There's no singular reason why The 7th Guest can't attract the audience and support it needs to live on, but after one failed campaign and another that's seemingly on the rocks, it's clear that Trilobyte needs to take a new approach. Maybe this is a case where a beloved franchise can't rely on nostalgia to entice the masses. Perhaps it needs a publisher with money and a belief in the vision, like Virgin Interactive in the '90s. Regardless, Landeros and crew should be proud to have created an icon in The 7th Guest. It holds a special place in the hearts and minds of a lot of people, even if they aren't willing to put their money where their mouths are. It will always be remembered as a game that drove the industry forward by exploring new technologies and methods of storytelling. And, who knows; there might be a better opportunity for The Collector lurking around the corner, and we'll someday be able to reenter modern gaming's first haunted mansion.</p><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p> Thu, 29 May 2014 14:59:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-7th-guest-a-condemned-classic/1100-6419968/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/game-genie-was-more-than-the-sum-of-its-cheat-codes/1100-6419946/ <p style="">Game Genie, the infamous cheat device that granted infinite lives and unlimited ammo, began as nothing more than a tiny knob on a golden game cartridge. That cartridge was a copy of Treasure Island Dizzy, a puzzle game on the Nintendo Entertainment System starring a cartoon egg that wore boxing gloves. The knob was there so you could--in theory--adjust the number of lives you had, thereby making the game easier or harder as desired. Dizzy's developer, Codemasters, thought this extra feature would help its company's next game stand out from the pack--as if the gold finish wasn't enough.</p><p style="">That little knob ended up doing squat for <a href="/treasure-island-dizzy/" data-ref-id="false">Treasure Island Dizzy</a>--the game shipped without it--but it did become the catalyst for Codemasters' first breakout success. The team reasoned that if they could alter game code in one game, maybe they could apply that same technology to other games on the same console. And why stop at adding extra lives? They could seek out and tweak other variables as well. They could create a device that brought players' dreams--no, their <i>wishes</i>--to life. And so, after a long night of brainstorming in 1989, Codemasters developed its first Game Genie. It was a big pile of wires and dials, and it was going to make them millions.</p><p style="">It would also drag the young developer into a legal battle with the industry's most powerful company, Nintendo, before quietly fading into obscurity. Today, Game Genie is largely remembered for its repertoire of game-breaking codes, but it could do so much more. With the right set of codes, you could make a new game out of an old one, play as the enemy, or access unused or unfinished parts of a game. Game Genie treated video games as toys to be altered by the whims of your imagination. It eventually earned a successor, Game Genie 2, which never saw the light of day, as well as a few other cheat devices decades later, including one currently in the works for the PlayStation 4.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEQJN1aYizM" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2Fvideoseries%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26list%3DUUVAxchVypCDw18hPVdgjKew&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DPEQJN1aYizM%26list%3DUUVAxchVypCDw18hPVdgjKew&amp;image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FPEQJN1aYizM%2Fhqdefault.jpg&amp;key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&amp;type=text%2Fhtml&amp;schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><h3>MORE THAN A CHEAT MACHINE</h3><p style="">The video game industry needs a better class of cheat device, one that introduces a little chaos to the oftentimes rigid structure of modern gaming. That was the real magic of Codemasters' device. It wasn't the infinite ammo codes or the skip-to-the-final-stage cheats; it was the oddball stuff that you would find through trial and error. It was making all the enemies throw hammers in Mario or replacing all the items and enemies in Kirby with different, random items or enemies. By mixing and matching these different codes, you could create entirely new experiences in your favorite games.</p><blockquote data-size="small" data-align="right"><p style="">"Game Genie franchise may fall out of style, but the creativity that goes into modifying a game will always be there," said Sole. "So, to some degree, the Game Genie will never die. It'll just fall under a new name."</p></blockquote><p style="">Ralph Sole, also known as <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/SolerEclipseOfficial/videos" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">SolarEclipse on YouTube</a>, is teaching himself how to do just that and his videos provide a glimpse of Game Genie's true capabilities. "Growing up, I owned Adventure Island II on the NES and was, admittedly, pretty bad at it," said Sole, "so I would use codes to explore, and pratice, other levels. As I got older, I realized I didn't have to just use Game Genie to beat levels. I could use it to do whatever I want. I mean, if people can come up with their own cheat codes, there has to be some sort of underlying logic to it that I just don't understand, so I just started messing around with it. I like to break things, and Game Genie created a safe, controlled way to do that with video games."</p><p style="">In <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxe753XdSMM" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">one of Sole's videos</a>, the opening stage of Super Mario Bros. is altered so that an endless cascade of enemy turtles fly in from the right side of the screen and zip across the stage. Oh, and any mushrooms that appear fly off to the left as well. The result is a new--and wildly unpredictable--experience from the regular game. It's a fun twist on the familiar, and easy to recreate. The limits to Game Genie are really just your imagination and how much time you can devote to code hunting. "Game Genie franchise may fall out of style, but the inspiration and the creativity that goes into modifying a game will always be there," said Sole. "So, to some degree, the Game Genie will never die. It'll just fall under a new name."</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/949/9490474/2544237-kirby.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2544237" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/949/9490474/2544237-kirby.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2544237"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/949/9490474/2544237-kirby.jpg"></a><figcaption>Game Genie was originally called the Power Pak, but Codemasters was afraid people would mistake it for a battery pack.</figcaption></figure><h3>THE LOST GAME GENIE 2</h3><p style="">One of Game Genie's earliest supporters was Lewis Galoob Toys Inc. Lewis Galoob's son loved that he could make Mario jump higher, and the company agreed to distribute Game Genie in North America. Game Genie steadily grew in popularity, spawning new versions for other consoles, and eventually drew the ire of Nintendo, which felt Game Genie was in violation of copyright laws. A court case ensued between Galoob and Nintendo, ending with a judge ruling in favor of Galoob. However, while Galoob had won the day, the trial had dire consequences for Codemasters' latest piece of hardware, Game Genie 2.</p><blockquote data-size="small" data-align="right"><p style="">Game Genie 2 gave users the ability to find their own codes using four buttons located on the cartridge itself. It was ready to go for the Super Nintendo, but a change in Galoob's upper management put the project on permanent hold.</p></blockquote><p style="">"There was a Game Genie 2 which never came out in the end," said David Darling, co-founder of Codemasters, "which was one of our biggest regrets because it was such an amazing product." As Darling explained, Game Genie 2 gave users the ability to find their own codes using four buttons located on the cartridge itself. If you wanted to find a code for Mario's lives, for example, you would first press a button three times to indicate Mario had three lives. You'd then die, and press another button twice to indicate the new total. Game Genie 2 would then hunt down the variable in the game's code that had just changed from three to two, and spit out a code that let you change Mario's lives to whatever number you wanted. Game Genie 2 was ready to go for the Super Nintendo, but a change in Galoob's upper management put the project on permanent hold.</p><p style="">"When we met Galoob, the Galoob family still ran the company," said Darling. "But by the time the court case was finished and Game Genie 2 was ready to come out, David Galoob had left the company, and Galoob was much more business driven. They were never a video games publisher, after all, and I think they saw Game Genie as just a single toy. After going through the hardware switch from NES to SNES, it just got too complicated. For a toy company, the video game industry was just too alien."</p><p style="">Game Genie 2 died on the vine, but, as Darling noted, there is one in existence somewhere, "probably in the attic at Codemasters." After Game Genie, Codemasters moved on to focusing solely on games; Darling moved on to his own company, <a href="http://www.kwalee.com/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Kwalee</a>, years later; and the industry moved on from cartridge- to compact disc-based gaming. It would take a few decades for another company to come along and breathe new life into this curious device and devise a plan for adapting it to next-gen hardware.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/949/9490474/2544238-sonic.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2544238" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/949/9490474/2544238-sonic.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2544238"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/949/9490474/2544238-sonic.jpg"></a><figcaption>According to Darling, Game Genie sold roughly 5 million units and netted $140 million at retail worldwide.</figcaption></figure><h3>GAME GENIE EYES PLAYSTATION 4</h3><p style="">In 2012, just over two decades after its creation, Game Genie made a quiet return to market. It had a new look and a new company backing it, and it operated in a completely different style than its predecessors. This new Game Genie, <a href="http://hyperkin.com/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">developed by Hyperkin</a> for the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo DS, modified your save game to give you extra lives or ammo. According to Chris Gallizzi, product manager at Hyperkin, this is a much more rigid system than what the older Game Genie enjoyed. Gaining access to a game's save files means cracking several layers of encryption, a process that changes from game to game. It's slow, time-consuming work that limits the product to only the games Gallizzi and his three-person team have cracked.</p><blockquote data-size="small" data-align="left"><p style="">Gallizzi may have found a way to bring Game Genie to PlayStation 4 thanks to a security loophole in the PS4's design. "The key to the PlayStation 4 is the Vita," he explained, "and the Vita is not as secure as people think."</p></blockquote><p style="">However, Gallizzi thinks he may have found a way to recapture some of that old Game Genie craziness thanks to a security loophole in the PlayStation 4's design. "The key to the PlayStation 4 is the Vita," he explained, "and the Vita is not as secure as people think. By syncing the Vita to the PS4, we are then able to pick up a hidden Wi-Fi signal to detect a backdoor entry to the system. From there, we're able to access the raw game files, like trophy data and partially encrypted game saves. It still needs work, but the ultimate goal is to be able to mod a game file or the actual PUP files while the game is running--similar to DEX modding for the PS3, which allows real-time memory hacks."</p><p style="">So far, Gallizzi and his team have been successful in modifying only two games--<a href="/battlefield-4/" data-ref-id="false">Battlefield 4</a> and <a href="/tomb-raider/" data-ref-id="false">Tomb Raider</a>--on the PS4, and even then, neither game is very stable. It will be a while before this technology is ready for public consumption, but when it is it will open up games in ways the PS3 and DS Game Genies could not. "What this technology would allow us to do is actually modify the game data, similar to how the orignal Game Genie functioned," Gallizzi said. "From there we could do things like jumping over a whole level in a single bound or explore the game coding and find hidden stuff that was never fully deleted, stuff that's not seen in save data but is actually within game code."</p><p style="">Gallizzi and his team are aware that the gaming landscape has changed since the days of the original Game Genie. Massively multiplayer online games and competitive online gaming have taken hold, and those are two areas of gaming the team knows to stay away from. "We have one golden rule," said Gallizzi, "and that is to never go into online gaming. We don't want to disrupt the competitive communities for Call of Duty or Battlefield or any of those games. We make sure that if you're using our hacks or cheats or whatever, you're doing it in your own little world."</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static4.gamespot.com/uploads/original/mig/4/8/6/0/2014860-686354_20121017_006.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2014860" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static4.gamespot.com/uploads/original/mig/4/8/6/0/2014860-686354_20121017_006.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2014860"><img src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/mig/4/8/6/0/2014860-686354_20121017_006.jpg"></a><figcaption>When Boarderlands 2 came out, Gallizzi found a cheat that boosted players to level 127, before level caps were even announced. Gearbox quickly nullified this cheat.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Game hacking and modding are still alive and well outside of Game Genie, especially on PC. However, as Sole noted, Game Genie made game modification both safe and accessible for non-PC players, while opening up a ton of crazy possibilities to boot. And unlike typical PC modding, Game Genie also introduced an element of randomness. Most game mods or hacks are designed with some sort of goal in mind. With Game Genie, you never really knew what--if anything--you were going to get when you started plugging in random codes, and those results might not be things you would think to search for, nor develop as a mod.</p><p style="">History has shown that the one major complaint lobbed at Game Genie was that it made games shorter or easier by circumventing certain parts. You could just press a button and win the game. And while that was certainly an option, it wasn't all this device could do. For those who took the time to learn this new technology, it rewarded them by breathing new life into games time and again. Game developers and publishers today are constantly looking for new ways to get <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microtransactions-are-a-solution-to-a-problem-that-shouldn-t-exist/1100-6419943/" data-ref-id="1100-6419943">extra mileage out of their games</a>, whether through downloadable content or various unlocks. It's time we put the power back in the players' hands and let our imaginations extend the life of our favorite games. It's time for another Game Genie.</p><p style=""> </p> Thu, 29 May 2014 14:48:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/game-genie-was-more-than-the-sum-of-its-cheat-codes/1100-6419946/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-plans-to-add-xbox-one-screenshot-feature-in-system-update/1100-6419969/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2544359-titanfall.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2544359" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2544359-titanfall.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2544359"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2544359-titanfall.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Video won't always be the only way of sharing your favorite Xbox One moments: Although we don't yet know when it will be coming, the ability to take screenshots of your games on Xbox One is on Microsoft's list of features to add in a future update.</p><p style="">This is according to Head of Xbox Phil Spencer, who was asked whether Microsoft has plans to allow players to take screenshots and share them on social networks like Twitter. "Yea, this is the list for the monthly updates, team is making great progress on the updates," Spencer replied on <a href="https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/471475293174382592" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter</a>. "More features to come."</p><p style="">Indeed, Microsoft has been routinely rolling out system updates for the Xbox One. Among other things, the Xbox One added a new Party Chat mode and Twitch streaming <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-rolls-out-huge-xbox-one-update-teases-external-storage-support/1100-6418114/" data-ref-id="1100-6418114">in March</a>, friend notifications <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-april-system-update-rolling-out-now/1100-6418999/" data-ref-id="1100-6418999">in April</a>, and a sound mixer <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-s-latest-system-update-now-available/1100-6419729/" data-ref-id="1100-6419729">this month</a>. <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-gets-external-storage-support-real-names-for-friends-next-month/1100-6419776/" data-ref-id="1100-6419776">June's update</a> will add support for external storage devices and allow players to use their real names on Xbox Live.</p><p style="">The ability to take screenshots would be a natural addition to the system--players can already record gameplay video on the fly that can then be shared with other Xbox One owners or uploaded to OneDrive. The PlayStation 4, meanwhile, already allows screenshots to be taken using the DualShock 4's Share button.</p><p style=""><em>What features are you most hoping to see show up on Xbox One? Let us know in the comments below.</em></p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>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></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p> Thu, 29 May 2014 14:15:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-plans-to-add-xbox-one-screenshot-feature-in-system-update/1100-6419969/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/reality-check-could-watch-dogs-be-real/2300-6419020/ Cam investigates if Watch_Dogs sci-fi surveillance and hacking could actually, be real! Thu, 29 May 2014 13:31:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/reality-check-could-watch-dogs-be-real/2300-6419020/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/try-ea-sports-ufc-on-june-3-with-free-ps4-xbox-one-demo/1100-6419967/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2544350-jonjones.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2544350" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2544350-jonjones.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2544350"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2544350-jonjones.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Electronic Arts announced today that a demo for its upcoming MMA game <a href="/ufc-ultimate-fighting-championship/" data-ref-id="false">EA Sports UFC</a> will be available on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on June 3.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The free demo lets you play a virtual <a href="http://espn.go.com/mma/story/_/id/10980258/alexander-gustafsson-accepts-ufc-offer-rematch-jon-jones-jones-not-responded" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">rematch of UFC 165</a>, featuring fighters Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson. Jones won the real-world match last September, but you can author a new history in the demo. The two will <a href="http://espn.go.com/mma/story/_/id/10980258/alexander-gustafsson-accepts-ufc-offer-rematch-jon-jones-jones-not-responded" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">meet again in the Octagon for real on August 30 in Las Vegas</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">EA Sports UFC <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-sports-ufc-coming-june-17/1100-6418803/" data-ref-id="1100-6418803">launches in full on June 17 </a>for Xbox One and PS4.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Legendary actor and martial artist Bruce Lee--who never fought competitively--will appear in the game as a playable character. His daughter, Shannon Lee, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/bruce-lee-s-daughter-doesn-t-have-time-for-ea-sports-ufc-haters/1100-6418879/" data-ref-id="1100-6418879">told GameSpot last month </a>her father has a place in EA Sports UFC because he "lived and breathed" martial arts even if he never really fought.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">For more on EA Sports UFC, check out <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/ufc-ultimate-fighting-championship/" data-ref-id="false">GameSpot's previous coverage</a>, including our <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-sports-ufc-gameplay-vs-realism/1100-6417624/" data-ref-id="1100-6417624">"Gameplay vs. Realism" feature</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Thu, 29 May 2014 13:03:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/try-ea-sports-ufc-on-june-3-with-free-ps4-xbox-one-demo/1100-6419967/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-shuts-down-warhammer-online-dev-mythic-entertainment/1100-6419965/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2544330-daoc1.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2544330" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2544330-daoc1.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2544330"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2544330-daoc1.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""><span>Electronic Arts has shut down </span><a href="/warhammer-online-age-of-reckoning/" data-ref-id="false">Warhammer Online</a><span> and </span><a href="/articles/dark-age-of-camelot/1100-2655992/" data-ref-id="1100-2655992">Dark Age of Camelot</a><span> developer Mythic Entertainment, the company announced today.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We are closing the EA Mythic location in Fairfax, Virginia, as we concentrate mobile development in our other studio locations," reads an EA statement shared with GameSpot, confirming a report by <a href="http://kotaku.com/ea-shuts-down-mythic-the-studio-behind-warhammer-onlin-1583376655" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Kotaku</a>. "We are working with all impacted employees to provide assistance in finding new opportunities, either within EA or with other companies via an upcoming job fair."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Mythic was founded in 1995 and made a name for itself with MMORPG Dark Age of Camelot, which was released in 2001 and has continued to be supported ever since. In 2006, Electronic Arts <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-drops-warhammer-on-mythic/1100-6152958/" data-ref-id="1100-6152958">acquired the studio</a> and renamed it EA Mythic. It was then set to work on Warhammer Online, which came out in 2008 and quickly <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/warhammer-online-army-750000-strong/1100-6199142/" data-ref-id="1100-6199142">attracted 750,000 players</a>--a number which <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-posts-1-billion-annual-loss/1100-6209194/" data-ref-id="1100-6209194">rapidly dropped off</a>, resulting in a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mythic-boss-departs-as-ea-restructures-mmo-rpg-group/1100-6212483/" data-ref-id="1100-6212483">shakeup at the studio</a> in 2009 that saw cofounder Mark Jacobs leave the company. Mythic was brought into a new RPG/MMO group along with BioWare, and a year later it was <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mythic-entertainment-folded-into-bioware/1100-6268054/" data-ref-id="1100-6268054">folded into BioWare</a>, being renamed BioWare Mythic in the process. Warhammer Online was <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/warhammer-online-shutting-down/1100-6414616/" data-ref-id="1100-6414616">taken offline last year</a> after a very brief <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/warhammer-online-goes-free-to-play-for-final-days/1100-6415948/" data-ref-id="1100-6415948">free-to-play stint</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In recent years, Mythic, once a major developer in the MMO space, shifted its focus to mobile games, developing mobile titles <a href="/articles/ultima-online/1100-2655124/" data-ref-id="1100-2655124">Ultima Online</a> and <a href="/dungeon-keeper/" data-ref-id="false">Dungeon Keeper</a>, the latter of which has been <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-responds-to-dungeon-keeper-free-to-play-criticisms/1100-6417571/" data-ref-id="1100-6417571">maligned</a> by everyone from fans to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/peter-molyneux-on-free-to-play-dungeon-keeper-this-is-ridiculous/1100-6417611/" data-ref-id="1100-6417611">original creator Peter Molyneux</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">It would appear the decision to shut Mythic down was made quite recently; a <a href="https://career4.successfactors.com/career?career_ns=job_listing&amp;company=EA&amp;navBarLevel=JOB_SEARCH&amp;rcm_site_locale=en_US&amp;career_job_req_id=36601&amp;selected_lang=en_US&amp;jobAlertController_jobAlertId=&amp;jobAlertController_jobAlertName=&amp;_s.crb=gtOn5t18ox5DOEfkmwAMqCVupYY%3D" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">job listing</a> for a software engineer position at the studio was posted online less than two weeks ago. It mentions seeking someone interested in "re-defining the RPG Mobile space working on exciting, genre defining IP."</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>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></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Thu, 29 May 2014 12:45:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-shuts-down-warhammer-online-dev-mythic-entertainment/1100-6419965/

http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Thu, 29 May 2014 21:24:45 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-ps4-exclusive-project-beast-footage-emerges/1100-6419973/ <p style="">Alleged new footage from the PS4-exclusive Project Beast has surfaced online.</p><p style="">Posted on <a href="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=827572&amp;page=8" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">NeoGAF</a>, the alleged GIFs show some of the game's environments and a brief look at its combat system. The footage aligns with screenshots previously posted online.</p><p style="">Project Beast is reportedly the working title for a new PlayStation 4-exclusive game from <a href="/demons-souls/" data-ref-id="false">Demon's Souls</a> and <a href="/dark-souls/" data-ref-id="false">Dark Souls</a> studio From Software in partnership with Sony Japan. Last week, Demon's Souls creator and director <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/demon-s-souls-dark-souls-director-named-president-of-from-software/1100-6419775/" data-ref-id="1100-6419775">Hidetaka Miyazaki was announced as the president of From Studio</a>.</p><p style="">For more on what we might see at the upcoming E3, check out our <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-rumors/1100-6419935/" data-ref-id="1100-6419935">E3 2014 rumour round-up</a>.</p><p style="">(<em>Gallery credit: NeoGAF</em>)</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2545374-7995508574-Highl.gif" data-ref-id="1300-2545374" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2545374-7995508574-Highl.gif" data-ref-id="1300-2545374"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/280/2802776/2545374-7995508574-Highl.gif"></a></figure><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2545375-8445028689-Madeu.gif" data-ref-id="1300-2545375" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2545375-8445028689-Madeu.gif" data-ref-id="1300-2545375"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/280/2802776/2545375-8445028689-Madeu.gif"></a></figure><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2545376-2089896470-Corru.gif" data-ref-id="1300-2545376" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2545376-2089896470-Corru.gif" data-ref-id="1300-2545376"><img src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/280/2802776/2545376-2089896470-Corru.gif"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Zorine Te is an associate editor at GameSpot, and you can follow her on <a href="https://twitter.com/ztharli" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @ztharli</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p> Thu, 29 May 2014 19:25:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-ps4-exclusive-project-beast-footage-emerges/1100-6419973/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/magic-duels-of-the-planeswalkers-2015-brings-full-/2300-6419036/ Duels of the Planeswalkers 2015 pits players against the feared Garruk Wildspeaker. Thu, 29 May 2014 17:36:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/magic-duels-of-the-planeswalkers-2015-brings-full-/2300-6419036/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/flyhunter-origins-announcement-trailer/2300-6419035/ Take your first look at Flyhunter Origins. Thu, 29 May 2014 17:20:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/flyhunter-origins-announcement-trailer/2300-6419035/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-former-microsoft-ceo-steve-ballmer-to-buy-the-clippers-for-2-billion/1100-6419972/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2545296-steveballmer.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2545296" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2545296-steveballmer.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2545296"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/280/2802776/2545296-steveballmer.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Steve Ballmer, former chief executive officer at Microsoft, has reportedly won a bid for NBA team the Los Angeles Clippers. His $2 billion bid has set a record as the highest price paid for an NBA team.</p><p style="">According to the <a href="http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-sn-clippers-sale-ballmer-20140529-story.html" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Los Angeles Times</a>, Ballmer's offer beat investors Tony Ressler, Steve Karsh, and a group including David Geffen and Guggenheim Group executives. The Geffen group and Ressler allegedly bid at $1.6 billion and $1.2 billion respectively.</p><p style="">Steve Ballmer's retirement from Microsoft was announced <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-ceo-steve-ballmer-to-retire/1100-6413579/" data-ref-id="1100-6413579">in August last year</a>, having served as the company's CEO since 2000. He was succeeded by Satya Nadella in February this year, but remains on the company's board of directors.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Zorine Te is an associate editor at GameSpot, and you can follow her on <a href="https://twitter.com/ztharli" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @ztharli</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p> Thu, 29 May 2014 16:57:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-former-microsoft-ceo-steve-ballmer-to-buy-the-clippers-for-2-billion/1100-6419972/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/60-for-a-game-in-2014-is-insane-former-bulletstorm-dev-says/1100-6419971/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2545242-bulletstorm.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2545242" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2545242-bulletstorm.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2545242"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2545242-bulletstorm.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">The accepted, standard price of $60 for a new video game "is a little insane," according to Adrian Chmielarz, former creative director of <a href="/bulletstorm/" data-ref-id="false">Bulletstorm</a> developer People Can Fly. According to him, gamers paying that much expect a great deal in return for their money these days, and by focusing so heavily on $60 AAA games, the industry is leaving money on the table.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Everybody is smart in retrospect, and looking back I do think that we were possibly among the first victims of this giant shift in gaming, where the middle-class AAA games began to die--not 'middle-class' by quality, but we didn't have ten multiplayer modes and co-op and all of that," Chmielarz said of Bulletstorm in an interview with <a href="http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2014-05-29-the-astronauts-in-2014-USD60-for-a-game-is-a-little-insane" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="2014-05">GamesIndustry International</a>. "The saying in the industry right now is, 'If you want to sell a game for $60, to the player it has to feel like $200.'"</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Bulletstorm was a $60 game for $60," he added. "And these days $60 for a game sounds basically crazy, when there are literally hundreds of high quality games out there for a much smaller price--even on console. In 2014, $60 for a game is a little insane."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Bulletstorm was released by People Can Fly and Epic Games in 2011 and, despite <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/bulletstorm-review/1900-6300186/" data-ref-id="1900-6300186">positive reviews</a>, it didn't turn out to be a huge seller. Epic president Mike Capps <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/epic-shelved-bulletstorm-sequel/1100-6370603/" data-ref-id="1100-6370603">said of the game</a> in 2012, "I think Bulletstorm was very critically successful, and I think a lot of folks really enjoyed seeing something new. From a sales perspective it was good, but not amazing. I think EA was hoping we'd do better." Epic <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gears-of-war-judgment-creative-director-leaves-studio/1100-6391206/" data-ref-id="1100-6391206">acquired People Can Fly</a> in 2012 and Chmielarz parted ways with the developer, which would be <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gears-of-war-judgment-dev-renamed-epic-games-poland/1100-6415921/" data-ref-id="1100-6415921">renamed Epic Games Poland</a> a year later.</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2545291-ds.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2545291" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2545291-ds.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2545291"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/123/1239113/2545291-ds.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Chmielarz also talked about how publishers often seek to turn franchises into something they are not. He pointed to <a href="/dead-space/" data-ref-id="false">Dead Space</a> as a series that EA has attempted to turn into a major, <a href="/call-of-duty-ghosts/" data-ref-id="false">Call of Duty</a>-level franchise, rather than being satisfied with sales of 2 or 3 million copies. "That could be a profitable series, but only if you're smart about the budget and the content," he said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">He's not the first to share this sentiment and cite Dead Space as an example. Lamenting the addition of multiplayer modes into games where they don't belong, Gearbox president Randy Pitchford spoke about <a href="/dead-space-2/" data-ref-id="false">Dead Space 2</a>'s multiplayer in a 2011 interview with <a href="http://www.edge-online.com/news/pitchford-bemoans-multiplayer-obsession/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"><em>Edge</em></a>, stating "It's ceiling-limited; it'll never do 20 million units. The best imaginable is a peak of four or five million units if everything works perfectly in your favour. So the bean counters go: 'How do I get a higher ceiling?' And they look at games that have multiplayer. They're wrong, of course. What they should do instead is say that they're comfortable with the ceiling, and get as close to the ceiling as possible. Put in whatever investment's required to focus it on what the promise is all about."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Since leaving People Can Fly, Chmielarz cofounded The Astronauts, developer of <a href="/the-vanishing-of-ethan-carter/" data-ref-id="false">The Vanishing of Ethan Carter</a>, which he says will shy away from having filler simply to justify a $60 price tag.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"There is a necessity to add filler in AAA games, whether it be collectibles or one more wave of enemies," Chmielarz said. "It's unfortunate, and it's also proof that the world is insane." He points out how players' calls for longer games clash with data suggesting "70 or 80 percent of people never finish the game."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"But I think that's connected to the price, and there we go again. Lower prices would allow us to stop thinking about filler for our games, and start focusing on making the experience just right," he said. "You have to live with the fact that some players will complain no matter what, but I think that when your game is tight, and the story you want to tell is told exactly the way you want, I think the effect is way more powerful than anyone complaining that they didn't get 100 hours of entertainment for their €20."</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>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></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Thu, 29 May 2014 16:51:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/60-for-a-game-in-2014-is-insane-former-bulletstorm-dev-says/1100-6419971/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-battlefield-3-is-free-shadow-warrior-on-xb/2300-6419032/ See what games Origin and PlayStation Plus want to give you for free, Quantum Break gets a release date, and we get Shadow Warrior resolution details! Thu, 29 May 2014 16:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-battlefield-3-is-free-shadow-warrior-on-xb/2300-6419032/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-division-dev-boss-scared-to-death-of-f2p-pushing-away-blockbusters/1100-6419970/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2544679-division.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2544679" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2544679-division.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2544679"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2544679-division.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">David Polfeldt, managing director of <a href="/tom-clancys-the-division/" data-ref-id="false">The Division</a> developer Massive Entertainment, readily admits he likes the data that game developers now have access to. At the same time, he believes there is an ethical problem with data being used to wring as much money as possible out of gamers, and his love for blockbuster games has caused him to worry about the future.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"I think it's super interesting what we can do now with big data and that type of research we can do. We find patterns that we didn't know of. That to me is incredibly sexy," Polfeldt told <a href="http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2014-05-29-success-buys-freedom-its-really-just-as-simple-as-that" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="2014-05">GamesIndustry International</a>. "Then there's a another step, where you get that data and the only thing you use it for is to fool people into paying for things that they didn't intend to. Then it becomes unethical. Then to me it's no longer a conversation. Then it's just, I'm just trying to find your trigger mechanisms and fool you."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Particularly in the free-to-play space, data-driven game design has become increasingly common in recent years. <a href="/farmville/" data-ref-id="false">FarmVille</a> maker Zynga is one of the preeminent examples of data-driven design, which, put simply, is the practice of relying heavily on data and metrics when making design choices.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"I do think there's an ethical problem there," Polfeldt continued. "Now you've found out everything about David. Good, will you now use that to tell him a story that matters to him--or are you going to use that to make him pay for things that he didn't want to pay for? To me, that's completely different."</p><blockquote data-align="right"><p dir="ltr" style="">"I embrace data. I think it's enormously educational, but it is important to ask yourself, what am I using this information for?" -- Massive Entertainment managing director David Polfeldt</p></blockquote><p dir="ltr" style="">Free-to-play design is not always such a negative thing for gamers, and there are many examples of games that are widely accepted because they aren't perceived as being manipulative. The model has come to dominate the mobile space, and there are those who believe it will eventually <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/is-free-to-play-going-to-take-over-consoles-and-pc/1100-6418934/" data-ref-id="1100-6418934">pervade the entire industry</a>. Polfeldt sees a clear distinction between the development of traditional games and other types of games that will only become more apparent, but that doesn't mean part of him doesn't worry about the future.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"I actually think they're not so close together," he said when asked about mobile and console game development. "I think we will see a separation where it's like nobody today thinks that a one-armed bandit is a games developer, like, 'Why aren't the one-armed bandits at E3?' Of course, they're not games. It's something else.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"I think many of the free-to-play games we will start looking upon them more as one-armed bandits. It's not a bad product in its own genre, but it's probably not an interactive experience as I mean that it is. Long answer, but it is a really complicated question because I like it. I embrace data. I think it's enormously educational, but it is important to ask yourself, what am I using this information for? That is where we do have a responsibility.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"As a gamer I'm afraid to death of it, because I love blockbuster games. I love big, long, epic games that will occupy my attention for a long time. I love the games that other people are doing, so I'm really afraid that it's all going to be different. It's all going to be small games. It's all going to be free. That to me is just something else. I can't see how that would replace my need for an epic experience. I just don't get it. They have to be different. That's really my conclusion. They just cannot be seen as the same for very long."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Polfeldt and Massive won't have to grapple with these issues directly when developing The Division, which is expected to be a traditional retail title when it's released next year. The open-world RPG was recently <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ubisoft-s-the-division-delayed-to-2015/1100-6419662/" data-ref-id="1100-6419662">delayed until 2015</a>, but would appear to comfortably fit into the "blockbuster" category that Polfeldt is so fond of.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><em>Do you worry about the future of the sorts of games you like to play, or do you believe there will always be a market for them? Let us know in the comments below.</em></p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em><strong>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></strong></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Thu, 29 May 2014 15:29:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-division-dev-boss-scared-to-death-of-f2p-pushing-away-blockbusters/1100-6419970/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/crea-gameplay-trailer/2300-6419026/ Check out the gameplay trailer for Crea. Thu, 29 May 2014 15:07:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/crea-gameplay-trailer/2300-6419026/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/die-like-a-cockroach-in-bad-mojo-redux-random-enco/2300-6419025/ Danny experiences what life would be like if he was a cockroach in Bad Mojo Redux. Thu, 29 May 2014 15:04:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/die-like-a-cockroach-in-bad-mojo-redux-random-enco/2300-6419025/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-7th-guest-a-condemned-classic/1100-6419968/ <p style="">If you played PC games in the early '90s, you knew <a href="/the-7th-guest/" data-ref-id="false">The 7th Guest</a>--the haunting puzzle-adventure game that mixed comedy, horror, full-motion videos, and challenging puzzles, for an experience that was wholly unique in its day. The halls of Stauf's haunted mansion looked real, and you never knew when a ghost might saunter in to share in your company. The 7th Guest developer Trilobyte needed high-res, prerendered bitmaps and FMV to create the desired effect, and it took a risk by chasing its vision: due to the massive amount of storage space that was required, it could only sell The 7th Guest to PC owners with CD-ROM drives, which were uncommon at the time. If Trilobyte tried to cram all of the data from the game's two CDs onto the preferred medium of the day--the floppy disk--the game would have needed a box big enough to fit over 900 disks.</p><p style="">If you ask Rob Landeros, co-creator of The 7th Guest, he'll tell you that it, along with <a href="/myst/" data-ref-id="false">Myst </a>in 1993, paved the way for a new breed of game and a new era for PC gaming. He's right. "The most difficult aspects were that the tools necessary to do the things we wanted to do didn't exist. Heck, the CD-ROM platform itself didn't even exist at the mass-market level. That is why The 7th Guest is often credited with kickstarting the CD revolution. So, what didn't exist, such as the ability to create a 3D environment and play back high-res animations, we had to invent. Fortunately, Graeme Devine was genius enough to create the video codec that allowed us to fit everything on two CDs and stream video directly off of them. Also, very fortunately, Autodesk 3D Studio Max arrived in our hands midway through the development process, which allowed us to build the virtual environment. We, along with Cyan, were the first to use 3D graphics for our games and develop specifically for the CD-ROM medium."</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2544376-7thscreen.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2544376" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2544376-7thscreen.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2544376"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1406/14063904/2544376-7thscreen.jpg"></a><figcaption>It may not look like much now, but these graphics were unprecedented for a PC game in 1993.</figcaption></figure><p style="">CD-ROMs enabled designers to tap into the power of high-res images and video, but it meant a lot to musicians and composers, too. Composer Tommy Tallarico (<a href="/earthworm-jim-1996/" data-ref-id="false">Earthworm Jim</a>, <a href="/mdk/" data-ref-id="false">MDK</a>) recalls the advent of CD-ROMs, and the freedom it gave him as a sound designer: "From an audio perspective, we really wanted the sound design to be as real as possible to help draw you into the entire experience. In the early '90s, most people were still hearing bleeps and bloops for sound [effects]. But because of the CD-ROM format, we were able to create 'real' sounds and recordings, which were so important in helping to create the atmosphere and vision that the team wanted. Hearing 'real' sounds back then was pretty revolutionary at the time."</p><p style="">For Tallarico, The 7th Guest was a turning point for the industry, not just technologically, but also financially. "Not only was The 7th Guest the first of its kind, but it helped to drive actual hardware sales because it was the only way people could play it. The 7th Guest was the first in many categories (including the first $1 million budget for a game) and represented a <i>lot</i> of risk taking and foresight by both the developer and the publisher (Virgin Games)."</p><blockquote data-align="right" data-size="medium"><p style="">...what didn't exist, such as the ability to create a 3D environment and play back high-res animations, we had to invent.</p></blockquote><p style="">The risk paid off, and The 7th Guest was successful enough to warrant a sequel, <a href="/the-11th-hour/" data-ref-id="false">The 11th Hour</a>. It turned the clock forward 65 years and stuck to the pattern set by its predecessor, but it failed to achieve comparable success. Perhaps it was the fact that The 11th Hour shipped late, or that the novelty of FMV had faded, but whatever the case may be, the series stalled. A disenchanted PC audience focused its attention elsewhere, and outside of a smattering of ports, the series has laid mostly dormant ever since.</p><p style="">But, late last year, Trilobyte reopened under new management and attempted to crowdfund the apparent conclusion to the 7th Guest trilogy on Kickstarter, titled <a href="/articles/the-7th-guest-3-announced-for-pc-and-mobile/1100-6404953/" data-ref-id="1100-6404953">The 7th Guest 3: The Collector</a>. It didn't work. Trilobyte needed $425,000 to make The Collector, but only $121,318 was pledged. The team had to walk away empty-handed.</p><p style="">Landeros recognizes that funding the revival of a classic series by opening a <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/roblanderos/the-7th-guest-3-the-collector" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Kickstarter</a> campaign isn't a simple walk in the park, but he's still driven to make it happen. "While it has been worth the effort to reintroduce these classic games to old and new audiences in the era of mobile gaming, the team and I have an innate need to flex our creative muscles, to work collaboratively developing new ideas with the new tools at our disposal, drawing upon our considerable collective experience in game development. Besides, I always felt that there should be a third in the series that would not only be better than the preceding ones, but would allow us to tell more of the Stauf saga in a more fun and effective way."</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2544355-t7g3_title01.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2544355" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2544355-t7g3_title01.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2544355"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1406/14063904/2544355-t7g3_title01.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Earlier this year, Trilobyte returned with a new pitch, this time on <a href="https://trilobyte.crowdhoster.com/the-7th-guest-3-the-collector/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Crowdhoster</a>, asking for $65,000 to create a slice of The Collector--a beta, effectively--but with just over a week to go at the time of this writing, and more than $25,000 left to raise, things aren't looking much better than before. By all accounts, the team should have had an easy time meeting its new goal when the asking amount is just over half of what was pledged previously, but it seems that the public has lost confidence in the dream; only 494 people have put their hands up on Crowdhoster, or less than 30 percent of the number of people who pledged on Kickstarter (1,713).</p><p style="">The 7th Guest is still a cherished series, so why is Trilobyte having such a difficult time garnering interest in a new chapter? Is now really the right time? The COO of Trilobyte, Charlie McHenry, still believes that it is. "The fans are ready; the team is largely reformed and ready; and new technologies, platforms, and tools will allow us to develop the rich environments; memorable characters; complex, detailed puzzles; and engaging plot/gameplay that serious gamers require. Pair that with developments like virtual reality, that promise to bring a whole new dimension to our well-known mansion and the horror that lurks within, and the stars are aligned. The advent of crowdfunding as a viable financial engine is also key to the equation."</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418960" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418960/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">McHenry may be on to something. After all, the original game rose to prominence with the help of a wave of new technology, and perhaps there's a chance for Trilobyte to do something special with its knowledge of game design and create one of the first killer applications for virtual reality. On the other hand, though new tools may be great from a development standpoint, there's no evidence that the fans are ready, at least not to the extent that McHenry believes. Though there are many cases of crowdfunding campaigns that experience a last-minute surge of support and reach their goal in the final hours, The Collector doesn't appear to be on that path. Like Stauf's creaky mansion, the future for the conclusion to the 7th Guest trilogy looks grim.</p><p style="">There's no singular reason why The 7th Guest can't attract the audience and support it needs to live on, but after one failed campaign and another that's seemingly on the rocks, it's clear that Trilobyte needs to take a new approach. Maybe this is a case where a beloved franchise can't rely on nostalgia to entice the masses. Perhaps it needs a publisher with money and a belief in the vision, like Virgin Interactive in the '90s. Regardless, Landeros and crew should be proud to have created an icon in The 7th Guest. It holds a special place in the hearts and minds of a lot of people, even if they aren't willing to put their money where their mouths are. It will always be remembered as a game that drove the industry forward by exploring new technologies and methods of storytelling. And, who knows; there might be a better opportunity for The Collector lurking around the corner, and we'll someday be able to reenter modern gaming's first haunted mansion.</p><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p> Thu, 29 May 2014 14:59:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-7th-guest-a-condemned-classic/1100-6419968/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/game-genie-was-more-than-the-sum-of-its-cheat-codes/1100-6419946/ <p style="">Game Genie, the infamous cheat device that granted infinite lives and unlimited ammo, began as nothing more than a tiny knob on a golden game cartridge. That cartridge was a copy of Treasure Island Dizzy, a puzzle game on the Nintendo Entertainment System starring a cartoon egg that wore boxing gloves. The knob was there so you could--in theory--adjust the number of lives you had, thereby making the game easier or harder as desired. Dizzy's developer, Codemasters, thought this extra feature would help its company's next game stand out from the pack--as if the gold finish wasn't enough.</p><p style="">That little knob ended up doing squat for <a href="/treasure-island-dizzy/" data-ref-id="false">Treasure Island Dizzy</a>--the game shipped without it--but it did become the catalyst for Codemasters' first breakout success. The team reasoned that if they could alter game code in one game, maybe they could apply that same technology to other games on the same console. And why stop at adding extra lives? They could seek out and tweak other variables as well. They could create a device that brought players' dreams--no, their <i>wishes</i>--to life. And so, after a long night of brainstorming in 1989, Codemasters developed its first Game Genie. It was a big pile of wires and dials, and it was going to make them millions.</p><p style="">It would also drag the young developer into a legal battle with the industry's most powerful company, Nintendo, before quietly fading into obscurity. Today, Game Genie is largely remembered for its repertoire of game-breaking codes, but it could do so much more. With the right set of codes, you could make a new game out of an old one, play as the enemy, or access unused or unfinished parts of a game. Game Genie treated video games as toys to be altered by the whims of your imagination. It eventually earned a successor, Game Genie 2, which never saw the light of day, as well as a few other cheat devices decades later, including one currently in the works for the PlayStation 4.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEQJN1aYizM" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2Fvideoseries%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26list%3DUUVAxchVypCDw18hPVdgjKew&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DPEQJN1aYizM%26list%3DUUVAxchVypCDw18hPVdgjKew&amp;image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FPEQJN1aYizM%2Fhqdefault.jpg&amp;key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&amp;type=text%2Fhtml&amp;schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><h3>MORE THAN A CHEAT MACHINE</h3><p style="">The video game industry needs a better class of cheat device, one that introduces a little chaos to the oftentimes rigid structure of modern gaming. That was the real magic of Codemasters' device. It wasn't the infinite ammo codes or the skip-to-the-final-stage cheats; it was the oddball stuff that you would find through trial and error. It was making all the enemies throw hammers in Mario or replacing all the items and enemies in Kirby with different, random items or enemies. By mixing and matching these different codes, you could create entirely new experiences in your favorite games.</p><blockquote data-size="small" data-align="right"><p style="">"Game Genie franchise may fall out of style, but the creativity that goes into modifying a game will always be there," said Sole. "So, to some degree, the Game Genie will never die. It'll just fall under a new name."</p></blockquote><p style="">Ralph Sole, also known as <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/SolerEclipseOfficial/videos" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">SolarEclipse on YouTube</a>, is teaching himself how to do just that and his videos provide a glimpse of Game Genie's true capabilities. "Growing up, I owned Adventure Island II on the NES and was, admittedly, pretty bad at it," said Sole, "so I would use codes to explore, and pratice, other levels. As I got older, I realized I didn't have to just use Game Genie to beat levels. I could use it to do whatever I want. I mean, if people can come up with their own cheat codes, there has to be some sort of underlying logic to it that I just don't understand, so I just started messing around with it. I like to break things, and Game Genie created a safe, controlled way to do that with video games."</p><p style="">In <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxe753XdSMM" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">one of Sole's videos</a>, the opening stage of Super Mario Bros. is altered so that an endless cascade of enemy turtles fly in from the right side of the screen and zip across the stage. Oh, and any mushrooms that appear fly off to the left as well. The result is a new--and wildly unpredictable--experience from the regular game. It's a fun twist on the familiar, and easy to recreate. The limits to Game Genie are really just your imagination and how much time you can devote to code hunting. "Game Genie franchise may fall out of style, but the inspiration and the creativity that goes into modifying a game will always be there," said Sole. "So, to some degree, the Game Genie will never die. It'll just fall under a new name."</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/949/9490474/2544237-kirby.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2544237" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/949/9490474/2544237-kirby.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2544237"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/949/9490474/2544237-kirby.jpg"></a><figcaption>Game Genie was originally called the Power Pak, but Codemasters was afraid people would mistake it for a battery pack.</figcaption></figure><h3>THE LOST GAME GENIE 2</h3><p style="">One of Game Genie's earliest supporters was Lewis Galoob Toys Inc. Lewis Galoob's son loved that he could make Mario jump higher, and the company agreed to distribute Game Genie in North America. Game Genie steadily grew in popularity, spawning new versions for other consoles, and eventually drew the ire of Nintendo, which felt Game Genie was in violation of copyright laws. A court case ensued between Galoob and Nintendo, ending with a judge ruling in favor of Galoob. However, while Galoob had won the day, the trial had dire consequences for Codemasters' latest piece of hardware, Game Genie 2.</p><blockquote data-size="small" data-align="right"><p style="">Game Genie 2 gave users the ability to find their own codes using four buttons located on the cartridge itself. It was ready to go for the Super Nintendo, but a change in Galoob's upper management put the project on permanent hold.</p></blockquote><p style="">"There was a Game Genie 2 which never came out in the end," said David Darling, co-founder of Codemasters, "which was one of our biggest regrets because it was such an amazing product." As Darling explained, Game Genie 2 gave users the ability to find their own codes using four buttons located on the cartridge itself. If you wanted to find a code for Mario's lives, for example, you would first press a button three times to indicate Mario had three lives. You'd then die, and press another button twice to indicate the new total. Game Genie 2 would then hunt down the variable in the game's code that had just changed from three to two, and spit out a code that let you change Mario's lives to whatever number you wanted. Game Genie 2 was ready to go for the Super Nintendo, but a change in Galoob's upper management put the project on permanent hold.</p><p style="">"When we met Galoob, the Galoob family still ran the company," said Darling. "But by the time the court case was finished and Game Genie 2 was ready to come out, David Galoob had left the company, and Galoob was much more business driven. They were never a video games publisher, after all, and I think they saw Game Genie as just a single toy. After going through the hardware switch from NES to SNES, it just got too complicated. For a toy company, the video game industry was just too alien."</p><p style="">Game Genie 2 died on the vine, but, as Darling noted, there is one in existence somewhere, "probably in the attic at Codemasters." After Game Genie, Codemasters moved on to focusing solely on games; Darling moved on to his own company, <a href="http://www.kwalee.com/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Kwalee</a>, years later; and the industry moved on from cartridge- to compact disc-based gaming. It would take a few decades for another company to come along and breathe new life into this curious device and devise a plan for adapting it to next-gen hardware.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/949/9490474/2544238-sonic.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2544238" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/949/9490474/2544238-sonic.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2544238"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/949/9490474/2544238-sonic.jpg"></a><figcaption>According to Darling, Game Genie sold roughly 5 million units and netted $140 million at retail worldwide.</figcaption></figure><h3>GAME GENIE EYES PLAYSTATION 4</h3><p style="">In 2012, just over two decades after its creation, Game Genie made a quiet return to market. It had a new look and a new company backing it, and it operated in a completely different style than its predecessors. This new Game Genie, <a href="http://hyperkin.com/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">developed by Hyperkin</a> for the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo DS, modified your save game to give you extra lives or ammo. According to Chris Gallizzi, product manager at Hyperkin, this is a much more rigid system than what the older Game Genie enjoyed. Gaining access to a game's save files means cracking several layers of encryption, a process that changes from game to game. It's slow, time-consuming work that limits the product to only the games Gallizzi and his three-person team have cracked.</p><blockquote data-size="small" data-align="left"><p style="">Gallizzi may have found a way to bring Game Genie to PlayStation 4 thanks to a security loophole in the PS4's design. "The key to the PlayStation 4 is the Vita," he explained, "and the Vita is not as secure as people think."</p></blockquote><p style="">However, Gallizzi thinks he may have found a way to recapture some of that old Game Genie craziness thanks to a security loophole in the PlayStation 4's design. "The key to the PlayStation 4 is the Vita," he explained, "and the Vita is not as secure as people think. By syncing the Vita to the PS4, we are then able to pick up a hidden Wi-Fi signal to detect a backdoor entry to the system. From there, we're able to access the raw game files, like trophy data and partially encrypted game saves. It still needs work, but the ultimate goal is to be able to mod a game file or the actual PUP files while the game is running--similar to DEX modding for the PS3, which allows real-time memory hacks."</p><p style="">So far, Gallizzi and his team have been successful in modifying only two games--<a href="/battlefield-4/" data-ref-id="false">Battlefield 4</a> and <a href="/tomb-raider/" data-ref-id="false">Tomb Raider</a>--on the PS4, and even then, neither game is very stable. It will be a while before this technology is ready for public consumption, but when it is it will open up games in ways the PS3 and DS Game Genies could not. "What this technology would allow us to do is actually modify the game data, similar to how the orignal Game Genie functioned," Gallizzi said. "From there we could do things like jumping over a whole level in a single bound or explore the game coding and find hidden stuff that was never fully deleted, stuff that's not seen in save data but is actually within game code."</p><p style="">Gallizzi and his team are aware that the gaming landscape has changed since the days of the original Game Genie. Massively multiplayer online games and competitive online gaming have taken hold, and those are two areas of gaming the team knows to stay away from. "We have one golden rule," said Gallizzi, "and that is to never go into online gaming. We don't want to disrupt the competitive communities for Call of Duty or Battlefield or any of those games. We make sure that if you're using our hacks or cheats or whatever, you're doing it in your own little world."</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static4.gamespot.com/uploads/original/mig/4/8/6/0/2014860-686354_20121017_006.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2014860" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static4.gamespot.com/uploads/original/mig/4/8/6/0/2014860-686354_20121017_006.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2014860"><img src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/mig/4/8/6/0/2014860-686354_20121017_006.jpg"></a><figcaption>When Boarderlands 2 came out, Gallizzi found a cheat that boosted players to level 127, before level caps were even announced. Gearbox quickly nullified this cheat.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Game hacking and modding are still alive and well outside of Game Genie, especially on PC. However, as Sole noted, Game Genie made game modification both safe and accessible for non-PC players, while opening up a ton of crazy possibilities to boot. And unlike typical PC modding, Game Genie also introduced an element of randomness. Most game mods or hacks are designed with some sort of goal in mind. With Game Genie, you never really knew what--if anything--you were going to get when you started plugging in random codes, and those results might not be things you would think to search for, nor develop as a mod.</p><p style="">History has shown that the one major complaint lobbed at Game Genie was that it made games shorter or easier by circumventing certain parts. You could just press a button and win the game. And while that was certainly an option, it wasn't all this device could do. For those who took the time to learn this new technology, it rewarded them by breathing new life into games time and again. Game developers and publishers today are constantly looking for new ways to get <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microtransactions-are-a-solution-to-a-problem-that-shouldn-t-exist/1100-6419943/" data-ref-id="1100-6419943">extra mileage out of their games</a>, whether through downloadable content or various unlocks. It's time we put the power back in the players' hands and let our imaginations extend the life of our favorite games. It's time for another Game Genie.</p><p style=""> </p> Thu, 29 May 2014 14:48:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/game-genie-was-more-than-the-sum-of-its-cheat-codes/1100-6419946/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-plans-to-add-xbox-one-screenshot-feature-in-system-update/1100-6419969/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2544359-titanfall.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2544359" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2544359-titanfall.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2544359"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2544359-titanfall.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Video won't always be the only way of sharing your favorite Xbox One moments: Although we don't yet know when it will be coming, the ability to take screenshots of your games on Xbox One is on Microsoft's list of features to add in a future update.</p><p style="">This is according to Head of Xbox Phil Spencer, who was asked whether Microsoft has plans to allow players to take screenshots and share them on social networks like Twitter. "Yea, this is the list for the monthly updates, team is making great progress on the updates," Spencer replied on <a href="https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/471475293174382592" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter</a>. "More features to come."</p><p style="">Indeed, Microsoft has been routinely rolling out system updates for the Xbox One. Among other things, the Xbox One added a new Party Chat mode and Twitch streaming <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-rolls-out-huge-xbox-one-update-teases-external-storage-support/1100-6418114/" data-ref-id="1100-6418114">in March</a>, friend notifications <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-april-system-update-rolling-out-now/1100-6418999/" data-ref-id="1100-6418999">in April</a>, and a sound mixer <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-s-latest-system-update-now-available/1100-6419729/" data-ref-id="1100-6419729">this month</a>. <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-gets-external-storage-support-real-names-for-friends-next-month/1100-6419776/" data-ref-id="1100-6419776">June's update</a> will add support for external storage devices and allow players to use their real names on Xbox Live.</p><p style="">The ability to take screenshots would be a natural addition to the system--players can already record gameplay video on the fly that can then be shared with other Xbox One owners or uploaded to OneDrive. The PlayStation 4, meanwhile, already allows screenshots to be taken using the DualShock 4's Share button.</p><p style=""><em>What features are you most hoping to see show up on Xbox One? Let us know in the comments below.</em></p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>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></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p> Thu, 29 May 2014 14:15:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-plans-to-add-xbox-one-screenshot-feature-in-system-update/1100-6419969/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/reality-check-could-watch-dogs-be-real/2300-6419020/ Cam investigates if Watch_Dogs sci-fi surveillance and hacking could actually, be real! Thu, 29 May 2014 13:31:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/reality-check-could-watch-dogs-be-real/2300-6419020/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/try-ea-sports-ufc-on-june-3-with-free-ps4-xbox-one-demo/1100-6419967/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2544350-jonjones.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2544350" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2544350-jonjones.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2544350"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2544350-jonjones.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Electronic Arts announced today that a demo for its upcoming MMA game <a href="/ufc-ultimate-fighting-championship/" data-ref-id="false">EA Sports UFC</a> will be available on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on June 3.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The free demo lets you play a virtual <a href="http://espn.go.com/mma/story/_/id/10980258/alexander-gustafsson-accepts-ufc-offer-rematch-jon-jones-jones-not-responded" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">rematch of UFC 165</a>, featuring fighters Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson. Jones won the real-world match last September, but you can author a new history in the demo. The two will <a href="http://espn.go.com/mma/story/_/id/10980258/alexander-gustafsson-accepts-ufc-offer-rematch-jon-jones-jones-not-responded" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">meet again in the Octagon for real on August 30 in Las Vegas</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">EA Sports UFC <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-sports-ufc-coming-june-17/1100-6418803/" data-ref-id="1100-6418803">launches in full on June 17 </a>for Xbox One and PS4.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Legendary actor and martial artist Bruce Lee--who never fought competitively--will appear in the game as a playable character. His daughter, Shannon Lee, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/bruce-lee-s-daughter-doesn-t-have-time-for-ea-sports-ufc-haters/1100-6418879/" data-ref-id="1100-6418879">told GameSpot last month </a>her father has a place in EA Sports UFC because he "lived and breathed" martial arts even if he never really fought.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">For more on EA Sports UFC, check out <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/ufc-ultimate-fighting-championship/" data-ref-id="false">GameSpot's previous coverage</a>, including our <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-sports-ufc-gameplay-vs-realism/1100-6417624/" data-ref-id="1100-6417624">"Gameplay vs. Realism" feature</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Thu, 29 May 2014 13:03:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/try-ea-sports-ufc-on-june-3-with-free-ps4-xbox-one-demo/1100-6419967/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-shuts-down-warhammer-online-dev-mythic-entertainment/1100-6419965/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2544330-daoc1.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2544330" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2544330-daoc1.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2544330"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2544330-daoc1.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""><span>Electronic Arts has shut down </span><a href="/warhammer-online-age-of-reckoning/" data-ref-id="false">Warhammer Online</a><span> and </span><a href="/articles/dark-age-of-camelot/1100-2655992/" data-ref-id="1100-2655992">Dark Age of Camelot</a><span> developer Mythic Entertainment, the company announced today.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We are closing the EA Mythic location in Fairfax, Virginia, as we concentrate mobile development in our other studio locations," reads an EA statement shared with GameSpot, confirming a report by <a href="http://kotaku.com/ea-shuts-down-mythic-the-studio-behind-warhammer-onlin-1583376655" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Kotaku</a>. "We are working with all impacted employees to provide assistance in finding new opportunities, either within EA or with other companies via an upcoming job fair."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Mythic was founded in 1995 and made a name for itself with MMORPG Dark Age of Camelot, which was released in 2001 and has continued to be supported ever since. In 2006, Electronic Arts <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-drops-warhammer-on-mythic/1100-6152958/" data-ref-id="1100-6152958">acquired the studio</a> and renamed it EA Mythic. It was then set to work on Warhammer Online, which came out in 2008 and quickly <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/warhammer-online-army-750000-strong/1100-6199142/" data-ref-id="1100-6199142">attracted 750,000 players</a>--a number which <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-posts-1-billion-annual-loss/1100-6209194/" data-ref-id="1100-6209194">rapidly dropped off</a>, resulting in a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mythic-boss-departs-as-ea-restructures-mmo-rpg-group/1100-6212483/" data-ref-id="1100-6212483">shakeup at the studio</a> in 2009 that saw cofounder Mark Jacobs leave the company. Mythic was brought into a new RPG/MMO group along with BioWare, and a year later it was <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mythic-entertainment-folded-into-bioware/1100-6268054/" data-ref-id="1100-6268054">folded into BioWare</a>, being renamed BioWare Mythic in the process. Warhammer Online was <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/warhammer-online-shutting-down/1100-6414616/" data-ref-id="1100-6414616">taken offline last year</a> after a very brief <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/warhammer-online-goes-free-to-play-for-final-days/1100-6415948/" data-ref-id="1100-6415948">free-to-play stint</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In recent years, Mythic, once a major developer in the MMO space, shifted its focus to mobile games, developing mobile titles <a href="/articles/ultima-online/1100-2655124/" data-ref-id="1100-2655124">Ultima Online</a> and <a href="/dungeon-keeper/" data-ref-id="false">Dungeon Keeper</a>, the latter of which has been <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-responds-to-dungeon-keeper-free-to-play-criticisms/1100-6417571/" data-ref-id="1100-6417571">maligned</a> by everyone from fans to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/peter-molyneux-on-free-to-play-dungeon-keeper-this-is-ridiculous/1100-6417611/" data-ref-id="1100-6417611">original creator Peter Molyneux</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">It would appear the decision to shut Mythic down was made quite recently; a <a href="https://career4.successfactors.com/career?career_ns=job_listing&amp;company=EA&amp;navBarLevel=JOB_SEARCH&amp;rcm_site_locale=en_US&amp;career_job_req_id=36601&amp;selected_lang=en_US&amp;jobAlertController_jobAlertId=&amp;jobAlertController_jobAlertName=&amp;_s.crb=gtOn5t18ox5DOEfkmwAMqCVupYY%3D" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">job listing</a> for a software engineer position at the studio was posted online less than two weeks ago. It mentions seeking someone interested in "re-defining the RPG Mobile space working on exciting, genre defining IP."</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>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></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Thu, 29 May 2014 12:45:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-shuts-down-warhammer-online-dev-mythic-entertainment/1100-6419965/

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