http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Fri, 13 Jun 2014 21:15:06 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-top-5-the-five-biggest-things-to-come-out-/2300-6419765/ Jess gives you the lowdown on YOUR picks for the most awesome announcements from this year's expo! Let us know what was your favourite moment! Fri, 13 Jun 2014 16:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-top-5-the-five-biggest-things-to-come-out-/2300-6419765/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-exclusive-bloodborne-gameplay-footage-emerges/1100-6420484/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx8KTIeSnzs" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2Fxx8KTIeSnzs%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dxx8KTIeSnzs&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2Fxx8KTIeSnzs%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""><br /></p><p style="">A gameplay trailer for the upcoming PlayStation 4-exclusive role-playing game <a href="/bloodborne/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/bloodborne/">Bloodborne</a> has emerged, showing off the game's dark environments, weapons, and otherwordly enemies.</p><p style="">If it gives off a <a href="/demons-souls/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/demons-souls/">Demon's Souls</a>/<a href="/dark-souls/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/dark-souls/">Dark Souls</a> vibe, that's probably because the mastermind of those acclaimed franchises--Hidetaka Miyazaki--is working on Bloodborne as its director. The game is in development at From Software in conjunction with Sony Japan Studio. It's scheduled to launch in 2015.</p><p style="">In the event that the trailer above gets removed, you can watch a minute-long Bloodborne gameplay clip captured at E3<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/videos/e3-2014-bloodborne-gameplay-demo/2300-6419639/" data-ref-id="2300-6419639" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/videos/e3-2014-bloodborne-gameplay-demo/2300-6419639/"> right here</a>. For more on the game, check out GameSpot managing editor Randolph Ramsay's thoughts on <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-the-similarities-and-differences-between-bloodborne-and-dark-souls/1100-6420378/" data-ref-id="1100-6420378" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-the-similarities-and-differences-between-bloodborne-and-dark-souls/1100-6420378/">the similarities and differences between Bloodborne and Dark Souls</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true" class="mceItemTable"><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" data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch"> 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" data-mce-href="mailto:news@gamespot.com">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table><p style=""><br /></p> Fri, 13 Jun 2014 14:35:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-exclusive-bloodborne-gameplay-footage-emerges/1100-6420484/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/trend-of-increasingly-violent-games-is-disturbing-ohio-st-professor-says/1100-6420483/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static4.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1365/13658182/2559558-mortalkombatx_kotal_scorpion_snowforest_choke.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2559558" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static4.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1365/13658182/2559558-mortalkombatx_kotal_scorpion_snowforest_choke.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2559558"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1365/13658182/2559558-mortalkombatx_kotal_scorpion_snowforest_choke.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">If you watched this year's E3 press conferences, you saw things like <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-xbox-one-trailer-impressions/1100-6420206/" data-ref-id="1100-6420206">severed limbs in a demo for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare</a>, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/videos/e3-2014-assassin-s-creed-unity-stage-demo/2300-6419587/" data-ref-id="2300-6419587">decapitation by guillotine in Assassin's Creed Unity</a>, and<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/videos/e3-2014-mortal-kombat-x-kotal-kahn-vs-sub-zero-gam/2300-6419695/" data-ref-id="2300-6419695"> graphic kill scenes in Mortal Kombat X</a>. This trend of violence in mainstream games is "disturbing," and isn't likely to stop anytime soon, according to Ohio St. professor Brad Bushman, who has been<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/professor-it-s-clear-playing-violent-games-increases-aggressive-behavior/1100-6417754/" data-ref-id="1100-6417754"> outspoken</a> about the effects video games could have on the people who play them.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"It seems, as time goes on, video games continue to become more violent, realistic, and graphic," Bushman, a communication and psychology professor, told <a href="http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_268764/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=M9fabdNy" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"><em>The Associated Press</em></a>. "This is a disturbing trend. Unfortunately, I see no signs that it will stop. The research evidence clearly indicates that violent video games increase aggression in players, and can make them numb to the pain and suffering of others."</p><blockquote data-align="left"><p dir="ltr" style="">"We know that war is terrifying" -- Sledgehammer Games co-founder Michael Condrey</p></blockquote><p dir="ltr" style="">The Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare demo shown during Microsoft press conference on Monday featured a soldier whose arm gets locked in a door and is later ripped off. Developer Sledgehammer Games co-founder Michael Condrey told the <em>AP</em> that the character losing his arm was meant to push the story forward, rather than to shock people.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We know that war is terrifying," Condrey said. "The military advisers that we work with talk about the horrors of war. Call of Duty isn't just about gratuitous violence. The scene that you saw in Seoul at the Microsoft press conference, that's an impactful story moment. The loss of the arm is really part of the narrative. We showed that for a particular storytelling reason."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Dana Jan, creative director for the upcoming PlayStation 4 game <a href="/the-order-1886/" data-ref-id="false">The Order: 1886</a>, is also quoted in the story, saying the graphic nature of the game is for a specific purpose.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"For us, it's more impactful if it's done tastefully," Jan said. "If you just throw blood all over the place, it's meaningless. ... We have to look at what we think is disturbing or scary and figure out how to do that masterfully without going too over the top."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Of course, this year's E3 also featured many non-violent games, including <a href="/littlebigplanet-3/" data-ref-id="false">LittleBigPlanet 3</a>,<a href="/ori-and-the-blind-forest/" data-ref-id="false"> Ori and the Blind Forest</a>, and <a href="/everybodys-gone-to-the-rapture/" data-ref-id="false">Everybody's Gone to the Rapture</a>, just to name a few. In addition, games like Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Mortal Kombat X, and The Order: 1886 are all likely to carry an M-for-Mature rating from the Entertainment Software Rating Board.</p><p style=""><em>Did you think E3 2014 was overly gory? Let us know in the comments below!</em></p><p style=""><em><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/">See more coverage of E3 2014 →</a></em></p> Fri, 13 Jun 2014 13:45:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/trend-of-increasingly-violent-games-is-disturbing-ohio-st-professor-says/1100-6420483/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-hopes-to-share-2d-and-3d-metroid-news-in-the-near-future/1100-6420482/ <figure data-ref-id="1300-2566122" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2566122-metroid+other+m.jpg" data-size="large" data-align="center" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2566122-metroid+other+m.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2566122"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2566122-metroid+other+m.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Nintendo is well aware of fans' desire to see both 2D and 3D <a href="/metroid/" data-ref-id="false">Metroid</a> games in the future. In fact, it's hoping to share news regarding both styles "in the near future," according to Nintendo's Shinya Takahashi.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In an interview with <a href="http://kotaku.com/nintendo-is-planning-a-future-for-both-2d-and-3d-metroi-1590142491" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Kotaku</a>, the subject of a new Metroid was brought up. Shigeru Miyamoto responded by saying, "The original creators of Metroid and the director who was the director of the <a href="/metroid-prime/" data-ref-id="false">Metroid Prime</a> games who worked under me when I was producing those both now work for Mr. Takahashi, so you'll have to ask him."</p><figure data-ref-id="1300-2566127" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2566127-zeromission.jpg" data-size="small" data-align="right" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2566127-zeromission.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2566127"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/123/1239113/2566127-zeromission.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Takahashi then shared some tantalizing information: "So it has been a while since we released the last one and we're having discussions internally about what we can do next. So at this point we have two different types of Metroid games. We have the Prime style of Metroid game and we have the more traditional style of Metroid game. We feel that we do need to take care of both of these styles of play. And the hope is that at some point in the near future we'll be able to share something about them."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Many gamers expected a new Metroid to be unveiled at E3 this week when Nintendo scheduled a lengthy event to announce a 3DS game on Wednesday night. Instead, we learned that game would be a new IP, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-nintendo-announces-3ds-game-code-name-steam/1100-6420412/" data-ref-id="1100-6420412">which proved to be </a><a href="/code-name-steam/" data-ref-id="false">Code Name: STEAM</a>, a strategy game from <a href="/fire-emblem-awakening/" data-ref-id="false">Fire Emblem</a> and <a href="/advance-wars/" data-ref-id="false">Advance Wars</a> developer Intelligent Systems. Metroid wasn't seen at all during E3, unless you count Samus appearing in <a href="/super-smash-bros-for-wii-u/" data-ref-id="false">Super Smash Bros</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The most recent game in the Metroid series was 2010's <a href="/metroid-other-m/" data-ref-id="false">Metroid: Other M</a>, the Team Ninja-developed action game for Wii that many fans bemoaned for its treatment of Samus' character. Prior to that, it was <a href="/metroid-prime-3-corruption/" data-ref-id="false">Metroid Prime 3: Corruption</a> in 2007. In other words, the series has been mostly quiet for much of the last decade--which is exactly how long it's been since the last 2D Metroid game (<a href="/metroid-zero-mission/" data-ref-id="false">Metroid: Zero Mission</a> for Game Boy Advance) was released.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">To many, a new Metroid seems like an obvious way to drum up excitement for the Wii U, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/as-wii-u-struggles-nintendo-says-a-single-game-can-alter-the-fate-of-a-platform/1100-6419628/" data-ref-id="1100-6419628">which has struggled</a> since its launch in November 2012. One thing we do know about the next Metroid is that series co-creator Yoshio Sakamoto is unlikely to be involved; after working on <a href="/tomodachi-life/" data-ref-id="false">Tomodachi Life</a>, he said earlier this year that he <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/metroid-co-creator-sakamoto-doesn-t-want-to-return-to-traditional-games/1100-6419020/" data-ref-id="1100-6419020">isn't interested in returning to traditional games</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><em>What would you like to see next from the Metroid series? 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> Fri, 13 Jun 2014 12:25:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-hopes-to-share-2d-and-3d-metroid-news-in-the-near-future/1100-6420482/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/capcom-s-ps4-exclusive-deep-down-gets-a-new-trailer/1100-6420481/ <div data-height="100%" data-width="100%" data-ref-id="2300-6419769" data-embed-type="video"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6419769/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">A new trailer for Capcom's upcoming PlayStation 4 exclusive, <a href="/deep-down/" data-ref-id="false">Deep Down</a>, was on display this week at E3, but you now have the opportunity to see it (in all its <a href="/dark-souls/" data-ref-id="false">Dark Souls</a>-y glory) for yourself.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The minute-long trailer provides several glimpses of gameplay, offering a look at a number of different enemies and environments that players will encounter. The game continues to bear a strong resemblance to From Software's <a href="/demons-souls/" data-ref-id="false">Demon Souls</a> and Dark Souls games, but differs from those in at least one key way: It <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/playstation-4-exclusive-deep-down-to-be-free-to-play/1100-6414803/" data-ref-id="1100-6414803">will be a free-to-play game</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">We previously learned that Deep Down will <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/more-details-on-free-to-play-ps4-exclusive-deep-down/1100-6416859/" data-ref-id="1100-6416859">put players in a shared world</a> where they can come upon the corpses of other players, which they can then loot. Capcom's Yoshinori Ono claims the microtransactions that support the game will be <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-free-to-play-game-deep-down-microtransaction-details/1100-6417510/" data-ref-id="1100-6417510">reasonably priced</a>, and he has also said, "To ensure people playing the game don't lose interest, we will keep working to deliver stable long-term services." <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-exclusive-deep-down-gets-new-screenshots-beta-details/1100-6419522/" data-ref-id="1100-6419522">New screenshots were released last month</a> just as we learned that the game's beta, originally scheduled to kick off earlier this year, had been delayed until this summer.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The release of this E3 trailer didn't bring any word with it about the beta--and, in fact, Capcom still isn't providing any indication as to when the final game will be released. "The development team continues to work hard engaging in intense trial and error methodology in order to find the best way to utilize PS4's potential when it comes to online games," said Ono on the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/06/12/deep-down-watch-the-new-trailer/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">PlayStation Blog</a>. "As such, I'm afraid I can't yet provide details on when the game will be released. I hope we can count on your patience and understanding as we forge ahead. Please accept my heartfelt apology for making you wait longer."</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><em>Are you still looking forward to</em> <em>Deep Down,</em> <em>or is it <a href="/bloodborne/" data-ref-id="false">Bloodborne</a> that you're now more excited for? 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> Fri, 13 Jun 2014 11:53:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/capcom-s-ps4-exclusive-deep-down-gets-a-new-trailer/1100-6420481/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-july-system-update-lets-you-track-achievements-in-snap-mode/1100-6420480/ <div data-height="480" data-width="854" data-ref-id="2300-6419768" data-embed-type="video"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6419768/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">Microsoft has offered a glimpse at what next month's Xbox One system update will introduce, and the most notable feature is what it calls "Achievement Snap."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">This feature, which was teased during a pre-E3 event on Monday, adds support for something that has always seemed like a natural use of Snap mode: tracking achievements. While you're playing, you'll be able to easily see the number of achievements (and accompanying gamerscore) you've unlocked in that game, as well as the progress you've made on individual achievements.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">By default, achievements will be sorted by how close you are to unlocking them and will update in real time as you play. Alternatively, you can choose to pin specific achievements to the top that you're hoping to complete. And, should you have any trouble doing so, each achievement will offer a button you can press to easily search the web (with Bing, of course) for help.</p><figure data-ref-id="1300-2566053" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2566053-achievements.jpg" data-size="small" data-align="right" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2566053-achievements.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2566053"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/123/1239113/2566053-achievements.jpg"></a><figcaption>Achievements had to be viewed separately before now.</figcaption></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Also added in the update is a new way to control Snap mode. If you don't already have anything snapped, double tapping the Xbox button will bring up "Snap Center," allowing you to choose from a list of apps that can be snapped. If you do already have an app snapped, double tapping will work as it does now, switching the focus back and forth between that app and whatever is in the center of the screen.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Expanding the system's social features, recorded game clips can now be "Liked." From SmartGlass, you'll also be able to Like any item in your activity feed.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Two other small additions will be made in July. The first is the ability to choose your voice control language in New Zealand, Ireland, and Austria, allowing English and German speakers in those countries to select from these two languages.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The other is support for "future digital bundles and compilation discs." <a href="http://news.xbox.com/2014/06/xbox-one-july-update-preview" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Xbox Wire</a> describes this as such: "We're doing some work now so that publishers will have options for great digital bundle and disc compilation offerings in the future. As we test this feature, we'll be seeing more flexible combinations of game titles and game content."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">A launch date for the update was not announced; we only know that it'll officially be out in July, or sometime in the next few days for those who <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-beta-program-will-let-you-test-future-updates/1100-6417866/" data-ref-id="1100-6417866">opt to get updates early</a>. (This month's update <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/here-s-how-external-storage-works-on-xbox-one/1100-6420084/" data-ref-id="1100-6420084">launched last week</a> and added support for external storage devices and a way to use your real name on Xbox Live.) In the meantime, if you have any ideas you'd like to see implemented in a future update, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-feedback-site-now-lets-you-submit-and-vote-on-ideas-for-xbox/1100-6420243/" data-ref-id="1100-6420243">Microsoft launched the Xbox Feedback website</a> this week, allowing fans to submit and vote on ideas for Xbox One and Xbox 360.</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> Fri, 13 Jun 2014 11:17:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-july-system-update-lets-you-track-achievements-in-snap-mode/1100-6420480/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-talks-microtransactions-in-60-games-1080p-debate/1100-6420479/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2566056-ps.png" data-ref-id="1300-2566056" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2566056-ps.png" data-ref-id="1300-2566056"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2566056-ps.png"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Examples of microtransactions in full-priced games are not hard to find. DICE's <a href="/battlefield-4/" data-ref-id="false">Battlefield 4</a> lets you pay <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/battlefield-4-s-buy-everything-dlc-costs-50/1100-6418616/" data-ref-id="1100-6418616">$50 to unlock every gun and upgrade</a>, while Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto Online--the multiplayer mode for <a href="/grand-theft-auto-v/" data-ref-id="false">Grand Theft Auto V</a>--lets you use real-world money to buy in-game cash. This practice is becoming more and more commonplace (probably because it is <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gta-5-s-online-mode-is-the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving-take-two-says-about-its-monetary-opportunity/1100-6418882/" data-ref-id="1100-6418882">potentially lucrative for publishers</a>), but it's still a contentious issue for some gamers.</p><blockquote data-align="left"><p dir="ltr" style="">"In some games, [microtransaction systems] makes more sense. In other games, you could argue that it makes absolutely no sense" -- Scott Rohde</p></blockquote><p dir="ltr" style="">We caught up with PlayStation software product development head Scott Rohde to ask him how he feels about microtransactions in $60 games. After all, <a href="/gran-turismo-6/" data-ref-id="false">Gran Turismo 6 </a>for the PlayStation 3 has microtransactions, and so will<a href="/driveclub/" data-ref-id="false"> Driveclub</a> when it's released later this year. Are micropayments for full-priced games just something gamers need to accept in 2014?</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"This is a case-by-case decision on every single game," Rohde told us. "In some games, it makes more sense. In other games, you could argue that it makes absolutely no sense. I like to say that at PlayStation, we don't have a distinct policy. If it makes sense in the universe of a game, then certainly, we'll look at it. But it's not something we try to force into any game, nor do we try to force it out."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">We also quizzed Rohde about another hot-button industry topic: resolution. Right now, Sony's PlayStation 4 is leading the way, with many multiplatform titles running in a higher resolution (often 1080p) on PS4 compared to Microsoft's Xbox One. Just this week, we learned that<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-diablo-3-runs-in-900p-on-xbox-one-1080p-on-ps4/1100-6420440/" data-ref-id="1100-6420440"> Diablo III would output in native 900p on Xbox One</a>, compared to 1080p on PS4.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"I think that the better fidelity you can get, the better the gaming experience will be. We're proud of the power that the PlayStation 4 offers and whenever we can we want to make sure to emphasize that and work as hard as we can to deliver that to gamers," Rohde said. "It's what they want."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Sony may not hold the resolution advantage forever, however. Microsoft this month released a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-xbox-one-update-boosts-console-gpu-power/1100-6420097/" data-ref-id="1100-6420097">software development kit update for Xbox One developers</a> that promises to boost the console's GPU power. Some developers, like Bungie, are going to use this to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-bungie-s-destiny-aiming-for-1080p-30fps-on-xbox-one/1100-6420385/" data-ref-id="1100-6420385">increase the resolution of their games to 1080p</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><em>How do you feel about microtransactions in $60 games and the resolution debate? Let us know in the comments below!</em></p><p style=""><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/">See more coverage of E3 2014 →</a></p> Fri, 13 Jun 2014 10:55:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-talks-microtransactions-in-60-games-1080p-debate/1100-6420479/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/why-microsoft-didn-t-talk-about-pc-gaming-at-e3/1100-6420478/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2566028-microsofthq.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2566028" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2566028-microsofthq.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2566028"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2566028-microsofthq.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style=""><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="">Microsoft's Phil Spencer, who heads up gaming for the company, has explained why Windows efforts didn't factor into<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-all-the-news-from-the-microsoft-press-conference/1100-6420251/" data-ref-id="1100-6420251" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-all-the-news-from-the-microsoft-press-conference/1100-6420251/"> Microsoft's press conference</a> earlier this week at E3.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"E3's a retail show," Spencer told <a href="http://www.polygon.com/2014/6/13/5805894/spencer-explains-why-microsoft-didnt-bring-windows-games-to-e3" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="http://www.polygon.com/2014/6/13/5805894/spencer-explains-why-microsoft-didnt-bring-windows-games-to-e3">Polygon</a>. "It's a retail show, it's a console show, so it didn't really feel like the right place for us to talk about Windows. But Windows and gaming on Windows is critical to Microsoft's success."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">What might be a good venue for Microsoft to talk more about PC gaming? "Well, they do these huge world championship events and they fill up arenas," Spencer. "I do think there could be a space there." It's not immediately clear what Spencer is specifically referring to, but the League of Legends World Championships last year at the Staples Center in Los Angeles drew thousands in person--and <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/league-of-legends-events-rival-super-bowl-oscars-on-reddit/1100-6415823/" data-ref-id="1100-6415823" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/league-of-legends-events-rival-super-bowl-oscars-on-reddit/1100-6415823/">millions watching online</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Earlier this month, Spencer said Microsoft <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-we-need-to-do-more-for-pc-gaming/1100-6420024/" data-ref-id="1100-6420024" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-we-need-to-do-more-for-pc-gaming/1100-6420024/">needs to do more</a> in the PC gaming space, explaining that part of his job as Head of Xbox is to "bring back [Microsoft's] Windows gaming focus." Though Microsoft may have broader plans for PC gaming, Spencer made it clear that the Windows platform is already a healthy destination for computer gaming.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"I think in a lot of ways, you could argue gaming on Windows has never been more healthy in that the biggest of the big franchises,<a href="/league-of-legends/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/league-of-legends/"> League of Legends</a>, <a href="/world-of-tanks/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/world-of-tanks/">World of Tanks</a>, those things dwarf a lot of what we're doing in this console space in terms of users and monetization," he said. "They're all on PC."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Earlier this year, Microsoft <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-reveals-direct-x12-promises-major-improvements-for-xbox-one-and-pc-developers/1100-6418438/" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-reveals-direct-x12-promises-major-improvements-for-xbox-one-and-pc-developers/1100-6418438/">announced Direct X12</a>, the latest version of the graphics API that promises major improvements for Xbox One and PC developers.</p><p style=""><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/">See more coverage of E3 2014 →</a></p> Fri, 13 Jun 2014 10:19:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/why-microsoft-didn-t-talk-about-pc-gaming-at-e3/1100-6420478/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/thq-s-name-being-revived-by-darksiders-owner-nordic-games/1100-6420477/ <figure data-ref-id="1300-2565992" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2565992-darksiders2.jpg" data-size="large" data-align="center" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2565992-darksiders2.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2565992"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2565992-darksiders2.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">THQ is back, but in name only: Nordic Games has acquired the defunct publisher's trademark and will use it to publish games, <a href="http://www.polygon.com/2014/6/12/5805074/thq-trademark-acquired-nordic-games" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Polygon</a> reports.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">THQ, which was once one of the biggest publishers in the industry, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/thq-files-for-bankruptcy/1100-6401772/" data-ref-id="1100-6401772">filed for bankruptcy</a> in December 2012 and then had its <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/court-approves-thq-sale/1100-6402885/" data-ref-id="1100-6402885">assets auctioned off</a> early last year. Among the winners were Ubisoft (<a href="/south-park-the-stick-of-truth/" data-ref-id="false">South Park: The Stick of Truth</a>), Sega (<a href="/company-of-heroes/" data-ref-id="false">Company of Heroes</a> and developer Relic Games), and a relatively unknown publisher by the name of Nordic Games (<a href="/darksiders/" data-ref-id="false">Darksiders</a>, <a href="/mx-vs-atv-reflex/" data-ref-id="false">MX vs. ATV</a>, <a href="/red-faction/" data-ref-id="false">Red Faction</a>).</p><figure data-ref-id="1300-2565995" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2565995-thq.jpg" data-size="small" data-align="right" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2565995-thq.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2565995"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/123/1239113/2565995-thq.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">"It was kind of [a] surprise to some industry veterans and players that we were the winner of the auction of the THQ titles," Nordic GM Klemens Kruezer said in an interview. "The challenging fact is nobody has ever heard about Nordic Games before [the THQ auction]. There were so many articles with the headlines 'Who the f*** is Nordic Games?' We said, okay they were right."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In response to this, Nordic recently worked out a deal separate from last year's auction to acquire the THQ trademark, which it now owns. This allows it to freely use the name--something which caused some confusion earlier this week when a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/THQ/posts/732029026835246" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">post appeared</a> on the THQ Facebook page heralding the return of <a href="/mx-vs-atv-supercross/" data-ref-id="false">MX vs. ATV</a> on <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/videos/e3-2014-mx-vs-atx-supercross-stage-demo/2300-6419435/" data-ref-id="2300-6419435">GameSpot's E3 stage show</a>. Prior to this week, the most recent post on the page had come in January 2013.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Kruezer said Nordic is often asked about the status of a new Darksiders game, to which he said, "This is where we need some more patience from the fans, because we want to be able to do it right." <a href="/darksiders-ii/" data-ref-id="false">Darksiders II</a> was among the last games published by THQ, and with the company's demise, there was speculation that the series was dead. That was prior to last May, when series creative director Joe Madureira <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/darksiders-is-not-dead-says-series-creative-director-as-he-drops-hints-for-darksiders-3/1100-6419568/" data-ref-id="1100-6419568">offered some hope to fans</a> by saying, "Nordic seems very committed to continuing the series."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Pictures of THQ's former offices <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/thq-relics-remain-untouched-in-its-old-offices-check-out-the-photos/1100-6419927/" data-ref-id="1100-6419927">recently surfaced online</a>, showing a variety of memorabilia that had been left behind when its former owners left. It was reportedly bought by the building manager to make up for back rent still owed by THQ.</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 dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p style=""> </p> Fri, 13 Jun 2014 10:02:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/thq-s-name-being-revived-by-darksiders-owner-nordic-games/1100-6420477/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gog-summer-sale-begins-offers-cheap-games-to-fill-the-e3-hole-in-your-heart/1100-6420476/ <figure data-ref-id="1300-2565936" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2565936-dont+starve.jpg" data-size="large" data-align="center" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2565936-dont+starve.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2565936"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2565936-dont+starve.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">With E3 behind us, we've now gotten a look at many of the games coming later this year (or, in many cases, 2015 and beyond). With a few exceptions, like <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-indie-game-entwined-debuts-is-available-right-now/1100-6420277/" data-ref-id="1100-6420277">Entwined</a>, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-new-dead-rising-3-dlc-filled-with-capcom-love-available-now/1100-6420220/" data-ref-id="1100-6420220">Dead Rising 3's DLC</a>, and the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-destiny-beta-kicks-off-july-17-first-on-ps3-ps4/1100-6420271/" data-ref-id="1100-6420271">Destiny alpha</a>, the event hasn't left you with anything more to play right now--and that's where the <a href="http://www.gog.com/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">GOG Summer Sale</a> comes in.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">As is always the case with GOG, every game sold through the site is DRM-free. That means you can download and play these games offline and never have to worry about using the site again (although it is working on an optional, Steam-style client, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gog-launches-a-drm-free-steam-competitor-gog-galaxy/1100-6420137/" data-ref-id="1100-6420137">GOG Galaxy</a>, for those who want such a thing). "Almost all" of the site's catalog has had its price dropped by at least 50 percent; in many cases, discounts go as high as 90 percent, and giveaways are planned for some point during the sale.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Similar to Steam sales (<a href="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=835577" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">word</a> has it that service will be offering its own summer sale soon, too), there are daily deals that rotate in every day and flash deals that change every few hours. As of this writing, the flash deals include <a href="/hotline-miami/" data-ref-id="false">Hotline Miami</a> for $2 (which is worth more than this just to listen to its soundtrack, let alone play it), <a href="/beyond-good-and-evil/" data-ref-id="false">Beyond Good & Evil</a> for $2.50, <a href="/the-swapper/" data-ref-id="false">The Swapper</a> for $3, <a href="/dyad/" data-ref-id="false">Dyad</a> for $3, and <a href="/outlast/" data-ref-id="false">Outlast</a> for $5.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">More notable at the moment are the daily bundles. The <a href="/rollercoaster-tycoon/" data-ref-id="false">RollerCoaster Tycoon</a> series--encompassing the first three games, complete with expansion packs--is $9 right now, and the Dungeons & Dragon Masterset--including <a href="/baldurs-gate/" data-ref-id="false">Baldur's Gate 1</a> and <a href="/baldurs-gate-ii-shadows-of-amn/" data-ref-id="false">2</a>, <a href="/neverwinter-nights/" data-ref-id="false">Neverwinter Nights 1</a> and <a href="/neverwinter-nights-2/" data-ref-id="false">2</a>, <a href="/icewind-dale/" data-ref-id="false">Icewind Dale 1</a> and <a href="/icewind-dale-ii/" data-ref-id="false">2</a>, and more--for $21. These are offered at 75 and 80 percent discounts, respectively, or you can opt to buy individual games from either one at a lower discount. But what's laudable about the way the bundles work is that, if you already own games from either one, you don't lose out: You can buy the remaining games at the full discount.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">You can check out the current deals--and get a glimpse of the next wave of flash deals, which currently includes <a href="/dont-starve/" data-ref-id="false">Don't Starve</a>--for yourself at <a href="http://www.gog.com/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">GOG's website</a>.</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> Fri, 13 Jun 2014 09:10:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gog-summer-sale-begins-offers-cheap-games-to-fill-the-e3-hole-in-your-heart/1100-6420476/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/activision-says-bungie-s-destiny-on-pc-is-a-natural-fit/1100-6420475/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6419475" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6419475/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Bungie's upcoming shooter <a href="/destiny/" data-ref-id="false">Destiny</a> launches <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/bungie-announces-destiny-release-date-delays-beta/1100-6416594/" data-ref-id="1100-6416594">September 9</a> across Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4, but it sounds like another platform--PC--could be added in the future. Speaking with <a href="http://www.polygon.com/2014/6/12/5805296/Destiny-e3-PC-release" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Polygon</a>, Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg acknowledged that Destiny sets up very well for PC, and even admitted that the publisher is having significant discussions about bringing the game to computer.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"It is [a good fit], and it's something we're talking about and looking at very carefully, and obviously it makes a lot of sense with the genre and the type of game it is," Hirshberg said. "No announcements, but it's something that's a heavy point of discussion."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Destiny is already confirmed for four platforms, and Hirshberg suggested adding another to that list would only create more complexity for the team at Bungie.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"You know, developing on PC is a different animal than developing for consoles and so we just want to make sure that we're putting one foot in front of the other and getting it right, and that it's of the highest possible quality," he said. "But obviously I see the same things about the natural fit."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Hirshberg's comments match up with much of what Bungie developers<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/why-bungie-s-destiny-is-not-coming-to-pc-at-least-not-right-away/1100-6419265/" data-ref-id="1100-6419265"> said in April </a>about bringing the game to PC. At the time, Bungie COO Pete Parsons teased, "I look forward to our future conversations around PC. We love the PC. We hear it too. We ask the question ourselves."</p><p style="">Activision believes Destiny could <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/activision-destiny-has-potential-to-be-billion-dollar-series/1100-6412402/">become the company's next billion-dollar franchise</a>. For more on the game, check out our coverage of Destiny this week from E3, including <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-in-destiny-there-is-a-mysterious-vault-oh-and-there-s-also-competitive-multiplayer/1100-6420350/" data-ref-id="1100-6420350">hands-on time with the game's much-anticipated competitive multiplayer mode</a>.</p><p style=""><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/">See more coverage of E3 2014 →</a></p> Fri, 13 Jun 2014 08:16:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/activision-says-bungie-s-destiny-on-pc-is-a-natural-fit/1100-6420475/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-microsoft-s-phil-spencer-says-gamers-won-e3/1100-6420465/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2565579-xboxgamers.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2565579" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2565579-xboxgamers.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2565579"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2565579-xboxgamers.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">When E3 ends, it's often debated which company "won" the show. According to Xbox boss Phil Spencer, it wasn't Microsoft, Sony, or Nintendo--or any other company for that matter--who "won," but rather gamers.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We saw amazing games from innovative creators, developed for Xbox, Sony, and Nintendo. Some people have asked who 'won' this week and the answer is simple--the gamers," Spencer said in a <a href="http://news.xbox.com/2014/06/events-e3-letter-from-phil" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">post on the Xbox Wire</a>. "It's wonderful to see our industry healthy and delivering what we all want--great games."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Spencer thanked fans for watching <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/microsoft-press-conference-2014/" data-ref-id="false">Microsoft's briefing on Monday</a>, visiting the company's booth during the show all week, and reading about the new games coming out of the event. This holiday, Microsoft will deliver nine exclusive games for Xbox One*, and there's even more on the horizon, Spencer said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"As we look ahead, our team is laser focused on delivering the best line-up of exclusive games and continuously working to deliver new features and improvements to Xbox One," Spencer said. "As always, we look forward to your feedback."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">To that end, you can write to Microsoft at the company's <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-feedback-site-now-lets-you-submit-and-vote-on-ideas-for-xbox/1100-6420243/" data-ref-id="1100-6420243">new Xbox Feedback portal</a>. So far, fans have submitted more than 169,000 votes since the site went live earlier this week. "As I said at our briefing, Xbox One is being built by you and we are better for it. I can't wait to hear your ideas," he said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">* 2014's Xbox One exclusives include: <a href="/the-master-chief-collection/" data-ref-id="false">Halo: The Master Chief Collection</a>, <a href="/sunset-overdrive/" data-ref-id="false">Sunset Overdrive</a>,<a href="/forza-horizon-2/" data-ref-id="false"> Forza Horizon 2</a>, <a href="/ori-and-the-blind-forest/" data-ref-id="false">Ori and the Blind Forest</a>, <a href="/dance-central-spotlight/" data-ref-id="false">Dance Central: Spotlight</a>, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/fantasia-music-evolved/" data-ref-id="false">Fantasia: Music Evolved</a>,<a href="/project-spark/" data-ref-id="false"> Project Spark</a>, <a href="/killer-instinct/" data-ref-id="false">Killer Instinct Season 2</a>,<a href="/fable-legends/" data-ref-id="false"> Fable Legends</a> (the beta, at least).</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/">See more coverage of E3 2014 →</a></p><p style=""> </p> Fri, 13 Jun 2014 08:15:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-microsoft-s-phil-spencer-says-gamers-won-e3/1100-6420465/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamespot-s-e3-swag-bag-giveaway/1100-6419815/ <p style="">E3 2014 has officially come to a close - sad face - but we've got something for you, our GameSpot friends. Despite the chaos of the show floor, we were able to collect tons of awesome E3 goodies, and we've put all of it together into awesome swag bags which 3 lucky winners* will get their games addicted hands on. This is our way of bringing a little piece of E3 to you, and thanking you for joining us on another awesome ride through the biggest gaming event of the year.</p><p style=""><strong>It's easy to enter! Here are the rules:</strong></p><ul><li>If you're not already a registered GameSpot member, sign-up <a href="https://auth.gamespot.com/signup/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">here</a>.</li><li>Go to the <em>Discussion</em> section below this blog post and hit the <em>Post Comment</em> button.</li><li>Leave a comment below--<strong> Tell us what game shown at E3 you're most excited about getting your hands on, what makes it a standout?</strong></li><li>But! Leave only one comment. You may enter for this specific giveaway only once. If you enter more than one comment, you will be automatically disqualified.</li><li>There will be three (3) winners* chosen randomly. Each winner will receive one (1) E3 Swag Bag.</li><li>If you are chosen, you will be notified via e-mail. The winner must respond within three days of the end of the sweepstakes. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.</li><li>Entries can be submitted until 11:59pm PDT on 06.15.14.</li><li>Thanks for entering the contest, and good luck!</li></ul><p style="">*<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamespot-s-e3-swag-bag-giveaway-official-rules/1100-6420351/" data-ref-id="1100-6420351">See rules for more details</a></p><p style="">**We have heard reports that users can have a difficult time signing in, if this is you, please post your comments <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/swagbag/" data-ref-id="false">here</a>. </p> Fri, 13 Jun 2014 07:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamespot-s-e3-swag-bag-giveaway/1100-6419815/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-playing-a-hero-in-fable-legends-isn-t-as-fun-as-playing-the-villain/1100-6420474/ <p style="">The Fable games have always let you be good or evil (or somewhere in between), and while your actions in those games affected your appearance, the world's appearance, and how characters reacted to your presence, there was no great difference in how the game played when choosing one direction of the moral compass over another. You were still a hero on an adventure. You still did quests, fought hobbes, and farted on passersby. (What? Didn't you do that too?)</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Fable Legends takes a very different approach. If you choose to be villainous, you play this multiplayer-focused game from an overhead view, setting traps and setting evil beasts upon the goody two-shoes intruding on your beautiful evilness. If you prefer to be a goody two-shoes, you set off to rid the land of those same evil beasts. My colleague Mark Walton <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-playing-the-villain-in-fable-legends-is-a-griefer-s-dream/1100-6420307/" data-ref-id="1100-6420307">played as the villain earlier in the week</a>, and he loved it. My time with Fable Legends was on the ground as a heroic mage called Winter, whose specialty was slowing foes by spraying ice on them. I wasn't on my own, however. When you play as a hero, you are always accompanied by three others, whether they be actual players or AI-controlled characters. You can play Fable Legends as a single-player experience, but you'll never be lonely.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6419216" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6419216/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">Winter isn't the only available hero, of course; the demo I played also allowed fellow players to join in as melee or ranged characters. As we prepared to play, developers from Lionhead were quick to point out that health does not regenerate in Fable Legends, and there were no healers on hand. Fable Legends is a war of attrition: the villain tries to separate heroes from each other using traps and other methods of map control, while heroes play their chosen roles with as much skill as possible. If the team of heroes falls before it defeats the final boss, the villain wins. And the world doesn't need more successful villains as far as I'm concerned.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Alas, my fellow heroes and I were not successful in holding off this particular villain's evil. The four of us moved through the forest corridors towards our mission goal, fighting off creatures as they appeared, navigating around gates that would halt us in our tracks, and unveiling invisible enemies that we happened upon. This is where my character, Winter, came in: by spraying the area with snow, I could uncover the invisible creature. I could also throw spikes of ice, though I could never tell if my projectiles were connecting with the enemy, and could also summon a great snowstorm to envelop the surrounding area, slowing and damaging approaching foes. I felt like my support abilities were valuable, but I didn't find much joy in performing them. The game played fine, but the combat and locomotion in Fable games have never been very snappy. That's fine in a game in which combat is not the main focus. In Fable Legends, however, the lack of surrounding context made battles feel rather stale. I'm not sure that these mechanics can carry a combat-focused dungeon crawler like this.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6419694" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6419694/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">That's not to say that battles won't have context, only that one part of one mission makes it hard to get a handle on what the game will ultimately be like. Lead content designer Ben Brooks told me that the team wants to make sure Fable Legends possesses the same charm that made the first two Fable games so delightful. Said Brooks, "One of the things we were looking at is where we set this in order to achieve that Fable tone. What I wanted to do from the narrative side is to recapture all the dark fairy-tale stuff from <a href="/fable/" data-ref-id="false">Fable 1</a>. And to that extent we kind of moved away from the technology and industry stuff from <a href="/fable-iii/" data-ref-id="false">Fable III</a>, and set this actually in the Albion of the past." At this time in Albion's history, heroes were a lot more common, and so having several adventurers come together would not have been such an unusual thing. (I was reminded of the Star Wars universe, and how Jedi were once far more common than they were at the time of <em>A New Hope</em>.)</p><p style="">Brooks also told me that Fable Legends will feature more non-player character dialogue than Fable III did. You'll still be able to interact with other characters and dance with them; and <a href="/fable-ii/" data-ref-id="false">Fable II</a>'s radial expression wheel will make a return, allowing you to express yourself as you see fit. There is a story tying the action together, but I get the sense that the narrative, the expression wheel, and the NPC interactions are window dressing. Fable Legends is primarily about combat, at least if you're playing the role of a hero. Being villainous sounds a whole lot more interesting, but given that there will be one villain for every four heroes in this game, I'm hopeful that the dungeon crawling can be made more compelling than the demo I played would indicate.</p> Thu, 12 Jun 2014 23:25:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-playing-a-hero-in-fable-legends-isn-t-as-fun-as-playing-the-villain/1100-6420474/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-fantasia-music-evolved-inspires-passionate-expression-and-powerful-emotions/1100-6420473/ <p style="">I have watched the films <em>Fantasia</em> and <em>Fantasia 2000</em> so many times that I can't hear the music they feature without imagining the visuals that accompany them. Respighi's The Pines of Rome may have have been inspired by trees, but when I hear it, I imagine flying space whales. Dukas' The Sorcerer's Apprentice was based on a Goethe poem about a magical novice, but the apprentice I think about isn't the one Goethe had in mind, but Mickey Mouse instead. As a music lover, and as a violinist and composer, I'm naturally drawn to Harmonix's rhythm game Fantasia: Music Evolved, but I admit to having had doubts that the game could capture the spirit of the films, given the game's use of popular music in addition to classical.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">I was a fool to have worried. At E3 2014, Harmonix was kind enough to let me spend quite a long time waving my arms around in time to the game's musical tracks in the local two-player mode, first with my colleague Zorine Te, and then with other Disney and Harmonix employees. The first track was not classical, however: it was Cee Lo Green's "Forget You." (This is a family game, of course, so the included tracks will be radio versions. To be honest, however, I sang along as I played using the more, er, mature lyrics of the original song.)</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6419457" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6419457/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">Fantasia is really easy to get the hang of. Movement prompts appear to the beat of the music, encouraging you to swipe your arm, or to punch forward, or to trace out a pattern with your hand. When two player collaborate, one player performs the prompts in yellow while the other performs the blue prompts, and both players must perform prompts marked with both colors. The prescribed movements fit beautifully with the content of the music; while you only need to use your arms to interact with the game (which, of course, requires use of the Kinect), I felt as though I was dancing and conducting at the same time. I was reminded of all those moments I conduct along with music while stuck in traffic, and the times I get so overwhelmed by musical beauty that I put my hands in the air and sway to the rhythm.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Fantasia isn't just about physical expression, but also about musical collaboration. As the track progresses, you get to select different mixes by punching the screen and swiping your hand to choose your desired musical style. In certain places, you also get the opportunity to move your hand across virtual instruments; the game then records the results and inserts your personal musical creation into the track. Its a fluid and natural process that made me feel less of a game player than I was a creator. The game and I were coming to an understanding; it asked me to express myself within the limits it set, and then allowed me to adjust those limits. Even within my big body, I felt ethereal. Fantasia: Music Evolved was judging me through the quality of my collaboration, not through my ability to exactly mimic its commands. If you feel clumsy when you play Dance Central, Fantasia might still make you feel as graceful as a swan.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static4.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1197/11970954/2484678-fantasia-thehollow-elk.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2484678" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static4.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1197/11970954/2484678-fantasia-thehollow-elk.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2484678"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/1197/11970954/2484678-fantasia-thehollow-elk.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">It was the classical tracks I was most interested in, however, and I got to play several of them. The easiest was Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, which nicely matched the music's rhythms to the on-screen prompts. Choosing various musical mixes as I played, however, revealed musical surprises I wasn't expecting; guitars, hi-hats, and and harpsichord riffs were making their way into Mozart's string composition. It was recalling those old Hooked on Classics albums, except these mixes were actually good. And because the mixes were inserting unexpected riffs, I couldn't rely on my intimate knowledge of the piece to coast to the finale. I had to stay on my toes.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Dvorak's New World symphony proved more challenging. That work's final movement has a number of tempo changes, and one of the most dramatic quiet sequences in the piece was accompanied by unusual guitar noodlings in the game. Again, I couldn't rely on what I knew about the music; I had to keep my eyes glued to the screen. That was even more true in the Nutcracker medley, which changed up tunes from the Tchaikovsky ballet so often that I was never sure what melody would appear next. It was just the right amount of challenge. I had to stay focused and confident, but I could also enter a trance of sorts in which my body began to instinctively understand how to move my body in response to the game's demands.</p><blockquote data-align="center" data-size="large"><p dir="ltr" style="">Fantasia isn't just about physical expression, but also about musical collaboration.</p></blockquote><p style="">I left the Fantasia: Music Evolved demo feeling joyous and alive. It felt as if I had just played a game made only for me, a game that merged my love of music with my love of visual entertainment. I studied violin and music composition in college, and here was Fantasia, allowing me to feel like a composer, a performer, and a game-player simultaneously. The only disappointment I had was the lack of long-form, unmixed classics. I don't think Fantasia is going to allow me to recreate my favorite <em>Fantasia</em> film moments, spreading life across a decimated forest like in <em>Fantasia 2000</em>'s Firebird entry, or twirling about like hippos in tutus as in the original movie. But perhaps that's for the best. In Fantasia: Music Evolved, I can take ownership of the music I create. I can't wait to see what the game and I come up with together.</p><p style=""><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/">See more coverage of E3 2014 →</a></p> Thu, 12 Jun 2014 22:56:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-fantasia-music-evolved-inspires-passionate-expression-and-powerful-emotions/1100-6420473/
http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Fri, 13 Jun 2014 21:15:06 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-top-5-the-five-biggest-things-to-come-out-/2300-6419765/ Jess gives you the lowdown on YOUR picks for the most awesome announcements from this year's expo! Let us know what was your favourite moment! Fri, 13 Jun 2014 16:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-top-5-the-five-biggest-things-to-come-out-/2300-6419765/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-exclusive-bloodborne-gameplay-footage-emerges/1100-6420484/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx8KTIeSnzs" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2Fxx8KTIeSnzs%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dxx8KTIeSnzs&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2Fxx8KTIeSnzs%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""><br /></p><p style="">A gameplay trailer for the upcoming PlayStation 4-exclusive role-playing game <a href="/bloodborne/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/bloodborne/">Bloodborne</a> has emerged, showing off the game's dark environments, weapons, and otherwordly enemies.</p><p style="">If it gives off a <a href="/demons-souls/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/demons-souls/">Demon's Souls</a>/<a href="/dark-souls/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/dark-souls/">Dark Souls</a> vibe, that's probably because the mastermind of those acclaimed franchises--Hidetaka Miyazaki--is working on Bloodborne as its director. The game is in development at From Software in conjunction with Sony Japan Studio. It's scheduled to launch in 2015.</p><p style="">In the event that the trailer above gets removed, you can watch a minute-long Bloodborne gameplay clip captured at E3<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/videos/e3-2014-bloodborne-gameplay-demo/2300-6419639/" data-ref-id="2300-6419639" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/videos/e3-2014-bloodborne-gameplay-demo/2300-6419639/"> right here</a>. For more on the game, check out GameSpot managing editor Randolph Ramsay's thoughts on <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-the-similarities-and-differences-between-bloodborne-and-dark-souls/1100-6420378/" data-ref-id="1100-6420378" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-the-similarities-and-differences-between-bloodborne-and-dark-souls/1100-6420378/">the similarities and differences between Bloodborne and Dark Souls</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true" class="mceItemTable"><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" data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch"> 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" data-mce-href="mailto:news@gamespot.com">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table><p style=""><br /></p> Fri, 13 Jun 2014 14:35:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-exclusive-bloodborne-gameplay-footage-emerges/1100-6420484/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/trend-of-increasingly-violent-games-is-disturbing-ohio-st-professor-says/1100-6420483/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static4.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1365/13658182/2559558-mortalkombatx_kotal_scorpion_snowforest_choke.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2559558" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static4.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1365/13658182/2559558-mortalkombatx_kotal_scorpion_snowforest_choke.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2559558"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1365/13658182/2559558-mortalkombatx_kotal_scorpion_snowforest_choke.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">If you watched this year's E3 press conferences, you saw things like <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-xbox-one-trailer-impressions/1100-6420206/" data-ref-id="1100-6420206">severed limbs in a demo for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare</a>, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/videos/e3-2014-assassin-s-creed-unity-stage-demo/2300-6419587/" data-ref-id="2300-6419587">decapitation by guillotine in Assassin's Creed Unity</a>, and<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/videos/e3-2014-mortal-kombat-x-kotal-kahn-vs-sub-zero-gam/2300-6419695/" data-ref-id="2300-6419695"> graphic kill scenes in Mortal Kombat X</a>. This trend of violence in mainstream games is "disturbing," and isn't likely to stop anytime soon, according to Ohio St. professor Brad Bushman, who has been<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/professor-it-s-clear-playing-violent-games-increases-aggressive-behavior/1100-6417754/" data-ref-id="1100-6417754"> outspoken</a> about the effects video games could have on the people who play them.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"It seems, as time goes on, video games continue to become more violent, realistic, and graphic," Bushman, a communication and psychology professor, told <a href="http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_268764/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=M9fabdNy" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"><em>The Associated Press</em></a>. "This is a disturbing trend. Unfortunately, I see no signs that it will stop. The research evidence clearly indicates that violent video games increase aggression in players, and can make them numb to the pain and suffering of others."</p><blockquote data-align="left"><p dir="ltr" style="">"We know that war is terrifying" -- Sledgehammer Games co-founder Michael Condrey</p></blockquote><p dir="ltr" style="">The Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare demo shown during Microsoft press conference on Monday featured a soldier whose arm gets locked in a door and is later ripped off. Developer Sledgehammer Games co-founder Michael Condrey told the <em>AP</em> that the character losing his arm was meant to push the story forward, rather than to shock people.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We know that war is terrifying," Condrey said. "The military advisers that we work with talk about the horrors of war. Call of Duty isn't just about gratuitous violence. The scene that you saw in Seoul at the Microsoft press conference, that's an impactful story moment. The loss of the arm is really part of the narrative. We showed that for a particular storytelling reason."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Dana Jan, creative director for the upcoming PlayStation 4 game <a href="/the-order-1886/" data-ref-id="false">The Order: 1886</a>, is also quoted in the story, saying the graphic nature of the game is for a specific purpose.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"For us, it's more impactful if it's done tastefully," Jan said. "If you just throw blood all over the place, it's meaningless. ... We have to look at what we think is disturbing or scary and figure out how to do that masterfully without going too over the top."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Of course, this year's E3 also featured many non-violent games, including <a href="/littlebigplanet-3/" data-ref-id="false">LittleBigPlanet 3</a>,<a href="/ori-and-the-blind-forest/" data-ref-id="false"> Ori and the Blind Forest</a>, and <a href="/everybodys-gone-to-the-rapture/" data-ref-id="false">Everybody's Gone to the Rapture</a>, just to name a few. In addition, games like Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Mortal Kombat X, and The Order: 1886 are all likely to carry an M-for-Mature rating from the Entertainment Software Rating Board.</p><p style=""><em>Did you think E3 2014 was overly gory? Let us know in the comments below!</em></p><p style=""><em><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/">See more coverage of E3 2014 →</a></em></p> Fri, 13 Jun 2014 13:45:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/trend-of-increasingly-violent-games-is-disturbing-ohio-st-professor-says/1100-6420483/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-hopes-to-share-2d-and-3d-metroid-news-in-the-near-future/1100-6420482/ <figure data-ref-id="1300-2566122" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2566122-metroid+other+m.jpg" data-size="large" data-align="center" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2566122-metroid+other+m.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2566122"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2566122-metroid+other+m.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Nintendo is well aware of fans' desire to see both 2D and 3D <a href="/metroid/" data-ref-id="false">Metroid</a> games in the future. In fact, it's hoping to share news regarding both styles "in the near future," according to Nintendo's Shinya Takahashi.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In an interview with <a href="http://kotaku.com/nintendo-is-planning-a-future-for-both-2d-and-3d-metroi-1590142491" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Kotaku</a>, the subject of a new Metroid was brought up. Shigeru Miyamoto responded by saying, "The original creators of Metroid and the director who was the director of the <a href="/metroid-prime/" data-ref-id="false">Metroid Prime</a> games who worked under me when I was producing those both now work for Mr. Takahashi, so you'll have to ask him."</p><figure data-ref-id="1300-2566127" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2566127-zeromission.jpg" data-size="small" data-align="right" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2566127-zeromission.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2566127"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/123/1239113/2566127-zeromission.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Takahashi then shared some tantalizing information: "So it has been a while since we released the last one and we're having discussions internally about what we can do next. So at this point we have two different types of Metroid games. We have the Prime style of Metroid game and we have the more traditional style of Metroid game. We feel that we do need to take care of both of these styles of play. And the hope is that at some point in the near future we'll be able to share something about them."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Many gamers expected a new Metroid to be unveiled at E3 this week when Nintendo scheduled a lengthy event to announce a 3DS game on Wednesday night. Instead, we learned that game would be a new IP, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-nintendo-announces-3ds-game-code-name-steam/1100-6420412/" data-ref-id="1100-6420412">which proved to be </a><a href="/code-name-steam/" data-ref-id="false">Code Name: STEAM</a>, a strategy game from <a href="/fire-emblem-awakening/" data-ref-id="false">Fire Emblem</a> and <a href="/advance-wars/" data-ref-id="false">Advance Wars</a> developer Intelligent Systems. Metroid wasn't seen at all during E3, unless you count Samus appearing in <a href="/super-smash-bros-for-wii-u/" data-ref-id="false">Super Smash Bros</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The most recent game in the Metroid series was 2010's <a href="/metroid-other-m/" data-ref-id="false">Metroid: Other M</a>, the Team Ninja-developed action game for Wii that many fans bemoaned for its treatment of Samus' character. Prior to that, it was <a href="/metroid-prime-3-corruption/" data-ref-id="false">Metroid Prime 3: Corruption</a> in 2007. In other words, the series has been mostly quiet for much of the last decade--which is exactly how long it's been since the last 2D Metroid game (<a href="/metroid-zero-mission/" data-ref-id="false">Metroid: Zero Mission</a> for Game Boy Advance) was released.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">To many, a new Metroid seems like an obvious way to drum up excitement for the Wii U, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/as-wii-u-struggles-nintendo-says-a-single-game-can-alter-the-fate-of-a-platform/1100-6419628/" data-ref-id="1100-6419628">which has struggled</a> since its launch in November 2012. One thing we do know about the next Metroid is that series co-creator Yoshio Sakamoto is unlikely to be involved; after working on <a href="/tomodachi-life/" data-ref-id="false">Tomodachi Life</a>, he said earlier this year that he <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/metroid-co-creator-sakamoto-doesn-t-want-to-return-to-traditional-games/1100-6419020/" data-ref-id="1100-6419020">isn't interested in returning to traditional games</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><em>What would you like to see next from the Metroid series? 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> Fri, 13 Jun 2014 12:25:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-hopes-to-share-2d-and-3d-metroid-news-in-the-near-future/1100-6420482/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/capcom-s-ps4-exclusive-deep-down-gets-a-new-trailer/1100-6420481/ <div data-height="100%" data-width="100%" data-ref-id="2300-6419769" data-embed-type="video"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6419769/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">A new trailer for Capcom's upcoming PlayStation 4 exclusive, <a href="/deep-down/" data-ref-id="false">Deep Down</a>, was on display this week at E3, but you now have the opportunity to see it (in all its <a href="/dark-souls/" data-ref-id="false">Dark Souls</a>-y glory) for yourself.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The minute-long trailer provides several glimpses of gameplay, offering a look at a number of different enemies and environments that players will encounter. The game continues to bear a strong resemblance to From Software's <a href="/demons-souls/" data-ref-id="false">Demon Souls</a> and Dark Souls games, but differs from those in at least one key way: It <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/playstation-4-exclusive-deep-down-to-be-free-to-play/1100-6414803/" data-ref-id="1100-6414803">will be a free-to-play game</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">We previously learned that Deep Down will <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/more-details-on-free-to-play-ps4-exclusive-deep-down/1100-6416859/" data-ref-id="1100-6416859">put players in a shared world</a> where they can come upon the corpses of other players, which they can then loot. Capcom's Yoshinori Ono claims the microtransactions that support the game will be <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-free-to-play-game-deep-down-microtransaction-details/1100-6417510/" data-ref-id="1100-6417510">reasonably priced</a>, and he has also said, "To ensure people playing the game don't lose interest, we will keep working to deliver stable long-term services." <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-exclusive-deep-down-gets-new-screenshots-beta-details/1100-6419522/" data-ref-id="1100-6419522">New screenshots were released last month</a> just as we learned that the game's beta, originally scheduled to kick off earlier this year, had been delayed until this summer.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The release of this E3 trailer didn't bring any word with it about the beta--and, in fact, Capcom still isn't providing any indication as to when the final game will be released. "The development team continues to work hard engaging in intense trial and error methodology in order to find the best way to utilize PS4's potential when it comes to online games," said Ono on the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/06/12/deep-down-watch-the-new-trailer/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">PlayStation Blog</a>. "As such, I'm afraid I can't yet provide details on when the game will be released. I hope we can count on your patience and understanding as we forge ahead. Please accept my heartfelt apology for making you wait longer."</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><em>Are you still looking forward to</em> <em>Deep Down,</em> <em>or is it <a href="/bloodborne/" data-ref-id="false">Bloodborne</a> that you're now more excited for? 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> Fri, 13 Jun 2014 11:53:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/capcom-s-ps4-exclusive-deep-down-gets-a-new-trailer/1100-6420481/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-july-system-update-lets-you-track-achievements-in-snap-mode/1100-6420480/ <div data-height="480" data-width="854" data-ref-id="2300-6419768" data-embed-type="video"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6419768/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">Microsoft has offered a glimpse at what next month's Xbox One system update will introduce, and the most notable feature is what it calls "Achievement Snap."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">This feature, which was teased during a pre-E3 event on Monday, adds support for something that has always seemed like a natural use of Snap mode: tracking achievements. While you're playing, you'll be able to easily see the number of achievements (and accompanying gamerscore) you've unlocked in that game, as well as the progress you've made on individual achievements.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">By default, achievements will be sorted by how close you are to unlocking them and will update in real time as you play. Alternatively, you can choose to pin specific achievements to the top that you're hoping to complete. And, should you have any trouble doing so, each achievement will offer a button you can press to easily search the web (with Bing, of course) for help.</p><figure data-ref-id="1300-2566053" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2566053-achievements.jpg" data-size="small" data-align="right" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2566053-achievements.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2566053"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/123/1239113/2566053-achievements.jpg"></a><figcaption>Achievements had to be viewed separately before now.</figcaption></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Also added in the update is a new way to control Snap mode. If you don't already have anything snapped, double tapping the Xbox button will bring up "Snap Center," allowing you to choose from a list of apps that can be snapped. If you do already have an app snapped, double tapping will work as it does now, switching the focus back and forth between that app and whatever is in the center of the screen.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Expanding the system's social features, recorded game clips can now be "Liked." From SmartGlass, you'll also be able to Like any item in your activity feed.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Two other small additions will be made in July. The first is the ability to choose your voice control language in New Zealand, Ireland, and Austria, allowing English and German speakers in those countries to select from these two languages.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The other is support for "future digital bundles and compilation discs." <a href="http://news.xbox.com/2014/06/xbox-one-july-update-preview" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Xbox Wire</a> describes this as such: "We're doing some work now so that publishers will have options for great digital bundle and disc compilation offerings in the future. As we test this feature, we'll be seeing more flexible combinations of game titles and game content."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">A launch date for the update was not announced; we only know that it'll officially be out in July, or sometime in the next few days for those who <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-beta-program-will-let-you-test-future-updates/1100-6417866/" data-ref-id="1100-6417866">opt to get updates early</a>. (This month's update <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/here-s-how-external-storage-works-on-xbox-one/1100-6420084/" data-ref-id="1100-6420084">launched last week</a> and added support for external storage devices and a way to use your real name on Xbox Live.) In the meantime, if you have any ideas you'd like to see implemented in a future update, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-feedback-site-now-lets-you-submit-and-vote-on-ideas-for-xbox/1100-6420243/" data-ref-id="1100-6420243">Microsoft launched the Xbox Feedback website</a> this week, allowing fans to submit and vote on ideas for Xbox One and Xbox 360.</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> Fri, 13 Jun 2014 11:17:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-july-system-update-lets-you-track-achievements-in-snap-mode/1100-6420480/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-talks-microtransactions-in-60-games-1080p-debate/1100-6420479/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2566056-ps.png" data-ref-id="1300-2566056" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2566056-ps.png" data-ref-id="1300-2566056"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2566056-ps.png"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Examples of microtransactions in full-priced games are not hard to find. DICE's <a href="/battlefield-4/" data-ref-id="false">Battlefield 4</a> lets you pay <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/battlefield-4-s-buy-everything-dlc-costs-50/1100-6418616/" data-ref-id="1100-6418616">$50 to unlock every gun and upgrade</a>, while Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto Online--the multiplayer mode for <a href="/grand-theft-auto-v/" data-ref-id="false">Grand Theft Auto V</a>--lets you use real-world money to buy in-game cash. This practice is becoming more and more commonplace (probably because it is <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gta-5-s-online-mode-is-the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving-take-two-says-about-its-monetary-opportunity/1100-6418882/" data-ref-id="1100-6418882">potentially lucrative for publishers</a>), but it's still a contentious issue for some gamers.</p><blockquote data-align="left"><p dir="ltr" style="">"In some games, [microtransaction systems] makes more sense. In other games, you could argue that it makes absolutely no sense" -- Scott Rohde</p></blockquote><p dir="ltr" style="">We caught up with PlayStation software product development head Scott Rohde to ask him how he feels about microtransactions in $60 games. After all, <a href="/gran-turismo-6/" data-ref-id="false">Gran Turismo 6 </a>for the PlayStation 3 has microtransactions, and so will<a href="/driveclub/" data-ref-id="false"> Driveclub</a> when it's released later this year. Are micropayments for full-priced games just something gamers need to accept in 2014?</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"This is a case-by-case decision on every single game," Rohde told us. "In some games, it makes more sense. In other games, you could argue that it makes absolutely no sense. I like to say that at PlayStation, we don't have a distinct policy. If it makes sense in the universe of a game, then certainly, we'll look at it. But it's not something we try to force into any game, nor do we try to force it out."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">We also quizzed Rohde about another hot-button industry topic: resolution. Right now, Sony's PlayStation 4 is leading the way, with many multiplatform titles running in a higher resolution (often 1080p) on PS4 compared to Microsoft's Xbox One. Just this week, we learned that<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-diablo-3-runs-in-900p-on-xbox-one-1080p-on-ps4/1100-6420440/" data-ref-id="1100-6420440"> Diablo III would output in native 900p on Xbox One</a>, compared to 1080p on PS4.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"I think that the better fidelity you can get, the better the gaming experience will be. We're proud of the power that the PlayStation 4 offers and whenever we can we want to make sure to emphasize that and work as hard as we can to deliver that to gamers," Rohde said. "It's what they want."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Sony may not hold the resolution advantage forever, however. Microsoft this month released a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-xbox-one-update-boosts-console-gpu-power/1100-6420097/" data-ref-id="1100-6420097">software development kit update for Xbox One developers</a> that promises to boost the console's GPU power. Some developers, like Bungie, are going to use this to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-bungie-s-destiny-aiming-for-1080p-30fps-on-xbox-one/1100-6420385/" data-ref-id="1100-6420385">increase the resolution of their games to 1080p</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><em>How do you feel about microtransactions in $60 games and the resolution debate? Let us know in the comments below!</em></p><p style=""><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/">See more coverage of E3 2014 →</a></p> Fri, 13 Jun 2014 10:55:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-talks-microtransactions-in-60-games-1080p-debate/1100-6420479/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/why-microsoft-didn-t-talk-about-pc-gaming-at-e3/1100-6420478/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2566028-microsofthq.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2566028" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2566028-microsofthq.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2566028"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2566028-microsofthq.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style=""><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="">Microsoft's Phil Spencer, who heads up gaming for the company, has explained why Windows efforts didn't factor into<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-all-the-news-from-the-microsoft-press-conference/1100-6420251/" data-ref-id="1100-6420251" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-all-the-news-from-the-microsoft-press-conference/1100-6420251/"> Microsoft's press conference</a> earlier this week at E3.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"E3's a retail show," Spencer told <a href="http://www.polygon.com/2014/6/13/5805894/spencer-explains-why-microsoft-didnt-bring-windows-games-to-e3" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="http://www.polygon.com/2014/6/13/5805894/spencer-explains-why-microsoft-didnt-bring-windows-games-to-e3">Polygon</a>. "It's a retail show, it's a console show, so it didn't really feel like the right place for us to talk about Windows. But Windows and gaming on Windows is critical to Microsoft's success."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">What might be a good venue for Microsoft to talk more about PC gaming? "Well, they do these huge world championship events and they fill up arenas," Spencer. "I do think there could be a space there." It's not immediately clear what Spencer is specifically referring to, but the League of Legends World Championships last year at the Staples Center in Los Angeles drew thousands in person--and <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/league-of-legends-events-rival-super-bowl-oscars-on-reddit/1100-6415823/" data-ref-id="1100-6415823" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/league-of-legends-events-rival-super-bowl-oscars-on-reddit/1100-6415823/">millions watching online</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Earlier this month, Spencer said Microsoft <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-we-need-to-do-more-for-pc-gaming/1100-6420024/" data-ref-id="1100-6420024" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-we-need-to-do-more-for-pc-gaming/1100-6420024/">needs to do more</a> in the PC gaming space, explaining that part of his job as Head of Xbox is to "bring back [Microsoft's] Windows gaming focus." Though Microsoft may have broader plans for PC gaming, Spencer made it clear that the Windows platform is already a healthy destination for computer gaming.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"I think in a lot of ways, you could argue gaming on Windows has never been more healthy in that the biggest of the big franchises,<a href="/league-of-legends/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/league-of-legends/"> League of Legends</a>, <a href="/world-of-tanks/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/world-of-tanks/">World of Tanks</a>, those things dwarf a lot of what we're doing in this console space in terms of users and monetization," he said. "They're all on PC."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Earlier this year, Microsoft <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-reveals-direct-x12-promises-major-improvements-for-xbox-one-and-pc-developers/1100-6418438/" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-reveals-direct-x12-promises-major-improvements-for-xbox-one-and-pc-developers/1100-6418438/">announced Direct X12</a>, the latest version of the graphics API that promises major improvements for Xbox One and PC developers.</p><p style=""><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/">See more coverage of E3 2014 →</a></p> Fri, 13 Jun 2014 10:19:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/why-microsoft-didn-t-talk-about-pc-gaming-at-e3/1100-6420478/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/thq-s-name-being-revived-by-darksiders-owner-nordic-games/1100-6420477/ <figure data-ref-id="1300-2565992" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2565992-darksiders2.jpg" data-size="large" data-align="center" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2565992-darksiders2.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2565992"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2565992-darksiders2.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">THQ is back, but in name only: Nordic Games has acquired the defunct publisher's trademark and will use it to publish games, <a href="http://www.polygon.com/2014/6/12/5805074/thq-trademark-acquired-nordic-games" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Polygon</a> reports.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">THQ, which was once one of the biggest publishers in the industry, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/thq-files-for-bankruptcy/1100-6401772/" data-ref-id="1100-6401772">filed for bankruptcy</a> in December 2012 and then had its <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/court-approves-thq-sale/1100-6402885/" data-ref-id="1100-6402885">assets auctioned off</a> early last year. Among the winners were Ubisoft (<a href="/south-park-the-stick-of-truth/" data-ref-id="false">South Park: The Stick of Truth</a>), Sega (<a href="/company-of-heroes/" data-ref-id="false">Company of Heroes</a> and developer Relic Games), and a relatively unknown publisher by the name of Nordic Games (<a href="/darksiders/" data-ref-id="false">Darksiders</a>, <a href="/mx-vs-atv-reflex/" data-ref-id="false">MX vs. ATV</a>, <a href="/red-faction/" data-ref-id="false">Red Faction</a>).</p><figure data-ref-id="1300-2565995" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2565995-thq.jpg" data-size="small" data-align="right" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2565995-thq.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2565995"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/123/1239113/2565995-thq.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">"It was kind of [a] surprise to some industry veterans and players that we were the winner of the auction of the THQ titles," Nordic GM Klemens Kruezer said in an interview. "The challenging fact is nobody has ever heard about Nordic Games before [the THQ auction]. There were so many articles with the headlines 'Who the f*** is Nordic Games?' We said, okay they were right."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In response to this, Nordic recently worked out a deal separate from last year's auction to acquire the THQ trademark, which it now owns. This allows it to freely use the name--something which caused some confusion earlier this week when a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/THQ/posts/732029026835246" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">post appeared</a> on the THQ Facebook page heralding the return of <a href="/mx-vs-atv-supercross/" data-ref-id="false">MX vs. ATV</a> on <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/videos/e3-2014-mx-vs-atx-supercross-stage-demo/2300-6419435/" data-ref-id="2300-6419435">GameSpot's E3 stage show</a>. Prior to this week, the most recent post on the page had come in January 2013.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Kruezer said Nordic is often asked about the status of a new Darksiders game, to which he said, "This is where we need some more patience from the fans, because we want to be able to do it right." <a href="/darksiders-ii/" data-ref-id="false">Darksiders II</a> was among the last games published by THQ, and with the company's demise, there was speculation that the series was dead. That was prior to last May, when series creative director Joe Madureira <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/darksiders-is-not-dead-says-series-creative-director-as-he-drops-hints-for-darksiders-3/1100-6419568/" data-ref-id="1100-6419568">offered some hope to fans</a> by saying, "Nordic seems very committed to continuing the series."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Pictures of THQ's former offices <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/thq-relics-remain-untouched-in-its-old-offices-check-out-the-photos/1100-6419927/" data-ref-id="1100-6419927">recently surfaced online</a>, showing a variety of memorabilia that had been left behind when its former owners left. It was reportedly bought by the building manager to make up for back rent still owed by THQ.</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 dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p style=""> </p> Fri, 13 Jun 2014 10:02:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/thq-s-name-being-revived-by-darksiders-owner-nordic-games/1100-6420477/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gog-summer-sale-begins-offers-cheap-games-to-fill-the-e3-hole-in-your-heart/1100-6420476/ <figure data-ref-id="1300-2565936" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2565936-dont+starve.jpg" data-size="large" data-align="center" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2565936-dont+starve.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2565936"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2565936-dont+starve.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">With E3 behind us, we've now gotten a look at many of the games coming later this year (or, in many cases, 2015 and beyond). With a few exceptions, like <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-indie-game-entwined-debuts-is-available-right-now/1100-6420277/" data-ref-id="1100-6420277">Entwined</a>, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-new-dead-rising-3-dlc-filled-with-capcom-love-available-now/1100-6420220/" data-ref-id="1100-6420220">Dead Rising 3's DLC</a>, and the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-destiny-beta-kicks-off-july-17-first-on-ps3-ps4/1100-6420271/" data-ref-id="1100-6420271">Destiny alpha</a>, the event hasn't left you with anything more to play right now--and that's where the <a href="http://www.gog.com/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">GOG Summer Sale</a> comes in.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">As is always the case with GOG, every game sold through the site is DRM-free. That means you can download and play these games offline and never have to worry about using the site again (although it is working on an optional, Steam-style client, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gog-launches-a-drm-free-steam-competitor-gog-galaxy/1100-6420137/" data-ref-id="1100-6420137">GOG Galaxy</a>, for those who want such a thing). "Almost all" of the site's catalog has had its price dropped by at least 50 percent; in many cases, discounts go as high as 90 percent, and giveaways are planned for some point during the sale.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Similar to Steam sales (<a href="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=835577" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">word</a> has it that service will be offering its own summer sale soon, too), there are daily deals that rotate in every day and flash deals that change every few hours. As of this writing, the flash deals include <a href="/hotline-miami/" data-ref-id="false">Hotline Miami</a> for $2 (which is worth more than this just to listen to its soundtrack, let alone play it), <a href="/beyond-good-and-evil/" data-ref-id="false">Beyond Good & Evil</a> for $2.50, <a href="/the-swapper/" data-ref-id="false">The Swapper</a> for $3, <a href="/dyad/" data-ref-id="false">Dyad</a> for $3, and <a href="/outlast/" data-ref-id="false">Outlast</a> for $5.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">More notable at the moment are the daily bundles. The <a href="/rollercoaster-tycoon/" data-ref-id="false">RollerCoaster Tycoon</a> series--encompassing the first three games, complete with expansion packs--is $9 right now, and the Dungeons & Dragon Masterset--including <a href="/baldurs-gate/" data-ref-id="false">Baldur's Gate 1</a> and <a href="/baldurs-gate-ii-shadows-of-amn/" data-ref-id="false">2</a>, <a href="/neverwinter-nights/" data-ref-id="false">Neverwinter Nights 1</a> and <a href="/neverwinter-nights-2/" data-ref-id="false">2</a>, <a href="/icewind-dale/" data-ref-id="false">Icewind Dale 1</a> and <a href="/icewind-dale-ii/" data-ref-id="false">2</a>, and more--for $21. These are offered at 75 and 80 percent discounts, respectively, or you can opt to buy individual games from either one at a lower discount. But what's laudable about the way the bundles work is that, if you already own games from either one, you don't lose out: You can buy the remaining games at the full discount.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">You can check out the current deals--and get a glimpse of the next wave of flash deals, which currently includes <a href="/dont-starve/" data-ref-id="false">Don't Starve</a>--for yourself at <a href="http://www.gog.com/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">GOG's website</a>.</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> Fri, 13 Jun 2014 09:10:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gog-summer-sale-begins-offers-cheap-games-to-fill-the-e3-hole-in-your-heart/1100-6420476/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/activision-says-bungie-s-destiny-on-pc-is-a-natural-fit/1100-6420475/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6419475" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6419475/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Bungie's upcoming shooter <a href="/destiny/" data-ref-id="false">Destiny</a> launches <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/bungie-announces-destiny-release-date-delays-beta/1100-6416594/" data-ref-id="1100-6416594">September 9</a> across Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4, but it sounds like another platform--PC--could be added in the future. Speaking with <a href="http://www.polygon.com/2014/6/12/5805296/Destiny-e3-PC-release" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Polygon</a>, Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg acknowledged that Destiny sets up very well for PC, and even admitted that the publisher is having significant discussions about bringing the game to computer.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"It is [a good fit], and it's something we're talking about and looking at very carefully, and obviously it makes a lot of sense with the genre and the type of game it is," Hirshberg said. "No announcements, but it's something that's a heavy point of discussion."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Destiny is already confirmed for four platforms, and Hirshberg suggested adding another to that list would only create more complexity for the team at Bungie.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"You know, developing on PC is a different animal than developing for consoles and so we just want to make sure that we're putting one foot in front of the other and getting it right, and that it's of the highest possible quality," he said. "But obviously I see the same things about the natural fit."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Hirshberg's comments match up with much of what Bungie developers<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/why-bungie-s-destiny-is-not-coming-to-pc-at-least-not-right-away/1100-6419265/" data-ref-id="1100-6419265"> said in April </a>about bringing the game to PC. At the time, Bungie COO Pete Parsons teased, "I look forward to our future conversations around PC. We love the PC. We hear it too. We ask the question ourselves."</p><p style="">Activision believes Destiny could <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/activision-destiny-has-potential-to-be-billion-dollar-series/1100-6412402/">become the company's next billion-dollar franchise</a>. For more on the game, check out our coverage of Destiny this week from E3, including <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-in-destiny-there-is-a-mysterious-vault-oh-and-there-s-also-competitive-multiplayer/1100-6420350/" data-ref-id="1100-6420350">hands-on time with the game's much-anticipated competitive multiplayer mode</a>.</p><p style=""><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/">See more coverage of E3 2014 →</a></p> Fri, 13 Jun 2014 08:16:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/activision-says-bungie-s-destiny-on-pc-is-a-natural-fit/1100-6420475/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-microsoft-s-phil-spencer-says-gamers-won-e3/1100-6420465/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2565579-xboxgamers.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2565579" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2565579-xboxgamers.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2565579"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2565579-xboxgamers.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">When E3 ends, it's often debated which company "won" the show. According to Xbox boss Phil Spencer, it wasn't Microsoft, Sony, or Nintendo--or any other company for that matter--who "won," but rather gamers.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We saw amazing games from innovative creators, developed for Xbox, Sony, and Nintendo. Some people have asked who 'won' this week and the answer is simple--the gamers," Spencer said in a <a href="http://news.xbox.com/2014/06/events-e3-letter-from-phil" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">post on the Xbox Wire</a>. "It's wonderful to see our industry healthy and delivering what we all want--great games."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Spencer thanked fans for watching <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/microsoft-press-conference-2014/" data-ref-id="false">Microsoft's briefing on Monday</a>, visiting the company's booth during the show all week, and reading about the new games coming out of the event. This holiday, Microsoft will deliver nine exclusive games for Xbox One*, and there's even more on the horizon, Spencer said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"As we look ahead, our team is laser focused on delivering the best line-up of exclusive games and continuously working to deliver new features and improvements to Xbox One," Spencer said. "As always, we look forward to your feedback."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">To that end, you can write to Microsoft at the company's <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-feedback-site-now-lets-you-submit-and-vote-on-ideas-for-xbox/1100-6420243/" data-ref-id="1100-6420243">new Xbox Feedback portal</a>. So far, fans have submitted more than 169,000 votes since the site went live earlier this week. "As I said at our briefing, Xbox One is being built by you and we are better for it. I can't wait to hear your ideas," he said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">* 2014's Xbox One exclusives include: <a href="/the-master-chief-collection/" data-ref-id="false">Halo: The Master Chief Collection</a>, <a href="/sunset-overdrive/" data-ref-id="false">Sunset Overdrive</a>,<a href="/forza-horizon-2/" data-ref-id="false"> Forza Horizon 2</a>, <a href="/ori-and-the-blind-forest/" data-ref-id="false">Ori and the Blind Forest</a>, <a href="/dance-central-spotlight/" data-ref-id="false">Dance Central: Spotlight</a>, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/fantasia-music-evolved/" data-ref-id="false">Fantasia: Music Evolved</a>,<a href="/project-spark/" data-ref-id="false"> Project Spark</a>, <a href="/killer-instinct/" data-ref-id="false">Killer Instinct Season 2</a>,<a href="/fable-legends/" data-ref-id="false"> Fable Legends</a> (the beta, at least).</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/">See more coverage of E3 2014 →</a></p><p style=""> </p> Fri, 13 Jun 2014 08:15:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-microsoft-s-phil-spencer-says-gamers-won-e3/1100-6420465/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamespot-s-e3-swag-bag-giveaway/1100-6419815/ <p style="">E3 2014 has officially come to a close - sad face - but we've got something for you, our GameSpot friends. Despite the chaos of the show floor, we were able to collect tons of awesome E3 goodies, and we've put all of it together into awesome swag bags which 3 lucky winners* will get their games addicted hands on. This is our way of bringing a little piece of E3 to you, and thanking you for joining us on another awesome ride through the biggest gaming event of the year.</p><p style=""><strong>It's easy to enter! Here are the rules:</strong></p><ul><li>If you're not already a registered GameSpot member, sign-up <a href="https://auth.gamespot.com/signup/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">here</a>.</li><li>Go to the <em>Discussion</em> section below this blog post and hit the <em>Post Comment</em> button.</li><li>Leave a comment below--<strong> Tell us what game shown at E3 you're most excited about getting your hands on, what makes it a standout?</strong></li><li>But! Leave only one comment. You may enter for this specific giveaway only once. If you enter more than one comment, you will be automatically disqualified.</li><li>There will be three (3) winners* chosen randomly. Each winner will receive one (1) E3 Swag Bag.</li><li>If you are chosen, you will be notified via e-mail. The winner must respond within three days of the end of the sweepstakes. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.</li><li>Entries can be submitted until 11:59pm PDT on 06.15.14.</li><li>Thanks for entering the contest, and good luck!</li></ul><p style="">*<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamespot-s-e3-swag-bag-giveaway-official-rules/1100-6420351/" data-ref-id="1100-6420351">See rules for more details</a></p><p style="">**We have heard reports that users can have a difficult time signing in, if this is you, please post your comments <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/swagbag/" data-ref-id="false">here</a>. </p> Fri, 13 Jun 2014 07:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamespot-s-e3-swag-bag-giveaway/1100-6419815/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-playing-a-hero-in-fable-legends-isn-t-as-fun-as-playing-the-villain/1100-6420474/ <p style="">The Fable games have always let you be good or evil (or somewhere in between), and while your actions in those games affected your appearance, the world's appearance, and how characters reacted to your presence, there was no great difference in how the game played when choosing one direction of the moral compass over another. You were still a hero on an adventure. You still did quests, fought hobbes, and farted on passersby. (What? Didn't you do that too?)</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Fable Legends takes a very different approach. If you choose to be villainous, you play this multiplayer-focused game from an overhead view, setting traps and setting evil beasts upon the goody two-shoes intruding on your beautiful evilness. If you prefer to be a goody two-shoes, you set off to rid the land of those same evil beasts. My colleague Mark Walton <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-playing-the-villain-in-fable-legends-is-a-griefer-s-dream/1100-6420307/" data-ref-id="1100-6420307">played as the villain earlier in the week</a>, and he loved it. My time with Fable Legends was on the ground as a heroic mage called Winter, whose specialty was slowing foes by spraying ice on them. I wasn't on my own, however. When you play as a hero, you are always accompanied by three others, whether they be actual players or AI-controlled characters. You can play Fable Legends as a single-player experience, but you'll never be lonely.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6419216" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6419216/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">Winter isn't the only available hero, of course; the demo I played also allowed fellow players to join in as melee or ranged characters. As we prepared to play, developers from Lionhead were quick to point out that health does not regenerate in Fable Legends, and there were no healers on hand. Fable Legends is a war of attrition: the villain tries to separate heroes from each other using traps and other methods of map control, while heroes play their chosen roles with as much skill as possible. If the team of heroes falls before it defeats the final boss, the villain wins. And the world doesn't need more successful villains as far as I'm concerned.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Alas, my fellow heroes and I were not successful in holding off this particular villain's evil. The four of us moved through the forest corridors towards our mission goal, fighting off creatures as they appeared, navigating around gates that would halt us in our tracks, and unveiling invisible enemies that we happened upon. This is where my character, Winter, came in: by spraying the area with snow, I could uncover the invisible creature. I could also throw spikes of ice, though I could never tell if my projectiles were connecting with the enemy, and could also summon a great snowstorm to envelop the surrounding area, slowing and damaging approaching foes. I felt like my support abilities were valuable, but I didn't find much joy in performing them. The game played fine, but the combat and locomotion in Fable games have never been very snappy. That's fine in a game in which combat is not the main focus. In Fable Legends, however, the lack of surrounding context made battles feel rather stale. I'm not sure that these mechanics can carry a combat-focused dungeon crawler like this.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6419694" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6419694/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">That's not to say that battles won't have context, only that one part of one mission makes it hard to get a handle on what the game will ultimately be like. Lead content designer Ben Brooks told me that the team wants to make sure Fable Legends possesses the same charm that made the first two Fable games so delightful. Said Brooks, "One of the things we were looking at is where we set this in order to achieve that Fable tone. What I wanted to do from the narrative side is to recapture all the dark fairy-tale stuff from <a href="/fable/" data-ref-id="false">Fable 1</a>. And to that extent we kind of moved away from the technology and industry stuff from <a href="/fable-iii/" data-ref-id="false">Fable III</a>, and set this actually in the Albion of the past." At this time in Albion's history, heroes were a lot more common, and so having several adventurers come together would not have been such an unusual thing. (I was reminded of the Star Wars universe, and how Jedi were once far more common than they were at the time of <em>A New Hope</em>.)</p><p style="">Brooks also told me that Fable Legends will feature more non-player character dialogue than Fable III did. You'll still be able to interact with other characters and dance with them; and <a href="/fable-ii/" data-ref-id="false">Fable II</a>'s radial expression wheel will make a return, allowing you to express yourself as you see fit. There is a story tying the action together, but I get the sense that the narrative, the expression wheel, and the NPC interactions are window dressing. Fable Legends is primarily about combat, at least if you're playing the role of a hero. Being villainous sounds a whole lot more interesting, but given that there will be one villain for every four heroes in this game, I'm hopeful that the dungeon crawling can be made more compelling than the demo I played would indicate.</p> Thu, 12 Jun 2014 23:25:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-playing-a-hero-in-fable-legends-isn-t-as-fun-as-playing-the-villain/1100-6420474/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-fantasia-music-evolved-inspires-passionate-expression-and-powerful-emotions/1100-6420473/ <p style="">I have watched the films <em>Fantasia</em> and <em>Fantasia 2000</em> so many times that I can't hear the music they feature without imagining the visuals that accompany them. Respighi's The Pines of Rome may have have been inspired by trees, but when I hear it, I imagine flying space whales. Dukas' The Sorcerer's Apprentice was based on a Goethe poem about a magical novice, but the apprentice I think about isn't the one Goethe had in mind, but Mickey Mouse instead. As a music lover, and as a violinist and composer, I'm naturally drawn to Harmonix's rhythm game Fantasia: Music Evolved, but I admit to having had doubts that the game could capture the spirit of the films, given the game's use of popular music in addition to classical.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">I was a fool to have worried. At E3 2014, Harmonix was kind enough to let me spend quite a long time waving my arms around in time to the game's musical tracks in the local two-player mode, first with my colleague Zorine Te, and then with other Disney and Harmonix employees. The first track was not classical, however: it was Cee Lo Green's "Forget You." (This is a family game, of course, so the included tracks will be radio versions. To be honest, however, I sang along as I played using the more, er, mature lyrics of the original song.)</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6419457" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6419457/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">Fantasia is really easy to get the hang of. Movement prompts appear to the beat of the music, encouraging you to swipe your arm, or to punch forward, or to trace out a pattern with your hand. When two player collaborate, one player performs the prompts in yellow while the other performs the blue prompts, and both players must perform prompts marked with both colors. The prescribed movements fit beautifully with the content of the music; while you only need to use your arms to interact with the game (which, of course, requires use of the Kinect), I felt as though I was dancing and conducting at the same time. I was reminded of all those moments I conduct along with music while stuck in traffic, and the times I get so overwhelmed by musical beauty that I put my hands in the air and sway to the rhythm.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Fantasia isn't just about physical expression, but also about musical collaboration. As the track progresses, you get to select different mixes by punching the screen and swiping your hand to choose your desired musical style. In certain places, you also get the opportunity to move your hand across virtual instruments; the game then records the results and inserts your personal musical creation into the track. Its a fluid and natural process that made me feel less of a game player than I was a creator. The game and I were coming to an understanding; it asked me to express myself within the limits it set, and then allowed me to adjust those limits. Even within my big body, I felt ethereal. Fantasia: Music Evolved was judging me through the quality of my collaboration, not through my ability to exactly mimic its commands. If you feel clumsy when you play Dance Central, Fantasia might still make you feel as graceful as a swan.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static4.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1197/11970954/2484678-fantasia-thehollow-elk.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2484678" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static4.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1197/11970954/2484678-fantasia-thehollow-elk.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2484678"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/1197/11970954/2484678-fantasia-thehollow-elk.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">It was the classical tracks I was most interested in, however, and I got to play several of them. The easiest was Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, which nicely matched the music's rhythms to the on-screen prompts. Choosing various musical mixes as I played, however, revealed musical surprises I wasn't expecting; guitars, hi-hats, and and harpsichord riffs were making their way into Mozart's string composition. It was recalling those old Hooked on Classics albums, except these mixes were actually good. And because the mixes were inserting unexpected riffs, I couldn't rely on my intimate knowledge of the piece to coast to the finale. I had to stay on my toes.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Dvorak's New World symphony proved more challenging. That work's final movement has a number of tempo changes, and one of the most dramatic quiet sequences in the piece was accompanied by unusual guitar noodlings in the game. Again, I couldn't rely on what I knew about the music; I had to keep my eyes glued to the screen. That was even more true in the Nutcracker medley, which changed up tunes from the Tchaikovsky ballet so often that I was never sure what melody would appear next. It was just the right amount of challenge. I had to stay focused and confident, but I could also enter a trance of sorts in which my body began to instinctively understand how to move my body in response to the game's demands.</p><blockquote data-align="center" data-size="large"><p dir="ltr" style="">Fantasia isn't just about physical expression, but also about musical collaboration.</p></blockquote><p style="">I left the Fantasia: Music Evolved demo feeling joyous and alive. It felt as if I had just played a game made only for me, a game that merged my love of music with my love of visual entertainment. I studied violin and music composition in college, and here was Fantasia, allowing me to feel like a composer, a performer, and a game-player simultaneously. The only disappointment I had was the lack of long-form, unmixed classics. I don't think Fantasia is going to allow me to recreate my favorite <em>Fantasia</em> film moments, spreading life across a decimated forest like in <em>Fantasia 2000</em>'s Firebird entry, or twirling about like hippos in tutus as in the original movie. But perhaps that's for the best. In Fantasia: Music Evolved, I can take ownership of the music I create. I can't wait to see what the game and I come up with together.</p><p style=""><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/">See more coverage of E3 2014 →</a></p> Thu, 12 Jun 2014 22:56:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-fantasia-music-evolved-inspires-passionate-expression-and-powerful-emotions/1100-6420473/
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