rss:9d9437cc2bdadfdb0c2a6594385b5cf5548bd329 rss_modified:rss:9d9437cc2bdadfdb0c2a6594385b5cf5548bd329 http://www.gamespot.com/feeds/mashup/?platform=1068&type=11 Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Tue, 26 Aug 2014 21:51:21 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/zelda-f-zero-and-animal-crossing-content-coming-to/1100-6421935/
UPDATE: Nintendo provided additional details for this Mario Kart update, which will be coming to the US as well.
Each DLC pack will cost $7.99 individually or $12.99 if you buy them together. And you'll be able to pre-order both packs starting tonight with v 2.0 update to the game.
If you pre-purchase both backs, you'll have immediate access to both the multi-colored Yoshis and Shy Guys. Though if you want to wait for any reason, the additional color options for those characters will unlock after you purchase the second pack.
A few of the new tracks you might notice from the images below are:
- F-Zero track
- Excitebike track
- Animal Crossing track
- Wario's Wood track
We don't have details for the tracks and karts not revealed by the images below, but Nintendo stated that this DLC will not include additional items, abilities, or multiplayer modes.
The original story appears below.
Mario Kart 8 is getting some substantial downloadable content starting in November. New characters, tracks, and karts will be added to the game featuring content from many of Nintendo's other franchises, including The Legend of Zelda, F-Zero, and Animal Crossing.
This content will come in the form of two DLC packs, which will include:
- 3 new characters
- 4 new vehicles
- 8 new courses (some new, and some old)
Some of the new tracks will be set in Zelda and Animal Crossing locales, while Mario Kart Wii level Wario's Gold Mine makes a return.
The first of the two packs--The Legend of Zelda pack, coming this November--will include Link, Tanooki Mario, and Cat Peach as characters. The DLC will also include the Blue Falcon from F-Zero as a drivable kart as well as three additional unrevealed karts.
The second pack--the Animal Crossing pack, coming in May 2015--includes the Villager, Isabelle, and Dry Bowser. Nintendo did not reveal karts for this second pack. By buying both packs, which will be available individually for 7.00 GBP or in a bundle, you'll also get eight different colors for Yoshi and eight different colors for Shy Guy.
Details on the packs were posted to the Nintendo UK online store here and here earlier today. An image for the Zelda pack appears to show Excitebike and F-Zero levels, while the other pack shows off a new, Animal Crossing-themed stage.
We'll update this story with more details as they're available, but which of this content are you most excited to try? Are you happy to see Mario Kart supported with such extensive DLC? Let us know in the comments below.
| Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @TheSmokingManX |
|---|
| For all of GameSpot's news coverage, check out our hub. Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com |
We'll be hanging out at the Sector G Lounge and we will be open to the public on Saturday from 9:30AM-7PM and Sunday from 9:30AM-5PM. The lounge is located at 820 Pike Street at 9th Ave (about a block and a half away from the convention center). It's also the home of the Metropole Restaurant. What can you do there?
- Food and non-alcoholic drinks available all day
- Trivia with limited-edition giveaway prizes (t-shirts, buttons, bottle openers, and koozies)
- Charging kiosks and free Wi-Fi
We'll also have gaming kiosks where you can check out some great indie titles including:
Pancake Breakfast
- WHAT: We will provide all of the breakfast foods guaranteed to be there (until they're all eaten -- breakfast foods are limited to: waffles, pancakes, eggs, bacon, coffee, juice). You just have to provide a mouth. You'll be able to meet with GameSpot staff and producers who will also be stuffing their faces with breakfast meats.
- WHEN: Saturday and Sunday, 10:00-12PM
- WHERE: Sector G Lounge, 820 Pike Street at 9th Ave (about a block and a half away from the convention center). Home of the Metropole Restaurant.
The GameSpot Live Show
- WHAT: We're recording live segments for two-hours each day during the weekend, and you can come sit in our live studio audience.
- When: Saturday and Sunday 12:00-2:00 PM
- Where: Sector G Lounge
Sector G Happy Hour (21+)
- WHAT: Sponsored by Sunset Overdrive, we'll be serving wine and beer, as well as two custom cocktails, the "Bloody Mutant" and the "Over Charge + Vodka"
- When: Saturday, 5-7PM
- Where: Sector G Lounge
Panels
Women Surviving and Thriving in Games Media
- WHAT: As the gap between the number of male and female gamers slowly thins, so does gender disparity in games media. Hear from several women currently working in games journalism about their struggles and successes within the industry.
- WHEN: Friday 8/29, 11AM-Noon
- WHERE: Wyvern Theatre
- PANELISTS: Mary Kish [Producer, GameSpot], Neha Tiwari [Executive Producer, GameSpot], Megan Farokhmanesh [Editor, Polygon], Naomi Kyle [Host, IGN], Jessica Chobot [Host, Nerdist]
Games Journalism Hunger Games MMXIV
- WHAT: Welcome to the Games Journalism Hunger Games MMXIV. The Capitol demands that each games website submit tributes to compete in the annual tournament. Through a variety of tests of skill and dexterity, tributes will fall so that games journalism can live on for another year. But who will be victorious?
- WHEN: Friday 8/29, 12:30PM-1:30PM
- WHERE: Sasquatch Theatre
- PANELISTS: Danny O'Dwyer [Host, GameSpot], Evan Lahti [Editor, PC Gamer], Greg Miller [Host, IGN], Jeff Gerstmann [Editor in Chief, Giant Bomb], Jon Carnage [Producer, TwitchTV]
Retrogame Roadshow: What Are Your Old Games Worth?
- WHAT: Game collecting is taking off in a big way, and all sorts of classic games and related memorabilia can bring in big bucks. What's your gaming treasure worth? Bring something you found in your parents' attic or a rarity from your own collection, and you'll have a chance to come up on stage and have your stuff evaluated, discussed and appraised (amateurishly, for fun!) by our panel of experts.
- WHEN: Saturday 8/30, 9PM-10PM
- WHERE: Hedgehog Theatre
- PANELISTS: Chris Kohler [Editor, WIRED], Mike Mika [GameSpot], Peter Brown [GameSpot]
Firaxis Mega Panel -- Civilization: Beyond Earth
- WHAT: Come see the developers from Firaxis Games Studio as they provide an inside look at their new and upcoming title, Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth, before it ships this October 24, 2014! We'll be showing new gameplay, talking about some of the newer and late-game features, as well as discussing the challenges and opportunities that arose throughout the development process.
- WHEN: Saturday 8/30, 12:30-1:30PM
- WHERE: Sasquatch Theatre
- Moderator: Chris Watters [GameSpot]
Collecting Games WITHOUT Going Broke or Getting Scammed!
WHAT: Building a collection of classics can be tons of fun, but the risk that you'll spend too much for something (or worse, be the victim of the ever-more-elaborate scams that are going around) is increasing by the day. How can you enjoy buying old games while still protecting yourself? Our panel of collecting experts run down some common money sinks, scams, and tips for getting bargains!
- WHEN: Sunday 8/31, 9-10PM
- WHERE: Hedgehog Theatre
- PANELISTS: Chris Kohler [Editor, WIRED], Peter Brown [GameSpot]
Video Game Memories: What Makes a Game Special?
- WHAT: A group of (hardened) games journalists get together to talk about what made their early game experiences so special. The discussion continues on to explore what type of new video game could possibly harness and recreate that magic.
- When: Monday 9/1, 12:30-1:30PM
- Where: Sasquatch Theatre
- Moderator: Danny O'Dwyer [GameSpot]
Additional panel details can be found on the official PAX site.
]]> 1100-6421929Tue, 26 Aug 2014 14:32:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/dragon-age-inquisition-has-multiplayer-first-detai/1100-6421934/
This November's role-playing game Dragon Age: Inquisition will be the first entry in the core series to offer multiplayer, developer BioWare confirmed today through IGN.
Dragon Age: Inquisition will feature a cooperative multiplayer mode for up to four players, and though it may share some similarities with Mass Effect 3's multiplayer option (which the Dragon Age team definitely enjoyed), it is "significantly deeper," according to the report.
The game's multiplayer mode is designed to be enjoyed in 20-30 minute play sessions. There will be three multiplayer campaigns, and each will be available at launch. These campaigns will take place on a large level, with smaller sub-sections, and are randomized to create new experiences every time you play.
When you complete a multiplayer quest, the gold you find along the way can be later spent on treasure chests, which will give you items like recipes, new equipment, and more. A total of nine heroes will be available in Dragon Age: Inquisition's multiplayer mode at launch--three for each mage/melee/archer class.
BioWare producer Scylla Costa said Dragon Age: Inquisition's multiplayer mode will include "lots of DLC" featuring new heroes and more levels. But don't expect to have to pay extra for any of this or sign up for a subscription. "It's all free DLC for everyone," Costa said.
However, if you do want to speed up your progress, you can spend real-world money to purchase the game's virtual currency, known as Platinum. Costa assures fan, though, that, "Nothing is behind a paywall."
The fact that Dragon Age: Inquisition has a multiplayer mode is not altogether a surprise. A survey from February asked fans if they would like to see a multiplayer mode introduced in the game.
Dragon Age: Inquisition launches November 18 for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC. That's an entire year after the game's original release date of fall 2013.
What do you think of multiplayer coming to the Dragon Age series? Let us know in the comments below!
]]> 1100-6421934Tue, 26 Aug 2014 13:56:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/want-your-pc-games-to-cost-less-and-run-better-raz/1100-6421933/
PC hardware company Razer has announced a new software platform, Razer Cortex, that wants to insert itself into the center of your PC gaming routine. The free service, which is now in an early access period ahead of its launch in September, will offer a variety of disparate features--like managing save games and saving you money--that appear to be part of an effort to ensure Cortex does at least one thing that you'll find useful.
Almost all of Cortex's features are available to some degree in other software or websites, but this brings them all together in one place. Cortex can be used to launch your games and share content from them to places like Facebook and YouTube. It allows you to record video without any watermarks or restrictions on time, framerate, or resolution--as is often the case with other free software that lets you capture game footage. Provided it works well, this could be reason enough for many people to begin using Cortex.
The feature Razer is promoting hardest is its deals finder. Cortex tracks prices for digital PC games across a number of retailers--Steam, Amazon, GOG, Green Man Gaming, and others--and shows you the cheapest place to buy them at any given time.
Also of note is the "game booster," which sounds a lot like features in software that Nvidia and AMD have released. Basically, this helps to ensure your games are running well by streamlining a variety of things, such as optimizing visual settings for your hardware, keeping track of drivers, and defragmenting hard drives.
Lastly, there is the save game manager, which allows you to save both game settings and game saves to the cloud, with no limit on the number of files you can upload. A list of supported games has yet to be released, but an image on Razer's website shows Batman: Arkham City, BioShock Infinite, Far Cry 3, Dark Souls II, and Dead Island: Riptide.
You can sign up for early access to Cortex here ahead of its September 10 launch; more people will be added as the number of registrations grows.
Does this sound like a platform you'd be interested in trying, or do you find the existing solutions for these things work well enough? Let us know in the comments.
| Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @TheSmokingManX |
|---|
| For all of GameSpot's news coverage, check out our hub. Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com |
Battlefield and Mass Effect publisher Electronic Arts has high hopes for digital add-on content this year. Bloomberg reports that the publisher is hoping to reach $1 billion in extra content sales across its entire games portfolio in the current financial year.
Madden NFL 15, and other EA Sports titles, will be "major" contributors, EA corporate communications representative John Reseburg said. EA Sports titles monetize beyond the initial $60 purchase price through their Ultimate Team modes, which let you spend real money to buy players and more. Reseburg pointed out that total Madden NFL add-on content revenue rose by 350 percent for the quarter ended June 30 compared to the same period last year.
Is it feasible that EA could reach $1 billion this fiscal year? Some of EA's biggest fiscal 2015 games include Battlefield Hardline, Dragon Age: Inquisition, and The Sims 4, which will presumably all be supported with lots of add-on content. Pile on top of that revenue derived from Ultimate Team modes across EA Sports titles, and hitting $1 billion sounds entirely possible.
EA's fiscal year 2015 ends March 2015, so we won't know if the company was successful in hitting that mark for some time now. To put that $1 billion figure in context, EA's total revenue for the fiscal year ended March 2014 was $4.02 billion. For the year, Ultimate Team modes alone generated $380 million.
Have you found yourself buying more add-on content now than ever before? Let us know in the comments below!
]]> 1100-6421932Tue, 26 Aug 2014 13:13:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-update-pokken-tournament-confirmed-to-be-a/2300-6421013/ Veteran Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada announces Pokken Tournament for Japanese Arcades to be developed by Bandai Namco. ]]> 2300-6421013Tue, 26 Aug 2014 12:36:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/capcom-suing-ninja-gaiden-publisher-for-patent-inf/1100-6421931/
Dead Rising and Resident Evil publisher Capcom is suing Ninja Gaiden and Dynasty Warriors company Koei Tecmo for patent infringement, according to a report from Japanese publication Sankei translated by Siliconera.
The lawsuit charges Koei Tecmo with infringing on Capcom's 2002 patent for a system that lets players unlock content from an older game in a new title. The report also claims Koei Tecmo infringed on a Capcom patent that covers a feature that makes a controller vibrate when enemies are close.
Capcom says that Koei Tecmo's use of these patents "has greatly contributed to the sales" of its games.
In all, Capcom claims that 50 Koei Tecmo games infringe upon the publisher's patents. As a result, Capcom is suing for ¥980 million (about $9.43 million) in damages related to licensing fees, which covers about 10 percent of Koei Tecmo's total profits from the games. The publisher is also hoping to curb the sale of some Koei Tecmo titles, though these were not mentioned outright.
Representatives for Capcom and Koei Tecmo were not immediately available to comment.
]]> 1100-6421931Tue, 26 Aug 2014 12:29:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/google-didnt-buy-twitch-because-of-potential-antit/1100-6421930/Amazon's surprise acquisition of Twitch yesterday came several months after Google (through YouTube) was reported to be the streaming site's buyer. A VentureBeat report last month reaffirmed that Google would buy the site, which has obviously not ended up being the case. As it turns out, a deal between Google and Twitch could not be reached due to the possibility of antitrust complaints.
Forbes reports that Google was "concerned" with the prospect of antitrust issues it could face if it went through with the deal, which would have put it in control of YouTube (the largest video site on the Internet) and Twitch (the largest live-streaming site in the United States). Google has faced numerous antitrust issues in the past, both in the US and in Europe, with regard to its search engine and the use of Android to promote its services, among other things.
As a result of the antitrust concerns, Google and Twitch reportedly could not come to terms on a breakup fee, which is a sum paid to one company or the other if an acquisition falls apart.
Amazon's $970 million acquisition of Twitch will not change how the streaming site operates, according to the two companies. During a live stream with fans yesterday, Amazon's Michael Frazzini said, "Twitch is absolutely doing a great job and we don't want to change that at all." The two sides suggested Amazon's additional resources will instead help the site to grow.
Twitch received a great deal of criticism earlier this month when it began automatically muting videos with copyrighted audio--something which had the unintended side effect of muting videos containing nothing more than in-game audio. The move was believed to be a precursor to an acquisition by YouTube, although Twitch's growing size guaranteed it would eventually have to address the use of copyrighted material in its streams.
Both Twitch and Amazon have expanded into areas they were not previously involved in the past few years. Twitch recently began streaming concerts, while Amazon has moved into games by acquiring Double Helix Games and other game industry talent.
| Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @TheSmokingManX |
|---|
| For all of GameSpot's news coverage, check out our hub. Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com |
With Infamous: Second Son having been out since March, Sucker Punch today released Infamous: First Light, a standalone downloadable expansion--which is to say, it's a spin-off that doesn't require you to own (or have played) Second Son. The first reviews are now out, and we've rounded up a selection of them below.
First Light stars Fetch, the female Conduit players meet partway through Second Son. That means you'll be using neon powers throughout the game, but Sucker Punch told us in a recent interview that they work differently than those used by Second Son's protagonist, Delsin. Her powers also allow her "to move faster and in a more fluid way than we've ever been able to pull off at Sucker Punch," according to the developer.
As a $15 game, you shouldn't expect something on par with the size of Second Son--Sucker Punch estimates it to take around 4-5 hours to complete First Light's campaign, but that's only true if you don't focus exclusively on story missions. Beyond that, there are also the battle arenas where you can compete against friends to top the leaderboards.
You can check out a sampling of reviews below. For more, check out GameSpot sister site Metacritic.
- Game: Infamous: First Light
- Developer: Sucker Punch
- Platforms: PlayStation 4
- Release Date: August 26
- Price: $14.99
GameSpot -- 6/10
"Infamous: First Light proves itself a serviceable time-waster. Fetch is an engaging character, troubled yet intensely loyal, and though her story arc recalls more video games, film, and anime than I care to count, she still commands your attention. I spent about six hours with her in total, and managed a 100-percent playthrough in the process; if you're just in it for the story, you could probably zap your way through in around two hours. Given Second Son's greatness, I had hoped for something more than a time-waster, but this Infamous has no bite." [Full review]
Shacknews -- 7/10
"Infamous: First Light is at its best when it's iterating on and riffing on Second Son. In many ways, the abbreviated length of First Light makes it a better bite-sized package. It's more linear and less surprising than fans might expect from the series, but exploring this world as Fetch is just as fun as it ever was." [Full review]
Eurogamer -- 6/10
"First Light's weird, limbo nature makes it a hard one to pin down. Considered as a DLC add-on, it's pretty generous and fans of Second Son will certainly appreciate the extra backstory and another chance to romp around Seattle. As a standalone game, it earns points for trimming the fat from the open-world template, but is also as generic as they come. First Light is an adequate diversion for fans but unlikely to dazzle anybody else." [Full review]
Destructoid -- 8.5/10
"Full stop, Infamous: First Light is more Second Son, which is a good thing. Although I wasn't nearly as invested in Fetch as I was with Delsin's story, this is a great way for fans to return to the super-powered world of Seattle, and an even better way for newcomers to get a taste of the series." [Full review]
Game Informer -- 8/10
"Infamous: First Light lacks some of the punch of Second Son in its campaign battles and familiar narrative marks, but is still a welcome addition to the series. Fetch is a fantastically written character, and the conclusion to her origin story is worth seeing in its entirely--even if you already know what happens. Sucker Punch did a phenomenal job with the finale." [Full review]
IGN -- 7.5/10
"Infamous: First Light is a decent story around a better character than Second Son, but its battles don't have the same scale or superpower variety that Second Son's do. After the short campaign, its challenge maps put a new spin on combat by taking away your ability to escape danger on a whim, making it much tougher." [Full review]
| Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @TheSmokingManX |
|---|
| For all of GameSpot's news coverage, check out our hub. Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com |
rss:9d9437cc2bdadfdb0c2a6594385b5cf5548bd329 rss_modified:rss:9d9437cc2bdadfdb0c2a6594385b5cf5548bd329 http://www.gamespot.com/feeds/mashup/?platform=1068&type=11 Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Tue, 26 Aug 2014 21:51:21 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/zelda-f-zero-and-animal-crossing-content-coming-to/1100-6421935/
UPDATE: Nintendo provided additional details for this Mario Kart update, which will be coming to the US as well.
Each DLC pack will cost $7.99 individually or $12.99 if you buy them together. And you'll be able to pre-order both packs starting tonight with v 2.0 update to the game.
If you pre-purchase both backs, you'll have immediate access to both the multi-colored Yoshis and Shy Guys. Though if you want to wait for any reason, the additional color options for those characters will unlock after you purchase the second pack.
A few of the new tracks you might notice from the images below are:
- F-Zero track
- Excitebike track
- Animal Crossing track
- Wario's Wood track
We don't have details for the tracks and karts not revealed by the images below, but Nintendo stated that this DLC will not include additional items, abilities, or multiplayer modes.
The original story appears below.
Mario Kart 8 is getting some substantial downloadable content starting in November. New characters, tracks, and karts will be added to the game featuring content from many of Nintendo's other franchises, including The Legend of Zelda, F-Zero, and Animal Crossing.
This content will come in the form of two DLC packs, which will include:
- 3 new characters
- 4 new vehicles
- 8 new courses (some new, and some old)
Some of the new tracks will be set in Zelda and Animal Crossing locales, while Mario Kart Wii level Wario's Gold Mine makes a return.
The first of the two packs--The Legend of Zelda pack, coming this November--will include Link, Tanooki Mario, and Cat Peach as characters. The DLC will also include the Blue Falcon from F-Zero as a drivable kart as well as three additional unrevealed karts.
The second pack--the Animal Crossing pack, coming in May 2015--includes the Villager, Isabelle, and Dry Bowser. Nintendo did not reveal karts for this second pack. By buying both packs, which will be available individually for 7.00 GBP or in a bundle, you'll also get eight different colors for Yoshi and eight different colors for Shy Guy.
Details on the packs were posted to the Nintendo UK online store here and here earlier today. An image for the Zelda pack appears to show Excitebike and F-Zero levels, while the other pack shows off a new, Animal Crossing-themed stage.
We'll update this story with more details as they're available, but which of this content are you most excited to try? Are you happy to see Mario Kart supported with such extensive DLC? Let us know in the comments below.
| Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @TheSmokingManX |
|---|
| For all of GameSpot's news coverage, check out our hub. Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com |
We'll be hanging out at the Sector G Lounge and we will be open to the public on Saturday from 9:30AM-7PM and Sunday from 9:30AM-5PM. The lounge is located at 820 Pike Street at 9th Ave (about a block and a half away from the convention center). It's also the home of the Metropole Restaurant. What can you do there?
- Food and non-alcoholic drinks available all day
- Trivia with limited-edition giveaway prizes (t-shirts, buttons, bottle openers, and koozies)
- Charging kiosks and free Wi-Fi
We'll also have gaming kiosks where you can check out some great indie titles including:
Pancake Breakfast
- WHAT: We will provide all of the breakfast foods guaranteed to be there (until they're all eaten -- breakfast foods are limited to: waffles, pancakes, eggs, bacon, coffee, juice). You just have to provide a mouth. You'll be able to meet with GameSpot staff and producers who will also be stuffing their faces with breakfast meats.
- WHEN: Saturday and Sunday, 10:00-12PM
- WHERE: Sector G Lounge, 820 Pike Street at 9th Ave (about a block and a half away from the convention center). Home of the Metropole Restaurant.
The GameSpot Live Show
- WHAT: We're recording live segments for two-hours each day during the weekend, and you can come sit in our live studio audience.
- When: Saturday and Sunday 12:00-2:00 PM
- Where: Sector G Lounge
Sector G Happy Hour (21+)
- WHAT: Sponsored by Sunset Overdrive, we'll be serving wine and beer, as well as two custom cocktails, the "Bloody Mutant" and the "Over Charge + Vodka"
- When: Saturday, 5-7PM
- Where: Sector G Lounge
Panels
Women Surviving and Thriving in Games Media
- WHAT: As the gap between the number of male and female gamers slowly thins, so does gender disparity in games media. Hear from several women currently working in games journalism about their struggles and successes within the industry.
- WHEN: Friday 8/29, 11AM-Noon
- WHERE: Wyvern Theatre
- PANELISTS: Mary Kish [Producer, GameSpot], Neha Tiwari [Executive Producer, GameSpot], Megan Farokhmanesh [Editor, Polygon], Naomi Kyle [Host, IGN], Jessica Chobot [Host, Nerdist]
Games Journalism Hunger Games MMXIV
- WHAT: Welcome to the Games Journalism Hunger Games MMXIV. The Capitol demands that each games website submit tributes to compete in the annual tournament. Through a variety of tests of skill and dexterity, tributes will fall so that games journalism can live on for another year. But who will be victorious?
- WHEN: Friday 8/29, 12:30PM-1:30PM
- WHERE: Sasquatch Theatre
- PANELISTS: Danny O'Dwyer [Host, GameSpot], Evan Lahti [Editor, PC Gamer], Greg Miller [Host, IGN], Jeff Gerstmann [Editor in Chief, Giant Bomb], Jon Carnage [Producer, TwitchTV]
Retrogame Roadshow: What Are Your Old Games Worth?
- WHAT: Game collecting is taking off in a big way, and all sorts of classic games and related memorabilia can bring in big bucks. What's your gaming treasure worth? Bring something you found in your parents' attic or a rarity from your own collection, and you'll have a chance to come up on stage and have your stuff evaluated, discussed and appraised (amateurishly, for fun!) by our panel of experts.
- WHEN: Saturday 8/30, 9PM-10PM
- WHERE: Hedgehog Theatre
- PANELISTS: Chris Kohler [Editor, WIRED], Mike Mika [GameSpot], Peter Brown [GameSpot]
Firaxis Mega Panel -- Civilization: Beyond Earth
- WHAT: Come see the developers from Firaxis Games Studio as they provide an inside look at their new and upcoming title, Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth, before it ships this October 24, 2014! We'll be showing new gameplay, talking about some of the newer and late-game features, as well as discussing the challenges and opportunities that arose throughout the development process.
- WHEN: Saturday 8/30, 12:30-1:30PM
- WHERE: Sasquatch Theatre
- Moderator: Chris Watters [GameSpot]
Collecting Games WITHOUT Going Broke or Getting Scammed!
WHAT: Building a collection of classics can be tons of fun, but the risk that you'll spend too much for something (or worse, be the victim of the ever-more-elaborate scams that are going around) is increasing by the day. How can you enjoy buying old games while still protecting yourself? Our panel of collecting experts run down some common money sinks, scams, and tips for getting bargains!
- WHEN: Sunday 8/31, 9-10PM
- WHERE: Hedgehog Theatre
- PANELISTS: Chris Kohler [Editor, WIRED], Peter Brown [GameSpot]
Video Game Memories: What Makes a Game Special?
- WHAT: A group of (hardened) games journalists get together to talk about what made their early game experiences so special. The discussion continues on to explore what type of new video game could possibly harness and recreate that magic.
- When: Monday 9/1, 12:30-1:30PM
- Where: Sasquatch Theatre
- Moderator: Danny O'Dwyer [GameSpot]
Additional panel details can be found on the official PAX site.
]]> 1100-6421929Tue, 26 Aug 2014 14:32:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/dragon-age-inquisition-has-multiplayer-first-detai/1100-6421934/This November's role-playing game Dragon Age: Inquisition will be the first entry in the core series to offer multiplayer, developer BioWare confirmed today through IGN.
Dragon Age: Inquisition will feature a cooperative multiplayer mode for up to four players, and though it may share some similarities with Mass Effect 3's multiplayer option (which the Dragon Age team definitely enjoyed), it is "significantly deeper," according to the report.
The game's multiplayer mode is designed to be enjoyed in 20-30 minute play sessions. There will be three multiplayer campaigns, and each will be available at launch. These campaigns will take place on a large level, with smaller sub-sections, and are randomized to create new experiences every time you play.
When you complete a multiplayer quest, the gold you find along the way can be later spent on treasure chests, which will give you items like recipes, new equipment, and more. A total of nine heroes will be available in Dragon Age: Inquisition's multiplayer mode at launch--three for each mage/melee/archer class.
BioWare producer Scylla Costa said Dragon Age: Inquisition's multiplayer mode will include "lots of DLC" featuring new heroes and more levels. But don't expect to have to pay extra for any of this or sign up for a subscription. "It's all free DLC for everyone," Costa said.
However, if you do want to speed up your progress, you can spend real-world money to purchase the game's virtual currency, known as Platinum. Costa assures fan, though, that, "Nothing is behind a paywall."
The fact that Dragon Age: Inquisition has a multiplayer mode is not altogether a surprise. A survey from February asked fans if they would like to see a multiplayer mode introduced in the game.
Dragon Age: Inquisition launches November 18 for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC. That's an entire year after the game's original release date of fall 2013.
What do you think of multiplayer coming to the Dragon Age series? Let us know in the comments below!
]]> 1100-6421934Tue, 26 Aug 2014 13:56:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/want-your-pc-games-to-cost-less-and-run-better-raz/1100-6421933/PC hardware company Razer has announced a new software platform, Razer Cortex, that wants to insert itself into the center of your PC gaming routine. The free service, which is now in an early access period ahead of its launch in September, will offer a variety of disparate features--like managing save games and saving you money--that appear to be part of an effort to ensure Cortex does at least one thing that you'll find useful.
Almost all of Cortex's features are available to some degree in other software or websites, but this brings them all together in one place. Cortex can be used to launch your games and share content from them to places like Facebook and YouTube. It allows you to record video without any watermarks or restrictions on time, framerate, or resolution--as is often the case with other free software that lets you capture game footage. Provided it works well, this could be reason enough for many people to begin using Cortex.
The feature Razer is promoting hardest is its deals finder. Cortex tracks prices for digital PC games across a number of retailers--Steam, Amazon, GOG, Green Man Gaming, and others--and shows you the cheapest place to buy them at any given time.
Also of note is the "game booster," which sounds a lot like features in software that Nvidia and AMD have released. Basically, this helps to ensure your games are running well by streamlining a variety of things, such as optimizing visual settings for your hardware, keeping track of drivers, and defragmenting hard drives.
Lastly, there is the save game manager, which allows you to save both game settings and game saves to the cloud, with no limit on the number of files you can upload. A list of supported games has yet to be released, but an image on Razer's website shows Batman: Arkham City, BioShock Infinite, Far Cry 3, Dark Souls II, and Dead Island: Riptide.
You can sign up for early access to Cortex here ahead of its September 10 launch; more people will be added as the number of registrations grows.
Does this sound like a platform you'd be interested in trying, or do you find the existing solutions for these things work well enough? Let us know in the comments.
| Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @TheSmokingManX |
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| For all of GameSpot's news coverage, check out our hub. Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com |
Battlefield and Mass Effect publisher Electronic Arts has high hopes for digital add-on content this year. Bloomberg reports that the publisher is hoping to reach $1 billion in extra content sales across its entire games portfolio in the current financial year.
Madden NFL 15, and other EA Sports titles, will be "major" contributors, EA corporate communications representative John Reseburg said. EA Sports titles monetize beyond the initial $60 purchase price through their Ultimate Team modes, which let you spend real money to buy players and more. Reseburg pointed out that total Madden NFL add-on content revenue rose by 350 percent for the quarter ended June 30 compared to the same period last year.
Is it feasible that EA could reach $1 billion this fiscal year? Some of EA's biggest fiscal 2015 games include Battlefield Hardline, Dragon Age: Inquisition, and The Sims 4, which will presumably all be supported with lots of add-on content. Pile on top of that revenue derived from Ultimate Team modes across EA Sports titles, and hitting $1 billion sounds entirely possible.
EA's fiscal year 2015 ends March 2015, so we won't know if the company was successful in hitting that mark for some time now. To put that $1 billion figure in context, EA's total revenue for the fiscal year ended March 2014 was $4.02 billion. For the year, Ultimate Team modes alone generated $380 million.
Have you found yourself buying more add-on content now than ever before? Let us know in the comments below!
]]> 1100-6421932Tue, 26 Aug 2014 13:13:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-update-pokken-tournament-confirmed-to-be-a/2300-6421013/ Veteran Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada announces Pokken Tournament for Japanese Arcades to be developed by Bandai Namco. ]]> 2300-6421013Tue, 26 Aug 2014 12:36:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/capcom-suing-ninja-gaiden-publisher-for-patent-inf/1100-6421931/Dead Rising and Resident Evil publisher Capcom is suing Ninja Gaiden and Dynasty Warriors company Koei Tecmo for patent infringement, according to a report from Japanese publication Sankei translated by Siliconera.
The lawsuit charges Koei Tecmo with infringing on Capcom's 2002 patent for a system that lets players unlock content from an older game in a new title. The report also claims Koei Tecmo infringed on a Capcom patent that covers a feature that makes a controller vibrate when enemies are close.
Capcom says that Koei Tecmo's use of these patents "has greatly contributed to the sales" of its games.
In all, Capcom claims that 50 Koei Tecmo games infringe upon the publisher's patents. As a result, Capcom is suing for ¥980 million (about $9.43 million) in damages related to licensing fees, which covers about 10 percent of Koei Tecmo's total profits from the games. The publisher is also hoping to curb the sale of some Koei Tecmo titles, though these were not mentioned outright.
Representatives for Capcom and Koei Tecmo were not immediately available to comment.
]]> 1100-6421931Tue, 26 Aug 2014 12:29:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/google-didnt-buy-twitch-because-of-potential-antit/1100-6421930/Amazon's surprise acquisition of Twitch yesterday came several months after Google (through YouTube) was reported to be the streaming site's buyer. A VentureBeat report last month reaffirmed that Google would buy the site, which has obviously not ended up being the case. As it turns out, a deal between Google and Twitch could not be reached due to the possibility of antitrust complaints.
Forbes reports that Google was "concerned" with the prospect of antitrust issues it could face if it went through with the deal, which would have put it in control of YouTube (the largest video site on the Internet) and Twitch (the largest live-streaming site in the United States). Google has faced numerous antitrust issues in the past, both in the US and in Europe, with regard to its search engine and the use of Android to promote its services, among other things.
As a result of the antitrust concerns, Google and Twitch reportedly could not come to terms on a breakup fee, which is a sum paid to one company or the other if an acquisition falls apart.
Amazon's $970 million acquisition of Twitch will not change how the streaming site operates, according to the two companies. During a live stream with fans yesterday, Amazon's Michael Frazzini said, "Twitch is absolutely doing a great job and we don't want to change that at all." The two sides suggested Amazon's additional resources will instead help the site to grow.
Twitch received a great deal of criticism earlier this month when it began automatically muting videos with copyrighted audio--something which had the unintended side effect of muting videos containing nothing more than in-game audio. The move was believed to be a precursor to an acquisition by YouTube, although Twitch's growing size guaranteed it would eventually have to address the use of copyrighted material in its streams.
Both Twitch and Amazon have expanded into areas they were not previously involved in the past few years. Twitch recently began streaming concerts, while Amazon has moved into games by acquiring Double Helix Games and other game industry talent.
| Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @TheSmokingManX |
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| For all of GameSpot's news coverage, check out our hub. Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com |
With Infamous: Second Son having been out since March, Sucker Punch today released Infamous: First Light, a standalone downloadable expansion--which is to say, it's a spin-off that doesn't require you to own (or have played) Second Son. The first reviews are now out, and we've rounded up a selection of them below.
First Light stars Fetch, the female Conduit players meet partway through Second Son. That means you'll be using neon powers throughout the game, but Sucker Punch told us in a recent interview that they work differently than those used by Second Son's protagonist, Delsin. Her powers also allow her "to move faster and in a more fluid way than we've ever been able to pull off at Sucker Punch," according to the developer.
As a $15 game, you shouldn't expect something on par with the size of Second Son--Sucker Punch estimates it to take around 4-5 hours to complete First Light's campaign, but that's only true if you don't focus exclusively on story missions. Beyond that, there are also the battle arenas where you can compete against friends to top the leaderboards.
You can check out a sampling of reviews below. For more, check out GameSpot sister site Metacritic.
- Game: Infamous: First Light
- Developer: Sucker Punch
- Platforms: PlayStation 4
- Release Date: August 26
- Price: $14.99
GameSpot -- 6/10
"Infamous: First Light proves itself a serviceable time-waster. Fetch is an engaging character, troubled yet intensely loyal, and though her story arc recalls more video games, film, and anime than I care to count, she still commands your attention. I spent about six hours with her in total, and managed a 100-percent playthrough in the process; if you're just in it for the story, you could probably zap your way through in around two hours. Given Second Son's greatness, I had hoped for something more than a time-waster, but this Infamous has no bite." [Full review]
Shacknews -- 7/10
"Infamous: First Light is at its best when it's iterating on and riffing on Second Son. In many ways, the abbreviated length of First Light makes it a better bite-sized package. It's more linear and less surprising than fans might expect from the series, but exploring this world as Fetch is just as fun as it ever was." [Full review]
Eurogamer -- 6/10
"First Light's weird, limbo nature makes it a hard one to pin down. Considered as a DLC add-on, it's pretty generous and fans of Second Son will certainly appreciate the extra backstory and another chance to romp around Seattle. As a standalone game, it earns points for trimming the fat from the open-world template, but is also as generic as they come. First Light is an adequate diversion for fans but unlikely to dazzle anybody else." [Full review]
Destructoid -- 8.5/10
"Full stop, Infamous: First Light is more Second Son, which is a good thing. Although I wasn't nearly as invested in Fetch as I was with Delsin's story, this is a great way for fans to return to the super-powered world of Seattle, and an even better way for newcomers to get a taste of the series." [Full review]
Game Informer -- 8/10
"Infamous: First Light lacks some of the punch of Second Son in its campaign battles and familiar narrative marks, but is still a welcome addition to the series. Fetch is a fantastically written character, and the conclusion to her origin story is worth seeing in its entirely--even if you already know what happens. Sucker Punch did a phenomenal job with the finale." [Full review]
IGN -- 7.5/10
"Infamous: First Light is a decent story around a better character than Second Son, but its battles don't have the same scale or superpower variety that Second Son's do. After the short campaign, its challenge maps put a new spin on combat by taking away your ability to escape danger on a whim, making it much tougher." [Full review]
| Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @TheSmokingManX |
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| For all of GameSpot's news coverage, check out our hub. Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com |
