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4 CommentsBlack Ops 2's Revolution DLC free this weekend on Xbox 360
By Dave Tach on May 23, 2013 05.23.13
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2's Revolution downloadable content will be free-to-play this weekend on Xbox 360, according to a post on One of Swords.
Revolution adds the Hydro, Grind, Downhill and Mirage multiplayer maps and the zombie-infused map Die Rise. Players can also take on the role of zombies in the DLC's Turned mode and wield the DLC's Peacekeeper, a hybrid between and SMG and an assault rifle.
Revolution was released for Xbox 360 in late January and for PlayStation 3 and Windows PC in late February. Check out Polygon's preview to learn more.
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6 CommentsTiger Woods PGA Tour 14, NCAA Football 14, NHL 14 won't be released on next-gen consoles
By Samit Sarkar on May 23, 2013 05.23.13
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14, NCAA Football 14 and NHL 14 won't be released on next-generation consoles this year, Electronic Arts representatives confirmed to Polygon this week.
EA announced earlier this week that four of its upcoming sports titles — Madden NFL 25, FIFA 14, NBA Live 14 and EA Sports UFC — will be released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One within the next 12 months. All of them will be powered by the same engine: EA Sports Ignite, the single technology base for all of EA's sports games on next-generation consoles.
But when Andrew Wilson, executive vice president of EA Sports, unveiled the engine with pre-rendered target footage during Microsoft's Xbox One reveal event on Tuesday, he only listed those four games. EA has three other annual sports titles: Tiger Woods PGA Tour,...
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19 CommentsPhoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy HD hits iOS May 30
By Dave Tach on May 23, 2013 05.23.13
Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney Trilogy HD, the iOS version of the first three games in the investigative series, will arrive on iOS next Thursday, May 30, according to a post on Capcom Unity.
The first two cases of the first game will be free. Players who enjoy the courtroom drama can then unlock the full first game for $5.99. The next two installments will be available for $6.99 each, and you'll also be able to buy the trilogy for $16.99.
Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney Trilogy HD has also been "fully optimized for iOS," with retina display graphics and social features like the "Everyone Object" mode, which "allows players to share dissatisfaction with everyday life, Phoenix-style."
Today's announcement overrules an April announcement that the game had been delayed until July. The next...
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21 CommentsThe Witness hopes to buck puzzle games' linearity, Jonathan Blow says
By Dave Tach on May 23, 2013 05.23.13
Creating the The Witness, Braid developer Jonathan Blow's upcoming open-world puzzle game set to make its debut on PlayStation 4, presents challenges that the developer must overcome if it hopes to buck the recent linear trend in games, Blow wrote on the PlayStation Blog.
Because The Witness takes place in an open-world environment, players aren't escorted through the game, as in other puzzle games.
"It's interesting to try and design a puzzle game this way," Blow wrote. "Puzzle games are usually linear, because the designers want to make sure you have solved a puzzle before going on to a more difficult one. But in The Witness we have a broader idea about what makes puzzles interesting, and this lets us be versatile in designing the flow of gameplay. We build systems of puzzles with...
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7 CommentsFIFA 14 launching Sept. 24 in North America on PS3, Xbox 360, PC
By Samit Sarkar on May 23, 2013 05.23.13
FIFA 14 will be released Sept. 24 in North America and Sept. 27 in Europe on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Windows PC, publisher Electronic Arts announced today.
EA said earlier this week that FIFA 14 will also be released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, but the company has yet to provide a more specific release window for those versions than "within the next 12 months." Both consoles are scheduled to launch later this year. The PS4 and Xbox One versions will run on Electronic Arts' new Ignite engine, which will power all of the publisher's sports titles on next-generation consoles, and the Xbox One version will include exclusive content for the popular FIFA Ultimate Team mode.
Ignite won't run on PC or Wii U — in fact, FIFA 14 won't be released on Nintendo's console at all. In...
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17 CommentsNew-generation Kinect for Windows coming next year
By Tracey Lien on May 23, 2013 05.23.13
Microsoft is currently developing a new-generation Kinect sensor for Windows that is set to release next year, according to the director of Kinect for Windows, Bob Heddle.
Posting to the official Kinect for Windows Blog, Heddle announced that a new Kinect for Windows sensor and software development kit are in the works and are set to release in 2014. Both the new Kinect sensor for the Xbox One and the new Kinect for Windows sensor are being built on a shared set of technologies.
"Just as the new Kinect sensor will bring opportunities for revolutionizing gaming and entertainment, the new Kinect for Windows sensor will revolutionize computing experiences," Heddle wrote.
Some of the capabilities of the new sensor include: higher fidelity with an HD color camera, a noise-isolating...
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2 CommentsSuper Splatters headed to Steam in late June
By Dave Tach on May 23, 2013 05.23.13
Super Splatters, a physics-based puzzle game from developer SpikySnail, is headed to Steam in late June, according to the developer.
The game tasks players with slinging the titular goo-filled Splatters, earning combos and covering each stage with their juices as the goo balls compete for fame and fortune on "the nationwide all-popular channel Splatter TV." Super Splatters is the follow up to the developer's 2012 XBLA title The Splatters.
Check out the video above to get a feel of the sticky platforming coming to Windows PC, Mac and Linux next moth. You can also pre-order the game on SpikySnail's official website for $7, a 30 percent discount off of the regular price of $10.
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2 CommentsSplinter Cell: Blacklist co-op missions offer different play styles for different characters
By Samit Sarkar on May 23, 2013 05.23.13
The co-op component of Splinter Cell: Blacklist ties specific play styles to certain characters, so co-op players will need to be versatile, said Ubisoft Toronto's Zack Cooper on the PlayStation Blog.
Blacklist co-op features 14 missions split up according to the member of Fourth Echelon that gives them to you. Cooper, community developer at Ubisoft Toronto, revealed two of the characters and their respective game types today: Isaac Briggs and Anna Grimsdottir.
Briggs plays alongside protagonist Sam Fisher in story-based missions that focus on the interplay between the grizzled Fisher and the relative neophyte Briggs. The story ties in with Blacklist's overall narrative, and the missions are more free-form, with support for the Ghost (non-lethal stealth), Panther (lethal stealth) or...
Video
1 CommentShin Megami Tensei 4 gameplay trailer explains the many duties of demon-killing samurai
By John Funk on May 23, 2013 05.23.13
An earlier trailer for Atlus' 3DS RPG Shin Megami Tensei 4 laid out the duties of a samurai who fights demons, and a new trailer explains just what that entails.
This trailer focuses on the gameplay aspects of the RPG; samurai must battle demons using series-staple abilities like Zio and Bufu magic spells. However, demons aren't just foes for the slaughter, and the player must negotiate with demons to have them join the squad where they can be fused together to create more powerful entities.
Shin Megami Tensei 4 comes out on Nintendo 3DS on July 16 in North America.
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44 CommentsGran Turismo 6 launching on PS3 because of existing install base, says Sony exec
By Samit Sarkar on May 23, 2013 05.23.13
Gran Turismo 6 is debuting on PlayStation 3 and not PlayStation 4 because of the current console's install base, said Sony Computer Entertainment Europe CEO Jim Ryan on the European PlayStation Blog.
"On PS3 we have an install base of 70 million units," said Ryan, referring to Sony's most recent worldwide sales numbers for the six-and-a-half-year-old console. "On PS4 on launch day we'll have an install base of zero units."
Ryan added, "There'll be plenty of games to help drive PS4," including Evolution Studios' simulation racing title, Driveclub. He also pointed out that each previous PlayStation console has had two Gran Turismo titles in its library — Gran Turismo and Gran Turismo 2 on PlayStation, and Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec and Gran Turismo 4 on PlayStation 2 — and noted that...
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0 CommentsDeNA bringing free-to-play G.I. Joe and Dungeons & Dragons games to mobile this year
By Dave Tach on May 23, 2013 05.23.13
DeNA will bring two new free-to-play games to mobile devices and tablets "later this year" based on G.I. Joe and Dungeons & Dragons, according to a press release from DeNA.
In G.I. Joe: Battleground, players will assemble teams of G.I. Joe heroes and Cobra villains to battle. The Dungeons & Dragons game, Arena of War, is a role-playing game set in the Forgotten Realms where players will hunt on quests, level characters and participate in "in-game events and massive multiplayer competitions."
"Dungeons & Dragons and G.I. Joe are legendary IPs that have permeated popular culture," said Clive Downie, CEO for DeNA West. "Both properties offer our development teams unique opportunities to create fun, interactive entertainment experiences that we believe will appeal to the franchises'...
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5 CommentsGhost of a Tale: Why a Dreamworks animator left film for a gaming pet project
By Alexa Ray Corriea on May 23, 2013 05.23.13
Gallat worked at DreamWorks for 11 years, where he served as supervising animator on a number of films including The Prince of Egypt and The Road to El Dorado. The idea kernel that would eventually grow into Ghost of a Tale began while he was still with the company, working on big-budget movies as part of a larger team and without much time to develop his own ideas.
"When you work with a big team, everyone has an opinion and of course it's a little bit difficult to find something more personal to put in," he said. "Ghost of a Tale started from a desire to do something different, something that I would like and that could be a bit more personal."
Gallat began developing his game parallel to his full-time animation job, filling his evenings and weekends with what would become a vast...
News
17 CommentsPokemon X and Y developer roundtable to be hosted by Nintendo at E3
By Griffin McElroy on May 23, 2013 05.23.13
A Pokemon X and Y developer roundtable will be hosted by Nintendo at E3 2013, where representatives from Game Freak and The Pokemon Company will share details about the series' next generation, Nintendo announced today.
The event will be held the evening of Tuesday, June 11 — a few hours after the company's E3 Nintendo Direct presentation, which it will hold in lieu of a proper E3 press conference. Nintendo is known for hosting developer roundtables at E3 annually, though rarely do they focus on a single game like this. Panelists include president and CEO of The Pokemon Company Tsunekazu Ishihara and Game Freak director Junichi Masuda.
Unfortunately, the event will not be streaming, but we'll be on hand to share any announcements that come out of the roundtable. For more on Pokemon...
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107 CommentsXbox One will support 4K output resolution and 3D
By Alexa Ray Corriea on May 23, 2013 05.23.13
The next-gen Xbox One will include support for ultra high-resolution 4K as well as 3D, Microsoft's Larry Hryb revealed in a Yahoo chat session yesterday.
"Xbox One supports both 3-D and 4K," Hryb said in response to a question about the console including these features.
Following the Xbox One's unveiling on Tuesday, Microsoft's Yusuf Mehdi told Forbes the console's video and interface will work with HDTVs.
"The video and interface portions [will work with next-gen TVs], absolutely," he said. "Games developed for 1080p will run at 1080p, obviously."
Xbox One supports both 3D and 4K, including 4K for Blu-ray
Mehdi also revealed the console will support 4K for Blu-ray at launch, with the possibility of games and other content being available at 4K in the future if they are rendered at...
News
3 CommentsPoker Night 2 goes mobile, available now on iOS
By Dave Tach on May 23, 2013 05.23.13
Poker Night 2, Telltale Games' poker simulator starring a cast of characters from video games and cartoons, is now available on iOS, according to the developer.
The mobile version, which Telltale teased in April on Twitter, retails for $4.99 in the iOS App Store. It includes the same card players as the Windows PC, Mac, Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network versions that are also available. Those include characters from Sam and Max, Claptrap from the Borderlands series, Ash from Evil Dead and Brock Samson from The Venture Bros. GLaDOS from the Portal series remains the dealer.
For more on the game, be sure to check out Polygon's Poker Night 2 review and read our interview with the developers about how Telltale brought the familiar cast of characters to the table.
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50 CommentsDestiny trailer introduces the Law of the Jungle, teases gameplay reveal at Sony's E3 press conference
By Dave Tach on May 23, 2013 05.23.13
A live-action trailer released today for Destiny, Halo developer Bungie's upcoming sci-fi shooter, introduces viewers to the Law of the Jungle and promises a gameplay reveal at E3 next month.
Check out the trailer above, in which the narrator reads from Rudyard Kipling's The Second Jungle Book amid a mix of live-action and CG, to get a sense of the odds players will face in the game.
"As a Guardian of the City sets out on an epic, action-packed adventure to reclaim our Solar System, he recalls the moment when he was first taught the most important lesson of all — The Law of the Jungle," the video's YouTube description reads.
The video also reveals that Destiny's worldwide gameplay reveal will take place during Sony's PlayStation E3 press conference on June 10.
For more on Destiny,...
