News
13 CommentsSimCity update 4.0 introduces new areas, re-enabled features tomorrow
By Megan Farokhmanesh on May 22, 2013 05.22.13
SimCity's 4.0 update, launching tomorrow, will introduce new areas, re-enable features and add additional fixes, according to a post on EA's forums.
Post update, global market prices now "dynamically" change, and region filters and leaderboards are once again active. SimCity will also show the player's current server in the options menu and include more detailed rollover information about Sim happiness.
The update also adds two new areas. Edgewater Bay is a region with seven city sites in a single cluster, and SimCity Launch Park is a special area dedicated to fans that will be available exclusively to "early adopters."
Update 4.0 also includes a few graphical, messaging and weather updates. You can read the full post for more details.
Maxis recently teased new add-on content for S...
News
0 CommentsIndies Crash E3 winners include FrozenPixel, Man Fight Dragon and Sunstone Games
By Jenna Pitcher on May 22, 2013 05.22.13
The winners of Indies Crash E3, a community-voted contest to provide independent developers with E3 badges, were announced and include FrozenPixel with Nucleotuide, Man Fight Dragon with Black Annex and Sunstone Games' Kaiju Combat.
Winners and, controversially, their fans will be provided with badges to attend the tradeshow which runs from June 11 to 13.
Sunstone Games' Kaiju Combat's Kickstarter campaign was suspended in March because it is the subject of an intellectual property dispute with Wizards of the Coast. Man Fight Dragon's action strategy title, Black Annex, was revealed as one of six PAX Aus Indie Showcase winners.
Other winners include Argentinian-based Saibot Studios; Brazilian game development studio Behold Studios; Polish game studio Spiffy Goats; Pardis Game Studio...
Deals
3 CommentsAlan Wake Collector's Edition is part of Humble Bundle's Weekly Sale
By Megan Farokhmanesh on May 22, 2013 05.22.13
Alan Wake: Collector's Edition and Alan Wake's American Nightmare are on sale at a pay-what-you-want price as part of the Humble Bundle's weekly deal.
Both games are for Windows PC only and come with bonus content, including exclusive videos, never-before-seen comics and screenplays. Buyers can choose to donate $0.01 or more, and those who pay $1.00 will receive Steam keys. Both games also come with their respective soundtracks.
Buyers can chose to split their money between Alan Wake developer Remedy Games, charity foundations Electronic Frontier Foundation and Child's Play, or as a tip to the bundle organizers.
The Alan Wake Humble Bundle sale will end May 29. The game is also available for $4.99 through Xbox Live's Marketplace.
Remedy creative director Sam Lake said earlier today...
News
2 CommentsDungeons and Dragons Online: Shadowfell Conspiracy launching Aug. 19
By Megan Farokhmanesh on May 22, 2013 05.22.13
Turbine will release its upcoming Dungeons and Dragons Online expansion, Shadowfell Conspiracy, Aug. 19, the company announced via press release.
Shadowfell Conspiracy is the game's second expansion and will raise the level cap to 28. The expansion is set in the Forgotten Realms era and introduces new wilderness areas, monsters and dungeons. Additionally, players over level 15 will have access to new playable Iconic Heroes. Iconic Heroes allow players to jump in at level 15.
According to DDO's senior producer, Erik Boyer, the Iconic Classes system will be available immediately to those who pre-purchase the game. Pre-orders opened today and come in two different editions. The Standard Edition, $29.99, includes one character slot, 1,000 Turbine Points, special goggles and more....
Speed Run
28 CommentsXbox One, Achievements, Gold memberships, Anamanaguchi: Speed Run
By Alexa Ray Corriea on May 22, 2013 05.22.13
We burned the midnight oil digging up more info on Xbox One and have additional details on Achievements, Xbox Live Gold memberships, media transfers, pause functions and more. Our latest episode of Human Angle is all about indie rock band Anamanaguchi.
Xbox One: All the news from Microsoft's next-gen debut
Xbox One: what we know
Anamanaguchi: the Ninja Turtles of rock
News
0 Comments7 Grand Steps coming to PC and Mac June 7
By Dave Tach on May 22, 2013 05.22.13
7 Grand Steps: What Ancients Begat, developer Mousechief's video game tour of Western civilization, will be released on Windows PC and Mac June 7.
The Independent Games Festival-nominated title will be available for $15 on Steam and Mousechief.com. The strategy game uses board game mechanics, text vignettes and four playable social classes to chart a course across the human history.
"With each turn, you optimize the use of resources to achieve powerful legends, using a tactical board-game mechanic that empowers overarching family strategies across the generations," according to the developer's description. "Along the way, children are conceived and romances forged, discoveries are made and tragedies suffered. Will your lineage survive through the ages, or be crushed under the weight...
Video
4 CommentsElder Scrolls Online video reveals a new monster, the deadly marsh-dwelling Wamasu
By John Funk on May 22, 2013 05.22.13
A teaser posted by ZeniMax Online for The Elder Scrolls Online introduces a new monster not yet seen in Elder Scrolls lore.
The bulky, lizard-like wamasu lives in the Black Marsh where it threatens adventurers and passersby. It has some sort of innate electric power as evidenced by its lightning breath and tendency to crackle with electricity, and can knock enemies down with a powerful tail lash.
In a post on the Elder Scrolls Online site, the developers shed some light on the creature's creation. "The wamasu has never appeared in an Elder Scrolls game, and it’s rarely mentioned in existing lore, so we had some freedom to define and flesh out this intimidating foe," reads the post.
The post elaborates on how the wamasu fits in to the world of The Elder Scrolls, and how the team...
News
4 CommentsDog Sled Saga is as much about racing as it is dog husbandry
By Megan Farokhmanesh on May 22, 2013 05.22.13
In Dog Sled Saga, a Kickstarted game for desktop and mobile devices, there are two things you should remember. A well-fed dog is a fast dog. A fast dog is a happy dog.
The pixilated brainchild of Dan FitzGerald and Lisa Bromiel, Dog Sled Saga is a mix of racing, reputation building and pet management. Players step into the boots of a musher climbing the racing ranks with the help of his or her dog sled team. But the concept behind the game is less about the sport itself, FitzGerald said, and more about the interaction with your pets.
"I would boil it down to the non-verbal pet relationship," FitzGerald said. "It is absolutely about getting familiar with an animal that can't talk to you. There won't be a lot of pop-ups that tell you about your dog, but there will be signs — [this...
News
46 CommentsFIFA 14 on PC won't use Ignite engine
By Samit Sarkar on May 22, 2013 05.22.13
Only the next-generation console versions of FIFA 14, not the Windows PC version, will use the new Ignite engine, said Electronic Arts' Rob Hodson on Twitter.
"Clarification for the PC-related questions earlier — EA Sports Ignite will power FIFA 14 on Xbox One and [PlayStation 4], not PC," said Hodson, the U.K. community manager for EA's FIFA franchise. We reached out to FIFA 14 developer EA Canada, and a representative for the studio confirmed that fact.
EA Sports head Andrew Wilson announced the Ignite engine yesterday during Microsoft's Xbox One reveal event as a suite of technologies that will serve as the foundation for all of EA's next-generation sports titles. EA said in a press release afterward that FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25, NBA Live 14 and EA Sports UFC will all be released...
Video
6 CommentsCompany of Heroes 2 cinematic trailer exacts a high price for victory
By John Funk on May 22, 2013 05.22.13
A story trailer for the single-player campaign in Relic's Company of Heroes 2 shows the brutality of World War 2's Russian Front.
After the war, a young officer is under interrogation regarding the contents of a book he'd written about the experiences of his men and how damaging the truth of the matter could be. Scraping out a victory in the devastating five-month Battle of Stalingrad, he and his men advanced on the German lines and pushed them back, but often at a heavy cost. War and death make ordinary soldiers into animals, and the young officer accepts his death if it means revealing what he's seen.
Company of Heroes 2 hits Windows PC on June 25.
News
7 CommentsMetro: Last Light season pass covers four DLC packs for $15
By Samit Sarkar on May 22, 2013 05.22.13
Metro: Last Light developer 4A Games is planning four DLC packs for the post-apocalyptic first-person shooter, and players can pre-purchase all of them with the game's $15 season pass, publisher Deep Silver announced today.
The season pass is now available on Windows PC and PlayStation 3 for $14.99, and on Xbox 360 for 1200 Microsoft Points ($15). It costs £11.99 in the U.K. and €14.99 in Europe. PlayStation Plus subscribers can pick up the pass for $11.24, a 25 percent discount, from May 21 to June 4 in the U.S. and from today to June 5 in Europe and the rest of the world.
The first two pieces of DLC, the Faction Pack and the Chronicles Pack, will expand Last Light's single-player story. The Tower Pack will offer a single-player challenge that 4A said today is designed for Metro...
News
9 CommentsUniversity study says media consumption not a predictor of violent behavior
By Alexa Ray Corriea on May 22, 2013 05.22.13
Watching violent media as a child is not an accurate predictor of future violent behavior, with genetics and social environment figuring more prominently into personal development, according to a recently-published study from Texas A&M International University.
The study, lead by university chair and associate professor of psychology Dr. Christopher J. Ferguson, suggests genetics is a high-contributing factor to criminal behavior. Data collected from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health showed genetic variance factored into violent behavior for 58 percent of women and 20 percent of men, says the report.
"We basically find that genetics and some social issues combine to predict later adult arrests," Dr. Ferguson said. "Despite ongoing concerns about media influences,...
News
10 CommentsMortal Kombat Komplete Edition coming to PC July 3 digitally, Aug. 6 at retail
By Samit Sarkar on May 22, 2013 05.22.13
The "Komplete Edition" of NetherRealm Studios' Mortal Kombat will be available on Windows PC this summer, publisher Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announced today.
A worldwide digital release is set for July 3, while a physical retail version is scheduled for Aug. 2 in Europe and Aug. 6 in North America. High Voltage Software is developing the PC port, which will support PDP's Mortal Kombat Tournament Edition Fight Stick as well as controllers.
The Komplete Edition, which was released in February 2012 on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, comes with all the downloadable content that NetherRealm released for the game. That includes four additional characters — Skarlet, Kenshi, Rain and Freddy Krueger — as well as classic fatalities for Scorpion, Sub-Zero and Reptile and classic...
News
6 CommentsThe Realm studio to return to Kickstarter after first-time failure
By Emily Gera on May 22, 2013 05.22.13
The Realm failed to reach its intended Kickstarter funding goal today; however, its creators plan to make a return to the crowdfunding website for a second attempt later in the year.
Despite becoming one of the top funded U.K. Kickstarter titles, the games makers state in their latest update that a lack of payments from the U.S. was a "crucial factor in hurting our campaign." The Realm only hit £94,527 of its £195,000 funding goal, with 3,384 backers.
Developers at Atomhawk Design and Lantern Interactive are now planning to return to Kickstarter later this year with a U.S. account to try and successfully fund their fantasy title. In the meantime, a mailing list has been created to keep in contact with those still interested in supporting the game, while an official Facebook page can...
News
0 CommentsGDC Europe adds design talks on Assassin's Creed 3, storytelling, next-gen consoles
By Alexa Ray Corriea on May 22, 2013 05.22.13
The 2013 European Game Developers Conference has added a new round of talks to its panel lineup, including design talks on storytelling and Assassin's Creed 3 as well as discussions of the next console generation, according to a post on the conference website.
Ubisoft Montreal's Steven Masters will discuss how the studio worked on Assassin's Creed 3 for three years in the Design Track's keynote, "Designing Assassin's Creed 3." The company hosted a similar panel at GDC 2013, "Three Years of Collaboration on Assassin's Creed 3," but its GDC Europe panel will delve deeper into how the company built the title's core gameplay.
Epic Games level designer James Brown will explore whether or not a game's story can co-exist with a player's "organic" experience, or the story they build as they...
News
6 CommentsRaven Software and Neversoft assisted Infinity Ward in Call of Duty: Ghosts development
By Jenna Pitcher on May 22, 2013 05.22.13
Following Call of Duty: Ghosts official reveal during Microsoft's Xbox One event, Infinity Ward announced that Raven Software and Neversoft supported the studio during Ghosts development.
"Now that our reveal is live, we wanted to give a special thanks to @RavenSoftware & @Neversoft for their support in developing #CODGhosts," the official Twitter account of Infinity Ward posted.
Raven Software previously worked on Call of Duty: Black Ops' and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's downloadable content and user interfaces. Polygon reported in June last year that Neversoft was working content for a Call of Duty title when it announced that it was "ready to push the first-person action genre in support of Activision's Call of Duty franchise."
For more information about Call of Duty: Ghosts,...
News
2 CommentsLeisure Suit Larry: Reloaded delayed until June
By Emily Gera on May 22, 2013 05.22.13
The launch of Kickstarter-funded retro remake Leisure Suit Larry: Reloaded is being delayed until late June, developer Replay Games announced.
According to an official statement issued by Replay (via CinemaBlend), the game's original May 31 release date is being pushed back to allow for "additional polishing."
"Larry Laffer is one picky guy and he won't stop preening himself until every hair looks pristine," reads the statement "In order to show Larry as the true Casanova he is, and provide the best possible Leisure Suit Larry experience for fans, Replay Games has decided to hold off the launch of Leisure Suit Larry: Reloaded until late June for additional polishing."
Replay founder Paul Trowe took to the official website to explain the decision to ultimately delay, adding that bugs...
News
4 CommentsCarbine Studios reveals WildStar's scientist and settler paths
By Tracey Lien on May 22, 2013 05.22.13
Carbine Studios revealed two new character paths today for its massively-multiplayer role-playing game, WildStar: the scientist and the settler.
At a recent hands-on event, Carbine showed off the two paths in action: the scientist path is for players who are more interested in the game's story and the world's lore, while the settler path is more skewed toward those who are interested in building things, crafting objects and taming hostiles.
"What settlers do is they do things to improve the areas they're in," executive producer Jeremy Gaffney told Polygon. "They take chaos and make order out of it. So in this particular case, we give you some things to do around town, so if you see something that's broken, you can fix it and get a little reputation."
Gaffney said settlers can also...
News
12 CommentsNext-generation Kinect will eventually see a release on Windows PC
By Jenna Pitcher on May 22, 2013 05.22.13
The next-generation Kinect will come to Windows PC eventually, Ben Kilgore, corporate vice president of interactive entertainment business confirmed with Polygon today.
When asked if the new Kinect will see a release on the Windows PC, Kilgore responded with, "At some point down the line, yeah."
All Xbox One units will ship with the Kinect sensor, which must be plugged in for the new console to operate, as it is "now an essential and integrated part of the platform."
Using the second generation Kinect, Xbox One will support voice commands allowing users to navigate menus and applications. When the console is in its lowest power setting, referred to as the "wake on voice" setting, users will be able to wake it up with specific verbal Kinect commands.
The first Kinect was originally...
News
5 CommentsStrike Suit Zero gets DLC with five new missions, free mod tools and Steam Workshop support
By Dave Tach on May 21, 2013 05.21.13
Strike Suit Zero's Heroes of the Fleet DLC is available now and brings five new missions to Born Ready Games' space combat shooter, the company announced today.
The $6.99 Heroes of the Fleet DLC is available now on Steam, where owners of Strike Suit Zero can also download the game's new free mod tools, which include Steam Workshop support.
All Strike Suit Zero content is on sale for 50 percent off through May 26 on Steam, including the Mega Bundle, which includes the game, an art book and the game's DLC for $19.99 (regularly $39.99).
Strike Suit Zero is available now for Windows PC, and Born Ready is developing Mac and Linux versions for later this year. For more on Strike Suit Zero, be sure to read Polygon's review.
News
25 CommentsBattlefield 4 launching Oct. 29 on PC, PS3, Xbox 360, now confirmed for Xbox One
By Samit Sarkar on May 21, 2013 05.21.13
Battlefield 4 will be released Oct. 29 on Windows PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and will also be available on Xbox One, publisher Electronic Arts announced today.
EA previously said that the game is also in development on PlayStation 4. The company gave no release window for the PS4 or Xbox One versions today.
All players who pre-order Battlefield 4 will receive the China Rising expansion pack, which includes four multiplayer maps set in mainland China. Those who pre-order the game's Origin-exclusive Digital Deluxe Edition — which will cost $69.99, $10 more than the standalone game — will also get bonus in-game items and access to the Battlefield 4 multiplayer beta. The beta will be available this fall; EA has already promised access to anybody who pre-ordered last year's Medal...
News
12 CommentsCall of Duty: Ghosts behind the scenes video details development of its world and mechanics
By Alexa Ray Corriea on May 21, 2013 05.21.13
Activision shared a behind the scenes video for Call of Duty: Ghosts during Microsoft's Xbox One unveiling event, detailing the development ideology behind the company's next-gen Call of Duty title.
The video above shares more details on the development of the game's plot and characters, as well as information on features new to the franchise such as dynamic maps and the ability to have a dog as a squad mate.
A teaser trailer for the game leaked earlier this morning prior to the Xbox One announcement, but has since been taken down. The full trailer from Microsoft's presentation is available here.
Call of Duty: Ghosts will launch on Nov. 5 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U and Windows PC. The game will hit Xbox One at an unspecified date and will receive all downloadable content...
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