Polygon - All

Halo 4 and Tomb Raider discounted by at least 55 percent

2013-05-25T01:00:04Z

Halo 4 for Xbox 360 and Tomb Raider for Windows PC are currently being heavily discounted on Amazon and Greenman Gaming, with both games having price reductions of at least 55 percent.

Tomb Raider for PC is currently available from Greenman gaming for $16.99, which is a saving of 66 percent off. Amazon has Halo 4 for $17.99, which is a saving of 55 percent off.

Polygon's reviews of Tomb Raider and Halo 4 are linked respectively.

Xbox One, EA, Watch Dogs, Resident Evil: Revelations, Human Angle: Speed Run

2013-05-25T00:30:07Z

Microsoft's Xbox One will offer remote play, and its second-generation Kinect will respond to users like iPhone's Siri, according to Polygon's sources. Electronic Arts will likely release most of its future games on two game engines. We now know what the box art for Xbox One games will look like. Watch Dogs fans can become in-game pedestrians through a Ubisoft contest. We reviewed the console and PC port of Resident Evil: Revelations. And our second Human Angle feature this week focuses on the queer games scene.

GameStop shares fell 8.8 percent today, 17.2 percent since Xbox One announcement

2013-05-25T00:00:05Z

Shares of GameStop closed down 8.8 percent today (from $35.20 to $32.11) and 17.2 percent since the beginning of the week (where it began at $38.76) in the wake of the Xbox One reveal.

For comparison, GameStop shares closed at $25.50 on Tuesday, Feb. 19 (markets were closed on Feb. 19 for President's Day, the day before Sony unveiled the PlayStation 4). On the Friday following Sony's PlayStation 4 announcement, Feb. 22, shares closed at $24.82, a decrease of 2.7 percent. Nintendo revealed the Wii U on June 5, 2012, during E3. On that Monday, June 4, GameStop stock closed at $19.20. On Friday, June 8, it closed at $19.03, a decrease of 0.9 percent.

A possible reason for this week's disproportionate decrease in GameStop's share price...

The Besties Podcast 58 — The best of Xbox One

2013-05-24T23:30:06Z

We're not sure if you heard, maybe you didn't, but there's a new Xbox coming soon. Well, not soon, but this year, for sure. On The Besties this week, we dive deep and come back with the pearls.

07:30 - Best cell phone feature we're excited to use
17:25 - Best use of FMV that may not be
19:00 - Half time: Ghost dog
29:30 - Best news for publishers in the next generation
38:50 - Best feature that only Russ Frushtick cares about
47:30 - The winner is...

Theme song by Ian Dorsch

Get the show:

Fight Night series on hold for EA Sports UFC, says EA Sports boss

2013-05-24T22:30:01Z

Electronic Arts has put its long-running Fight Night series of boxing titles on hold while it works on the upcoming EA Sports UFC, said Andrew Wilson, head of the EA Sports label, in an interview with IGN.

"Right now, a great portion of the core of the Fight Night team are actually the team that are building UFC," said Wilson. He added that EA is focusing on UFC because of its ever-growing prominence as an international sport; boxing, on the other hand, is much less popular than it used to be.

"Do I see a future for Fight Night? You know, sure. But right now, UFC is where our fighting focus is," said Wilson.

EA announced at E3 2012 that it had acquired the UFC license from THQ and signed a multi-year exclusive agreement with UFC to...

Xbox One in-game and Party Chat powered by Skype, audio quality will be improved

2013-05-24T22:00:30Z

Xbox One voice chat quality will be much improved compared to Microsoft's current-generation console thanks to the One's Skype integration, a Microsoft representative confirmed to Polygon.

"In-Game Chat, Party Chat and Skype are all available on Xbox One," the representative wrote. "Skype technologies are used in Xbox One which improves voice quality during multiplayer game sessions. Skype can also be used to call any of your Skype contacts for voice or video chat exclusively or while playing a game. Additionally, we have improved the Kinect hardware, from microphone configuration to dedicated audio processing, which contributes to providing a high-quality voice experience whether you are chatting in a game or through Skype."

Xbox One...

Xbox One games will require regular authentication checks, used games won't have a fee

2013-05-24T21:38:28Z

The Xbox One will not require gamers to pay a fee to reactivate a used game, but it will require a regular online spot check to verify the authenticity of games being played, according to sources familiar with the system.

While an internet connection will be required for the console, the company is also experimenting with special exemption codes that could be given to select people in very particular, internet-free situations, like active-duty soldiers serving in war zones, sources tell Polygon.

Microsoft "will disclose more information in the near future"

The ultimate system that Xbox One will use for used games and online authentication sounds like it is still in open debate on some level internally, which may explain the company's...

Destiny could come to PC if it doesn't 'compromise the core experience,' senior writer says

2013-05-24T21:30:07Z

Destiny, Halo developer Bungie's upcoming cross-platform sci-fi shooter, could make its way to PC, senior writer Eric Osborne told IGN.

Destiny was announced earlier this year, and is headed to the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One consoles. Bungie co-founder Jason Jones described the game as a "console shooter" at the game's reveal earlier this year, but the developer hasn't ruled out a PC version.

"We haven't said yes, and we haven't said no," Osborne said. "The more platforms we take on, the more work it ultimately becomes, and what we don't want is to compromise the core experience on any platforms. We have a lot of people who play on PCs. We have a lot of appetite to build that experience. We haven't announced...

Report: the top 1 percent accounts for nearly 33 percent of total spent on 'non-arcade' mobile games

2013-05-24T20:35:40Z

The top 1 percent of monetizers account for 32.68 percent of money spent in "non-arcade" mobile games, according to a report from Playnomics (PDF link).

The company's analysis defines "non-arcade" games as those "designed and intended for longer term play experiences often featuring levels, campaigns and collectables." Playnomics studied more than 1.7 million players, observing spending patters over a three-month period. According to the report, the spending habits represent a "power law distribution," similar to the "whales" who spend disproportionate amounts of money over time in casinos. Playnomics expects 20 percent of monetizers to account for 80 percent of revenue.

Playnomics seeks to find out how and why people play games, and...

Halo 'Bootcamp' listing on Korean ratings board not related to Xbox One or Reclaimer trilogy, says Microsoft

2013-05-24T20:15:35Z

A listing for a Halo-related work called "Bootcamp" recently appeared on Korea's Game Ratings Board today, and Halo publisher Microsoft Studios confirmed to Polygon that it's an upcoming project the company is "very excited about."

In a statement first obtained by GameFront and later sent to Polygon, a Microsoft spokesperson said, "What's Bootcamp? It is not related to our Xbox One efforts, or the Reclaimer Saga, but rather a project we're very enthusiastic about and will have more to say about in the near future."

The Reclaimer Saga refers to the second trilogy of Halo video games, for which 343 Industries took over from original developer Bungie; that trilogy kicked off last fall with the launch of Halo 4. GameFront points out that...