You can now pay $30 to boost a Warlock, Hunter or Titan to level 25 in Destiny. GameSpot has the story.
Quote:
Bungie's shooter Destiny is taking a page out of World of Warcraft's playbook by offering a paid level boost. A UK PlayStation Store listing spotted by Eurogamer reveals paid level boosts can be purchased for the game's three character classes: Titan, Warlock, and Hunter.
The boosts cost £25 ($30e) and get you to level 25. That's well below the game's level 40 cap, where the redesigned secondary leveling system based around Light comes into play.
When The Taken King arrived in September, it came with one character boost. Because Destiny is a social experience, Bungie said back in August, the team wanted to make sure it wouldn't fracture the player base by making the expansion only playable to veteran players. The level boost helped in this regard.
This is the first time that level boosts are being offered for real money, however, and some may scoff at the price point, especially considering it's below the game's current cap and Light level requirements. But for players looking to jump into Destiny and join their friends, it serves as convenient way to do so.
Nikkei: Kojima left Konami, establishing new company with former staff to make new PlayStation game
Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima officially left Konami on December 15 and is establishing a new studio with his former Konami staff, according to a Nikkei report.
Kojima is reportedly in final negotiations with Sony Computer Entertainment, and his new game is expected to launch for PlayStation platform(s).
Discover Ubisoft Montpellier's immersive 360° trailer and dive into the mind of notorious serial killer Jack the Ripper. Take a journey through Assassin’s Creed Syndicate’s historical London and enjoy a unique experience. This first of its kind trailer also has a few Easter eggs to discover if you are as wise as Abberline!
After all the bellyaching that Rise of the Tomb Raider was a timed XBox One exclusive, hints are showing the delay is very manageable. Geek.com has the story, which puts the Windows version out in time for the Baba Yaga: Temple of the Witch $DLC.
Quote:
Back when it was announced during Microsoft’s Gamescom briefing in 2014, Rise of the Tomb Raider was billed as an Xbox One and Xbox 360 exclusive. Sometime after that, Xbox head, Phil Spencer, revealed that the game was a timed-exclusive, leaving the door open to inevitable releases on the PC and PlayStation 4.
According to a listing from Amazon France, Rise of the Tomb Raider will be coming to PC on January 29, 2016. The listing shows box art which is definitely for a PC game, along with compatible versions of Windows.
Considering the short exclusivity period and how vociferous the outcry, Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix might have suffered better public relations announcing the PC release date from the get go.
DICE has announced the release of the Holiday Update and free Dragon Valley map for Battlefield 4 on PS4, Xbox One and PC.
Quote:
If you played Battlefield 2, you remember Dragon Valley – it was a huge map, with a massive temple, destructible bridges, and wide, open spaces. And now, with the release of the Battlefield 4 Legacy Operations DLC, you can experience the new take on the classic map in Dragon Valley 2015. It’s rolling out now, free* for all Battlefield 4 players on PS4, Xbox One and PC. You can find it in the My Games tab on Origin for PC, or in the respective console’s game store, for manual download.
Alongside its release, we are also rolling out the Holiday Update. This will be an automatic download to your platform, and is required to continue playing Battlefield 4 and the new Legacy Operations DLC.
Check here for the full Legacy Operations & Holiday Update patch notes.
If you want to see the difference ten years can make, head onto the Battlefield to see what Dragon Valley 2015 can offer. It’s not exactly the same – the team at DICE made some changes (that you can read about here) to make the modern version take advantage of everything the Frostbite engine has to offer. Those little houses scattered around the river? They’re a full village now. The miniature Power Plant/Dam Area you remember? They’re full-sized now.
It’s Dragon Valley, Battlefield 4 style, and we’re really excited for you to check it out. We can’t wait to hear what you think. And, don’t forget to put in a few rounds of Air Superiority on Dragon Valley 2015, found in the Server Browser.
Electronic Arts has announced that the Getaway DLC for Battlefield Hardline will be released for Premium members in January 2016.
Quote:
Drop the clutch, lay on the gas, and hold on to your seats, because Battlefield™ Hardline is gearing up for its fastest, most explosive expansion yet! Whether you’re making a dusty, high-speed escape across the Mexican border, or closing in on a hot pursuit along the sun-drenched Pacific coast, you’ll be chasing glory at top speed when you play Battlefield™ Hardline: Getaway*, coming January 2016.
A great getaway is key to a great heist. If you’re a criminal wheelman, your payday is dependent on your ability to evade the cops. If you drive for the law, the fastest way to earn your badge is to take down the thieves before they can escape into a cloud of dust and burnt rubber. Ready to rev your engines? Here’s what owners of Battlefield Hardline: Getaway will get…
Four massive maps: Pacific Highway, Double Cross, Train Dodge, and Diversion
New game mode: Capture the Bag
4 new vehicles
3 new weapons for the Mechanic Class
One new gadget and a new melee weapon
4 new Legendary Camos
In addition, all Battlefield Hardline players will receive a game update that includes new weapons and patches, as well as new features we’ll talk about soon.
Battlefield™ Hardline: Getaway is available for Battlefield Hardline Premium members in January 2016.
A former Special Forces operative turned mercenary is subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers and adopts the alter ego Deadpool.
We want to start with a huge Fable thank you to all the fans who’ve participated in the Fable Legends closed beta so far and continue to help us make Legends the best game we can possibly make. Tipple is raising an ale in your general direction.
We’re excited to invite an additional 100,000 fans to the Fable Legends closed beta over the next few weeks, prioritising those that have been waiting the longest. If you want to get in on the closed beta, sign up at FableLegends.com.
Fable Legends is coming together well and it’s a lot of fun. But we think that we can make it even better. So we’ve decided to extend our closed beta to continue to listen to feedback from our players and add features and polish that will make a real difference. This means Fable Legends won’t release into open beta this holiday as previously announced. We realise this may be disappointing for those of you not currently playing, so we wanted to tell you why.
To be honest, we didn’t anticipate just how big Fable Legends is becoming. It’s simply the most ambitious game we’ve ever created at Lionhead. We’ve built a unique and innovative multiplayer experience combining RPG and RTS gameplay which allows you to play, and use your gear seamlessly, across Xbox One and Windows 10. On top of this, we’ve built a beautiful new world full of grand stories and adventures. And it’s taking more time than we thought.
The team is working exceptionally hard and we’re proud of how far the game has come. We’re operating our closed beta 24/7 and have added lots more features, quests, creatures, and heroes to play. Hundreds of thousands of fans have participated in the beta so far, and we can’t wait to open it up for all of you to play. To achieve our aspirations for Fable Legends, we’ve moved our open beta release to spring of 2016. So to all of you who have been playing in our closed beta, and to all of you who have been waiting patiently for the game to release into open beta, we want to thank you on behalf of everyone at Lionhead.
Enjoy the festive season and we’ll see you in Albion soon.
OtherSide Entertainment, the development studio behind the upcoming fantasy RPG Underworld Ascendant, is excited to officially announce development on System Shock 3, the sequel to the landmark System Shock series.
Last week, OtherSide posted a teaser website (othersidetease.com) with cryptic lettering hinting at a new game. Internet hackers quickly cracked the site, prematurely revealing the game’s title. As part of the fun, series’ AI antagonist SHODAN appeared to mock the hackers with new taunts each day.
On the updated teaser site today, fans can hear popular voice actress Terri Brosius (System Shock 1 & 2, Dishonored) reprise her role as the voice of SHODAN and see an early peek at the evolving ‘next generation’ look of the character by artist Robb Waters.
Key members of the original System Shock and System Shock 2 teams will be part of the sequel. This includes Paul Neurath, who oversaw the original series’ development; Nate Wells, a senior artist on System Shock 2; and Waters, the lead concept artist of both original games.
The path to bring the System Shock franchise forward was long and winding. Several years back, OtherSide secured the exclusive IP rights to all future versions of the franchise. Only recently, through partnership with Night Dive Studios, who owns the System Shock trademark, did OtherSide get the rights to use the System Shock name for the sequel.
System Shock 3 is currently in the early concept stages of development. Fans can register on the teaser site (othersidetease.com) to receive updates as they become available.
A display panel and a touch panel constitute one main surface of the first portion. Holes are formed in left and right end portions of the display panel and the touch panel, and two operation sticks are provided through the two holes.
Well, this would be an interesting upgrade to the Wii U controller.
Get a first look at our latest Adventure Mode exclusive zone, Greyhollow Island! This cursed, forested land is stepped in mystery and devoid of civilized life. Can you uncover the secrets of this isle and survive its madness?
Blizzard is no stranger to Easter eggs, and now a new one for World of Warcraft's next expansion has been revealed. Blizzplanet (via Kotaku) posted a video of a new area in the Legion expansion that features a human Monk named Rhonda. Watch the video to see the exact in-game location for the tribute character.
Rhonda, Master of San Soo, is shown in a training area, performing spin attacks with a huge melee weapon. But no, she's not wearing a Pikachu outfit this time.
The video also shows off a Mina Kunis, a character inspired by Mila Kunis. However, this character was already in the game as a Garrison follower. In Legion, she moves to a new location.
During an August 2015 Reddit AMA, Rousey called herself an "active" World of Warcraft player with a Night Elf Hunter. At the time, she said she's also working on a Blood Elf Rogue. She also enjoys Pokemon, Game of Thrones, and Dragon Ball Z.
Yarny’s adventure begins on February 9 in Unravel, a physics-based puzzle platformer starring a tiny yarn character with a huge heart. Learn more about the game at www.unravelgame.com
The world's first glimpse at Rez Infinite -- the ultimate version of Sega's classic psychodelic rail-shooter adventure Rez, fully remastered and evolved, including VR support and additional new content, all by members of the original development team.
The movie industry braced for the coming storm of The Force Awakens over a quiet weekend where The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2 notched its fourth-straight week atop the box office and Ron Howard's whaling tale In the Heart of the Sea capsized.
Here is the Weekend Boxoffice Chart for the weekend of December 11th to December 13th, 2013.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 $11.3/$244.4
Dan Vaderlind from DICE has revealed that the company is working on a Battlefield sequel. PCGamesN has the story.
Quote:
Now that Star Wars Battlefront has shipped, and with development on Mirror's Edge Catalyst well underway, DICE are moving their focus to the next Battlefield game, according to a tweet from DICE's development director.
Rather than the cops 'n alligators spin-off that was developed by Visceral, it seem likely this one will be a proper Battlefield sequel - either Battlefield 5 or Bad Company 3. Personally, I'm holding out for the latter. I always preferred the tone of that series to the perpetual somberness of the main entries.
This information coincides with the announcement that EA are opening up an e-sports division, headed up by Peter Moore.
While plans for the future of Sony's Infamous franchise remain unclear, PlayStation boss Scott Rohde has now spoken out to say the company is open to revisiting the action series sometime in the future.
Asked by Kinda Funny Games what Sony's plans were for the future of Infamous, Rohde said, "We're never going to retire an IP. We're always going to be open to [making more Infamous games]. That's about the best way I can answer that."
The most recent Infamous game was Infamous: Second Son, which was developed by the Sony-owned Sucker Punch Productions and launched in March 2014 on PlayStation 4. A standalone game, Infamous: First Light, followed later in the year. No future Infamous games have been announced.
Also in the interview, Rohde confirmed that Sucker Punch's next game, which has not been announced, is playable internally. He recently visited the developer's office and he and PlayStation Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida played an early version of game. Their verdict was that "it's fun," but Rohde cautioned that it's still early days for the project and things could change.
It's unknown if this is another Infamous game or something else.
Kinda Funny also quizzed Rohde about what other Sony internal studios are working on. Rohde didn't give much away, but offered this tease about God of War developer Sony Santa Monica's new game:
"The smile on my face is because I just can't wait to tell you about it. [We're] super excited about the progress, it's just not the time to tell you."
I have been listening to some Bing CrosbyArch Enemy, while trimming the Christmas tree standing on the front porch in my boxers and stained t-shirt, explaining the merits of staying off my lawn to the neighborhood children.
'Minecraft: Story Mode - A Telltale Games Series' Episode 4's 'Wither Storm Finale' Lands December 22nd in 'A Block and a Hard Place'
Today we can share all-new screens and the release date for 'A Block and a Hard Place,' the fourth episode in Minecraft: Story Mode: A Telltale Games Series.
In Episode Four, with the fearsome Wither Storm more dangerous than ever, Jesse, Reuben, and the crew discover there is one thing that can destroy the command block at the heart of the monster - but they'll need to brave the perils of the Farlands to find it. As uneasy allies and ailing friends threaten to tear the group apart, can they defeat the Wither Storm in their final battle? And what sacrifices must be made to succeed? Find out in Episode Four's epic 'Wither Storm Finale' that will turn the page on one chapter, before adventures may begin anew...
The fourth episode, 'A Block and a Hard Place,' will be available digitally worldwide starting Tuesday, December 22nd on PC and Mac from the Telltale Online Store, Steam, and other digital distribution services, on the PlayStatio Network for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3, on the Xbox Games Store for Xbox One and Xbox 360, for compatible iOS devices via the App Store, and for compatible Android-based devices via Google Play and the Amazon Appstore. The episode will also be available the same day for season pass disc owners via online update.
If Episode Four will end the story of the Wither Storm, what does that mean for Episode Five? We wouldn't dare spoil that for you here, but you can expect to have a better idea of what's to come for the Order of the Stone after playing Episode Four and when the mysterious fifth episode launches in early 2016.
For more information on Telltale Games, visit the official website, Facebook, and follow @TelltaleGames on Twitter.
Gearbox Software Launches New Studio in Quebec City to Create All-New Games Based on Global Franchise Portfolio
Gearbox Software today announced the formation of Gearbox Studio Quebec with the goal of enhancing Gearbox Software’s mission to entertain the world.
Gearbox Studio Quebec is now hiring game developers to join the Quebec City studio for its inaugural title growing to full AAA production capability through 2016.
“We are fortunate that there is a lot of demand on us to deliver our brand of interactive entertainment within the powerful franchises we have at Gearbox Software and the challenge for us is growing to meet this demand,” said Randy Pitchford, President of Gearbox Software. “As part of our strategy we have already successfully built an expanded all-new headquarters in Frisco, Texas. We now look ahead to another key and exciting step which is our commitment towards our all-new Gearbox Studio Quebec where we strive to team up with some incredible talent in the world of video game development outside of Texas to help us build fun and exciting video games within our tent-pole brands.”
Gearbox Software has been headquartered in Texas for over 16 years and partnered with companies around the globe. This is the very first Gearbox Software Studio created which is a testament to the confidence in the partnership.
Sebastien Caisse, Ph.D., will act as Co-Studio Head and Director of Operations. Sebastien has acted as business development director at Quebecor Media as well as business development manager and writer at Squeeze Animation. In those positions, he has worked with Sony, Microsoft, and CBS among others.
Pierre-Andre Dery will be Co-Studio Head and Studio Creative Director. Previously Art Director at Activision, where he worked on Skylanders and The Amazing Spider-Man, he has also worked on the visual development of more than 30 console titles at Volta, notably contributing to Farcry, Deus Ex and World of Warcraft.
"Thanks to Randy and his gifted team in Texas, we are designing a truly unique studio from the ground up in order to enhance Gearbox’s ability to entertain the world with best-selling, larger-than-life experiences. To be able work for such a storied independent game studio as Gearbox is a great honor," says Gearbox Studio Quebec’s Co-Studio Head Sebastien Caisse.
Not sure how a studio that couldn't handle managing a 3rd party developer for Aliens Colonial Marines thinks they can manage running a whole development house. Seems like another train wreck waiting to happen.
We are proud to share with you Disgaea PC’s teaser trailer! For those who are unfamiliar with the Disgaea series, this teaser trailer introduces some of the main characters, including Laharl, Etna & Flonne. Alongside the ragtag cast of Disgaea PC, we included some in-game footage displaying the over-the-top battle animations, the lift & throw strategies, and of course, the silly dialogue and charm that the Disgaea series is known for.
Feel free to post in the Disgaea PC community and let us know what you are most excited for in this release in February 2016! Check out the trailer here and make sure to add Disgaea PC to your Steam Wishlist!
Stay tuned for more news and updates for Disgaea PC, dood!
The November 2015 NPD report is in, and with PlayStaton 4 back on top after last month. The industry grew, and current-generation hardware continues to speed ahead of last-gen console sales performance.
Sony took the opportunity to reiterate its sell-through of 30.2 million consoles, also indicating that November 2015 was the strongest month ever for the PlayStation Store. NPD says that Sony’s performance was part of a larger push, as Microsoft also had its best month for Xbox One. This makes November 2015 the best month on record for current-generation sales, besting December 2014 (the former record-holder). The total segment (hardware, software, and accessories) grew by two percent over last November.
It’s not all good news, especially if you are holding off on upgrading. Last-generation software sales nose-dived by 76 percent in terms of revenue. Current-generation hardware sales represented 93 percent of the total. It appears that software will reasonably wind down for last-generation consoles significantly in the new year.
Black Ops III took the month, despite an impressive push from Fallout 4. Interestingly, despite the new relationship between Activision and Sony, more Xbox One copies were sold at U.S. Retail.
Activision notes that it held the top spot by a “wide-margin” when considering both revenue and units sold through. Further, according to NPD, Black Ops III was the largest release in terms of retail sales of any game in North America dating back to 2013. For a series that appeared to be starting its decline, this is good news for Activision.
When we first started designing hardware at Valve, we decided we wanted to try and do the manufacturing as well. To achieve our goal of a flexible controller, we felt it was important to have a similar amount of flexibility in our manufacturing process, and that meant looking into automated assembly lines. It turns out that most consumer hardware of this kind still has humans involved in stages throughout manufacturing, but we kind of went overboard, and built one of the largest fully automated assembly lines in the US. Our film crew recently put together a video of that assembly line, showcasing exactly why robots are awesome.
Here's that showcase, where you can watch controllers being built entirely by robots. We aren't crazy though, so humans are still on hand to keep the robots from becoming sentient.
Announcing the EA Competitive Gaming Division, Led by Peter Moore
For many of you, the passion for games is defined by competition – a relentless focus on being the best, and leaving your mark on the games you love. It fuels many of the amazing things we see from millions of you playing EA games each day. As this passion continues to grow, we’re committed to creating even more opportunities for you to connect and compete.
Today I am excited to announce that Peter Moore is moving into a new role as Executive Vice President and Chief Competition Officer for Electronic Arts, leading our new EA Competitive Gaming Division (CGD). As the latest step in our journey to put our players first, this group will enable global eSports competitions in our biggest franchises including FIFA, Madden NFL, Battlefield and more. The CGD will be built around three core pillars:
• Competition – To create highly-engaging competitive experiences with our games, officially supported by Electronic Arts.
• Community – To celebrate, connect and grow our community of players across all levels of expertise.
• Entertainment – To develop live events and broadcasting that bring the spectacle of competition to millions of people around the world.
There is no one better in our industry to lead this new effort than Peter. He was an early pioneer in championing competitive gaming programs, such as the FIFA Interactive World Cup and the EA SPORTS Challenge Series, and Peter’s personal passions for the player experience, sports and competition, make him a tremendous leader for this new division. Peter’s team will partner with our development studios, marketers and publishing teams to bring this new platform to life.
We’re also delighted to have Todd Sitrin joining Peter in the role of Senior Vice President and GM of the CGD. Todd is an EA veteran, whose distinguished 14-year career here has included leading our global marketing teams as well as driving marketing and strategy for EA SPORTS. Todd will lead strategy and operations for the CGD, working closely with our development studios to create an exciting competitive platform in our games.
As Peter and Todd begin these critical roles, we are focused on both delivering our commitments for FY16 as well as putting great energy behind this new opportunity. Peter will continue to lead his current organization through the end of FY16 before shifting full time to his new position. We will share further details about the CGD in the coming months.
Competition runs deep in the DNA of Electronic Arts, and our games are already at the center of competitive gaming events at different levels today. FIFA fans around the world continue to compete in the FIFA Interactive World Cup, ESL One is hosting worldwide championships with Battlefield 4, we recently announced the return of the Madden NFL Live Challenge, and our games will be played in dozens of other regional competitions around the world in the next year. EA’s CGD will seek to build a best-in-class program to centralize our efforts with new events, as well as the infrastructure to bring you the world’s preeminent EA competitive experiences.
The formation of the Competitive Gaming Division is a groundbreaking opportunity for Electronic Arts to celebrate your passion for play and competition. I’m excited to see what Peter and the team will share in the months ahead.
Right now you can get Giants: Citizen Kabuto for free from GOG.com. It's part of a promotion for the last two days of their Big Winter Sale. Scroll down a little on GOG.com's home page to find the link to claim the game.
Quote:
Warsaw, December 11, 2015 - Hear ye, hear ye! The 2015 Big Winter Sale is merrily ticking away towards its final 48 hours. That means 500+ discounted games as all previous bundles and deals return and more $3 mystery games are added to the pool. Plus, a sweet game of gargantuan proportions goes FREE!
The first 24 hours of the Big Winter Sale Finale (starting Dec 11, 2:00 PM GMT / 6:00 AM PST) feature the return of all winter bundles including: the Trine Trilogy Pack (up to -75%) bursting with imaginative puzzle/platforming in lush environments; the radioactive yet addictive S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Pack (up to -75%); the challenging and educational City Builder Kit (up to 80% off) and a delectable buffet of northern delicacies in the Nordic Build Your Own Bundle (up to 85% off).
Keep your shopping carts well-oiled for the final 24-hour stretch (starting Dec 12, 2:00 PM GMT / 6:00 AM PST), which brings back all the daily deals for one last hoorah! The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, winner of The Game Awards GOTY, will be there for 50% off, accompanied by excellent RPGs like Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition (-33%) and Pillars of Eternity (-50%). Alongside them, you will find unmissable indie darlings: The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 (-75%) and Her Story (-40%) plus many more.
The bargains stand on the shoulders of giants, namely Giants: Citizen Kabuto, the cult classic action/RTS that you can grab for FREE during the last 48 hours of the Big Winter Sale! And keep your eyes peeled for that last injection of mystery games which will raise the pool to over 120 possible picks!
This is also the last chance to earn free games while shopping in the Big Winter Sale. Whether to keep for yourself or to surprise a friend, earn a free copy of Divine Divinity after spending $5, and Blackguards Special Edition after spending $50 or more.
Join GOG.com for the final 48 hours of the Big Winter Sale while the Holiday Ninja Squirrel goes completely nuts on offers, deals and new arrivals!
The 2015 Big Winter Sale will last until December 13, 1:59 PM GMT / 2:59 PM CET / 5:59 AM PST / 8:59 AM EDT.
The Sega Game Gear is an 8-bit handheld game console that competed with the Nintendo Game Boy & Atari Lynx, but stood on its own with a backlit color display and great accessories. Metal Jesus & Kinsey help beginning Game Gear collectors with the pros and cons of the system, what problems to look out for, modding the screen for better displays, fun accessories, collectable color variants and some games you should buy Day 1.
What Game Gear games would you recommend new collectors pick up Day 1?
