News
5 CommentsAssassin's Creed 4 Illustrious Pirates DLC available now
By Jenna Pitcher at 2:04a 01.08.14
The Illustrious Pirates downloadable content for Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag featuring retailer-exclusive DLC is now available for download on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One and Xbox 360 for $7 in North America.
According to a post on the official Ubisoft blog, the pack is available to Season Pass holders at no additional cost. Other countries can expect to receive the DLC on Xbox One and Xbox 360 today, followed by roll-outs across PS4 and PS3 tomorrow along with a global Windows PC release.
The Illustrious Pirates DLC features three single-player outfits, three missions, Jackdaw customization options, weapons and more. The full list of items in the Illustrious Pirates pack include:
Black Island - Single-player mission
The Black Ship
Captain Morgan's Outfit, Picture...
News
128 CommentsTitanfall maximum player count set at 6v6
By Jenna Pitcher at 1:08a 01.08.14
Multiplayer matches of Respawn Entertainment's Titanfall will be capped at 12 players, Respawn founder Vince Zampella confirmed via twitter, outlining that the six human players on each team will be joined by AI support.
"6v6 is max player count. Turned out to be the best balance with AI for us," he wrote, responding to a fan's question about the game's player count. "That's humans only count. There are lots of AI, everyone can have a Titan in follow or guard mode too."
Recent playable demos of the game featured six players a side but the final figure was not officially confirmed. The gameplay showcased during E3 consisted of seven players on a team, with producer Drew McCoy telling Polygon at the time that player count wasn't finalized.
"It's not a technical question for us —...
News
18 CommentsThe Elder Scrolls Online beta grows with a new round of invites
By Jenna Pitcher on Jan 07, 2014 01.07.14
A new round of beta invitations were sent out today for ZeniMax Online Studios' upcoming massively multiplayer online role-playing game, The Elder Scrolls Online, according to an announcement on the game's official website.
Users who recently received a beta invite are prompted to create an account and start downloading the client at their earliest convenience. Those who registered for the beta are asked to check for the invitation in their spam folder or the "promotions tab" for Gmail users.
The Elder Scrolls Online will launch April 4, 2014, on Windows PC and Mac, and will be available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in June 2014. The MMORPG will cost $59.99 across all platforms, requiring an additional $14.99 monthly subscription after the first month.
According to game director...
Video
9 CommentsAlien: Isolation dev diary discusses horror and helplessness
By John Funk on Jan 07, 2014 01.07.14
A dev diary for the recently-unveiled Alien: Isolation features developers at The Creative Assembly discussing the game's origins.
Ultimately, Alien: Isolation looks the way it does because "nobody had made the game we wanted to play," says creative lead Al Hope. Previous attempts at bringing the famous Xenomorphs to the realm of video games had followed the action-movie example of the franchise's later films, turning the titular aliens into bullet-fodder enemies to be mowed down rather than terrifying predators to be feared.
Isolation would have to be a horror game, says designer Gary Napper. It would have to be a game that was "terrifying and claustrophobic," where the player would spend the entire time worried about where the alien was. This game's alien would be more like the...
News
23 CommentsFar Cry Compilation coming next month
By Alexa Ray Corriea on Jan 07, 2014 01.07.14
Ubisoft will release a compilation of its Far Cry games on Feb. 11 in North America, Far Cry Compilation, the company announced today.
Far Cry Compilation will bundle 2008's Far Cry 2, 2012's Far Cry 3 and standalone Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon. The set will launch for PlayStation 3 and cost $39.99.
Far Cry 2 will include the game's full single-player campaign as well as its multiplayer component and all patches. Far Cry 3 will include the title's story mode, multiplayer and co-op modes.
In a press statement, Ubisoft noted the bundle's release is to commemorate the series' 10th anniversary. Currently there are no details on whether Ubisoft plans to launch the bundle for other platforms.
News
32 CommentsLeft 4 Dead creators reveal new co-op shooter, Evolve
By Samit Sarkar on Jan 07, 2014 01.07.14
Evolve, the new co-op shooter from Left 4 Dead creator Turtle Rock Studios, is scheduled to be released this fall on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows PC, according to the February 2014 issue of Game Informer.
The game will be set in a science fiction world with people facing off against aliens. In the "hunt" mode, four alien hunters team up against a monster controlled by a fifth player, with the creature growing in size and strength as rounds of multiplayer action progress. In this way, Evolve will offer both competitive and cooperative multiplayer elements.
Turtle Rock was originally developing the game to be published by THQ. When the publisher went under in December 2012, the Evolve intellectual property went up for auction, and publisher 2K Games acquired it in January...
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Spelunky
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Saints Row 4
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Plants vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time
- Platforms: iOS, Android
- Publisher: PopCap Games
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Gone Home
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Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn
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News
8 CommentsNew WWE 2K14 DLC featuring legendary fighters available today
By Alexa Ray Corriea on Jan 07, 2014 01.07.14
New downloadable content is available for professional wrestling title WWE 2K14 today, adding a handful of Hall of Famers and legendary fighters to players' rosters, publisher 2K Games announced today.
The WWE Legends and Creations pack is available for both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the title and can be purchased through the Xbox Games Store and PlayStation Store. The pack is included in the WWE 2K14 season pass, available for $19.99, or can be purchased for $8.99 on its own.
Players who download the pack will get WWE Hall of Famers Bruno Sammartino and "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes added to their list of available fighters, as well as legendary WWE wrestlers "Ravishing" Rick Rude and Jake "The Snake" Roberts. The game also includes WWE wrestler and manager...
News
2 CommentsMore than 60 indie devs to stream games in Supershow Collective this weekend
By Alexa Ray Corriea on Jan 07, 2014 01.07.14
More than 60 indie developers will stream their games via Twitch this weekend as part of the 48-hour Supershow Collective livestream, organizers RobotLovesKitty and Greenlit Gaming told Polygon.
The stream begins this Friday, Jan. 10 with a pre-show at 6:30 p.m. ET and main event beginning at 7 p.m. ET on the Supershow Collective's Twitch channel.
The first 24-hours will be a Steam Indie Showcase featuring titles currently on Steam or on the Steam Greenlight community voting platform. The following day, Jan. 11, at 7 p.m., RobotLovesKitty will run an IndieDev Supershow, featuring indie developers gamers may not have heard of.
According to organizers, the streams will feature gameplay as well as "casual" interviews with developers and special giveaways. Featured titles being showcased...
News
13 CommentsReport: China lifts ban on video game consoles
By Jenna Pitcher on Jan 07, 2014 01.07.14
China's State Council has suspended the ban on the sale and production of foreign games consoles in the country, Reuters reports.
According to Reuters, the country's state council released a statement outlining that "foreign-invested enterprises" with government approval are now permitted to manufacture consoles within Shanghai's free trade zone and distribute them in China. Late last year, the Chinese Government created the "experimental" Shanghai Free Economic Zone that will allow foreign-funded companies to sell gaming hardware in the country.
China began to reconsider its 13-year long ban on the sale of game consoles a year ago, which was put in place due to concerns of potential harm to the physical and mental development of the country's youth. The Chinese government then...
News
12 CommentsAlien horror game from The Creative Assembly detailed on Xbox Games Store
By Tracey Lien on Jan 06, 2014 01.06.14
A listing recently appeared on the Xbox Games Store for a game titled Alien: Isolation which, according to its description, is an upcoming survival horror shooter by The Creative Assembly, set 15 years after the events of the film Alien.
"Discover the true meaning of fear in Alien: Isolation, a survival horror set in an atmosphere of constant dread and immortal danger," the game's description reads. Players will take on the role of Amanda, the daughter of Ellen Ripley, as she goes on a mission to find out the truth behind her mother's disappearance. The listing states that players will navigate through "an increasingly volatile world as you find yourself confronted on all sides by a panicked, desperate population and and unpredictable, ruthless Alien."
The listing also reveals that...
News
13 CommentsDolby has your ears, and now it wants your eyes for Dolby Vision
By Dave Tach on Jan 06, 2014 01.06.14
Dolby Laboratories is famous for its forays into audio technologies like noise reduction and surround sound, and now it wants to help your eyes, too.
Announced today, Dolby Vision is designed bring "true-to-life brightness, colors, and contrast" to video signals encompassing broadcast, gaming and streaming content — including services found on modern gaming consoles.
According to Dolby, current "color-grading standards are based on the limitations of old technologies." Dolby Vision will allow televisions with the technology to display a wider range of brightness, color and contrast.
"Our scientists and engineers said, 'Okay, what if we don't have the shackles of technology that's not going to be here [in the future],'" Dolby's executive director of technology strategy Pat Griffis...
News
27 Comments2K Sports pulls MLB 2K games offline, not renewing series for 2014 (update)
By Samit Sarkar on Jan 06, 2014 01.06.14
MLB 2K publisher Take-Two Interactive seems to have erased the now-defunct simulation baseball franchise from the internet, reports Pasta Padre.
The Major League Baseball 2K series began in 2004 with ESPN Major League Baseball 2K4; it originated in Sega's World Series Baseball franchise, which debuted in 1994. Take-Two published the MLB 2K series under the 2K Sports label, and gave no indications after the release of Major League Baseball 2K12 in March 2012 that it was planning to release another MLB 2K title.
Last January saw the surprise announcement from Take-Two of Major League Baseball 2K13 (screenshot above). It was released in March 2013 and widely criticized as being essentially the same game as its predecessor, except with updated rosters.
All mentions of MLB 2K titles —...
News
56 CommentsThe 'next Halo journey' still coming to Xbox One this year
By Megan Farokhmanesh on Jan 06, 2014 01.06.14
The next chapter in the Halo franchise will come to Xbox One this year, despite being MIA from a list of the console's big 2014 games, according to Halo senior PR manager Rob Semsey.
Xbox Wire today mentioned a few 2014 titles; Halo on Xbox One not listed due to official name of the next title not announced yet.
— Rob Semsey (@RobSemsey) January 6, 2014
Rest assured your next Halo journey WILL begin in 2014. #staycalm
— Rob Semsey (@RobSemsey) January 6, 2014
The nameless Halo game was announced during E3 2013; it's expected to pick up where Halo 4 left off and incorporate cloud features.
During an interview with Polygon just before the Xbox One's launch last year, Microsoft Studios corporate vice president Phil Spencer said that more game announcements were...
News
53 CommentsNo discount for upgrading existing Tomb Raider to Definitive Edition
By Samit Sarkar on Jan 06, 2014 01.06.14
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition will cost $59.99 regardless of whether you own a copy of the existing game — publisher Square Enix won't be offering an upgrade discount, according to an FAQ for the Definitive Edition.
"Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition is not participating in an upgrade program. The game will retail for $59.99 in North America. Check with your local retailer for price points across Europe," reads the FAQ.
Square Enix also confirmed that save games for the original version of 2013's Tomb Raider will not be compatible with the Definitive Edition. New content in the updated game includes a redesigned Lara Croft character model with additional detail; native 1080p resolution on both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One; and various platform-specific features such as support for...
News
5 CommentsOculus CEO, Humble Bundle and Towerfall creators make Forbes 30 Under 30 for games
By Alexa Ray Corriea on Jan 06, 2014 01.06.14
Forbes' 30 Under 30 lists for 2013 were revealed today, highlighting the 30 individuals across various disciplines — such as science, education, Hollywood and games — the publication says are "reinventing the world" right now.
The Games list is topped by 21-year-old Oculus VR CEO Palmer Luckey, an engineer who began creating his first head-mounted virtual reality displays while still in high school. While Oculus is only a year-old company, the company has found continued success since its $2.4 million Kickstarter campaign in in 2012. The Oculus Rift headset is set to launch later this year.
Filling out the list are a number of industry personnel — many of them indie game developers. Those recognized by Forbes include Subset Games co-founders Justin Ma and Matthew Davis, T...
News
71 CommentsMore than 3 million Xbox One units sold in 2013, Microsoft says
By Samit Sarkar on Jan 06, 2014 01.06.14
Microsoft sold more than 3 million units of the Xbox One worldwide in 2013, announced company executive Yusuf Mehdi on Xbox Wire today.
"Over 3 million Xbox One consoles were sold to consumers in 13 countries before the end of 2013," said Mehdi, corporate vice president of marketing, strategy and business for Microsoft's Xbox division. Microsoft launched the console Nov. 22 in Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Spain, the U.K., the U.S. and New Zealand.
More than 1 million Xbox Ones were sold globally on Nov. 22, while Microsoft reached the 2 million mark 17 days later. According to Microsoft, the Xbox One was the fastest-selling console in the U.S. during the month of November.
We've reached out to Sony to ask if the company can share...
Culture
6 CommentsSnoop Lion's latest music video is an homage to Pokemon
By Alexa Ray Corriea on Jan 06, 2014 01.06.14
The latest music video from American rapper Snoop Lion features references to classic video games, putting Snoop on the front lines of Pokemon and side-scrolling space shooters.
The video above, set to his song "Get Away" from the album Reincarnated, includes heavy references to the Pokemon franchise. A tiny Snoop walks through a town in a "red/yellow/green version" of what looks like an 8-bit video game. Snoop comes across a character named Major Lazer — the DJ and artist who produced Snoop's album — who promptly challenges him to battle using creatures that appear an awful lot like Pokemon.
From there the two take to hoverboards and test themselves in a sci-fi-looking side-scrolling shooter. These are the only two games to appear in the video, but the art style looks and feels...
News
63 CommentsBreathing next-gen life into Tomb Raider
By Tracey Lien on Jan 06, 2014 01.06.14
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One breathes a liveliness not seen in the current-gen version of the game into the world of Lara Croft, according to the game's executive producer Scot Amos.
Speaking to Polygon, Amos said development on the PS4 and Xbox One port of Tomb Raider began as developer Crystal Dynamics was wrapping up the franchise reboot for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Knowing that next-gen consoles were on the way, the studio — which teamed up with United Front Games and Nixxes Software to create the ports — wanted to take advantage of the improved technology to create what Amos describes as the development team's original vision of the game, one they could not achieve because of the horsepower restrictions of existing consoles.
"It adds this...
News
32 CommentsReport: Next-gen Hitman canceled, studio working on new action title (update)
By Alexa Ray Corriea on Jan 06, 2014 01.06.14
A "re-imagining" of the Hitman franchise for next-gen and current-gen consoles in development at Square Enix Montreal was quietly canceled last year, according to the LinkedIn profile of senior game designer Richard Knight.
Knight's profile lists the game as "Hitman Project (Next-Gen Consoles/Current Gen/PC) — Canceled." The LinkedIn profile of designer Heath Smith states the game, which was announced as in-development back in 2011, would be a "re-imagining" of the series and include both first-person and third-person combat sequences. Network engineer Anthony Pressacco also suggests on his profile that the next-gen Hitman title would have included online leaderboard support and microtransactions.
Last June, along with the announcement of leadership changes at Square Enix...
News
55 CommentsThe Elder Scrolls Online players who take the throne get lifelong benefits
By Alexa Ray Corriea on Jan 06, 2014 01.06.14
Fighting to the top and becoming Emperor in The Elder Scrolls Online comes with its own set of beneficial perks, including a skill line players will retain for their entire in-game lifetime, director Paul Sage told OXM.
In ESO, all players have a shot at assuming throne through the game's PvP system. Players can earn Alliance Points by participating in fights, taking down other players, healing allies and gaining control of keeps. In addition to racking up Alliance Points, Conquest allows players to expand their territory of rule and grants access to unlockable bonuses that can be used by entire alliances. These bonuses will increase in quality depending on how many keeps a player has in their control.
When the Alliance with the most Alliance Points takes charge of all keeps...
News
12 CommentsRekoil hits PC on Jan. 28, XBLA on Jan. 29 as Rekoil: Liberator
By Samit Sarkar on Jan 03, 2014 01.03.14
Plastic Piranha's Rekoil will be released Jan. 28 on Windows PC via Steam, and it will be available Jan. 29 on the Xbox Games Store as Rekoil: Liberator (screenshot above), publisher 505 Games confirmed to Polygon today.
Rekoil was originally in development on PC before 505 Games announced an XBLA version last July and said that it would be publishing both versions of the game. According to 505 Games, Rekoil and Rekoil: Liberator will each cost $14.99, although Steam pre-order customers get a 30 percent discount to $10.49.
Both Rekoil and Rekoil: Liberator will offer class-based first-person shooting with 40 weapons across seven modes on 10 maps. A 505 Games rep told Polygon that the XBLA version "is different in that it does not support mod tools and/or eSports the way the PC version...
News
8 CommentsXbox One Playoff Face Off lets you predict NFL games for prizes
By Tracey Lien on Jan 03, 2014 01.03.14
The National Football League added a new feature to its Xbox One app today, allowing users to predict the results of matches in the season for the chance to win prizes.
The Xbox One Playoff Face Off app allows users to answer up to 10 questions that predict upcoming player performances. The questions will be available each Tuesday before every round of live games, which includes the Playoffs, the Pro Bowl and the Super Bowl. Participants will be entered for a chance to win prizes like tickets to the Super Bowl XLVII or Super Bowl XVIX, an Xbox One console, autographed NFL merchandise, copies of Madden 25 for Xbox One and NFLshop.com gift cards. Users will also be able to earn Achievements through participating.
Microsoft announced its Xbox One partnership with the NFL in May 2013, a...
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