Archive - 2013

Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag and Watch Dogs Announced for Xbox One

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA — May 21, 2013 — Today, following the announcement of Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, Ubisoft revealed that two of its most highly-anticipated titles – Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag and Watch Dogs – will be available on the platform later this year. Ubisoft also announced that these titles will be among at least six next-gen games released for Xbox One in the system’s first year.

“The next generation of consoles will reinvigorate our industry and make it possible for us to deliver incredible new entertainment to gamers,” said Yves Guillemot, co-founder and chief executive officer, Ubisoft. “Our teams are using the innovations in connectivity, immersion and social gaming included in Xbox One to create original and memorable next-gen gaming experiences.”

In addition to Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag and Watch Dogs, Ubisoft will deliver a mix of new episodes of existing franchises, new IPs and digital titles for Xbox One within the system’s first 12 months on the market. More information about the lineup of games planned for the new system will be available during Ubisoft’s press conference at E3.

THIEF Announced for Xbox One

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Montréal (May 21, 2013) – Square Enix® and Eidos-Montréal®, the award winning studio behind the critically acclaimed Deus Ex: Human Revolution®, is excited to announce today that THIEF™ is being developed for  Xbox One®, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft.

“The team at Eidos-Montreal is thrilled to confirm that THIEF is coming to Xbox One. The next generation of home consoles allow us to create the best and the most immersive THIEF game ever. The feedback we have received so far is simply amazing and we can’t wait to show more ofTHIEF at E3 this year” said Stephane D’Astous, General Manager, Eidos-Montréal.

Steal a glimpse of the next generation with the new THIEF screenshot attached to this email which can be distributed immediately.

For more details about THIEF – visit the Square Enix booth at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in the South Hall #1647.

THIEF will be available for Xbox One, PlayStation®4, and Windows PC in 2014.

Related Links
Official Website: thiefgame.com 
Official Facebook®: facebook.com/thief
Official Twitter®: @Thief
Official Youtube®: http://www.youtube.com/thief

Logitech G Sponsoring League of Legends Series Season 3 Championships

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MAY 21st, 2013 — Logitech G is intensely focused on delivering science that directly improves gamers’ experience. To us, science is all about questioning the status quo and asking “how can we make this better?” We love working with other companies that share this philosophy. Riot Games is definitely one of those companies. The explosive growth of League of Legends continually pushes the boundaries of eSports and is bringing in millions of new fans to PC gaming. We had a great time sponsoring last year’s League of Legends Season Two, so we are proud to announce Logitech G is continuing on in 2013 as the official Mouse and Keyboard sponsor of the League of Legends Season Three Championship Series.

“Our fans love Logitech’s gaming accessories, and we’re excited to have them back as a sponsor this year,” said Dustin Beck, VP of esports for Riot Games. “Plus, they have great rapport with the gaming community, which makes our partnership with them a natural fit.”

What does the sponsorship mean to gamers, beyond supporting exciting and fun eSports entertainment like League of Legends? For Logitech, sponsorships go beyond slapping a logo on a screen or hanging a banner at an event. We’ve been working closely with Riot over the past months to add some great capabilities to the Logitech G lineup, particularly for all you summoners out there. We’re happy to announce a series of hardware features now supported directly in the League of Legends client. New features include:

  • All G-keys in our mice, keyboards and headsets are now selectable as bindable keys directly in the in-game interface.
  • The multi-color LED lighting in our new Logitech G510s and G19s keyboards will switch to indicate the color of your team, including in colorblind mode.
  • The Logitech G510s and G19s GamePanel LCD now displays constantly updating stats typically only available in the character subscreen, such as cool-down reduction, or stats not previously available, such as gold per minute.

We hope you’re excited as we are about these new features. Thanks to the Riot team for working so hard with us to make it happen. Stay tuned here for more updates on Logitech’s gaming sponsorships, and best of luck to all the teams in the League of Legends Season Three Championship Series!

Battlefield 4 Announced for Xbox One and PS4

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REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – May 21, 2013 – DICE, a studio of Electronic Arts Inc (NASDAQ: EA), today announced that the highly-anticipated action blockbuster Battlefield 4 will be available this holiday for early-adopters of the next-generation hardware systems: Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, and the PlayStation®4. Powered by the advanced Frostbite™ 3 engine, Battlefield 4 delivers a genre-defining all-out war experience brought to life with unmatched visual and audio fidelity, superior character animations and dynamic destruction that ensures no two matches are alike.Battlefield 4 will be available October 29 for the Xbox 360® game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PC. Battlefield 4 will also be available for the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4.

Players that pre-order Battlefield 4 will receive the Battlefield 4 China Rising premium digital expansion pack at no additional cost*. In this sprawling expansion, players fight for dominance across the vast and majestic Chinese mainland in four massive multiplayer maps, using all-new vehicles and high-tech military equipment. Separately, players that pre-order the Battlefield 4 Digital Deluxe exclusively on Origin™ will receive the base game, bonus in-game digital items, the Battlefield 4 China Risingdigital expansion pack and access to the exclusive Battlefield 4 multiplayer beta*.

At the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), DICE will be unveiling Battlefield 4 multiplayer with a spectacular live demo at “The Download: EA 2013 Preview” press conference taking place at 1:00 pm PST on Monday, June 10 on Spike TV and athttp://www.ea.com/e3. Fans attending E3 will have the chance to go hands-on with multiplayer in EA’s booth located at #1601 in the South Hall. DICE will also be live streaming their entire E3 booth experience including multiplayer matches complete with commentary. Tune into http://battlefield.com/livestream to catch all the action.

To join the conversation on Battlefield 4, please visit http://www.facebook.com/battlefield, follow us on Twitter® atwww.twitter.com/battlefield and #BF4, or sign up for the official Battlefield newsletter at www.battlefield.com. Press assets forBattlefield 4 are available at http://info.ea.com.

* Conditions and restrictions apply. See http://store.origin.com/promo?promoID=88022500&linkid=BF4_CLP for details.

Microsoft Reveals Xbox One

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REDMOND, Wash. — May 21, 2013 — A new vision for the future comes to life today as Microsoft Corp. unveils Xbox One , the all-in-one gaming and entertainment system created for today and the next generation. At Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Wash., the company showcased how Xbox One puts you at the center of all your games, TV, movies, music, sports and Skype.

“Xbox One is designed to deliver a whole new generation of blockbuster games, television and entertainment in a powerful, all-in-one device,” said Don Mattrick, president, Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “Our unique, modern architecture brings simplicity to the living room and, for the first time ever, the ability to instantly switch across your games and entertainment.”

Introducing Xbox One

With Xbox One, games push the boundaries of realism, and TV obeys your commands.[1] Say “Xbox On” to launch your personalized Xbox One Home screen, discover what is popular on TV or see friends’ latest gaming achievements all using the most natural interface — your voice. The more you interact with Xbox One, the more it gets to know you and learns what you like. Some of the breakthrough Xbox One features that put you at the center of your living room entertainment include the following:

  • TV on Xbox One.[1] Navigate and watch live TV from your cable, telco or satellite set-top box through your Xbox One. Microsoft is committed to bringing live TV through various solutions to all the markets where Xbox One will be available.3
  • Home. Turn on your entertainment system with two powerful words, “Xbox On,” and a custom-tailored Home dashboard welcomes you with your favorite games, TV and entertainment.
  • Snap. Do two things at once on the biggest screen in your home. Use Snap to jump into a multiplayer battle while watching your favorite movie, talk with friends on Skype while watching live TV, or track your fantasy team on TV as you watch the big game and more.
  • Skype for Xbox One. Specially designed for Xbox One, talk with friends on your TV in stunning HD, or for the first time ever, hold group Skype calls on your TV.
  • Trending.[1] Stay on top of what is hot on TV by discovering the entertainment that is popular among your friends, and see what is trending within the Xbox community.
  • OneGuide.[1], [2] Find your favorite entertainment easily, searching by network, name or time, all with the sound of your voice and presented in a tailored program guide.

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To create the most advanced Xbox system ever designed for games, TV and entertainment, Microsoft created a state-of-the-art gaming operating system and fused it with an equally amazing entertainment platform, so you will not have to switch inputs to watch TV or play a game. An eight-core, x86 processor and more than 5 billion transistors helps make lag and load times a thing of the past, so you can instantly jump between a game and your entertainment at lightning speed or run a host of apps right alongside your game with no loss in performance.Introducing Xbox One titles and exclusives

Gaming on Xbox One immerses gamers in cinematic worlds that look like real life, with characters that feel more human than ever before. AAA blockbuster titles unveiled for Xbox One include the following:

  • “Forza Motorsport 5” from Turn 10 Studios is the latest edition of the highest-rated racing franchise of the past 10 years.[3] Built from the ground up to take advantage of Xbox One and the infinite power of the cloud, no game better delivers the sensation of being behind the wheel. “Forza Motorsport 5” sets a new bar for racing games and will be available exclusively for Xbox One at launch.
  • “Call of Duty: Ghosts” is the next generation of “Call of Duty” and a stunning leap forward for the franchise. It delivers an all-new world, an all-new cast of characters and an all-new story, built on a new, next-generation engine. The next-generation technical innovations built to support the incredible gameplay advancements make this the most beautiful and immersive “Call of Duty” experience yet. Activision and Microsoft also announced the renewal of their close partnership that will see both the return of the “Call of Duty® Championship,” presented by Xbox, as well as all-new downloadable content debuting first and exclusively on the Xbox platform.
  • “FIFA 14,” “Madden NFL 25,” “NBA LIVE 14,” and “EA SPORTS UFC” from EA SPORTS will change the way consumers experience and play sports games. Driven by the new EA SPORTS Ignite engine, these new EA SPORTS games will deliver massive innovations in human intelligence, true player motion and living worlds. Adding to its commitment to Xbox One, EA SPORTS also announced the promise of exclusive content to be revealed in the coming months.
  • “Quantum Break” from Remedy Entertainment is a revolutionary entertainment experience from the creators of “Max Payne” and “Alan Wake” that blurs the line between gaming and TV by integrating drama and gameplay into one seamless, uniquely immersive experience. How you play the game impacts the show, and the show informs how you play the game.

In addition to the amazing lineup of games coming to Xbox One, Microsoft unveiled exclusive content partnerships with some of the top names in TV, sports and entertainment.

  • “Halo” television series. Award-winning filmmaker, director and producer, Steven Spielberg will executive-produce an original “Halo” live-action television series with exclusive interactive Xbox One content, created in partnership with 343 Industries and Xbox Entertainment Studios.
  • National Football League (NFL).[1] A multiyear, landmark partnership will deliver the ultimate interactive NFL television experiences for the next-generation Xbox One and leverage Microsoft devices and services to evolve both in-game and on the sideline. The NFL on Xbox will redefine broadcast experiences through innovations around Skype, Xbox SmartGlass and player-worn technology; add an all-new fantasy football solution for the biggest screen in the house; and create a personalized NFL destination only available on Xbox One.

Introducing a new generation of Xbox Live

Xbox One is built to amplify an all-new generation of Xbox Live that is more powerful, more personal and more intelligent. Unleashing the virtually unlimited power of the cloud makes everything more convenient and accessible, from allowing games to be installed in segments so that gameplay can start quickly to updates downloading in the background. Save and store your personalized profile, games and entertainment in the cloud to access them anytime, from any Xbox One console.[4] In addition, existing Xbox Live Gold Membership for Xbox 360 will seamlessly carry over to Xbox One.[5] Xbox Live takes you deeper into the games you love with all-new features.

  • Smart Match. A new Smart Match matchmaking system virtually eliminates waiting in lobbies by estimating wait times and finding people you want to play with while you are enjoying other activities — reputation fundamentally matters and helps find best matches.
  • Game DVR. A dedicated Game DVR captures and accesses your magic moments, all saved to the cloud. Along with sharing tools, you will have the most amazing bragging rights with Xbox Live.
  • Living Games.[6] Dynamic, living worlds evolve and improve the more you play, and advanced artificial intelligence can learn to play like you, so friends can play against your shadow.
  • Expanded achievements. A new and expanded achievements system captures video of your epic moments, continues to grow a game’s achievements over time and rewards you in new ways, and your Gamerscore carries over from Xbox 360.
  • Xbox SmartGlass.[6] Xbox SmartGlass is natively part of the Xbox One platform, built in from the beginning with the ability to quickly render content directly onto your device, and now more devices can connect at one time for multiplayer and shared entertainment.

Introducing the Xbox One look and feel

New Xbox One hardware is sleek and modern and complements any décor. The console is shaped in the 16:9 aspect ratio and employs a horizontal orientation optimized for its high-speed Blu-ray™ disc player. It is molded in a deep and rich liquid black color and includes a distinctive beveled edge.

The completely redesigned, revolutionary 1080p Kinect is more precise, more responsive and more intuitive. Its unparalleled vision, motion and voice technology let you reach into games and entertainment like never before by dramatically expanding its field of view and fidelity. It works in nearly any lighting condition, recognizes precise motion control from a slight wrist rotation, and distinguishes your voice even in a noisy room using advanced noise isolation.

The class-leading Xbox controller is refreshed with more than 40 technical and design innovations. Updated directional pad, thumb stick and ergonomic fit immerse all gamers in ways that are uniquely Xbox, and precision and control have been dramatically increased with all new vibrating impulse triggers.6 The Xbox One Wireless Controller is designed to work in concert with the new Kinect, allowing the two to be paired automatically to create seamless player syncing.

Xbox One will launch in markets around the world later this year. Visit the new Xbox Wire blog at http://news.xbox.com for in-depth features on the new system, including photos and videos from the unveiling event and new and rotating content from Xbox. More details about Xbox One and blockbuster games will be explored at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June.

Where to Watch the Microsoft XBOX Reveal Event

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Many are wondering where exactlty they can watch this morning’s new Xbox  reveal event. Well, here are your options:

GameSpot.com

Twitch.tv

Microsoft’s Website

On Spike TV

*UPDATE: If you have a Windows Phone 8, you can watch on Microsoft’s free live event player app.

*UPDATE #2: Of course, you can also watch on Xbox LIVE if you are on your Xbox 360 console.

Artillery Revamped For World of Tanks Update 8.6

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21st May, 2013 – Wargaming, the leading free-to-play MMO developer and publisher, today announced details for Update 8.6 for World of Tanks. The new update will bring further changes and balance to the in-game economy, as well add new SPGs to push that armor line to tier X.

“Update 8.6 is a major step in game balance enhancement and is really going to make SPGs players happy,” said Mike Zhivets, producer on World of Tanks. “Artillery gameplay is going to feel a lot more balanced with a normal ten tier structure, making advancing through that class of armor more comfortable for players.

Current tier 8 SPGs will be promoted to tier X, while the newly introduced SPGs in Update 8.6 will take their place in the middle tiers. The American tech tree will be bolstered with M44 and M53/55 artillery units, while the Soviet line will be filled out with SU-122A and SU-14-1. The German tech line will be strengthened with three machines: 10.5 GW Mk.IV(e), Pz.Sfl.IVb, and G.W.Tiger (P). Lastly, the French will receive AMX Obusier automoteur de 105 and Bat.Chatillon155 (55) artilleries.

Update 8.6 will also introduce a new premium British medium tank, the A33 Excelsion, and will also introduce a new map based in Korea.

In addition to the new vehicles for both Germany and the USSR, the game will also be updated with one new map-Pearl River. Three existing maps will get revamped visuals and shading effects, including Siegfried Line, South Coast and Malinovka. Lastly, the UK tech tree will be bolstered by the Sexton, a new premium SPG known for its surprisingly fast firing speed and quick reload times.

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Blade Symphony Preview (PC)

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One of my newest addictions has been Kickstarter.  I love seeing great ideas being pitched and developed by way of crowd funding. The feeling that I get when I pitch in on a great idea, see it being developed, then finally receive the final product when it is ready – amazing.  Within the last year, I have backed projects such as Kingdom Death, Hexx, and Zombicide.  One such project was Blade Symphony, created and developed by Puny Human and funded through Kickstarter.  Funding was successful for Blade Symphony back in August of 2011, and we have finally gotten our hands on a early copy of Blade Symphony to let you know how development is going.

Our Preview:

Blade Symphony is a sword dueling game, where individuals face off against each other and duel using various tactics and blades.  You have the option to select one of three fighters:  Judgement, Phalanx, or Ryoku.  Each fighter has their own techniques, strengths and weaknesses.  You further customize your character by selecting one of the many different types of swords available; such as katana, foil, jian, or practice swords to name a few.  Each sword has their own move sets, strengths, and weaknesses.  This gives the player the ability to customize his or her own character to their own personal play style.

During combat, each fighter also can change between three different stances: Fast, balanced, and heavy.  Each stance has a set of combos that are dependent on the weapon of choice you are using.  By holding down the mouse buttons, you will be able to trigger a defensive move, such as a parry or block, or a focused attack, which increased the strength of the current move.  Combos can be completed using button and keystroke moves, and can be completed through different stances by scrolling the mouse wheel.  This gives combat in Blade Symphony a very fluid feel, much like actual sword duels.

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Game modes are currently set for Free For All on the servers.  Blade Symphony currently only has an online mode, with training disabled in its current build.  So, after creating a character and choosing a sword, I entered the fray.  Blade Symphony allows players to duel one another, through the challenge action.  If you want to challenge a player to single combat, simply target the player and press the appropriate key.  The other players will become nearly invisible, with only you and your opponent being solid enough to hit.  The duels are best out of three and are to the death.  Once you die, you re-spawn and simply need to follow the arrow to find your opponent again.  Current maps range from small and interesting to large and bland.  The office building was one of the largest maps I played on, but was very stark and uninteresting to look at, while I absolutely loved the aesthetics of The Courtyard.  The game is still under development, so what we played here was a beta build, that could continue to change in both looks and game play.

First Impressions:

Blade Symphony was helped along with over $19,000 Dollars through Kickstarter, and is currently available through Steam for $14.99 while the game goes through development.  While the game has an unfinished feel to it, with many features still under development, you can see a quality game that will offer a lot of depth once it is complete.  The fights are fluid and differ constantly, allowing players to choose the weapon and fighter that fits their style of play and makes each duel different from the last.  For those of you that like one on one fighting games, Blade Symphony will be one to keep an eye on.