Gaming - Page 1115

Electronic Arts has shown off the Battlefield 4 Night Operations DLC from DICE playtest sessions, so gamers can enjoy some unique gameplay.

The studio also showed off the night version of Zavod 311, dubbed Zavod: Graveyard Shift, so you can expect to use the night vision and thermal imaging scopes - or a different gadget so you're able to identify enemy locations.

Zavod: Graveyard Shift supports Conquest, Rush, Team Deathmatch, Obliteration, Domination and Gun Master. EA promises Gun Master will play "very differently" at night, and even included a secondary layout.

DICE teased that there was a new game mode coming for Battlefield Hardline, and here it is: Robbery. The new expansion is the second for Battlefield Hardline, with Criminal Activity launching not too long ago.

Battlefield Hardline: Robbery has four new maps, a new 5v5 game mode known as 'Squad Heist', four new weapons, two new gadgets, two new factional vehicles and new vehicle upgrades, new camos and vehicle paints, and 'The Legendary Super Feature'. As for the new Squad Heist game mode, the developer refers to it as "refreshing and familiar". DICE explains that Squad Heist has three distinct stages:

Battlefield Hardline: Robbery will be made available for Early Access for Battlefield Hardline Premium members starting next month.

Gamescom 2015 - If there's a game that should have the attention of Xbox One users, it should be Forza Motorsport 6, which is pumping along at 1080p 60FPS thanks to the optimization Turn 10 Studios has made to the game.

The studio was showing off Forza 6 at Gamescom 2015 which is currently underway in Cologne, Germany, with DualShockers interviewing Creative Director Dan Greenawalt, where he said: "Honestly, it is optimization, optimization, optimization. Forza Motorsport 5, as well as Forza Horizon 2 as well as Forza Motorsports 6 are underpinned by our bespoke graphics engine ForzaTech. And that graphics engine is being worked on by two world-class teams: the Turn 10 team and the PlayGround team".

Greenwalt added: "But also, we're first party, so we work with The Coalition, we work with 343, we're able to learn how to really optimize for the box. So yeah, I think it surprised a lot of people that Forza Motorsport 6 was able to come out with 1080p, 60 frames per second, 24 cars on track, with night, with wet, but it drives great. At the end of the day, that's what all this technology is for. It's for the experience. It's to get people passionate and excited about cars in games.And if it does that, it's all worth it".

One of the big drawcards to living within Microsoft's ecosystem is the ability to stream games from your Xbox One to your PC, but it will be the PC to Xbox One streaming that could be more exciting.

Xbox boss Phil Spencer has talked about it in more detail now that the Xbox app for Windows 10 has launched, allowing gamers to stream content from their Xbox One consoles directly to their Windows 10 PCs, and tablets over their Wi-Fi networks. Microsoft is now reportedly working on PC to Xbox One streaming, but it's not something that the company is talking about. Spencer said the company would love to give fans the ability to do so, including mouse and keyboard support on the Xbox One.

During a chat with The Verge, Spencer said: "We understand if you're going to go PC to Xbox, we need to get keyboard and mouse working completely so you could play those games. In terms of where we want to go with our platform, those are absolutely in scope of things that we want to do". But Spencer did note that streaming from Xbox One to the PC is much easier, as the company knows just what hardware you have, instead of the other way around where there are countless combinations of hardware.

Konami has moved up the PC release of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain to September 1, aligning both PC and console platforms for a simultaneous day one launch. There's only one catch--PC owners will have to wait until 2016 until they can access the game's Metal Gear Online multiplayer mode.

"We initially did not think it would be possible to get such an epic game out onto PC in time for launch alongside its console counterparts, but all involved have worked diligently to meet the demands of our consumers, Konami President Tomotada Tashiro said in an official statement. "Now PC users will be able to explore the vibrant and beautifully-realised locations and set-pieces that elevate The Phantom Pain beyond all other action titles. We feel confident that Steam users will be satisfied with the contents we will provide for the Steam version."

The Japanese publisher has also opened up MGSV pre-orders on Steam, and everyone who pre-buys on Steam will get a free copy of the game's short prequel adventure Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes. Apart from the multitude of advantages the PC platform brings, The Phantom Pain will support 4K UHD resolution as seen in Hideo Kojima's Tweet embedded below.

Modders have been quite busy crafting a slew of additions and expansions for GTA V's PC port, leading to some pretty amazing things like playing as Iron Man, wreaking havoc with the game's physics with the car cannon mod, or even adding incredibly realistic visuals with the Project Realism script. Now one modder has made Los Santos into a sandbox for a chaotic RPG adventure.

With GTA: RPG, a modder by the handle of Logic Spawn has injected more RPG mechanics into Rockstar's heist caper by adding "typical RPG features such as leveling, questing, non-linear dialogue, skills, looting and more". Vanilla GTA V already had a light RPG system, but this particular script kicks things up a notch for some high-quality entertainment.

Each of the three main characters have designated classes--Time Master for Michael, Speedster for Tranklin and Berserker for Trevor--and players can create their very own character with a range of different customization options straight out of GTA: Online.

The public image of Japanese games publisher Konami continues to worsen as more news breaks on the company's controversial treatment of its own employees. Nikkei reports on the disdainful conditions that Konami employees are subject to on a regular basis, revealing things like invasive video monitoring and even reassigning key development talent to menial labor tasks.

"Konami's internal culture sounds poisonous. For one, email with outsiders is done with a randomized email address changed regularly," freelance games localizer Thomas James said in a series of translations of the Nikkei article. "It does not stop with emails. Lunchtime leave is regulated with time cards. Those who exceed allotted time are outed within company."

"Employees deemed useless have been known to do assembly line work, security guard detail, cleanup at fitness clubs," James continues. "These are not nobodies being told to do this work either. Producers and other prominent creators have had this hoisted on them."

SUPERHOT is one of the most unique first-person shooters that I've seen, where time in the game only goes forward when you, the player, moves. If you stop, time slows down to a near stand still, similar to 'bullet time' from The Matrix movies, or the Max Payne franchise.

The developers behind the game have released the first gameplay video from the recently released beta of SUPERHOT, which we've embedded above. It shows off the gun play, as well as the melee combat where you can throw whatever is in your hand, including your gun, at your enemies. The slow-motion gunplay looks incredibly fun, but the one instance where SUPERHOT is going to take off is in VR.

We played SUPERHOT on the Oculus Rift back at PAX AU 2014, where it was quite the experience. The developers promise that SUPERHOT is on track for a release later this year where you can purchase it directly from the SUPERHOT website for $14, or $25 if you want the digital artbook in PDF, and the game's official soundtrack in FLAC quality.

At the China Joy 2015 expo, Xbox division boss Phil Spencer lays out his long-term strategy that calls for Microsoft to develop original first-party exclusives rather than having to rely on third-party games.

"My strategy is more around our own first party franchises, and investing in franchises that we own, and probably fewer exclusive deals for third party content. I want to have strong third party relations, but paying for many third party exclusives isn't our long term strategy."

In less than a week we'll see Spencer made good on his words when key Xbox One exclusives like Halo 5, Quantum Break, Crackdown, Gears of War 4 and Scalebound steal the show at this year's Gamescom conference. Microsoft has announced the Xbox Gamescom lineup and will stream the event across Xbox LIVE and the official Xbox website on August 5-6 at 9:00am PDT (12:00pm EST).

Earlier this week DICE teased a reveal for a new Star Wars: Battlefront multiplayer mode, and shortly after the devs unveiled the explosive Blast mode.

At its core Blast mode is pretty simple: it pits the Rebel Alliance against the Galactic Empire for some enthralling laser-zapping 10 vs. 10 team deathmatch action, the kind that taps the game's fluid and frenetic pace. The objective of the game is pretty straightforward: the first of the warring factions to hit 100 kills or scores the most kills after a 10 minute round wins the game.

Vehicles won't show up in Blast, nor will there be any heroes of villains. In lieu of vehicles, DICE has peppered the maps with power weapons that can significantly turn the tide of the battle at any moment. "Whether you pick up a Droid scanning for nearby enemies or a turret that'll control a zone for you, the pickups can really turn the tide of a Blast match," says Battlefront Level Designer Dennis Brännvall "They are not around every corner though, so keep your eyes peeled."

Everyone expects Fallout 4 to be big--the previous games have boasted sessions that total up more than 100 hours of content thanks to expansive open-world environments and dynamic quest-lines. But no one expected that Fallout 4 has more than 400 hours of play time.

"I've played the game for probably 400 hours, and I'm still finding stuff that I haven't seen," Bethesda Softworks developer Jeff Gardiner told OXM.

We have to remember that devs play games differently than consumers. Developers have assigned tasks and are always looking to recreate bugs or test various elements of the game. And in light of the game's absolutely massive crafting system that lets you literally destroy and erect your own custom buildings, it's possible that a considerable portion of Gardiner's playtime was spent making his own post-apocalyptic town and fighting against incoming raiders.

DICE had its hands full while developing Star Wars Battlefront, understanding it's going to be nearly impossible to please all long-time fans of the iconic movie franchise.

"Our job has been to create a shooter that springs out of the IP of Star Wars and not the IP of DICE," said Patrick Bach, GM of DICE, in an interview with GamesIndustry International. "It's not supposed to be a DICE game, per se, it's supposed to have the DICE qualities but it's a Star Wars game first and foremost. That's the bigger challenge, first of all to figure out - what is the difference between this and that?"

"We chose to create this because we want to create this experience, and this is the emotion we want to evoke so this is what we're focusing on. And that pitch is really hard because Star Wars is so many things. If you try to do everything then everyone will be a little bit disappointed. Instead we are staying true to what we think is the right thing for this game."

Bungie dropped the banhammer down on hundreds of people cheating in Destiny, with the Security Response Team booting people off of Crucible PvP.

Specifically, the latest round of banned players were responsible for "manipulating network traffic," and Bungie would prefer players not even know what that means - saying "we love you. Never change."

"We're committed to protecting Destiny against cheaters," Bungie noted. "Enjoy your game. Just play it fair. That's all we ask. Short of your own commitment to honor, we'll take action ourselves. It's not a think we enjoy doing - and certainly something we'll never quantify or describe in agonizing detail. The damned shall remain anonymous - their nefarious actions a mystery."

In Bungie's most recent Weekly Update the developers take us on a tour of the Hive Dreadnaught--that vast starship made of graves, shadows and woe that serves as the major game zone for Destiny's new The Taken King expansion.

The studio takes us into the Dreanaught, a massive Hive interstellar cruiser that resembles a sort of lunatic conjunction of John Berkey and H.R. Giger; it's all wicked spikes and cruel black steel forged with a queer Borg-like symmetry...and it's very hard to look away.

The Dreadnaught will not only be a pivotal focal point for The Taken King's campaign story, the cyclopean flagship will be one of the game's new zones and feature Public Events, Patrol Missions, and Bounties. "The Dreadnaught is a major centerpiece of The Taken War, a progression that extends well beyond the traditional storyline, and will provide new ground to explore and Patrol. In that regard, like The Taken King itself, it represents a big leap forward."

We knew that a new Battlefield game was in development, and after the shockingly bad Battlefield Hardline, EA is hoping to hit a new home run with "another Battlefield title" being released next year.

The news came from EA's recent investors call, where EA CFO Blake Jorgensen said there was a new Battlefield game in development. Jorgensen said: "What we've said is that our intention over the next couple of years is to have a first-person shooter as one of the core titles. This year, obviously, it's Star Wars Battlefront. Next year, it's another Battlefield title".

But which one will it be? Could we see Battlefield: Bad Company 3, or do you want Battlefield 5 more?

If you believe Electronic Arts, it sounds like the game studio is seeing "extremely strong pre-orders" for its upcoming Star Wars Battlefront video game.

Speaking during an earnings call, EA COO Peter Moore didn't offer specific pre-order sales numbers. In addition, many gamers are purchasing - and then downloading - digital games, so pre-orders may not mean as much. "More and more, as we see digital start [to] take a hold with our consumers, that pre-orders become less of a key indicator."

EA hopes for a busy time during Gamescom next week in Germany, which is expected to have an even larger crowd this year. It's the perfect time to show off Star Wars Battlefront: "We expect to see a tremendous response from that."

Rumors of its development were reported on a few weeks ago, but now Ubisoft has officially announced Zombi for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. The reveal trailer is embedded below.

Hélène Henry, a Producer on Zombi, explains: "We knew from the beginning that maintaining the tension and feel of the original was one of the main challenges, as the way ZombiU was presented on Wii U cannot be reproduced. We maintain a minimal HUD as much as possible," Henry says. "It disappears when not required, giving the game a very lonely feeling. If you have surround sound, the awesome sound mix from the original still stands and greatly helps immersion. As much as possible, we've tried to keep those key elements".

The Xbox One, PS4 and PC do get a treat when it comes to the field of view (FOV), which has been increased on Zombi. Henry added: "Also, there has been a slight increase in the field of view and players can increase and decrease it a little if they want to, but not so much that it takes away that claustrophobic feeling. Some work was also undertaken on the control mapping and response to improve the look and feel of the first-person movement". To finish off, Henry said: "We kept the central idea that you're always vulnerable," Henry says. "Rummaging in the backpack still doesn't pause the game. We've added a dedicated button to access the backpack, which lets players see their full inventory and assign shortcut keys".

Are you playing Rocket League? If not, apparently you're missing out on a rather fun gaming experience that 5 million people are enjoying. It's an impressive sales figure considering the game was only released on July 7.

Since the primary game mode in Rocket League is online multiplayer, you get to essentially engage in an online soccer match - except you use cars instead of players.

Rocket League is now available for PC and Sony PlayStation 4 gamers - and is $19.99. However, PlayStation Plus members can get the game for free until this weekend.

It's no secret that the free PS4 games offered with Sony's PS Plus haven't been so exciting, mostly made up of smaller indies with a few choice gems here and there like Rocket League, Dust and FEZ. But now Sony wants to give the power to the players and let them decide what free games they'll get each month.

The new feature is called Vote to Play, and was originally spotted in the What's New section of UK-based PlayStation 4's. Now Vote to Play isn't an open poll where you can suggest and vote on great AAA PS4 games; Sony will pick three games and users will be able to chose one of those games.

According to the promo, Sony will kick off the new feature with three indies (not surprising) including Ubisoft's popular Grow Home, Zombie Vikings, and Armello. If the selection is handled just right Sony could possibly overshadow Microsoft's own Games With Gold service, and it'll be interesting to see what games are offered in the future.

Microsoft has endured a few different technical challenges when it comes to streaming PC games from Windows 10 to the Xbox One, Xbox chief Phil Spencer confirmed.

Prior to the launch of Windows 10, many gamers were excited about the ability to stream their Xbox One games to PCs - but streaming PC games to the Xbox One also created some attention. However, trying to work out the bugs has been a challenge, as Microsoft needs to ensure the games are encoded and streamed properly.

Streaming from the game console to the PC is a simpler process "because we know exactly what you have," Spencer noted. "It's actually a little more challenging doing the encoding on the PC side to the Xbox, but [the] challenge is good."