Gaming - Page 1165

Today Dice and EA unveiled screen captures from Naval Strike, the next DLC in the Battlefield 4 series. Naval strike is a water-based map pack that is set in the South China Sea and features new weapons, gadgets, and vehicles. A new game mode called Carrier Assault is also introduced as well as the return of a favorite mode from Battlefield 2142. News of the new expansion pack comes just a week after Battlefield 4 Second Assault was launched for Premium PC members.

Water-based combat is one of the most thrilling things to do in Battlefield 4, and my time spent in fast attack crafts are a testament to that statement. Battlefield 4 Naval Strike truly brings the fight to the seal, and guarantees more intense on-water combat than ever before. A new amphibious hovercraft vehicle is included in the pack, and allows users to dominate both the sea and land over some of the most dynamic maps ever seen in Battlefield.

Blow open a crashed passenger plane and capture fishing villages across the tropical Lost Islands. Drop a submarine on your foes as you infiltrate a naval base or rush between shipping docks and rocky islands on the massive Wave Breaker map. Wage war across stormy seas in the largest ocean stretch in a Battlefield map yet with Nansha Strike. Storm an abandoned cliff-side resort, or get lost in the breathtaking vistas in Operation Mortar," said DICE in a blog post.

Action role-playing game Path of Exile was originally released towards the end of 2013, and garnered strong praise from game reviewers. The company's game is available to download for free and gamers don't have to worry about "paying-to-win," according to Grinding Gear Games, the studio behind Path of Exile. The studio is preparing to release its first major update, Sacrifice of the Vaal, next week to the delight of RPG gamers that have helped offer game input and criticism that is continually being improved.

Grinding Gear Games plans a major game upgrade every four months, with continued work to improve gameplay, add new items and features, and make sure gamers of all levels have new challenges and quests.

The levels are randomly generated so players have a unique environment with monsters in randomly spawned areas to fight. The Path of Exile Skill tree also has more than 1,400 nodes in the skill tree, so character customization also greatly alters each playing experience.

Fans of Halo have been waiting in anticipation for news on when the next game in the franchise will be available to play. We heard rumors that Halo 5 was delayed until late 2015. We have also heard rumors that Halo 2 Anniversary would be launching this year.

This week Microsoft Studios' Phil Spencer tweeted a tidbit that will make fans of Halo really look forward to E3 2014 this summer. Spencer tweeted that Halo news will be coming at E3. He also noted that 343 Industries has a great plan in place, exactly what plan he is talking about is unknown.

The tweet came in response to a gamer that tweeted at Spencer a question about what was going on with the next Halo game. It's always cool when a fan can ask a simple question and get a response from someone with Microsoft that knows. It's cool to get a response even if the response really doesn't offer any more information than wait and see.

Developers who sell their games via Steam can now set their own discount and sales on their own. Steam has confirmed that they have given the necessary tools to developers. The tool will also allow them to choose if they want to be a part of weekly Steam deal.

Doug Lombardi from Valve confirmed that the screenshot put up by a a developer with the username 'Sharkiller' was genuine. He added,"As with the addition of a 'Recently Updated' section to Steam, this is another effort to shorten the distance between developers and customers. This new Steamworks tool allows developers to configure discounts for their own products, on their own schedules. They can define custom sale periods or opt in to regularly scheduled sales. This will enable developers to better coordinate their promotions with events, announcements, or major updates they are planning for their products."

A screenshot was put up recently on imgur, where it was revealed how developers could select discounts and have their own sales for custom periods. The tool gives them complete control over the sale. The week-long sales can be set up to two months in advance, and sales created in developers can also do the same. Once they've pre-set the choices, the game offer/discounts will be made available at the specified time automatically. Valve conducts series of seasonal and weekly discounts & sales throughout the year.

One of the hottest tower offence games of 2012-2013 is coming to the PlayStation 4. The news came from Pawel Miechowski of 11 Bit Studios, who posted the news on the official PlayStation blog. He did not give an exact date on when the title will arrive on the next-gen console from Sony, but he did go into great detail education readers who may not have played the game before, on what the game is all about.

"In Anomaly 2, the story continues right after the invasion of Earth in 2018. Our planet is controlled by the aliens, and humankind is almost extinct. Those who managed to survive are grouped in convoys. Your convoy is called Yukon," Miechowski said. "In this sequel, you're again playing as Commander, controlling him on the battlefield and supporting the units in your convoy with four special abilities which you deploy during missions."

I've spent some time in Anomaly 2 on the PC and it is an immensely addicting game, and if 11 Bit Studios can pull it off on the PS4 in similar fashion, they are sure to have a best seller on their hands. Anomaly 2 is an older game, and no word has been given on pricing, but it has been part of the Humble Bundle before, so I would not expect it to be too expensive.

Titanfall is one of the most anticipated games of 2014 and today Xbox One gamers got the big letdown everyone has been expecting since the beta took place. Instead of releasing the game in 1080p for the Xbox One, its developers say that the game will not arrive on the Xbox One in full HD but somewhere between 720p and 1080p. Titanfall on the PC is no slouch with almost 50GB of install files, so we know the high-resolution textures are there, but not being utilized on the Xbox One.

The news came from Respawn Entertainment co-founder, Vince Zampella, via Twitter where he answered a question about the game arriving on the Xbox One in full HD. A Twitter user linked to a Twitter post by @Titanfall_EN which said "Titanfall will be 1080p on Xbox One, and asked if this is true. Zampella responded with the word "no." Unfortunately this appears to be the general conscientious when it comes to AAA titles on the Xbox One.

The biggest question here is how could Microsoft continue to let the biggest upcoming titles in gaming launch on its platform in anything but 1080p? Full HD is the common resolution in household living rooms today and virtually every PC game launched in the last two years has 1080p support. It almost appears as if Microsoft wants the Xbox One to fail so it can exit from the console gaming arena entirely. A friend of mine recently commented that it "feels like Microsoft has moved the Xbox franchise onto the same release patter that it uses for Windows. Good, Decent, Crap, Good, Decent, Crap. If so, does that mean that in 10 years, we will see a full HD Xbox released when 8K resolution is beginning to be phased out?

If you are a gamer that likes to play games on your Nintendo Wii or DS portable game console, Nintendo has announced something this week that won't leave a good feeling in your stomach. As of May 20, Nintendo will be ending the online gaming functionality of the Wi-Fi Connection service for legacy devices.

That means that Wii and DS gamers will no longer be able to play games like Mario Kart online against other players. Nintendo says that the games will still work in offline mode. Once you get used to racing against other people online, it's hard to go back to playing offline.

Nintendo is also clear that the online gaming support for the new Wii U and Nintendo 3DS will continue to work. That means if you want to play online with Nintendo games you will need to upgrade hardware.

If you are a fan of the Plants vs. Zombies franchise, you might recall the console game that we talked about at E3 last year. That game was called Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare and it was promised to land for console gamers this spring. This spring is here, even if it's cold in your neck of the woods.

PvZ Garden Warfare is now available for gamers on the Xbox 360 or Xbox One to purchase as a download. PopCap says that the PC version of the game will come later. Exactly how much later PC gamers have to wait is unknown.

The game has several multiplayer modes including two different 12 v 12 modes. Those modes are Garden & Graveyards and Team Vanquish. One of the coolest parts about Garden Warfare is that the player can choose to be a zombie or a plant. The mobile games always put you in the plants camp.

We know that South Park can be crude, but just how far will Trey Parker and Matt Stone push South Park: The Stick of Truth? The answer is pretty far, at least on consoles where it had to be censored in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, with the PC version of the game completely uncut.

For those in the US, you'll receive the full frontal version including swearing, poop jokes, and much more. The censored scenes from the consoles include:

The reasoning behind this is from Ubisoft, which says it is simply a "market decision". The consoles' censored parts will be replaced with some words from Trey Parker and Matt Stone.

If you thought Max Payne 3 had a mammoth installation on PC, prepare yourself for Titanfall. Respawn Entertainment's mech-based first-person shooter will see an installation of 48GB.

Compared to Call of Duty: Ghosts which took up 40GB of HDD space, Titanfall really takes the cake here. Titanfall's minimum system requirements have also been released, which are pretty moderate:

OS: 64-bit Windows 7, 8, 8.1

Dean Hall, the creator of DayZ, is planning to step down as the lead designer of the game. He has explained his desire to leave Bohemia Interactive, something he will do before the end of the year, after which he will set up a new studio in New Zealand.

Hall said: "I have a specific use. I'm really good at risk-taking and making other people take risks, I've always been good at that in my life. Like you say, maybe I've got the gift of the gab, so I can talk, I can explain something, I can talk people up to the ledge and get them to jump off it. Eventually, that's the bad person to have. Eventually, you don't want the guy telling you to go over the top and get through. So at some point I'll be a disaster for the project, at least in a leadership role".

The DayZ creator said that he had no plans to be around this year, but claimed "it would be stupid not to, and it would be unfair to the community". Don't fret though, as Hall will "always be involved" with DayZ, in either a leader or creative role. Hall said that DayZ is a "fundamentally flawed" concept, and that it is "not the perfect game, it's not the multiplayer experience, and it never can be, [with] the absolute spark that I want in it".

One of the things that bummed out some Xbox One gamers at launch was the fact that the Twitch live broadcasting service for games wasn't available. All the Xbox One gamer could do was record and upload videos. Gamers on the PS4 console were able to stream their live games.

The good news is that Twitch live game streaming will be coming to the Xbox One game console next month. The feature will come along with an update to the console in March. The update will bring with it in addition to live streaming of games the ability to start game broadcasts using your voice, the ability to archive game clips, and the ability to watch Twitch streams broadcast from any device.

That means you can watch PS4 game streams on your Xbox One. Right now, the Xbox One user can only spectate on streams or record game clips using the Upload app. Players will also be able to broadcast from their living room using the Kinect camera. The update should land on March 11 along with Titanfall.

Now that Respan Entertainment's Titanfall had a successful BETA testing on XBox One and on PC, its just a matter of time that the game will soon be released. Even in many retail stores and via online, pre-orders for Titanfall has started. That wouldn't really stop information to leak just yet!!

The response from Titanfall's BETA testing was great as million of gamers participated in it. The game is expected for release by next month. One of the aspects that would be present on Microsoft's gaming consoles are the achievement list. A member from neoGAF posted a total of 35 achievements of the game for XBox 360 and XBox One.

Achievement and its descriptions were provided, such as 'Kill 10 ejecting Pilots' and 'Kill all pilots during the evacuation single-handedly' and other achievements which is easily associated with the game. There has been no confirmation from Respawn Entertainment yet, and most likely we'll know about its authenticity once the game is released.

Microsoft is always working on updates for the Xbox One and Xbox 360 game consoles. Sometimes those updates are for bugs that have surfaced, like the black screen bug the last Xbox One update added for some. Other times the updates for the consoles add new features.

Microsoft has announce that it has been inviting specific Xbox Live gamers to beta the next update for the Xbox One game console. The Xbox team is working on an update for the Xbox One for March. The users that are chosen by Microsoft will get some of the features of that update early.

They will use the new features and provide Microsoft with feedback on the update via a private forum. Microsoft isn't offering any information on how it is choosing the people that will participate in the program. It does say that the users will be able to opt out of participating. That implies that the people don't have to ask to be part of the program.

The Microsoft Xbox One next-generation game console is getting hammered by the Sony PlayStation 4, and it's possible an official price cut could be coming soon. Both e-tailers and brick and mortar stores already are offering discounted prices or strong incentives to try and woo consumers to purchase the struggling Microsoft console.

If customers purchase the Xbox One from WalMart, the large box retailer will throw in one free game with the transaction. Meanwhile, Target is now offering up a gift card worth the same amount as one free game title for customers looking to make other purchases.

It's a shame to see the Xbox One struggle so early, and it's going to take games such as Titanfall and other high-profile titles to help boost sales. Microsoft officials recently said it doesn't plan to launch cheaper models, or officially cut prices at the moment, though that obviously could change quickly.

Several days ago, we told you about Microsoft's plans to release new audio and video accessories for the Xbox One in early March, and today the final piece of that puzzle was officially unveiled. Today Microsoft confirmed the existence of an official Xbox One Media Remote, something we first saw leaked on Amazon last week.

The official Xbox One Media Remote features white backlit keys that are motion activated, which illuminates them as soon as you pick the remote up. Other features include a OneGuide button for the built-in Xbox One TV feature. Channel up and down buttons, and a touch-sensitive navigation pad is on had as well. Microsoft says that the remote will be priced at just $24.95 and will release world wide in early March, confirming the timeline we mentioned in our original post.

Boutique gaming company Feenix has launched the Aria gaming headset, aimed towards providing gamers with better quality sound than regular headphones.

Using Japanese pine wood for the acoustic chamber, coupled with 50mm neodymium magnet drivers, Feenix wanted to bring audiophile sound to the gaming market. Aria owners have an immersive experience with 100% memory foam that surround the ear, and an independent clip microphone that provides "studio-grade recording" ability.

"For years gamers have been misled as to what they should be looking for in a gaming heaset," said Ashkon Shayani, Feenix Creative Director, in a press release. "Their choices have had nothing but poor sound quality, gimmicky features, and unnaturally over pronounced bass. The Aria focuses on providing high grade audio and reproducing sounds perfectly in studio monitor fashion. The result is the ability to hear sounds you never knew existed."

Final Fantasy gamers rejoice! According to series producer Yoshinori Kitase, it looks like future Final Fantasy games will make their way to the PC. Kitase talked with Eurogamer, saying that while the series has a long history on consoles, this could change moving into the future.

Kitase said: "Let's not forget, when we developed the Final Fantasy 13 series, all three titles, at the early stages of development we were working on PC. Then we had to port it to the consoles. As far as the technology is concerned, it would have been possible for us to make a PC version, but we decided against it for two reasons: we looked at the market situation and we didn't think it would be a good idea, and also it would have involved lots of complex issues like security. So we decided not to do it this time around".

It's interesting to note that Kitase said it "would have been possible for us to make a PC version" but there were reasons behind it. He continued: "But we see potential in it and there are lots of regions and countries where PC is very strong. So in terms of our hope of being able to deliver our games to every single country in the world and to as many gamers as possible, yes, we would definitely be interested in pursuing that route in the future".

We've had a couple of teases of Fallout 4 lately, one where the trademark was filed and we thought it was close to being announced, and another teasing that 'nuclear winter is coming soon'. Both of those, seem to be weird, detailed dreams to the news we're about to break to you.

Bethesda's game director, Todd Howard, has come out and publicly said: "We don't [have a timeframe for our next game announcement], but I think it's gonna be a while". We've gotten fairly used to all the questions and curiosity over the years. Everyone wants information. Right now, we're just trying to figure out which of our ideas are going to stick and finding an appropriate time to talk about it.

It's not all bad news, as it seems that the PC is important to the developer, where Howard was enthusiastic about the best platform in the world. He said: "PC is resurgent. Skyrim did better than we've ever done on PC by a large, large number. And that's where the mods are. That feeds the game for a long time. And it's exciting that the new consoles are very PC-like. That opens up avenues for us going forward to do things that we've wanted to do in the past. There are kind of random ideas we're working on right now, and it's like, 'Wow, I think there's potential here to do some really cool stuff".

One of the biggest problems in Battlefield 4 is the pace at which different players rank up their weapons and unlock new ones. Each person unlocks weapons at different rates due to their skill level, time spent in each class, and even their campaign and challenge participation. EA and DICE have just released a new feature for Battlefield 4 that they hope will level the playing field for some players who are new or are falling behind.

Known as Shortcut Kits, these new packs allow players to purchase (free for premium players for a limited time) kits that fill out their Handgun, DMR, Grenade, and Shotgun kits by simply buying the pack from the in-game store. During February and the beginning of March, 4 shortcut packs will be available, and you can find out how to get yours below.