Gaming - Page 897

To celebrate 10 years of Assassin's Creed Ubisoft will give away Black Flag, which could be the second best game in the series (behind AC: Origins of course).

Although Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag came out in 2013 the game still holds up tremendously well today, and deserves a spin. Ubisoft will give away free PC copies of the game starting December 12, but you'll only have a limited window of opportunity to register and receive the game. Of course this promo is available on uPlay, the company's proprietary storefront/game service. Signing up for uPlay is worth it to get this one, though: Black Flag is a fun romp through the Golden Age of Piracy and takes you across the Caribbean as you wreak total havoc, pillage, and sink ships.

Right now Ubisoft is giving away the World of Conflict Complete Edition for free on uPlay, so grab that if you want something to play right now.

Ubisoft's massively popular shooter Rainbow Six: Siege has now hit over 20 million registered users, and has a new content update to go with that milestone.

Like its competitors EA, Activision and Take-Two, French games-maker Ubisoft is in the business of engagement. So when the company's biggest shooter hits 25 million registered users, it's a pretty big deal--even if not all of those people log in everyday and play. But even if a portion of those users log in and actually spend money on in-game items and the like, it fuels Ubisoft's ever-strengthening digital transformation. The release of the game's new Operation White Noise expansion

"As the game progressed, we continued to develop it with the community in mind," says said Alexandre Remy, Brand Director on Rainbow Six Siege. "We're thrilled to see that the community has embraced the game, brought along their friends, and really pushed our understanding of what's possible with what we've created."

Battlefront II's dreaded lootbox controversy has had an affect on not only EA but the entire games industry, and has caught the attention of key regulators who call the game's in-game purchases a form of gambling. So what's next?

Analyst firm SuperData has given some insight on what could happen to the games industry in the wake of the Battlefront II lootbox fiasco. According to the firm, three different things could happen: lootboxes are classified as gambling, which would significantly disrupt the current lucrative monetization model of the biggest games-makers like Activision, Ubisoft, Take-Two and EA; things could remain the same, which would be best for all publishers; or lootboxes are regulated but not necessarily classified as gambling, and the Western world follows China's example by forcing publishers to disclose drop rates.

All of the scenarios will bring change, the firm predicts. Even if lootboxes aren't regulated publishers should be quite reticent to push in specific forms of microtransactions in their games lest they kick off yet another controversy, this time aimed at one of their franchises instead of a competitor. That being said EA has suffused UFC 3 with microtransactions (not surprising, annual sports games are huge money-makers and EA is all about feeding engagement which is powered by monetization strategies) shortly after the Battlefront II struggle.

Just as we predicted days ago, Capcom has not only announced a brand new Mega Man game, but plans to bring a slew of games to the Nintendo Switch.

To celebrate 30 years of Mega Man, games-maker Capcom has revealed Mega Man 11, a brand new entry in the beloved side-scrolling franchise that will come to PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Switch in late 2018. The game itself follows the same Metroidvania style but this time around there's 3D hand-drawn artwork that only resembles Mighty No. 9 on the surface. In fact the game looks to be everything Mighty No. 9 wanted to be.

Along with Mega Man 11 Capcom will release all Mega Man X games on the Nintendo Switch, making good on two promises at once: to continue supporting the Switch and pulling older franchises to the forefront of the company's business model.

Jason Kingsley, CEO of Rebellion Developments, the developer known for single-player titles such as the Sniper Elite franchise as well as Aliens vs. Predator said in a recent interview on Metro GamesCentral that single-player games are not dead and that the "industry is incredibly dynamic."

Kingsley continues to explains that the current direction of the gaming market needs to be looked and to do this feedback needs to be given by the players. Kingsley believes that the loot-box system needs full feedback from gamers as there seems to be divide in the community of players that actually like the system and then players that extremely disagree with the implication of it in their games.

Enjoying games is originally the whole point of the gaming experience but Kingsley is worried that main component is being clouded by the desperate need to make as much money as possible out of players that are willing to give more money on top of the initial cost of their favorite game.

Rockstar Games are getting in the holiday spirit by offering up some pretty damn amazing one-of-a-kind gifts, with L.A. Noire themed consoles with the Xbox One X, PS4 Pro, and Nintendo Switch.

PC gamers aren't left out, as there's a... PSU.

The developer is celebrating the re-release of L.A. Noire again, as it's available in VR and now on the Nintendo Switch. On the more powerful Xbox One X and PS4 Pro consoles, Rockstar has added in some technical enhancements including improved lighting and clouds, as well as higher resolution textures.

Thanks to a cast of stars and a slew of reveals, this year's The Game Awards celebration is shaping up to be pretty substantial.

2017 was one of the best year's for gaming in a long time, and the year just didn't quite pushing out great games. Now that December's rolled around 2017 is almost kaput, and that means it's time to reflect and reward devs' hard work. Geoff Keighley's annual TGA 2017 showcase will include a number of high-profile celebrities this time, including Justin Roiland, Felicia Day, Andy Serkis, Aisha Tyler, Zachary Levi, and of course Hideo Kojima, Guillermo Del Toro, and Norman Reedus (hey looks like we're getting new Death Stranding info!).

The show will also have "more reveals than ever before" so we should see some goodies announced from publishers and indie devs alike. The Game Awards 2017 starts on Thursday, December 7 at 8:30PM EST / 5:30 PM PST.

After most of the gaming world already knew it was happening, From Software has now confirmed it's handling the development of a new Armored Core game.

In celebration of the original game's 20th anniversary, From Software, who's mostly known for its Dark Souls series, has announced it will be making the next mech shooter. The anniversary will be celebrated with a new PS4 theme and a special stream highlighting the new game's music...but no new details will be announced during the footage.

"Armored Core 20th Anniversary PS4 theme will be delivered to 12/5 tomorrow. Please download it! Since from now on from software will continue to push forward with development, thank you!" the studio wrote on Twitter. "Watch Armored Core 20th anniversary music special, thank you! But now I can talk about the AC series is not going to end it, so please be patient. Continue from software, thank you!"

In wake of the heated pay-to-win lootbox controversy, EA today revealed a slew of new changes coming to Battlefront II.

Publisher Electronic Arts has been adamant that nothing about Battlefront II is set in stone: even EA CFO Blake Jorgensen says the company made a few mistakes regarding monetization, and says the company will learn from these errors. Now after the first wave of changes that adjusted Star Cards, EA is altering a few other things about the contested Star Wars shooter.

The big new changes including adjustments to "economy and progression", ie how fast you earn credits and the like. Every match you complete nets you more credits that can be redeemed for lootboxes, and if you do better in the session, you earn more credits. Arcade Mode earnings has also been boosted, and EA confirmed a new singleplayer DLC pack for the game's campaign mode.

In the wake of the convoluted and messy Battlefront II lootbox controversy shockwaves have been sent across the industry and major publishers are taking notice. But for the most part the big players like Take-Two Interactive and Activision aren't really perturbed about microtransactions...but they've heard consumers loud and clear regardless.

Now that EA has been thoroughly vilified within the gaming community, what do its competitors think about lootboxes? Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption publisher Take-Two Interactive doesn't think lootboxes are gambling perse, but the company knows that content comes first and monetization second.

"We don't view that sort of thing as gambling. Our view of it is the same as the ESA statements. In terms of the consumer, the sort of noise you hear in the market right now, for me it's really all about content. It's all about how we're delivering on content and making sure you're focused on engagement," said Take-Two President Karl Slatoff at Credit Suisse's annual technology conference.

Sony's PlayStation brand is incredibly important to the Japanese tech titan, and the company shows no signs of stopping with exclusives and unique games.

The PlayStation 4 has a commanding lead over Microsoft's Xbox One for a very big reason: games. There's just so many great exclusives available on the platform. This proves Sony's gambit in pumping untold millions into studios and projects has paid off big time, and it's not about to slow up. At the 2017 PlayStation Awards in Tokyo, Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan and Asia President Atsushi Morita said some interesting things that proves the future is just as bright as ever for PlayStation--don't expect the "absolute joy" and touching moments to end any time soon.

"Entertainment has evolved over the years: it started in the world of text, then we had cartoons with pictures, which then adopted movement and turned into anime and films, and they have become interactive. Games continue to evolve absorbing the best or the best of all types of entertainment along with the advancement of technology. Today they are the most cutting-edge format of entertainment," Mr. Morita said during the event's keynote.

A new study from the University of New York's Psychology department finds a direct collaboration between strategy games like League of Legends and high IQ test results.

MOBA skill can be a direct indication on intelligence, or at least that's what the study has found. Previously games like Chess and the Chinese game Go were seen as major brain-building past-times, but the advent of gaming brings yet another: strategy games. According to the study, the rote memory combined with the on-the-fly strategic planning and reactions to countless possibilities are the main drivers to this intelligence growth; gamers must be able to adapt to a number of different situations in order to win, many of which are expanded thanks to the myriad of characters, moves, environments, etc.

"If this was chess, no-one would be surprised by this at all," said Alex Wade, Professor of Psychology at the University of York. "The only surprise here really is that there are some videogames now that are as complicated as chess and people play them all the time. Unlike first-person shooter games where speed and target accuracy are a priority, MOBAs rely more on memory and the ability to make strategic decisions taking into account multiple factors.

It's been quite a long time since Capcom tapped the beloved Mega Man franchise, but that could change soon.

In a surprise move (well not that surprising) Japanese games-maker Capcom has teased a special 30th anniversary for the Blue Bomber. The company told IGN that it will hold a live stream on their Twitch channel starting December 4, but exact details were vague. There could be some nice surprises (maybe the Mega Man Collection is finally coming to Switch? or a brand new Mega Man side-scroller?!) during the event.

The invite sent to IGN says "you won't want to miss it," so Capcom could be cooking up something good here. Back in May we reported that Capcom wants to resurrect old franchises and IPs an in effort to bolster game sales on digital and physical platforms, and Mega Man is assuredly a golden oldie in that respect.

Despite being a big jump ahead of the original Xbox One model, Microsoft's new Xbox One X owners won't enjoy an FPS boost in PUBG.

Earlier we reported that PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds--the hottest game on PC right now--will run at a nice smooth 60FPS on the Xbox One X, whereas the older Xbox One and Xbox One S models would be geared more towards 30FPS. Now PlayerUnknown Brendan Greene says the game will run at 30FPS on all Xbox One hardware, likely in an effort to preserve parity across the family and not give Xbox One X users a clear edge. However, it's possible the game could be fine-tuned when it's ready for a full-fledged release in 2018.

"While I previously stated PUBG would run at higher FPS at XGP launch on 12/12, I want to clarify that PUBG will run at 30 FPS across all @Xbox One devices," Greene said on Twitter. "We're constantly refining the game & exploring options to increase FPS, but this early in dev, we're unable to confirm more."

Amazon is broadening the spectrum of ways that Alexa can assist its owners, from reading the weather out to you based on your current location, to catching you up with news are just some of the ways Alexa can benefit your day-to-day life.

Now, thanks to Amazon if you happen to be playing Destiny 2 you have the option downloading your own personal Ghost.

Destiny 2 players will have the option of downloading an Alexa skill called 'Destiny 2 Ghost' which allows your Alexa device to take control of your in-game Ghost granting it access to changing gear presets, checking if friends are online and answering curiosities by just simply asking "Alexa, ask Ghost what I should do next."

Star Citizen is currently within 3.0 alpha and the game seems nowhere near close to being complete, developers Cloud Imperium Games have also added microtransactions to the game even though they are the most successfully crowdfunded company to date, they have turned to what every PC gamer currently can't stand.

With the amount of ambition Star Citizen has and not to mention the pressure the company is on after receiving so much support, there is a clear fact that Star Citizen would benefit from having microtransactions as an option within the game.

Already, the game contains the option to purchase licenses for land plots on planets, moons and asteroids that are controlled by the United Empire of Earth. The plots are costing $50 for 4km x 4km and 8km x 8km for $100, through in-game currencies these plots can also be earned and will have no advantage when the game is fully released.

Nintendo for the first time in 28 years, as officially endorsed the new Super Mario Cereal. Yeah, that's not a typo. The company has teamed up with Kellogg's for Super Mario Cereal, as a limited edition cereal box that will reach the US next month.

Nintendo explains: "With Super Mario Cereal, Nintendo and Kellogg's have teamed up to take fans on a breakfast odyssey that will continue long after the cereal box is empty. This powered-up partnership with Kellogg's is another exciting way for us to expand the Nintendo brand in unique and creative ways. We are always looking for new opportunities to bring smiles to people of all ages, and this is a fun way to kick off the day".

The company continued: "The limited-edition cereal box will begin hitting store shelves across the US next month. Those playing the Super Mario Odyssey game can tap the cereal box on the Nintendo Switch system, like you would an Amiibo, to receive gold coins or a heart in the game. Even the cereal itself has a Super Mario twist, with colorful power-up marshmallows and a blast of mixed berry flavor in every box".

Battlegrounds will be launching exclusively to the Xbox One on December 12, but there will be some Xbox One X specific enhancements that will provide a much smoother chicken dinner experience.

During an interview with gamesTM issue 194, Brendan 'PlayerUnknown' Greene said that PUBG will be running at 60FPS on Xbox One. He said: "Xbox is synonymous with gaming, you know what I mean? And there's a huge player base out there that prefer to play on console, so bringing it to the Xbox One systems is just great".

Greene continued: "It's like I can finally say yup, I have a game on Xbox. So I think we could see incredible numbers on console, but again, I don't want to jinx it. We're more focused on getting a good game out. Like, as much as it sounds a bit shitty, we're not focused on player numbers. Sure, from a server point of view we have to be, but that's what our goal here is. It's not to have millions of players, our goal is to put a good game onto both platforms".

The short-lived Pokemon GO phenomenon saw millions of players getting out into the real-world for a while, but the game also caused hundreds of accidents and even deaths because people weren't looking where they were going.

According to a new study titled 'Death by Pokemon GO' by Purdue University economists Mara Faccio and John McConnell, the AR-based game resulted in somewhere between $2 billion and $7.3 billion of vehicular damage alone, in its first 148 days post-release. The researchers collected the data from crash reports in Tippecanoe, Indiana during the first five months of Pokemon GO's release.

They discovered that there were not just two deaths, but between $5.2 million and $25.5 million in additional damages caused from events related to Pokemon GO. After that, they scaled the numbers up adjusting for the entire US population to have an average of 100,000 accidents.

Fortnite has been updated for the Xbox One X, with developer Epic Games increasing the visual quality of the game up to something that's said to be comparable to the PC running on "Epic" quality.

Epic Games' new v1.9.1 update for Fortnite also bumps the resolution to 4K on the Xbox One X, but it's not being rendered in native 4K. Instead, Fortnite is rendered at 80% of 4K resolution, and then upscaled to 4K using a high-quality software upsampler. But don't worry, Fortnite's UI is rendered in native 4K, hooray.

The improved "Epic" graphics quality setting will give Fortnite better looking reflections, greater draw distances, higher resolution textures and shadows, and higher quality post processes like motion blur, anti-aliasing, and depth of field.