http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Fri, 23 May 2014 06:57:43 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/elder-scrolls-online-update-introduces-first-adventure-zone-tons-of-fixes/1100-6419834/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2539561-craglorn1.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539561" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2539561-craglorn1.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539561"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2539561-craglorn1.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Bethesda has released the first major update for MMORPG <a href="/the-elder-scrolls-online/" data-ref-id="false">The Elder Scrolls Online</a>, introducing the game's first adventure zone, Craglorn, as well as a wealth of improvements and fixes. The update, Update 1, began rolling out yesterday and should be widely available now.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Craglorn includes a new storyline and gameplay designed for groups of Veteran Rank players, Bethesda says. Players will take on new quests as they seek to discover the "Celestial threat" to Tamriel. There's even a new 12-player Trials system, where your team will have a limited number of respawns to use as you try to reach a final boss.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Update 1 for The Elder Scrolls Online also brings a new feature called Death Recap, a screen that should help you better understand how you died and perhaps more importantly, what you can do differently next time.</p><p style="">The update also promises to fix bugs and improve the game overall with updates for quests and skill line abilities, as well as various tweaks to other systems. Some of these changes include optimizations that should improve your overall graphics performance and a fix for a bug that sometimes made you fall off your horse when sprinting. The full list of Elder Scrolls Online Update 1 patch notes is <a href="http://elderscrollsonline.com/en/news/post/2014/05/22/patch-notes-v112#Miscellaneous" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">available on the game's website</a>.</p><p style="">The Elder Scrolls Online launched <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-elder-scrolls-online-xbox-one-and-ps4-release-date-is-two-months-after-pc/1100-6416658/" data-ref-id="1100-6416658">last month for PC </a>and <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/elder-scrolls-online-xbox-one-ps4-delay-confirmed-bethesda-explains-why-it-was-necessary/1100-6419504/" data-ref-id="1100-6419504">should be available on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 by the end of 2014</a>, but there's <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/bethesda-can-t-guarantee-that-elder-scrolls-online-will-hit-xbox-one-ps4-in-2014/1100-6419803/" data-ref-id="1100-6419803">no guarantee that the game won't slip to 2015</a>. For more, you can read <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-elder-scrolls-online-review/1900-6415741/" data-ref-id="1900-6415741">GameSpot's review of the PC version of The Elder Scrolls Online</a>. </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 23 May 2014 06:18:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/elder-scrolls-online-update-introduces-first-adventure-zone-tons-of-fixes/1100-6419834/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-defends-microtransactions-for-ps4-racing-game-driveclub/1100-6419833/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/mig/1/3/6/5/2051365-704524_20130820_003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2051365" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/mig/1/3/6/5/2051365-704524_20130820_003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2051365"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/mig/1/3/6/5/2051365-704524_20130820_003.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="">Upcoming PlayStation 4 racing game <a href="/driveclub/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/driveclub/">Driveclub </a>will have <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-racer-driveclub-has-microtransactions-and-here-s-how-they-work/1100-6419537/" data-ref-id="1100-6419537" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-racer-driveclub-has-microtransactions-and-here-s-how-they-work/1100-6419537/">microtransactions that allow you to use real money to unlock cars </a>faster than you would that standard gameplay. In a new interview with <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-05-22-evolution-addresses-driveclub-micro-transactions-concern" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="2014-05" data-mce-href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-05-22-evolution-addresses-driveclub-micro-transactions-concern">Eurogamer</a>, director Paul Rustchynsky defended the game's use of microtransactions, saying the system will be a "non-issue" once players see how they work.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Driveclub's microtransaction system is <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-racer-driveclub-has-microtransactions-and-here-s-how-they-work/1100-6419537/" data-ref-id="1100-6419537" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-racer-driveclub-has-microtransactions-and-here-s-how-they-work/1100-6419537/">identical</a> to that of developer Evolution Studios' 2012 PlayStation Network game <a href="/motorstorm-rc/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/motorstorm-rc/">MotorStorm RC</a>. Rustchynsky said "there were no complaints" about that game's use of real-money payments, and in fact people said, "That's a great way to access this content immediately," he said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Sony isn't yet saying how much it will charge for Driveclub's microtransactions, but Rustchynsky said, "We don't want players to feel like we're nickel-and-diming them. That's not our intention." He went on to say that microtransactions can become an issue when they negatively impact the overall game experience, but this isn't the case for Driveclub, he said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"The important thing about microtransactions is if they ever influence the game design or the progression then yes, there can be a negative influence," Rustchynsky said. "But that's absolutely not what we've done with Driveclub. Progression is quick. You unlock cars rapidly. If you're part of a club you get access to those things super quick."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"The proof will be when people play Driveclub," he added. "They'll see it's a non-issue when they get their hands-on and start to play the game. It's not intrusive. It's almost invisible. It's something we actually kind of hide a little bit."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Of course, these microtransactions are entirely optional. For <a href="/gran-turismo-6/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/gran-turismo-6/">Gran Turismo 6</a>, microtransactions are an<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-boss-defends-microtransactions/1100-6416554/" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-boss-defends-microtransactions/1100-6416554/"> alternate path for busy people</a>, according to Sony. It sounds like their purpose is similar for Driveclub.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Also in the interview, Rustchynsky tackled the matter of Driveclub's <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/1080p-30fps-for-ps4-game-driveclub-is-absolutely-the-best-thing/1100-6419324/" data-ref-id="1100-6419324" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/1080p-30fps-for-ps4-game-driveclub-is-absolutely-the-best-thing/1100-6419324/">1080p/60fps</a> technical performance, saying, "We think 1080p and 30 frames per second is the right choice for Driveclub. When players see it and play it, they'll be happy with that decision."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Driveclub launches <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-exclusive-racer-driveclub-delayed-again-but-gets-a-new-director/1100-6419279/" data-ref-id="1100-6419279" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-exclusive-racer-driveclub-delayed-again-but-gets-a-new-director/1100-6419279/">October 7</a> exclusively for the PS4. A free "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-racer-driveclub-is-super-accessible-but-also-deep/1100-6419299/" data-ref-id="1100-6419299" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-racer-driveclub-is-super-accessible-but-also-deep/1100-6419299/">feature-complete</a>" PlayStation Plus version will also be available at launch for PlayStation Plus subscribers ($50/year). For more on Driveclub, be sure to read <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/driveclub/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/driveclub/">GameSpot's previous coverage</a>.</p><p style=""><br /></p><table data-max-width="true" class="mceItemTable"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow" data-mce-href="mailto:news@gamespot.com">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table><p style=""><br /></p> Fri, 23 May 2014 05:55:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-defends-microtransactions-for-ps4-racing-game-driveclub/1100-6419833/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/left-4-dead-3-in-development-and-looks-great-counter-strike-co-creator-says/1100-6419832/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2539549-left4dead2.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539549" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2539549-left4dead2.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539549"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2539549-left4dead2.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Piling on to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/left-4-dead-3-listing-spotted-during-valve-office-tour/1100-6412562/" data-ref-id="1100-6412562">previous leaks</a>, <a href="/counter-strike/" data-ref-id="false">Counter-Strike</a> co-creator Minh Le said in a new interview that Left 4 Dead 3 is in development and it is coming along well Speaking with <a href="http://youtu.be/QGAP9iygk00" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">goRGNtv</a>, Le--who no longer works at Valve--said, "It wouldn't be any news if I said yes, I saw it. It looks great."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"So I was really excited when I saw that. I was like 'Wow, this looks great.' I really enjoyed Left 4 Dead," he added. "It was just one of those games that really changed the industry because I think at the time there weren't many good co-op games, so it was like, 'Yeah, this is a great co-op game.'"</p><p dir="ltr" style="">2008's original <a href="/left-4-dead/" data-ref-id="false">Left 4 Dead </a>was developed by Turtle Rock Studios, which has since split from Valve and is working on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC game <a href="/evolve/" data-ref-id="false">Evolve</a>. <a href="/left-4-dead-2/" data-ref-id="false">Left 4 Dead 2</a> was released just a year later in 2009. Though rumors have abounded about a third installment in the series, Valve has not said anything official on the matter, and the company was not immediately available to comment today.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Also in the interview, Le teases that another much-anticipated Valve game--Half-Life 3--is indeed in development and he's seen concept art for it.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"There's like a laser sight on my head right now. I don't know if I can talk about that, to be honest. I think it's kind of public knowledge that people know that it is being worked on," Le said about Half-Life 3. "So if I were to say I've seen some images, like some concept art of it, that wouldn't be big news. But I guess I could say that I did see something that looked like kind of like in the Half-Life universe. It wouldn't surprise anyone if I said 'Yeah, they're working on it.' So I mean, to go out on a limb, I would say yeah, I did see some concept art for Half-Life 3. Somebody's knocking on my door right now [laughs]. It seems like old news. I think everyone kind of knows that it's being worked on."</p><p style="">Le's latest project is free-to-play shooter <a href="/tactical-intervention/" data-ref-id="false">Tactical Intervention</a>, available now on Steam. He <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/counter-strike-co-creator-says-fps-games-not-as-exciting-as-they-used-to-be/1100-6418023/" data-ref-id="1100-6418023">didn't like the idea of making a free-to-play game</a>, but the business model choice was not his to make, he said in a recent interview. For more on Le's impact on the gaming world, be sure to read GameSpot's interview with the designer, as part of our new feature, "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/dust-to-dust-the-history-of-counter-strike/1100-6419676/" data-ref-id="1100-6419676">Dust to Dust: The History of Counter-Strike</a>."</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 23 May 2014 05:19:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/left-4-dead-3-in-development-and-looks-great-counter-strike-co-creator-says/1100-6419832/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/sniper-elite-3-headshots-and-nutshots-return/2300-6418940/ Rebellion swings by to show us weapon loadouts, new x-ray kill shots, coop, and mayhem in North Africa. Fri, 23 May 2014 05:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/sniper-elite-3-headshots-and-nutshots-return/2300-6418940/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/former-video-game-journalist-writing-screenplay-for-upcoming-star-wars-movie/1100-6419831/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2539536-starwarswhitta.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539536" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2539536-starwarswhitta.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539536"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2539536-starwarswhitta.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Gary Whitta, a former video game journalist and writer on Telltale Games' <a href="/the-walking-dead-a-telltale-games-series/" data-ref-id="false">The Walking Dead</a>, will write the screenplay for an upcoming Star Wars standalone movie, Disney and Lucasfilm have announced. Whitta's screenplay is for one of multiple offshoot movies that will "offer new stories beyond the core Saga." <em>Godzilla</em> director Gareth Edwards will direct the untitled movie, which will hit theaters on December 16, 2016.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Whitta previously served as editor-in-chief of <em>PC Gamer</em> magazine. His screenwriting credits include 2010's <em>The Book of Eli</em> and last year's <em>After Earth</em>. Most recently, he wrote for Telltale Games' acclaimed The Walking Dead adventure game series.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"From the moment I first saw the original movie as a wide-eyed kid, Star Wars has been the single most profound inspiration to my imagination and to my career as a writer," Whitta said in a statement. "It is deeply special to me, so to be given the opportunity to contribute to its ongoing legacy, especially in collaboration with a filmmaker as talented as Gareth, is literally a dream come true. I'm still pinching myself."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The next Star Wars movie is <em>Star Wars Episode VII</em>, which comes to theaters December 18, 2015. It features <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/official-star-wars-episode-vii-movie-cast-announced/1100-6419293/" data-ref-id="1100-6419293">actors from the original trilogy</a>, including Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher, as well as <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/official-star-wars-episode-vii-movie-cast-announced/1100-6419293/" data-ref-id="1100-6419293">newcomers </a>like <em>Lord of the Rings</em> actor Andy Serkis and Harry Potter's Domhnall Gleeson.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Electronic Arts signed a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-not-looking-to-make-star-wars-movie-tie-ins/1100-6416288/" data-ref-id="1100-6416288">10-year exclusive development deal with Disney last year for new Star Wars games</a>, one of which is an all-new <a href="/star-wars-battlefront/" data-ref-id="false">Star Wars: Battlefront</a> title from Battlefield developer DICE in Sweden.</p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 23 May 2014 04:49:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/former-video-game-journalist-writing-screenplay-for-upcoming-star-wars-movie/1100-6419831/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-s-lowest-rated-game-will-be-rebuilt-from-scratch-developer-pledges/1100-6419830/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6415865" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6415865/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">The developer behind the lowest-rated game on PlayStation 4, <a href="/basement-crawl/" data-ref-id="false">Basement Crawl</a>, has said to GameSpot that it is working to rebuild the game from scratch as a way of apologising to those who purchased it to begin with.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Basement Crawl was released back in February, and was described as a "lackluster, multiplayer-only Bomberman clone bereft of features" <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/basement-crawl-review/1900-6415683/">in its GameSpot review</a>. The title also has an overall rating of 27 on review aggregator (and GameSpot sister site) <a href="http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-4/basement-crawl" rel="nofollow">Metacritic</a>, currently giving it the lowest Metascore of any PlayStation 4 title released to date. Even <a href="/nba-live-14/" data-ref-id="false">NBA Live 14</a> scraped a 43!</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Bloober Team's Marc Colhoun told GameSpot that the developer is now looking to rebuild the game entirely. "Firstly, I think that I should start this off by apologising to those of you who bought Basement Crawl and have been waiting for us to fix it," said Colhoun. "The game was a mess for both you and us."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Usually, what you will see at this point is a lot of marketing talk and maybe a patch. Rather than accepting defeat on this and issuing a patch that kinda fixes this or kinda improves that, we have decided to just come out and explain to you where we are right now and what we plan to do. We have been rebuilding the game, completely from scratch and on a new engine."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"I know that this isn't really the way things are usually done in the industry, but I think that if you have put a bad product out to people it is your job to do what you can to fix that. Even if it means going back to the drawing board on a game that has already been released."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We don't want to come out and say that this [new version] is going to be 10/10 GoTY, but just a way for us to regain the trust of gamers. We also really don't want anyone to think that this is some kind of quick money grab. So, we will be giving this game for free to people who bought the original game. This is our priority, to ensure that we give you what you expected from us. To do this we are getting in touch with as many people as we can that bought the game to get feedback and help ensure that you guys are just as much part of the process as we are."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"This deals with the technical issues we ran into but a few of you spoke about how there needs to be a tutorial, AI, more game types and so on. We have added all of these things into the game and more. We aren't talking about it too much right now simply because we are in no position to be making promises to people."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">If you aren't interested in downloading the new version of Basement Crawl, a patch for the existing build will also be made available in the future. No dates for either the rebuilt or patched versions of Basement Crawl was given.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Martin Gaston is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/squidmania" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @squidmania</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 23 May 2014 04:25:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-s-lowest-rated-game-will-be-rebuilt-from-scratch-developer-pledges/1100-6419830/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/world-s-first-watch-dogs-review-comes-from-conan-o-brien/1100-6419829/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZE6OnFKxdi4" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FZE6OnFKxdi4%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DZE6OnFKxdi4&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FZE6OnFKxdi4%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">The world's first <a href="/watch-dogs/" data-ref-id="false">Watch Dogs </a>review has arrived, but it's come from an unlikely source: comedian Conan O'Brien. As part of his regular "Clueless Gamer" segment, O'Brien plays and critiques the PlayStation 4 version of Watch Dogs, wreaking havoc on the game's fictional Chicago and making fun of things like main character Aiden Pearce's Jacket.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">O'Brien also jabbed at how Watch Dogs focuses on hacking. "The action [in past video games] used to be 'slay the dragon.' Now it's, 'Let's go into a basement and play with computers!'" Of course, hacking is just one part of Watch Dogs. The game also offers gunplay, melee combat, and car racing sequences of the more traditional "action" fare.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The comedian even asked if because Pearce can hack into anything in Watch Dogs, including personal cameras, does that mean he can watch people having sex? The game does let you watch romantic encounters, but the sex is only implied, never actually shown.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">O'Brien's verdict? "It'll blow your mind. Watch Dogs. Coming out May 27. If you're a cool dude, you'll love it. If you're a hacker who likes to stay in a basement and play around with people's adjustable rate mortgage, you'll really love it."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Of course, O'Brien's Clueless Gamer segment is often <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/some-games-pay-to-appear-on-conan-s-clueless-gamer-segments/1100-6417337/" data-ref-id="1100-6417337">sponsored in part by the publishers of the games that appear there</a>, so it's not much of a surprise that O'Brien would speak so positively. The video segment is essentially just a marketing piece for the game, and with over 100,000 views in under 12 hours, I'd say it's working.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">After <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-goes-gold-on-track-for-release-later-this-month/1100-6419641/" data-ref-id="1100-6419641">more than 5.5 years of development</a>, Watch Dogs launches next Tuesday, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-release-date-announced-for-everything-except-wii-u/1100-6417977/" data-ref-id="1100-6417977">May 27</a>, for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PS4, and PC. A <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-for-wii-u-definitely-not-canceled/1100-6418164/" data-ref-id="1100-6418164">Wii U version is coming later</a>. We recently got to play the first hour of the game, and you can watch a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/videos/watch-dogs-ps4-now-playing/2300-6418882/" data-ref-id="2300-6418882">replay of our live-stream right here</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 23 May 2014 04:15:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/world-s-first-watch-dogs-review-comes-from-conan-o-brien/1100-6419829/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/tropico-5-review/2300-6418939/ Tropico 5's irreverent wit and smooth difficulty curve make governing your own banana republic an easy and enjoyable experience. Thu, 22 May 2014 17:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/tropico-5-review/2300-6418939/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/super-smash-bros-wii-u-will-use-nfc/1100-6419826/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2539318-0918550932-25273.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539318" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2539318-0918550932-25273.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539318"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1534/15343359/2539318-0918550932-25273.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p style="">According to French website <a href="http://www.lefigaro.fr/secteur/high-tech/2014/05/22/01007-20140522ARTFIG00230-mario-kart-8-va-relancer-les-ventes-de-la-wii-u.php" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="01007-20140522">Le Figaro</a>,<a href="/super-smash-bros-for-wii-u/" data-ref-id="false"> Super Smash Bros. for Wii U</a> is going to take advantage of the system's NFC system.</p><p style="">It's not clear from the quote whether this will involve some kind of tie-in with the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/update-nintendo-to-integrate-skylanders-like-figurines-with-wii-u-and-3ds/1100-6419497/" data-ref-id="1100-6419497">recently announced NFP figurine system</a> or some new functionality.</p><p style="">The forum <a href="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=823474" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Neogaf</a> dug up the article originally, and a <a href="https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lefigaro.fr%2Fsecteur%2Fhigh-tech%2F2014%2F05%2F22%2F01007-20140522ARTFIG00230-mario-kart-8-va-relancer-les-ventes-de-la-wii-u.php&edit-text=&act=url" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google translate</a> of the text reveals the interesting quote from Stephan Bole, managing director of Nintendo France: "The NFC will be used in the Wii U version of Super Smash Bros."</p><p style="">Outside of Pokemon, Smash Bros. would be the next best way to incorporate collectible Nintendo figurines. We'll likely get <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/" data-ref-id="false">full details on what this means at E3</a>, but what do you think of the potential mash-up? Is the possibliity of adding a new characters via NFC a plus? Let us know in the comments below!</p><table data-max-width="true"><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong>Justin Haywald is a senior editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/JustinHaywald" rel="nofollow"> Twitter @JustinHaywald</a></strong></p><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></strong></td></tr></tbody></table><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p> Thu, 22 May 2014 16:55:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/super-smash-bros-wii-u-will-use-nfc/1100-6419826/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/amplitude-hits-funding-goal-coming-to-ps3-and-ps4/1100-6419825/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2539303-3003592440-0acb4.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539303" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2539303-3003592440-0acb4.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539303"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1534/15343359/2539303-3003592440-0acb4.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p style="">It may have seemed a little touch-and-go, but with less than 24 hours left to go, the Harmonix-developed music game Amplitude has met it's $775,000 funding goal.</p><p style="">If you were on the fence, you can still <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/harmonix/amplitude" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">contribute to the game's Kickstarter</a>. </p><p style="">So who are the bands that will be contributing music to the game? In addition to the Harmonix originals, the Kickstarter page revealed the following bands:</p><ul><li><a href="http://anamanaguchi.com/%20" rel="nofollow">Anamanaguchi</a> (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World)</li><li><a href="http://c418.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow">C418</a> (Minecraft)</li><li><a href="http://dbsoundworks.com/%20" rel="nofollow">Danny Baranowsky</a> (Super Meat Boy, Canabalt)</li><li><a href="http://www.freezepop.net/news/" rel="nofollow">Freezepop</a> (FreQuency, Amplitude)</li><li><a href="http://www.jimguthrie.org/" rel="nofollow">Jim Guthrie</a> (Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP)</li><li><a href="http://symbionproject.com/" rel="nofollow">Kasson Crooker</a> (FreQuency, Amplitude, Symbion Project)</li><li><a href="http://www.georgeandjonathan.com/#1" rel="nofollow">George & Jonathan</a></li></ul><table data-max-width="true"><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong>Justin Haywald is a senior editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/JustinHaywald" rel="nofollow"> Twitter @JustinHaywald</a> Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table> Thu, 22 May 2014 16:48:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/amplitude-hits-funding-goal-coming-to-ps3-and-ps4/1100-6419825/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/star-wars-tie-fighter-20th-anniversary-retrospective/1100-6419819/ <p style="">The Star Wars movies are an excellent source of inspiration for game developers, and indeed, there have been dozens of games across the spectrum of genres since the original, <i>Episode IV: A New Hope</i>, hit the silver screen in 1977.</p><p style="">Thanks to games such as 1990's <a href="/wing-commander/" data-ref-id="false">Wing Commander</a>, the popularity of space combat sims spiked in the early '90s, and the Star Wars flight sims on PC are remembered as some of the very best of the day. <a href="/x-wing-collectors-series/" data-ref-id="false">X-Wing </a>kicked things off in 1993, but it was 1994's <a href="/star-wars-tie-fighter/" data-ref-id="false">TIE Fighter</a> that moved the genre forward. LucasArts capitalized on the storage capacity and rising availability of CD-ROM drives, and after players fought for the familiar rebel forces in X-Wing, TIE Fighter gave them a refreshing glimpse through the eyes of the Galactic Empire.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iW2K0Cf00aM" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FiW2K0Cf00aM%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DiW2K0Cf00aM&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FiW2K0Cf00aM%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">Given that it's Video Game History Month at GameSpot, and TIE Fighter's 20th Anniversary is coming up, now's the perfect time to recollect what made it such a landmark game for the genre, not to mention one of the best games ever set in the Star Wars universe, space-sim or otherwise.</p><h3><strong>Carolyn Petit</strong></h3><p style="">In 1993, Star Wars: X-Wing was released. It was the best space combat simulator ever made, and not just because it let you live the dream of flying an X-Wing in the Star Wars universe, though that was certainly part of it. No hollow cash-in on the Star Wars license, the game made the most of the universe, throwing you into all kinds of gripping and believable combat scenarios rising out of the ongoing conflict between the Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance. It also looked amazing, using polygonal models for spacecraft unlike most of its contemporaries. Seeing a TIE Fighter fly apart in pieces when you blasted it offered a sense of satisfaction that the non-polygonal graphics of the rival Wing Commander series just couldn't match. And the emphasis on power management--having to decide how much energy to allocate to lasers, shields, and engines--made your victories about more than just your skill in a dogfight.</p><p style="">X-Wing's excellence only made it that much more astounding when its sequel, TIE Fighter, somehow managed to improve upon it. But what I found most fascinating about TIE Fighter wasn't the improved gameplay or the great mission design or the shaded graphics. It was the way that the game made me think about the empire, and about portrayals of villainy in general, in a new way. In the Star Wars films, the empire is evil to the core. But TIE Fighter let you see the empire from a new perspective. The game didn't make you feel like a bad person doing bad things, but like a pilot who might reasonably have believed that what he was doing was in the galaxy's best interests.</p><p style="">Now, some 20 years later, it's extremely common for games to let you choose to be good or evil, but more often than not, I find that such choices lack any subtlety or nuance. Typically you end up feeling like either a paragon of virtue or a caricature of evil. TIE Fighter dared to put you on the side of the "bad guys" long before most games ventured into such territory, and it explored moral ambiguity better than most games that have come since. You weren't out to crush the forces of good. You were just trying to maintain order in a chaotic galaxy. Playing TIE Fighter didn't change my feeling that the empire was an evil entity. In fact, the power of its propaganda only made the empire a more terrifying regime in my eyes. And I never saw the individual cogs in its machine--the deluded stormtroopers and TIE Fighter pilots and other rank-and-file officers--quite the same way again.</p><blockquote data-align="center" data-size="large"><p style="">TIE Fighter dared to put you on the side of the "bad guys" long before most games ventured into such territory.</p></blockquote><h3><strong>Randolph Ramsay</strong></h3><p style="">X-Wing may have had you flying for the good guys, but TIE Fighter was always the cooler game for a variety of reasons. Despite using the same engine as X-Wing, TIE Fighter was hands-down the best looking, featuring impressive details on ships both small and large. It also had a 3D model of the ship you were currently targeting right in the middle of your cockpit console, which rotated depending on your angle to your opponent. Not to overstate it, but that was pretty mind-blowing for me at the time. The game also boasted an impressive array of ships to fly in and against, giving TIE Fighter an excellent variety of space dogfighting experiences.</p><p style="">But by far the most indelible thing for me was those missions piloting a standard TIE Fighter. After flying ships with shields in X-Wing, suddenly being thrust into the midst of battle without any external protection was wholly intimidating. Each mission I flew in the TIE fighter was white-knuckle, and I can still feel the thrill of having survived many intense battles, not fully aware of how exactly I managed to avoid being blown to bits. If I were a superstitious Jedi, I'd say the Force was guiding my hand. But I wasn't. I was on the dark side, and I loved it.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2539158-tiefight.png" data-ref-id="1300-2539158" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2539158-tiefight.png" data-ref-id="1300-2539158"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1406/14063904/2539158-tiefight.png"></a><figcaption>Space pirates should know better than to mess with the Empire!</figcaption></figure><p style=""><strong>Peter Brown</strong></p><p style="">I wasn't around for the theatrical release of the original Star Wars trilogy, but I grew up watching the movies from the comfort of my parents' basement on a regular basis. I reveled in Luke's transformation from an eager young farmer into a plucky, adventurous rebel, and yearned for the sort of excitement embodied in scenes like the speeder bike chase in <i>Return of the Jedi</i>.</p><p style="">I loved the tense conflicts that brought acts to an exciting head. Of course, lightsaber battles are the most iconic, but for as much joy as I got out of watching two Jedi clash, mano a mano, I was doubly drawn into the heated battles between X-Wings and TIE Fighters. This was partially due to my affinity for spacecraft design, but I think what really struck me was that piloting fighter craft was something I could theoretically do. Not just anybody could become a mystical warrior, but pilots were average people with daring and quick reflexes. That could be me.</p><p style="">For a time, I lived out this fantasy in LucasArts' space-combat sim X-Wing, but its sequel, TIE Fighter, was the more impressive and captivating game. The CD-ROM version of TIE Fighter came with enhanced, high-resolution graphics (640x480), and new voice-overs that added to my sense of immersion. Granted, nowadays these elements are less impressive, but at the time, TIE Fighter was all I needed to feel like a space pilot in the Star Wars universe, and ultimately, it's the game that I credit with my current love of space combat games.</p> Thu, 22 May 2014 16:06:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/star-wars-tie-fighter-20th-anniversary-retrospective/1100-6419819/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-metro-redux-will-be-1080p-on-ps4-no-fallou/2300-6418936/ Bethesda say their next big announcement is still a ways off, The Metro series is getting an overhaul for PS4/Xbox One/PC, and new Zelda game screenshots! Thu, 22 May 2014 16:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-metro-redux-will-be-1080p-on-ps4-no-fallou/2300-6418936/ http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/tropico-5-review/1900-6415769/ <p style="">Everything is just one big joke on the island of Tropico. Your research team is incompetent, your diplomat is a snob, and your radio DJ is absolutely shameless. But that's OK, because both Tropico 5 and its digital inhabitants don't take anything too seriously. This management sim wraps its irreverent wit around some easily approachable mechanics that smartly grow in complexity as you move through the ages and become more familiar with your new role as El Presidente.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/949/9490474/2539275-tropico5_gameplay_with_music.avi.still002.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539275" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/949/9490474/2539275-tropico5_gameplay_with_music.avi.still002.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539275"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/949/9490474/2539275-tropico5_gameplay_with_music.avi.still002.jpg"></a><figcaption>Mission objectives help guide your island to prosperity.</figcaption></figure><p style="">I'm getting ahead of myself, since you're not actually El Presidente in the beginning. Instead, Tropico 5 starts you off as a lowly governor in the Victorian era under the service of the Crown. From these humble beginnings, you must guide your people through World War II, the Cold War, and beyond. Each age brings with it a new set of challenges because your tiny island nation is sandwiched between the world's rotating superpowers. But as your trusted advisors say, it is your will alone that is holding Tropico together, and that means doing anything and everything necessary to stay in office, whether it's rigging the next election or putting down civilian riots. After all, you're doing this for the good of the people, and your Swiss bank account.</p><p style="">Throughout the ages, your advisors take excellent care of making sure Tropico 5 is easy to pick up and enjoy, whether you're familiar with this series' long history or not. You start in the Victorian era, where Lord Oaksworth, emissary to the Crown, guides you through building your first resource-gathering structures. These assignments are always couched in some harebrained scheme the king has cooked up back home, such as requesting that you build a logging camp so the king can complete his underwater palace.</p><p style="">These missions to build certain structures or complete certain tasks continue throughout the game, and as you grow and define the style of your nation, they can be accepted or ignored as needed. In the beginning, you're just trying to stay in the black and keep your people happy, but as you advance through the eras, you may wish to shape your island into a high-end tourist trap or become the world's leading producer of cigars and rum. The types of missions selected for you are different each time you play and together they try to shape your island towards a certain style, but the game is also flexible enough for you to strike your own path as well.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/949/9490474/2539276-tropico5_gameplay_with_music.avi.still003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539276" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/949/9490474/2539276-tropico5_gameplay_with_music.avi.still003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539276"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/949/9490474/2539276-tropico5_gameplay_with_music.avi.still003.jpg"></a><figcaption>Your most trusted advisor, Penultimo, always knows how to make a problem go away. </figcaption></figure><p style="">However, each mission carries with it some sort of political consequence. Usually it's a trade-off between appeasing one faction on the island and angering another, such as siding with the Crown over the revolutionaries, or later the Axis supporters over the Allied supporters. You don't have to please all of the people all of the time; you just have to stay in power. Forever. Virtually every choice you make--from the buildings you build to the people you trade with--has some sort of impact on your standing with the island's various factions. Molding popular opinion to your advantage is an enjoyable and ever-changing challenge that grows in complexity as you move through the ages and more factions are introduced.</p><p style="">But while this game's simple mission design is there to reel you in, it's Tropico 5's sense of humor that baits the hook. From the wording of your island's constitution to the musings of your radio DJ, this game's irreverent streak touches every aspect of the island. And in its own way, this devil-may-care attitude is fitting for Tropico 5 since the game isn't concerned with breaking down every little bit of minutia for you. It gives you just enough information to make an informed decision without leaving you lost in a maze of submenus.</p><p style="">Consider your budget. In Tropico 5, you're not earning money at a constant rate; rather, it comes in large lump sums when your trade ships arrive at port. And when you have that huge influx of cash burning a hole in your pocket, it's hard not to blow it all right away on new structures and other island improvements. Your citizens will love you for it, but you'll also be putting yourself back in crippling debt. Now, were I an egocentric island dictator in this goofy parody of real life, then I, too, would likely spend beyond my means when the time was ripe and then sweat it out during the off-season. Tropico 5 is full of little design touches--like how your money is doled out--that help reinforce its fiction that you are, frankly, a buffoon.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/949/9490474/2539277-tropico5_gameplay_with_music.avi.still001.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539277" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/949/9490474/2539277-tropico5_gameplay_with_music.avi.still001.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539277"><img src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/949/9490474/2539277-tropico5_gameplay_with_music.avi.still001.jpg"></a><figcaption>Tropico 5 lets you take a real hands-on approach to governing the people.</figcaption></figure><p style="">There is a lot to enjoy on the sandy beaches of Tropico 5. Whether you're playing alone or with up to three others online, the game strikes a good balance between style and substance that is easy to digest for all types of strategy fans. The constant power struggle between the game's various factions--both internal and abroad--creates an ever-changing challenge for you to manage as El Presidente, whether through force or appeasement. And while the rest of the world tears itself apart with World War-this and Cold War-that, the simple-minded Tropicans are there to kick their feet up and take it easy for all us sinners.</p> Thu, 22 May 2014 15:53:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/tropico-5-review/1900-6415769/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamestop-seeing-greater-interest-in-xbox-one-since-price-drop-announcement/1100-6419824/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2539222-nokinectxboxone.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539222" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2539222-nokinectxboxone.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539222"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2539222-nokinectxboxone.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">It's only been a nine days since <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/399-xbox-one-without-kinect-launching-in-june/1100-6419601/" data-ref-id="1100-6419601">Microsoft announced a price cut for the Xbox One</a>, but retailer GameStop is already benefiting from the announcement. During a post-earnings financial call today, GameStop president Tony Bartel said the company is seeing "stronger demand" for the Xbox One since last week.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"I definitely think we're already seeing in our stores with our reservation program as well as dialogue with PowerUp Rewards [members that] there's a stronger demand as a result of the price drop," Bartel said. "The good news for us is... we'll sell a lot more units."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"And that means there will be more [Xbox One] units out there to put software on," Bartel went on to say. This is particularly noteworthy because GameStop's margins are better for software than they are for hardware.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The new $399 Xbox One, which doesn't come with Kinect,<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/399-xbox-one-without-kinect-launching-in-june/1100-6419601/" data-ref-id="1100-6419601"> launches June 9</a>. We'll have a better understanding of just how meaningful the price cut was for GameStop's fortunes later this year when GameStop reports earnings for its fiscal second quarter.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">It's not only GameStop that's positive about the Xbox One price cut. Both <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ubisoft-extremely-happy-about-xbox-one-price-cut-says-it-s-a-great-move/1100-6419663/" data-ref-id="1100-6419663">Assassin's Creed publisher Ubisoft </a>and <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/grand-theft-auto-parent-company-pleased-with-xbox-one-price-cut/1100-6419682/" data-ref-id="1100-6419682">Grand Theft Auto parent company Take-Two </a>think the move <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/grand-theft-auto-parent-company-pleased-with-xbox-one-price-cut/1100-6419682/" data-ref-id="1100-6419682">is a good thing</a>, as it should help more Xbox One units enter the market.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Also during the call, an analyst asked if GameStop's business has seen any kind of meaningful impact as a result of <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/wal-mart-taking-on-gamestop-will-soon-accept-video-game-trade-ins/1100-6418369/" data-ref-id="1100-6418369">megaretailer Wal-Mart entering the used game space in March</a>. CEO Paul Raines said competitors have emerged in the past and GameStop has always remained king of the secondhand market. This is no different for Wal-Mart, he said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We are in Texas so I have to say it's not our first rodeo," Raines said. "We have not seen any impact from our competitors entering the used space. I would encourage you to go do some trades at all of our competitors, because I think all of them are in the trade business. We have a deep knowledge of how execution looks at all of those competitors and we do not have any impact from them."</p><p style="">GameStop recorded revenue of <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamestop-made-68m-in-profit-in-the-past-three-months-up-24-over-last-year/1100-6419820/" data-ref-id="1100-6419820">$2 billion for the quarter ended May 3</a>, and hauled in a profit of<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamestop-made-68m-in-profit-in-the-past-three-months-up-24-over-last-year/1100-6419820/" data-ref-id="1100-6419820"> $68 million</a> thanks in part to strong sales of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Thu, 22 May 2014 15:29:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamestop-seeing-greater-interest-in-xbox-one-since-price-drop-announcement/1100-6419824/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-says-ps4-unlike-their-previous-consoles-is-already-contributing-profit/1100-6419822/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418380" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418380/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">Speaking today at a corporate strategy meeting, Sony president Kaz Hirai said that the PlayStation 4 is "already contributing a profit on a hardware unit basis."</p><p style="">Reported by Japanese site <a href="http://av.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/20140522_649764.html" rel="nofollow" data-mce-href="http://av.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/20140522_649764.html">AV Watch</a> (via <a href="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=823567" rel="nofollow" data-mce-href="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=823567">NeoGaf</a>), a Sony representative provided GameSpot a translation for one of Hirai's most interesting statements from the meeting. "From a profitability perspective," Hirai said, "PS4 is also already contributing profit on a hardware unit basis, establishing a very different business framework from that of previous platform businesses." It's a slightly roundabout quote, but that statement essentially says that the PS4 is already profitable, unlike previous console generations that are typically sold at a loss for their first few years.</p><p style="">This lines up with earlier comments from Sony prior to the PS4's launch that they did not expect their current-gen console to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-not-expecting-ps3-like-losses-for-ps4/1100-6412760/" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-not-expecting-ps3-like-losses-for-ps4/1100-6412760/">"generate losses like they did for the PS3."</a></p><p style="">While the strategy meeting focused on Sony's business as a whole, Hirai also mentioned that over half of PS4 owners subscribe to the PlayStation Plus service, which <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/at-least-2-1-million-playstation-4-owners-have-playstation-plus-sony-says/1100-6417596/" data-ref-id="1100-6417596" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/at-least-2-1-million-playstation-4-owners-have-playstation-plus-sony-says/1100-6417596/">lines up with previous projections earlier this year</a>. Sony recently opened up <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/at-least-2-1-million-playstation-4-owners-have-playstation-plus-sony-says/1100-6417596/" data-ref-id="1100-6417596" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/at-least-2-1-million-playstation-4-owners-have-playstation-plus-sony-says/1100-6417596/">beta invitations for the PlayStation Now game streaming service to PlayStation 4 </a>owners, and <a href="http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press/201405/14-054E/" rel="nofollow" data-mce-href="http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press/201405/14-054E/">Hirai noted that </a><a href="http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press/201405/14-054E/" rel="nofollow" data-mce-href="http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press/201405/14-054E/">Sony plans</a> to "introduce a new, cloud-based television service within the calendar year 2014."</p><p style="">According to the AV Watch article (as translated by GameSpot), Hirai said that, given the success of both hardware sales and network services, "The PS4 is likely to generate more revenue than PS2."</p><p style="">As of April, Sony announced that the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-reports-7-million-playstation-4-consoles-sold-worldwide/1100-6419044/" data-ref-id="1100-6419044" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-reports-7-million-playstation-4-consoles-sold-worldwide/1100-6419044/">PlayStation 4 had sold over 7 million consoles</a>, though we'll likely hear even more about the system and what Sony's plans for <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/">further audience expansion at this year's E3</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true" class="mceItemTable"><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong>Justin Haywald is a senior editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/JustinHaywald" rel="nofollow" data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/JustinHaywald"> Twitter @JustinHaywald</a></strong></p><p style=""><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow" data-mce-href="mailto:news@gamespot.com">news@gamespot.com</a></strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p style=""><br /></p> Thu, 22 May 2014 15:16:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-says-ps4-unlike-their-previous-consoles-is-already-contributing-profit/1100-6419822/
http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Fri, 23 May 2014 06:57:43 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/elder-scrolls-online-update-introduces-first-adventure-zone-tons-of-fixes/1100-6419834/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2539561-craglorn1.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539561" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2539561-craglorn1.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539561"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2539561-craglorn1.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Bethesda has released the first major update for MMORPG <a href="/the-elder-scrolls-online/" data-ref-id="false">The Elder Scrolls Online</a>, introducing the game's first adventure zone, Craglorn, as well as a wealth of improvements and fixes. The update, Update 1, began rolling out yesterday and should be widely available now.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Craglorn includes a new storyline and gameplay designed for groups of Veteran Rank players, Bethesda says. Players will take on new quests as they seek to discover the "Celestial threat" to Tamriel. There's even a new 12-player Trials system, where your team will have a limited number of respawns to use as you try to reach a final boss.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Update 1 for The Elder Scrolls Online also brings a new feature called Death Recap, a screen that should help you better understand how you died and perhaps more importantly, what you can do differently next time.</p><p style="">The update also promises to fix bugs and improve the game overall with updates for quests and skill line abilities, as well as various tweaks to other systems. Some of these changes include optimizations that should improve your overall graphics performance and a fix for a bug that sometimes made you fall off your horse when sprinting. The full list of Elder Scrolls Online Update 1 patch notes is <a href="http://elderscrollsonline.com/en/news/post/2014/05/22/patch-notes-v112#Miscellaneous" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">available on the game's website</a>.</p><p style="">The Elder Scrolls Online launched <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-elder-scrolls-online-xbox-one-and-ps4-release-date-is-two-months-after-pc/1100-6416658/" data-ref-id="1100-6416658">last month for PC </a>and <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/elder-scrolls-online-xbox-one-ps4-delay-confirmed-bethesda-explains-why-it-was-necessary/1100-6419504/" data-ref-id="1100-6419504">should be available on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 by the end of 2014</a>, but there's <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/bethesda-can-t-guarantee-that-elder-scrolls-online-will-hit-xbox-one-ps4-in-2014/1100-6419803/" data-ref-id="1100-6419803">no guarantee that the game won't slip to 2015</a>. For more, you can read <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-elder-scrolls-online-review/1900-6415741/" data-ref-id="1900-6415741">GameSpot's review of the PC version of The Elder Scrolls Online</a>. </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 23 May 2014 06:18:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/elder-scrolls-online-update-introduces-first-adventure-zone-tons-of-fixes/1100-6419834/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-defends-microtransactions-for-ps4-racing-game-driveclub/1100-6419833/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/mig/1/3/6/5/2051365-704524_20130820_003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2051365" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/mig/1/3/6/5/2051365-704524_20130820_003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2051365"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/mig/1/3/6/5/2051365-704524_20130820_003.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="">Upcoming PlayStation 4 racing game <a href="/driveclub/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/driveclub/">Driveclub </a>will have <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-racer-driveclub-has-microtransactions-and-here-s-how-they-work/1100-6419537/" data-ref-id="1100-6419537" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-racer-driveclub-has-microtransactions-and-here-s-how-they-work/1100-6419537/">microtransactions that allow you to use real money to unlock cars </a>faster than you would that standard gameplay. In a new interview with <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-05-22-evolution-addresses-driveclub-micro-transactions-concern" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="2014-05" data-mce-href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-05-22-evolution-addresses-driveclub-micro-transactions-concern">Eurogamer</a>, director Paul Rustchynsky defended the game's use of microtransactions, saying the system will be a "non-issue" once players see how they work.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Driveclub's microtransaction system is <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-racer-driveclub-has-microtransactions-and-here-s-how-they-work/1100-6419537/" data-ref-id="1100-6419537" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-racer-driveclub-has-microtransactions-and-here-s-how-they-work/1100-6419537/">identical</a> to that of developer Evolution Studios' 2012 PlayStation Network game <a href="/motorstorm-rc/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/motorstorm-rc/">MotorStorm RC</a>. Rustchynsky said "there were no complaints" about that game's use of real-money payments, and in fact people said, "That's a great way to access this content immediately," he said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Sony isn't yet saying how much it will charge for Driveclub's microtransactions, but Rustchynsky said, "We don't want players to feel like we're nickel-and-diming them. That's not our intention." He went on to say that microtransactions can become an issue when they negatively impact the overall game experience, but this isn't the case for Driveclub, he said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"The important thing about microtransactions is if they ever influence the game design or the progression then yes, there can be a negative influence," Rustchynsky said. "But that's absolutely not what we've done with Driveclub. Progression is quick. You unlock cars rapidly. If you're part of a club you get access to those things super quick."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"The proof will be when people play Driveclub," he added. "They'll see it's a non-issue when they get their hands-on and start to play the game. It's not intrusive. It's almost invisible. It's something we actually kind of hide a little bit."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Of course, these microtransactions are entirely optional. For <a href="/gran-turismo-6/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/gran-turismo-6/">Gran Turismo 6</a>, microtransactions are an<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-boss-defends-microtransactions/1100-6416554/" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-boss-defends-microtransactions/1100-6416554/"> alternate path for busy people</a>, according to Sony. It sounds like their purpose is similar for Driveclub.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Also in the interview, Rustchynsky tackled the matter of Driveclub's <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/1080p-30fps-for-ps4-game-driveclub-is-absolutely-the-best-thing/1100-6419324/" data-ref-id="1100-6419324" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/1080p-30fps-for-ps4-game-driveclub-is-absolutely-the-best-thing/1100-6419324/">1080p/60fps</a> technical performance, saying, "We think 1080p and 30 frames per second is the right choice for Driveclub. When players see it and play it, they'll be happy with that decision."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Driveclub launches <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-exclusive-racer-driveclub-delayed-again-but-gets-a-new-director/1100-6419279/" data-ref-id="1100-6419279" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-exclusive-racer-driveclub-delayed-again-but-gets-a-new-director/1100-6419279/">October 7</a> exclusively for the PS4. A free "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-racer-driveclub-is-super-accessible-but-also-deep/1100-6419299/" data-ref-id="1100-6419299" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-racer-driveclub-is-super-accessible-but-also-deep/1100-6419299/">feature-complete</a>" PlayStation Plus version will also be available at launch for PlayStation Plus subscribers ($50/year). For more on Driveclub, be sure to read <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/driveclub/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/driveclub/">GameSpot's previous coverage</a>.</p><p style=""><br /></p><table data-max-width="true" class="mceItemTable"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow" data-mce-href="mailto:news@gamespot.com">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table><p style=""><br /></p> Fri, 23 May 2014 05:55:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-defends-microtransactions-for-ps4-racing-game-driveclub/1100-6419833/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/left-4-dead-3-in-development-and-looks-great-counter-strike-co-creator-says/1100-6419832/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2539549-left4dead2.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539549" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2539549-left4dead2.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539549"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2539549-left4dead2.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Piling on to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/left-4-dead-3-listing-spotted-during-valve-office-tour/1100-6412562/" data-ref-id="1100-6412562">previous leaks</a>, <a href="/counter-strike/" data-ref-id="false">Counter-Strike</a> co-creator Minh Le said in a new interview that Left 4 Dead 3 is in development and it is coming along well Speaking with <a href="http://youtu.be/QGAP9iygk00" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">goRGNtv</a>, Le--who no longer works at Valve--said, "It wouldn't be any news if I said yes, I saw it. It looks great."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"So I was really excited when I saw that. I was like 'Wow, this looks great.' I really enjoyed Left 4 Dead," he added. "It was just one of those games that really changed the industry because I think at the time there weren't many good co-op games, so it was like, 'Yeah, this is a great co-op game.'"</p><p dir="ltr" style="">2008's original <a href="/left-4-dead/" data-ref-id="false">Left 4 Dead </a>was developed by Turtle Rock Studios, which has since split from Valve and is working on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC game <a href="/evolve/" data-ref-id="false">Evolve</a>. <a href="/left-4-dead-2/" data-ref-id="false">Left 4 Dead 2</a> was released just a year later in 2009. Though rumors have abounded about a third installment in the series, Valve has not said anything official on the matter, and the company was not immediately available to comment today.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Also in the interview, Le teases that another much-anticipated Valve game--Half-Life 3--is indeed in development and he's seen concept art for it.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"There's like a laser sight on my head right now. I don't know if I can talk about that, to be honest. I think it's kind of public knowledge that people know that it is being worked on," Le said about Half-Life 3. "So if I were to say I've seen some images, like some concept art of it, that wouldn't be big news. But I guess I could say that I did see something that looked like kind of like in the Half-Life universe. It wouldn't surprise anyone if I said 'Yeah, they're working on it.' So I mean, to go out on a limb, I would say yeah, I did see some concept art for Half-Life 3. Somebody's knocking on my door right now [laughs]. It seems like old news. I think everyone kind of knows that it's being worked on."</p><p style="">Le's latest project is free-to-play shooter <a href="/tactical-intervention/" data-ref-id="false">Tactical Intervention</a>, available now on Steam. He <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/counter-strike-co-creator-says-fps-games-not-as-exciting-as-they-used-to-be/1100-6418023/" data-ref-id="1100-6418023">didn't like the idea of making a free-to-play game</a>, but the business model choice was not his to make, he said in a recent interview. For more on Le's impact on the gaming world, be sure to read GameSpot's interview with the designer, as part of our new feature, "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/dust-to-dust-the-history-of-counter-strike/1100-6419676/" data-ref-id="1100-6419676">Dust to Dust: The History of Counter-Strike</a>."</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 23 May 2014 05:19:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/left-4-dead-3-in-development-and-looks-great-counter-strike-co-creator-says/1100-6419832/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/sniper-elite-3-headshots-and-nutshots-return/2300-6418940/ Rebellion swings by to show us weapon loadouts, new x-ray kill shots, coop, and mayhem in North Africa. Fri, 23 May 2014 05:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/sniper-elite-3-headshots-and-nutshots-return/2300-6418940/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/former-video-game-journalist-writing-screenplay-for-upcoming-star-wars-movie/1100-6419831/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2539536-starwarswhitta.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539536" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2539536-starwarswhitta.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539536"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2539536-starwarswhitta.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Gary Whitta, a former video game journalist and writer on Telltale Games' <a href="/the-walking-dead-a-telltale-games-series/" data-ref-id="false">The Walking Dead</a>, will write the screenplay for an upcoming Star Wars standalone movie, Disney and Lucasfilm have announced. Whitta's screenplay is for one of multiple offshoot movies that will "offer new stories beyond the core Saga." <em>Godzilla</em> director Gareth Edwards will direct the untitled movie, which will hit theaters on December 16, 2016.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Whitta previously served as editor-in-chief of <em>PC Gamer</em> magazine. His screenwriting credits include 2010's <em>The Book of Eli</em> and last year's <em>After Earth</em>. Most recently, he wrote for Telltale Games' acclaimed The Walking Dead adventure game series.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"From the moment I first saw the original movie as a wide-eyed kid, Star Wars has been the single most profound inspiration to my imagination and to my career as a writer," Whitta said in a statement. "It is deeply special to me, so to be given the opportunity to contribute to its ongoing legacy, especially in collaboration with a filmmaker as talented as Gareth, is literally a dream come true. I'm still pinching myself."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The next Star Wars movie is <em>Star Wars Episode VII</em>, which comes to theaters December 18, 2015. It features <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/official-star-wars-episode-vii-movie-cast-announced/1100-6419293/" data-ref-id="1100-6419293">actors from the original trilogy</a>, including Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher, as well as <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/official-star-wars-episode-vii-movie-cast-announced/1100-6419293/" data-ref-id="1100-6419293">newcomers </a>like <em>Lord of the Rings</em> actor Andy Serkis and Harry Potter's Domhnall Gleeson.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Electronic Arts signed a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-not-looking-to-make-star-wars-movie-tie-ins/1100-6416288/" data-ref-id="1100-6416288">10-year exclusive development deal with Disney last year for new Star Wars games</a>, one of which is an all-new <a href="/star-wars-battlefront/" data-ref-id="false">Star Wars: Battlefront</a> title from Battlefield developer DICE in Sweden.</p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 23 May 2014 04:49:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/former-video-game-journalist-writing-screenplay-for-upcoming-star-wars-movie/1100-6419831/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-s-lowest-rated-game-will-be-rebuilt-from-scratch-developer-pledges/1100-6419830/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6415865" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6415865/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">The developer behind the lowest-rated game on PlayStation 4, <a href="/basement-crawl/" data-ref-id="false">Basement Crawl</a>, has said to GameSpot that it is working to rebuild the game from scratch as a way of apologising to those who purchased it to begin with.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Basement Crawl was released back in February, and was described as a "lackluster, multiplayer-only Bomberman clone bereft of features" <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/basement-crawl-review/1900-6415683/">in its GameSpot review</a>. The title also has an overall rating of 27 on review aggregator (and GameSpot sister site) <a href="http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-4/basement-crawl" rel="nofollow">Metacritic</a>, currently giving it the lowest Metascore of any PlayStation 4 title released to date. Even <a href="/nba-live-14/" data-ref-id="false">NBA Live 14</a> scraped a 43!</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Bloober Team's Marc Colhoun told GameSpot that the developer is now looking to rebuild the game entirely. "Firstly, I think that I should start this off by apologising to those of you who bought Basement Crawl and have been waiting for us to fix it," said Colhoun. "The game was a mess for both you and us."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Usually, what you will see at this point is a lot of marketing talk and maybe a patch. Rather than accepting defeat on this and issuing a patch that kinda fixes this or kinda improves that, we have decided to just come out and explain to you where we are right now and what we plan to do. We have been rebuilding the game, completely from scratch and on a new engine."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"I know that this isn't really the way things are usually done in the industry, but I think that if you have put a bad product out to people it is your job to do what you can to fix that. Even if it means going back to the drawing board on a game that has already been released."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We don't want to come out and say that this [new version] is going to be 10/10 GoTY, but just a way for us to regain the trust of gamers. We also really don't want anyone to think that this is some kind of quick money grab. So, we will be giving this game for free to people who bought the original game. This is our priority, to ensure that we give you what you expected from us. To do this we are getting in touch with as many people as we can that bought the game to get feedback and help ensure that you guys are just as much part of the process as we are."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"This deals with the technical issues we ran into but a few of you spoke about how there needs to be a tutorial, AI, more game types and so on. We have added all of these things into the game and more. We aren't talking about it too much right now simply because we are in no position to be making promises to people."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">If you aren't interested in downloading the new version of Basement Crawl, a patch for the existing build will also be made available in the future. No dates for either the rebuilt or patched versions of Basement Crawl was given.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Martin Gaston is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/squidmania" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @squidmania</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 23 May 2014 04:25:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-s-lowest-rated-game-will-be-rebuilt-from-scratch-developer-pledges/1100-6419830/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/world-s-first-watch-dogs-review-comes-from-conan-o-brien/1100-6419829/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZE6OnFKxdi4" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FZE6OnFKxdi4%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DZE6OnFKxdi4&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FZE6OnFKxdi4%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">The world's first <a href="/watch-dogs/" data-ref-id="false">Watch Dogs </a>review has arrived, but it's come from an unlikely source: comedian Conan O'Brien. As part of his regular "Clueless Gamer" segment, O'Brien plays and critiques the PlayStation 4 version of Watch Dogs, wreaking havoc on the game's fictional Chicago and making fun of things like main character Aiden Pearce's Jacket.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">O'Brien also jabbed at how Watch Dogs focuses on hacking. "The action [in past video games] used to be 'slay the dragon.' Now it's, 'Let's go into a basement and play with computers!'" Of course, hacking is just one part of Watch Dogs. The game also offers gunplay, melee combat, and car racing sequences of the more traditional "action" fare.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The comedian even asked if because Pearce can hack into anything in Watch Dogs, including personal cameras, does that mean he can watch people having sex? The game does let you watch romantic encounters, but the sex is only implied, never actually shown.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">O'Brien's verdict? "It'll blow your mind. Watch Dogs. Coming out May 27. If you're a cool dude, you'll love it. If you're a hacker who likes to stay in a basement and play around with people's adjustable rate mortgage, you'll really love it."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Of course, O'Brien's Clueless Gamer segment is often <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/some-games-pay-to-appear-on-conan-s-clueless-gamer-segments/1100-6417337/" data-ref-id="1100-6417337">sponsored in part by the publishers of the games that appear there</a>, so it's not much of a surprise that O'Brien would speak so positively. The video segment is essentially just a marketing piece for the game, and with over 100,000 views in under 12 hours, I'd say it's working.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">After <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-goes-gold-on-track-for-release-later-this-month/1100-6419641/" data-ref-id="1100-6419641">more than 5.5 years of development</a>, Watch Dogs launches next Tuesday, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-release-date-announced-for-everything-except-wii-u/1100-6417977/" data-ref-id="1100-6417977">May 27</a>, for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PS4, and PC. A <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-for-wii-u-definitely-not-canceled/1100-6418164/" data-ref-id="1100-6418164">Wii U version is coming later</a>. We recently got to play the first hour of the game, and you can watch a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/videos/watch-dogs-ps4-now-playing/2300-6418882/" data-ref-id="2300-6418882">replay of our live-stream right here</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 23 May 2014 04:15:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/world-s-first-watch-dogs-review-comes-from-conan-o-brien/1100-6419829/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/tropico-5-review/2300-6418939/ Tropico 5's irreverent wit and smooth difficulty curve make governing your own banana republic an easy and enjoyable experience. Thu, 22 May 2014 17:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/tropico-5-review/2300-6418939/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/super-smash-bros-wii-u-will-use-nfc/1100-6419826/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2539318-0918550932-25273.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539318" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2539318-0918550932-25273.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539318"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1534/15343359/2539318-0918550932-25273.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p style="">According to French website <a href="http://www.lefigaro.fr/secteur/high-tech/2014/05/22/01007-20140522ARTFIG00230-mario-kart-8-va-relancer-les-ventes-de-la-wii-u.php" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="01007-20140522">Le Figaro</a>,<a href="/super-smash-bros-for-wii-u/" data-ref-id="false"> Super Smash Bros. for Wii U</a> is going to take advantage of the system's NFC system.</p><p style="">It's not clear from the quote whether this will involve some kind of tie-in with the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/update-nintendo-to-integrate-skylanders-like-figurines-with-wii-u-and-3ds/1100-6419497/" data-ref-id="1100-6419497">recently announced NFP figurine system</a> or some new functionality.</p><p style="">The forum <a href="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=823474" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Neogaf</a> dug up the article originally, and a <a href="https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lefigaro.fr%2Fsecteur%2Fhigh-tech%2F2014%2F05%2F22%2F01007-20140522ARTFIG00230-mario-kart-8-va-relancer-les-ventes-de-la-wii-u.php&edit-text=&act=url" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google translate</a> of the text reveals the interesting quote from Stephan Bole, managing director of Nintendo France: "The NFC will be used in the Wii U version of Super Smash Bros."</p><p style="">Outside of Pokemon, Smash Bros. would be the next best way to incorporate collectible Nintendo figurines. We'll likely get <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/" data-ref-id="false">full details on what this means at E3</a>, but what do you think of the potential mash-up? Is the possibliity of adding a new characters via NFC a plus? Let us know in the comments below!</p><table data-max-width="true"><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong>Justin Haywald is a senior editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/JustinHaywald" rel="nofollow"> Twitter @JustinHaywald</a></strong></p><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></strong></td></tr></tbody></table><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p> Thu, 22 May 2014 16:55:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/super-smash-bros-wii-u-will-use-nfc/1100-6419826/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/amplitude-hits-funding-goal-coming-to-ps3-and-ps4/1100-6419825/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2539303-3003592440-0acb4.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539303" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2539303-3003592440-0acb4.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539303"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1534/15343359/2539303-3003592440-0acb4.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p style="">It may have seemed a little touch-and-go, but with less than 24 hours left to go, the Harmonix-developed music game Amplitude has met it's $775,000 funding goal.</p><p style="">If you were on the fence, you can still <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/harmonix/amplitude" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">contribute to the game's Kickstarter</a>. </p><p style="">So who are the bands that will be contributing music to the game? In addition to the Harmonix originals, the Kickstarter page revealed the following bands:</p><ul><li><a href="http://anamanaguchi.com/%20" rel="nofollow">Anamanaguchi</a> (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World)</li><li><a href="http://c418.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow">C418</a> (Minecraft)</li><li><a href="http://dbsoundworks.com/%20" rel="nofollow">Danny Baranowsky</a> (Super Meat Boy, Canabalt)</li><li><a href="http://www.freezepop.net/news/" rel="nofollow">Freezepop</a> (FreQuency, Amplitude)</li><li><a href="http://www.jimguthrie.org/" rel="nofollow">Jim Guthrie</a> (Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP)</li><li><a href="http://symbionproject.com/" rel="nofollow">Kasson Crooker</a> (FreQuency, Amplitude, Symbion Project)</li><li><a href="http://www.georgeandjonathan.com/#1" rel="nofollow">George & Jonathan</a></li></ul><table data-max-width="true"><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong>Justin Haywald is a senior editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/JustinHaywald" rel="nofollow"> Twitter @JustinHaywald</a> Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table> Thu, 22 May 2014 16:48:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/amplitude-hits-funding-goal-coming-to-ps3-and-ps4/1100-6419825/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/star-wars-tie-fighter-20th-anniversary-retrospective/1100-6419819/ <p style="">The Star Wars movies are an excellent source of inspiration for game developers, and indeed, there have been dozens of games across the spectrum of genres since the original, <i>Episode IV: A New Hope</i>, hit the silver screen in 1977.</p><p style="">Thanks to games such as 1990's <a href="/wing-commander/" data-ref-id="false">Wing Commander</a>, the popularity of space combat sims spiked in the early '90s, and the Star Wars flight sims on PC are remembered as some of the very best of the day. <a href="/x-wing-collectors-series/" data-ref-id="false">X-Wing </a>kicked things off in 1993, but it was 1994's <a href="/star-wars-tie-fighter/" data-ref-id="false">TIE Fighter</a> that moved the genre forward. LucasArts capitalized on the storage capacity and rising availability of CD-ROM drives, and after players fought for the familiar rebel forces in X-Wing, TIE Fighter gave them a refreshing glimpse through the eyes of the Galactic Empire.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iW2K0Cf00aM" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FiW2K0Cf00aM%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DiW2K0Cf00aM&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FiW2K0Cf00aM%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">Given that it's Video Game History Month at GameSpot, and TIE Fighter's 20th Anniversary is coming up, now's the perfect time to recollect what made it such a landmark game for the genre, not to mention one of the best games ever set in the Star Wars universe, space-sim or otherwise.</p><h3><strong>Carolyn Petit</strong></h3><p style="">In 1993, Star Wars: X-Wing was released. It was the best space combat simulator ever made, and not just because it let you live the dream of flying an X-Wing in the Star Wars universe, though that was certainly part of it. No hollow cash-in on the Star Wars license, the game made the most of the universe, throwing you into all kinds of gripping and believable combat scenarios rising out of the ongoing conflict between the Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance. It also looked amazing, using polygonal models for spacecraft unlike most of its contemporaries. Seeing a TIE Fighter fly apart in pieces when you blasted it offered a sense of satisfaction that the non-polygonal graphics of the rival Wing Commander series just couldn't match. And the emphasis on power management--having to decide how much energy to allocate to lasers, shields, and engines--made your victories about more than just your skill in a dogfight.</p><p style="">X-Wing's excellence only made it that much more astounding when its sequel, TIE Fighter, somehow managed to improve upon it. But what I found most fascinating about TIE Fighter wasn't the improved gameplay or the great mission design or the shaded graphics. It was the way that the game made me think about the empire, and about portrayals of villainy in general, in a new way. In the Star Wars films, the empire is evil to the core. But TIE Fighter let you see the empire from a new perspective. The game didn't make you feel like a bad person doing bad things, but like a pilot who might reasonably have believed that what he was doing was in the galaxy's best interests.</p><p style="">Now, some 20 years later, it's extremely common for games to let you choose to be good or evil, but more often than not, I find that such choices lack any subtlety or nuance. Typically you end up feeling like either a paragon of virtue or a caricature of evil. TIE Fighter dared to put you on the side of the "bad guys" long before most games ventured into such territory, and it explored moral ambiguity better than most games that have come since. You weren't out to crush the forces of good. You were just trying to maintain order in a chaotic galaxy. Playing TIE Fighter didn't change my feeling that the empire was an evil entity. In fact, the power of its propaganda only made the empire a more terrifying regime in my eyes. And I never saw the individual cogs in its machine--the deluded stormtroopers and TIE Fighter pilots and other rank-and-file officers--quite the same way again.</p><blockquote data-align="center" data-size="large"><p style="">TIE Fighter dared to put you on the side of the "bad guys" long before most games ventured into such territory.</p></blockquote><h3><strong>Randolph Ramsay</strong></h3><p style="">X-Wing may have had you flying for the good guys, but TIE Fighter was always the cooler game for a variety of reasons. Despite using the same engine as X-Wing, TIE Fighter was hands-down the best looking, featuring impressive details on ships both small and large. It also had a 3D model of the ship you were currently targeting right in the middle of your cockpit console, which rotated depending on your angle to your opponent. Not to overstate it, but that was pretty mind-blowing for me at the time. The game also boasted an impressive array of ships to fly in and against, giving TIE Fighter an excellent variety of space dogfighting experiences.</p><p style="">But by far the most indelible thing for me was those missions piloting a standard TIE Fighter. After flying ships with shields in X-Wing, suddenly being thrust into the midst of battle without any external protection was wholly intimidating. Each mission I flew in the TIE fighter was white-knuckle, and I can still feel the thrill of having survived many intense battles, not fully aware of how exactly I managed to avoid being blown to bits. If I were a superstitious Jedi, I'd say the Force was guiding my hand. But I wasn't. I was on the dark side, and I loved it.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2539158-tiefight.png" data-ref-id="1300-2539158" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2539158-tiefight.png" data-ref-id="1300-2539158"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1406/14063904/2539158-tiefight.png"></a><figcaption>Space pirates should know better than to mess with the Empire!</figcaption></figure><p style=""><strong>Peter Brown</strong></p><p style="">I wasn't around for the theatrical release of the original Star Wars trilogy, but I grew up watching the movies from the comfort of my parents' basement on a regular basis. I reveled in Luke's transformation from an eager young farmer into a plucky, adventurous rebel, and yearned for the sort of excitement embodied in scenes like the speeder bike chase in <i>Return of the Jedi</i>.</p><p style="">I loved the tense conflicts that brought acts to an exciting head. Of course, lightsaber battles are the most iconic, but for as much joy as I got out of watching two Jedi clash, mano a mano, I was doubly drawn into the heated battles between X-Wings and TIE Fighters. This was partially due to my affinity for spacecraft design, but I think what really struck me was that piloting fighter craft was something I could theoretically do. Not just anybody could become a mystical warrior, but pilots were average people with daring and quick reflexes. That could be me.</p><p style="">For a time, I lived out this fantasy in LucasArts' space-combat sim X-Wing, but its sequel, TIE Fighter, was the more impressive and captivating game. The CD-ROM version of TIE Fighter came with enhanced, high-resolution graphics (640x480), and new voice-overs that added to my sense of immersion. Granted, nowadays these elements are less impressive, but at the time, TIE Fighter was all I needed to feel like a space pilot in the Star Wars universe, and ultimately, it's the game that I credit with my current love of space combat games.</p> Thu, 22 May 2014 16:06:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/star-wars-tie-fighter-20th-anniversary-retrospective/1100-6419819/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-metro-redux-will-be-1080p-on-ps4-no-fallou/2300-6418936/ Bethesda say their next big announcement is still a ways off, The Metro series is getting an overhaul for PS4/Xbox One/PC, and new Zelda game screenshots! Thu, 22 May 2014 16:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-metro-redux-will-be-1080p-on-ps4-no-fallou/2300-6418936/ http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/tropico-5-review/1900-6415769/ <p style="">Everything is just one big joke on the island of Tropico. Your research team is incompetent, your diplomat is a snob, and your radio DJ is absolutely shameless. But that's OK, because both Tropico 5 and its digital inhabitants don't take anything too seriously. This management sim wraps its irreverent wit around some easily approachable mechanics that smartly grow in complexity as you move through the ages and become more familiar with your new role as El Presidente.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/949/9490474/2539275-tropico5_gameplay_with_music.avi.still002.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539275" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/949/9490474/2539275-tropico5_gameplay_with_music.avi.still002.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539275"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/949/9490474/2539275-tropico5_gameplay_with_music.avi.still002.jpg"></a><figcaption>Mission objectives help guide your island to prosperity.</figcaption></figure><p style="">I'm getting ahead of myself, since you're not actually El Presidente in the beginning. Instead, Tropico 5 starts you off as a lowly governor in the Victorian era under the service of the Crown. From these humble beginnings, you must guide your people through World War II, the Cold War, and beyond. Each age brings with it a new set of challenges because your tiny island nation is sandwiched between the world's rotating superpowers. But as your trusted advisors say, it is your will alone that is holding Tropico together, and that means doing anything and everything necessary to stay in office, whether it's rigging the next election or putting down civilian riots. After all, you're doing this for the good of the people, and your Swiss bank account.</p><p style="">Throughout the ages, your advisors take excellent care of making sure Tropico 5 is easy to pick up and enjoy, whether you're familiar with this series' long history or not. You start in the Victorian era, where Lord Oaksworth, emissary to the Crown, guides you through building your first resource-gathering structures. These assignments are always couched in some harebrained scheme the king has cooked up back home, such as requesting that you build a logging camp so the king can complete his underwater palace.</p><p style="">These missions to build certain structures or complete certain tasks continue throughout the game, and as you grow and define the style of your nation, they can be accepted or ignored as needed. In the beginning, you're just trying to stay in the black and keep your people happy, but as you advance through the eras, you may wish to shape your island into a high-end tourist trap or become the world's leading producer of cigars and rum. The types of missions selected for you are different each time you play and together they try to shape your island towards a certain style, but the game is also flexible enough for you to strike your own path as well.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/949/9490474/2539276-tropico5_gameplay_with_music.avi.still003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539276" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/949/9490474/2539276-tropico5_gameplay_with_music.avi.still003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539276"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/949/9490474/2539276-tropico5_gameplay_with_music.avi.still003.jpg"></a><figcaption>Your most trusted advisor, Penultimo, always knows how to make a problem go away. </figcaption></figure><p style="">However, each mission carries with it some sort of political consequence. Usually it's a trade-off between appeasing one faction on the island and angering another, such as siding with the Crown over the revolutionaries, or later the Axis supporters over the Allied supporters. You don't have to please all of the people all of the time; you just have to stay in power. Forever. Virtually every choice you make--from the buildings you build to the people you trade with--has some sort of impact on your standing with the island's various factions. Molding popular opinion to your advantage is an enjoyable and ever-changing challenge that grows in complexity as you move through the ages and more factions are introduced.</p><p style="">But while this game's simple mission design is there to reel you in, it's Tropico 5's sense of humor that baits the hook. From the wording of your island's constitution to the musings of your radio DJ, this game's irreverent streak touches every aspect of the island. And in its own way, this devil-may-care attitude is fitting for Tropico 5 since the game isn't concerned with breaking down every little bit of minutia for you. It gives you just enough information to make an informed decision without leaving you lost in a maze of submenus.</p><p style="">Consider your budget. In Tropico 5, you're not earning money at a constant rate; rather, it comes in large lump sums when your trade ships arrive at port. And when you have that huge influx of cash burning a hole in your pocket, it's hard not to blow it all right away on new structures and other island improvements. Your citizens will love you for it, but you'll also be putting yourself back in crippling debt. Now, were I an egocentric island dictator in this goofy parody of real life, then I, too, would likely spend beyond my means when the time was ripe and then sweat it out during the off-season. Tropico 5 is full of little design touches--like how your money is doled out--that help reinforce its fiction that you are, frankly, a buffoon.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/949/9490474/2539277-tropico5_gameplay_with_music.avi.still001.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539277" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/949/9490474/2539277-tropico5_gameplay_with_music.avi.still001.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539277"><img src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/949/9490474/2539277-tropico5_gameplay_with_music.avi.still001.jpg"></a><figcaption>Tropico 5 lets you take a real hands-on approach to governing the people.</figcaption></figure><p style="">There is a lot to enjoy on the sandy beaches of Tropico 5. Whether you're playing alone or with up to three others online, the game strikes a good balance between style and substance that is easy to digest for all types of strategy fans. The constant power struggle between the game's various factions--both internal and abroad--creates an ever-changing challenge for you to manage as El Presidente, whether through force or appeasement. And while the rest of the world tears itself apart with World War-this and Cold War-that, the simple-minded Tropicans are there to kick their feet up and take it easy for all us sinners.</p> Thu, 22 May 2014 15:53:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/tropico-5-review/1900-6415769/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamestop-seeing-greater-interest-in-xbox-one-since-price-drop-announcement/1100-6419824/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2539222-nokinectxboxone.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539222" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2539222-nokinectxboxone.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2539222"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2539222-nokinectxboxone.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">It's only been a nine days since <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/399-xbox-one-without-kinect-launching-in-june/1100-6419601/" data-ref-id="1100-6419601">Microsoft announced a price cut for the Xbox One</a>, but retailer GameStop is already benefiting from the announcement. During a post-earnings financial call today, GameStop president Tony Bartel said the company is seeing "stronger demand" for the Xbox One since last week.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"I definitely think we're already seeing in our stores with our reservation program as well as dialogue with PowerUp Rewards [members that] there's a stronger demand as a result of the price drop," Bartel said. "The good news for us is... we'll sell a lot more units."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"And that means there will be more [Xbox One] units out there to put software on," Bartel went on to say. This is particularly noteworthy because GameStop's margins are better for software than they are for hardware.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The new $399 Xbox One, which doesn't come with Kinect,<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/399-xbox-one-without-kinect-launching-in-june/1100-6419601/" data-ref-id="1100-6419601"> launches June 9</a>. We'll have a better understanding of just how meaningful the price cut was for GameStop's fortunes later this year when GameStop reports earnings for its fiscal second quarter.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">It's not only GameStop that's positive about the Xbox One price cut. Both <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ubisoft-extremely-happy-about-xbox-one-price-cut-says-it-s-a-great-move/1100-6419663/" data-ref-id="1100-6419663">Assassin's Creed publisher Ubisoft </a>and <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/grand-theft-auto-parent-company-pleased-with-xbox-one-price-cut/1100-6419682/" data-ref-id="1100-6419682">Grand Theft Auto parent company Take-Two </a>think the move <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/grand-theft-auto-parent-company-pleased-with-xbox-one-price-cut/1100-6419682/" data-ref-id="1100-6419682">is a good thing</a>, as it should help more Xbox One units enter the market.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Also during the call, an analyst asked if GameStop's business has seen any kind of meaningful impact as a result of <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/wal-mart-taking-on-gamestop-will-soon-accept-video-game-trade-ins/1100-6418369/" data-ref-id="1100-6418369">megaretailer Wal-Mart entering the used game space in March</a>. CEO Paul Raines said competitors have emerged in the past and GameStop has always remained king of the secondhand market. This is no different for Wal-Mart, he said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We are in Texas so I have to say it's not our first rodeo," Raines said. "We have not seen any impact from our competitors entering the used space. I would encourage you to go do some trades at all of our competitors, because I think all of them are in the trade business. We have a deep knowledge of how execution looks at all of those competitors and we do not have any impact from them."</p><p style="">GameStop recorded revenue of <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamestop-made-68m-in-profit-in-the-past-three-months-up-24-over-last-year/1100-6419820/" data-ref-id="1100-6419820">$2 billion for the quarter ended May 3</a>, and hauled in a profit of<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamestop-made-68m-in-profit-in-the-past-three-months-up-24-over-last-year/1100-6419820/" data-ref-id="1100-6419820"> $68 million</a> thanks in part to strong sales of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Thu, 22 May 2014 15:29:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamestop-seeing-greater-interest-in-xbox-one-since-price-drop-announcement/1100-6419824/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-says-ps4-unlike-their-previous-consoles-is-already-contributing-profit/1100-6419822/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418380" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418380/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">Speaking today at a corporate strategy meeting, Sony president Kaz Hirai said that the PlayStation 4 is "already contributing a profit on a hardware unit basis."</p><p style="">Reported by Japanese site <a href="http://av.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/20140522_649764.html" rel="nofollow" data-mce-href="http://av.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/20140522_649764.html">AV Watch</a> (via <a href="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=823567" rel="nofollow" data-mce-href="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=823567">NeoGaf</a>), a Sony representative provided GameSpot a translation for one of Hirai's most interesting statements from the meeting. "From a profitability perspective," Hirai said, "PS4 is also already contributing profit on a hardware unit basis, establishing a very different business framework from that of previous platform businesses." It's a slightly roundabout quote, but that statement essentially says that the PS4 is already profitable, unlike previous console generations that are typically sold at a loss for their first few years.</p><p style="">This lines up with earlier comments from Sony prior to the PS4's launch that they did not expect their current-gen console to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-not-expecting-ps3-like-losses-for-ps4/1100-6412760/" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-not-expecting-ps3-like-losses-for-ps4/1100-6412760/">"generate losses like they did for the PS3."</a></p><p style="">While the strategy meeting focused on Sony's business as a whole, Hirai also mentioned that over half of PS4 owners subscribe to the PlayStation Plus service, which <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/at-least-2-1-million-playstation-4-owners-have-playstation-plus-sony-says/1100-6417596/" data-ref-id="1100-6417596" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/at-least-2-1-million-playstation-4-owners-have-playstation-plus-sony-says/1100-6417596/">lines up with previous projections earlier this year</a>. Sony recently opened up <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/at-least-2-1-million-playstation-4-owners-have-playstation-plus-sony-says/1100-6417596/" data-ref-id="1100-6417596" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/at-least-2-1-million-playstation-4-owners-have-playstation-plus-sony-says/1100-6417596/">beta invitations for the PlayStation Now game streaming service to PlayStation 4 </a>owners, and <a href="http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press/201405/14-054E/" rel="nofollow" data-mce-href="http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press/201405/14-054E/">Hirai noted that </a><a href="http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press/201405/14-054E/" rel="nofollow" data-mce-href="http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press/201405/14-054E/">Sony plans</a> to "introduce a new, cloud-based television service within the calendar year 2014."</p><p style="">According to the AV Watch article (as translated by GameSpot), Hirai said that, given the success of both hardware sales and network services, "The PS4 is likely to generate more revenue than PS2."</p><p style="">As of April, Sony announced that the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-reports-7-million-playstation-4-consoles-sold-worldwide/1100-6419044/" data-ref-id="1100-6419044" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-reports-7-million-playstation-4-consoles-sold-worldwide/1100-6419044/">PlayStation 4 had sold over 7 million consoles</a>, though we'll likely hear even more about the system and what Sony's plans for <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/e3/">further audience expansion at this year's E3</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true" class="mceItemTable"><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong>Justin Haywald is a senior editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/JustinHaywald" rel="nofollow" data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/JustinHaywald"> Twitter @JustinHaywald</a></strong></p><p style=""><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow" data-mce-href="mailto:news@gamespot.com">news@gamespot.com</a></strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p style=""><br /></p> Thu, 22 May 2014 15:16:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-says-ps4-unlike-their-previous-consoles-is-already-contributing-profit/1100-6419822/
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