http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Mon, 05 May 2014 07:37:55 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/transformers-rise-of-the-dark-spark-comes-to-consoles-and-pc-on-june-24/1100-6419424/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1197/11970954/2487117-tfrotds_screen3.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2487117" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1197/11970954/2487117-tfrotds_screen3.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2487117"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1197/11970954/2487117-tfrotds_screen3.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Activision has announced (via <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2014/05/04/transformers-rise-of-the-dark-spark-planned-for-june-24/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Joystiq</a>) that its upcoming action game<a href="/transformers-rise-of-the-dark-spark/" data-ref-id="false"> Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark</a> is "expected" to launch across Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, 3DS, and PC on June 24. The third-person action game was previously slated for a "summer" release.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Activision also announced preorder details for GameStop shoppers, who will receive the "Weathered Warrior Pack" expansion. This include two characters--Thundercracker and Skywarp--as well as two weapons: the Glass Gas Cannon and the Electro Bolter.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">These weapons can be used in the Campaign and Escalation modes for Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark. The Weathered Warrior Pack isn't coming to Wii U or 3DS, Activision said.</p><p style="">Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark is not the only new Transformers game in the works. <a href="/runescape/" data-ref-id="false">RuneScape</a> developer Jagex is currently making a browser-based PC MMO called <a href="/transformers-universe/" data-ref-id="false">Transformers Universe</a>, which is due out later this year.</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> Mon, 05 May 2014 07:08:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/transformers-rise-of-the-dark-spark-comes-to-consoles-and-pc-on-june-24/1100-6419424/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nhl-15-announced-for-xbox-360-xbox-one-ps3-and-ps4-check-out-a-teaser-trailer/1100-6419423/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytkPcoi6VMw" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FytkPcoi6VMw%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DytkPcoi6VMw&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FytkPcoi6VMw%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="">EA Sports today officially announced NHL 15, the latest entry in the critically acclaimed professional hockey simulator series. The game launches this fall for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4. You can watch a teaser trailer above.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The Xbox One and PS4 versions of NHL 15 contain a number of features not found in their Xbox 360 and PS3 counterparts. First, the next-gen versions include real-world physics for all 12 skaters. Every player on the ice is governed by the physics at all times, EA says, noting that this is a first for any sports game ever.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">NHL 15 for Xbox One and PS4 also boasts a "completely rebuilt" puck physics system that EA promises will bring a "more realistic" feel to every puck interaction. What's more, EA says every part of the ice--including the surface itself--is "live," which will lead to the kind of unpredictable puck spins, rolls, and bounces that you'd expect to see in a real NHL game.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">EA also promises more authentic NHL player models for NHL 15 on Xbox One and PS4. Player models now have three unique layers--body, equipment, and jersey. Each layer interacts independently, which makes for even more realism, EA says. Player likenesses are also getting a boost from the power of the Xbox One and PS4.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"NHL 15 delivers groundbreaking player likeness, emotion, and animation," EA says. "From the strides a player takes to get up the ice to the emotion on their face after scoring a game winning goal, the players are as real as they've ever been."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">EA has also overhauled the Skill Stick feature to give players even more control, and updated the arenas with a new level of detail "not possible on the previous generation." This includes over 9,000 individual crowd models and 4x the animation fidelity of the past generation.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Lastly, EA and NBC Sports have partnered up to bring new commentators to NHL 15 in the form of Mike 'Doc' Emrick and Eddie Olczyk. TSN analyst Ray Ferraro will add game insights from the ice level. All of this combines for a level of authenticity that EA says blurs the lines of the real world of sport broadcast and the game.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Meanwhile, the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of NHL 15 are getting the new broadcast team, an updated collision physics system, an NHL 94 Anniversary mode, and a fantasy element in the form of Hockey Ultimate Team.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">EA has also announced that fans will get to decide which NHL hockey star will be featured on the NHL 15 cover. Eight players have been chosen to compete for the cover, and you can visit <a href="http://covervote.nhl.com/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">NHL.com/CoverVote</a> to make a decision. Voting ends June 1 and the winner will be announced during the 2014 NHL Awards on June 24. Choices include:</p><ul><li dir="ltr">Erik Karlsson</li><li dir="ltr">Logan Couture</li><li dir="ltr">T.J. Oshie</li><li dir="ltr">P.K. Subban</li><li dir="ltr">Drew Doughty</li><li dir="ltr">Phil Kessel</li><li dir="ltr">Matt Duchene</li><li dir="ltr">Patrice Bergeron</li></ul><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> Mon, 05 May 2014 06:42:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nhl-15-announced-for-xbox-360-xbox-one-ps3-and-ps4-check-out-a-teaser-trailer/1100-6419423/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/buy-games-from-amazon-you-can-now-add-them-to-your-cart-using-twitter/1100-6419422/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAm6pa9hPKA" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FiAm6pa9hPKA%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DiAm6pa9hPKA&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FiAm6pa9hPKA%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="">Online retailer Amazon today announced the next evolution of its shopping platform. #AmazonCart is a new feature that lets you add products to your cart directly through Twitter.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">All you need to do is find a tweet with an Amazon product link and reply with #AmazonCart. The product is then saved to your cart for you to purchase later on your computer or mobile device. For #AmazonCart to work, you need to connect your Twitter account to the service. Without that link, Amazon would not know to which customer's cart to add the item,<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/socialmedia/amazoncart/ref=tsm_1_yt_s_amzn_n4ys5f" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> the company says</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">You don't need to worry about accidentally purchasing items with the hashtag #AmazonCart, as using that hashtag only adds items to your cart, it doesn't purchase them. But here's a warning: unless your Twitter account is set to private, your followers will be able to see what products you're shopping for.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">You can see a video of how the Amazon Cart feature works above. One of the examples is a man standing in line for coffee who adds <a href="/watch-dogs/" data-ref-id="false">Watch Dogs</a> to his cart before he gets his drink. Quite a successful morning. </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> Mon, 05 May 2014 05:57:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/buy-games-from-amazon-you-can-now-add-them-to-your-cart-using-twitter/1100-6419422/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/oculus-responds-to-claims-that-it-stole-vr-tech-from-fallout-parent-company/1100-6419420/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2523977-oculuskit.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2523977" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2523977-oculuskit.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2523977"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2523977-oculuskit.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">The Facebook-owned Oculus VR--maker of the popular Oculus Rift virtual reality headset--today responded to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-elder-scrolls-parent-company-seeking-compensation-for-oculus-rift-headset-oculus-calls-claims-ridiculous/1100-6419351/" data-ref-id="1100-6419351">last week's claims </a>that it stole VR technology from Fallout and Elder Scrolls parent company ZeniMax.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In a statement, Oculus VR said: "We are disappointed but not surprised by ZeniMax's actions and we will prove that all of its claims are false." The company also provided a list of key points they say are relevant to the situation.</p><ul><li>There is not a line of Zenimax code or any of its technology in any Oculus products.</li><li>John Carmack did not take any intellectual property from ZeniMax.</li><li>ZeniMax has misstated the purposes and language of the ZeniMax non-disclosure agreement that Palmer Luckey signed.</li><li>A key reason that John permanently left ZeniMax in August of 2013 was that ZeniMax prevented John from working on VR, and stopped investing in VR games across the company.</li><li>ZeniMax canceled VR support for Doom 3 BFG when Oculus refused ZeniMax's demands for a non-dilutable equity stake in Oculus.</li><li>ZeniMax did not pursue claims against Oculus for IP or technology, ZeniMax has never contributed any IP or technology to Oculus, and only after the Facebook deal was announced has ZeniMax now made these claims through its lawyers.</li><li>Despite the fact that the full source code for the Oculus SDK is available online (<a href="http://developer.oculusvr.com/" rel="nofollow"><u>developer.oculusvr.com</u></a>), ZeniMax has never identified any 'stolen' code or technology."</li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="">Last week, ZeniMax accused legendary game designer John Carmack of <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-elder-scrolls-parent-company-seeking-compensation-for-oculus-rift-headset-oculus-calls-claims-ridiculous/1100-6419351/" data-ref-id="1100-6419351">improperly taking</a> intellectual property for what would become the Oculus Rift headset with him to Oculus VR when he joined the company last summer.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Oculus initially called the claims "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-elder-scrolls-parent-company-seeking-compensation-for-oculus-rift-headset-oculus-calls-claims-ridiculous/1100-6419351/" data-ref-id="1100-6419351">absurd</a>," and Carmack <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-elder-scrolls-parent-company-seeking-compensation-for-oculus-rift-headset-oculus-calls-claims-ridiculous/1100-6419351/" data-ref-id="1100-6419351">went on Twitter</a> to say that, "No work I have ever done has been patented. ZeniMax owns the code that I wrote, but they don't own VR. Oculus uses zero lines of code that I wrote while under contract to ZeniMax."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">We will of course continue to cover this story as it develops.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><em>Leslie Moonves, CEO of GameSpot parent company CBS Corp., is a member of the ZeniMax board of directors.</em></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> Mon, 05 May 2014 05:21:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/oculus-responds-to-claims-that-it-stole-vr-tech-from-fallout-parent-company/1100-6419420/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-boss-promises-new-ip-and-sequel-announcements-at-e3/1100-6419419/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2523971-spencere3.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2523971" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2523971-spencere3.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2523971"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2523971-spencere3.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">With just one month to go before the 2014 Electronic Entertainment Expo, Xbox boss Phil Spencer has revealed a slew of new details about what you can expect from Microsoft's presentation at the event.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Asked if gamers will see new IP announcements at the show from first-party Microsoft studios, Spencer <a href="https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/463149458100723712" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">replied</a>: "Yes, we'll announce both new IP and new sequels at E3." That's just one interesting piece of information that Spencer revealed last night during his tweeting spree.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">We've rounded up what you need to know below, based on his Twitter comments from overnight.</p><ul><li dir="ltr">Microsoft is <a href="https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/463175909076262914" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">focusing on</a> hardcore gamers for the show.</li><li dir="ltr">Some announcements will be <a href="https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/463140163451764737" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">made in May</a>, ahead of E3. "Yea, you'll get a couple of things before. May should be a good month for news. Took me a month to get plans set," Spencer said.</li><li dir="ltr">Microsoft <a href="https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/463171243324104705" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">will announce</a> new studios it's working with.</li><li dir="ltr">Spencer is <a href="https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/463144349383921664" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">not allowed to</a> talk about anything related to what Halo studio 343 Industries is working on.</li><li dir="ltr">Microsoft's <a href="https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/463138643519893504" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">overall goal</a> for 2014: "I feel like what we will show this year is stuff we are committed to, from top studios, for this year and future."</li><li dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/463171463168524288" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Don't expect</a> a Microsoft-made gaming handheld anytime soon. "I don't think we'll do a dedicated handheld gaming device, rather just focus on [Windows Phone], tablets, maybe with controller support someday," Spencer said.</li><li dir="ltr">Spencer <a href="https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/463173504410468353" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">wants </a>Microsoft's E3 2014 showing to be more "fan focused."</li><li dir="ltr">Microsoft <a href="https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/463174001708109824" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">thought about</a> using the voice of Cortana for their E3 show, but Spencer did not like this. Asked if the Cortana voice search functionality could come to Xbox One someday, Spencer said, "I like [Windows Phone] feature but don't want to overdo it."</li><li dir="ltr">Gamers <a href="https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/463174755676213248" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">won't need to</a> wait until the Tokyo Game Show (September) to learn about new Japanese Xbox One games.</li><li dir="ltr">Microsoft is <a href="https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/463140422861082624" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">close to finalizing </a>a release date for the Xbox One version of Minecraft.</li><li dir="ltr">The Lost Odyssey rights are "<a href="https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/463150206016425984" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">a bit complicated</a>," but Spencer would like to see the 2008 role-playing game come to Games on Demand some day.</li><li dir="ltr">Details about external storage support for Xbox One are <a href="https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/463153837658755073" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">coming later</a>.</li><li dir="ltr">Why there hasn't been a Battletoads sequel: "Just time, lot's of things we want to build, all the teams are full right now and a long list of what they'd want to do next. You want to spend time because you want things to be as good as they can be, I don't want to do cheap ports," Spencer <a href="https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/463143084889358336" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">said</a>.</li></ul><p style="">E3 2014 runs June 10-12 in Los Angeles, California. Microsoft's media briefing is often held on the Monday before the show kicks off, which would be June 9. GameSpot will be in attendance at E3 2014, bringing you all the news as it happens.</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> Mon, 05 May 2014 04:38:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-boss-promises-new-ip-and-sequel-announcements-at-e3/1100-6419419/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/house-of-horrors-euphemisms-and-gruesome-deaths-in/2300-6418647/ Zorine and Jess take on a true classic and remember what it's like to scour for green herbs and get caught off guard by a jump scare or twelve. Sun, 04 May 2014 23:47:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/house-of-horrors-euphemisms-and-gruesome-deaths-in/2300-6418647/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/au-new-releases-the-amazing-spider-man-2-swings-onto-multiple-consoles/1100-6419418/ <p style="">Peter Parker swings onto multiple platforms this week with the Australian retail release of<a href="/the-amazing-spider-man-2/" data-ref-id="false"> The Amazing Spider-Man 2</a>, the game based on the movie of the same name.</p><p style="">It serves as the sequel to 2012's <a href="/the-amazing-spider-man/" data-ref-id="false">The Amazing Spider-Man</a>, marks the first time Spider-Man has made his way onto the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles.</p><p style="">The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was met with lukewarm reception in GameSpot's review. The game was praised for being an "enjoyable representation of Spider-Man" but was let down by tedious side missions, simple combat, and imprecise movement. For more details, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-amazing-spider-man-2-review/1900-6415750/" data-ref-id="1900-6415750">check out our full review</a>.</p><p style="">For fans of the Etrian Odyssey series, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/etrian-odyssey-untold-the-millenium-girl/" data-ref-id="false">Etrian Oddysey Untold: The Millennium Girl</a> will be released for the 3DS this week. The game is a remake of the first title in the series, tailored to the 3DS. Players will be able to choose to play classic mode or story mode. The option to mix and match skilled acquired throughout the game will also be available.</p><p style="">To get more details on games out this week, check out the full list below.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418644" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418644/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""><b>May 7, 2014</b></p><p style=""><a href="/the-amazing-spider-man-2/" data-ref-id="false">The Amazing Spider-Man 2</a> (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, 3DS, Wii U)</p><p style=""> </p><p style=""><b>May 8, 2014</b></p><p style=""><a href="/demon-gaze/" data-ref-id="false">Demon Gaze</a> (Vita)</p><p style=""><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/etrian-odyssey-untold-the-millenium-girl/" data-ref-id="false">Etrian Odyssey Untold: Millenium Girl </a>(3DS)</p><p style=""> </p> Sun, 04 May 2014 22:30:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/au-new-releases-the-amazing-spider-man-2-swings-onto-multiple-consoles/1100-6419418/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-update-possible-last-of-us-2-concept-art-t/2300-6418646/ Cryptic posts from The Last of Us Game Director Bruce Straley and artist Marek Okon have sent the Internet rumour mill crazy about the possibility of The Last of Us 2. Sun, 04 May 2014 18:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-update-possible-last-of-us-2-concept-art-t/2300-6418646/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-last-of-us-artist-posts-image-of-what-looks-like-an-older-ellie-but-it-s-only-fanart/1100-6419417/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418646" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418646/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Freelance artist <a href="http://www.okonart.com/#portfolio&illustrations&83" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Marek Okon</a>, who worked on <a href="/the-last-of-us/" data-ref-id="false">The Last of Us</a>, posted a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152106238859562&set=a.10150352806654562.347159.681689561&type=1&theater" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">piece of art today on his Facebook page</a> of what looks like an older version of the Ellie we know from last year's game. It also looks like she is holding a guitar.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Okon said about the image: "Let me tease you something... It's coming... ;]" So are we looking at the first image of The Last of Us 2? It doesn't sound like it.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"[The] image you are referring to is a strictly personal one, just loosely based on The Last of Us universe. I guess you could say it's a fanart," Okon told GameSpot today. In the comments section of his original Facebook post containing the image, Okon elaborated further.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"So before its [sic] gonna get blown out of proportions [sic] - it's gonna be strictly personal image. Is it about TLOU2? Not really... Maybe... It's classified ;P But seriously it's gonna be just a fan art ;]"</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In February, The Last of Us creative director Neil Druckmann said the chances of Naughty Dog making a sequel to The Last of Us were<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-last-of-us-2-is-a-50-50-chance/1100-6417906/" data-ref-id="1100-6417906"> 50/50</a>. The Last of Us launched in June 2013 and has<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-last-of-us-sells-6-million-copies/1100-6418319/" data-ref-id="1100-6418319"> sold more than six million copies to date</a>. A sequel may not be on the immediate horizon, but Naughty Dog is bringing the game to the PlayStation 4 this summer through <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-last-of-us-for-ps4-runs-in-1080p-has-dlc-and-director-s-commentary-retailers-list-it-for-60/1100-6418878/" data-ref-id="1100-6418878">The Last of Us Remastered</a>.</p><p style="">In addition to The Last of Us Remastered, Naughty Dog is working on a new <a href="/uncharted-4/" data-ref-id="false">Uncharted game for PS4</a>. And according to a<a href="https://twitter.com/bruce_straley/status/462245347369054208" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> teasing tweet</a> from The Last of Us director Bruce Straley, there may be a third project in the works. "I got goosebumps playing & talking thru a prototype a designer was sketching in yesterday! That's how I know... #GonnaBeAwesome"</p><p style=""> </p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2523866-tlouellieguitar.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2523866" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2523866-tlouellieguitar.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2523866"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2523866-tlouellieguitar.jpg"></a><figcaption>Image credit: Marek Okon</figcaption></figure><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> Sun, 04 May 2014 17:08:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-last-of-us-artist-posts-image-of-what-looks-like-an-older-ellie-but-it-s-only-fanart/1100-6419417/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-dev-on-its-canceled-third-person-call-of-duty/1100-6419416/ <figure data-align="right" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2523818-3298032872-21097.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2523818" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2523818-3298032872-21097.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2523818"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/1535/15354745/2523818-3298032872-21097.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Last week, developer Sledgehammer gave us an impressive first look at its next entry in Activision's immensely popular series, <a href="/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare/" data-ref-id="false">Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare</a>. But that's not the first project that Sledgehammer worked on at the publisher.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Speaking with <em><a href="http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2014/05/04/june-cover-revealed-call-of-duty-advanced-warfare.aspx" rel="nofollow">Game Informer</a></em>, Sledgehammer cofounders Michael Condrey and Glen Schofield talked about their canceled third-person Call of Duty game.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">They started the project after leaving Visceral Games (where they worked on <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/dead-space/">Dead Space</a>) but stopped development in order to help finish <a href="/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-3/" data-ref-id="false">Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3</a>. This was right after <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/top-infinity-ward-devs-fired-for-insubordination-lawsuits-expected/1100-6252657/">Activision fired Infinity Ward's Vince Zampella and Jason West</a>, who took several of Infinity Ward's developers with them to work on <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/titanfall/">Titanfall</a> at Respawn Entertainment.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">At the time, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sledgehammer-probably-canceling-call-of-duty-action-adventure/1100-6340455/">Schofield said</a> it wasn't likely Sledgehammer would return to the third-person game because its setting was too obscure. Today, we learned that it was supposed to take place in the Vietnam War, focusing on the "Secret War" in Cambodia and Laos.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We had spent six or eight months on it, and were really getting into the story," Schofield told <em>Game Informer</em>. "We had some really cool mechanics. We had a big moment that I would love to get into a game someday, but it's not something we could do in first-person."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">He added that large sections of the game took place in underground tunnels, and that the team was "going for some Dead Space moments."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Sledgehammer had 15 fully playable minutes of the game before it moved on to Modern Warfare 3, and it says the decision to drop the project wasn't easy. "It was part of our culture that we were all gonna make that decision together. We would have loved to make that [third-person] game. It was in a space that we enjoyed, but how does anything compare to the first-person blockbuster release of 2011?"</p><p style="">Sledgehammer's Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare launches November 4. For more, be sure to read <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare/">GameSpot's previous coverage</a>.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418630" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418630/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><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></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sun, 04 May 2014 15:03:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-dev-on-its-canceled-third-person-call-of-duty/1100-6419416/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/tons-of-call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-details-emerge/1100-6419415/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2522998-10298334_700329690028758_7712115674594597657_o.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2522998" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2522998-10298334_700329690028758_7712115674594597657_o.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2522998"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/536/5360430/2522998-10298334_700329690028758_7712115674594597657_o.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">In addition to details about Sledgehammer Games' <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-dev-on-its-canceled-third-person-call-of-duty/1100-6419416/" data-ref-id="1100-6419416">scrapped third-person Call of Duty game that was set during the Vietnam War</a>, the June issue of <em>Game Informer</em> magazine is loaded with 12 pages' worth of information about the recently revealed <a href="/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare/" data-ref-id="false">Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">We've rounded up some of the most interesting details and listed them below. The full <em>Game Informer </em>June 2014 issue is <a href="http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2014/05/04/june-cover-revealed-call-of-duty-advanced-warfare.aspx" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">available for purchase today</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><strong>Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare details:</strong></p><ul><li dir="ltr">In development at Sledgehammer Games for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. A separate studio to be named later is working on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions. There's no word on Wii U.</li><li dir="ltr">The game runs on a new and unspecified game engine.</li><li dir="ltr">The story opens with a catastrophic event that Sledgehammer Games cofounder Michael Condrey describes as "like a global 9/11." There's little more to go on, but major cities on multiple continents are affected by some kind of terrorism perpetrated by a terrorist organization called KVA.</li><li dir="ltr">It is set in 2054.</li><li dir="ltr">You play a character named Private Mitchell, who is voiced by prolific voice actor Troy Baker. You may know Baker for his recent roles in <a href="/the-last-of-us/" data-ref-id="false">The Last of Us</a> (Joel), <a href="/bioshock-infinite/" data-ref-id="false">BioShock Infinite </a>(Booker), and <a href="/batman-arkham-origins/" data-ref-id="false">Batman: Arkham Origins</a> (The Joker). Mitchell only speaks during cutscenes; never during gameplay.</li><li dir="ltr">Mitchell starts Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare as a Marine, who is squadmates with Will Irons, the son of Private Military Company Atlas Corporation CEO Jonathan Irons (played by Kevin Spacey). After their tour of duty is done, the elder Irons asks Mitchell if he wants to leave the Marines to join his father's company. Mitchell says yes and is outfitted with an "EXO" suit for his new job.</li><li dir="ltr">Unlike past Call of Duty games, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare has only one protagonist.</li><li dir="ltr">Kevin Spacey says he was "very excited" about joining the game when he was originally approached.</li><li dir="ltr">You'll earn points every mission that can be used to upgrade your EXO suit. Using the EXO suit, you can climb walls with magnetic gloves, boost-dodge toward cover, perform super-jumps that let you get to higher ground, use optic camouflage for cloaking, and hover in mid-air.</li><li dir="ltr">Your arsenal includes "variable grenades," which can be switched from concussion to threat detection while they cook. The threat detection grenade reveals enemy locations and makes this information available via an augmented reality system visible in your visor.</li><li dir="ltr">Some of your guns are energy-based, and do not use traditional ammunition.</li><li dir="ltr">There is a rideable vehicle called a Pitbull, which is based on the real world Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle.</li><li dir="ltr">There's no official word on Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare multiplayer yet, but Condrey teases, "You can probably imagine the possibilities of a lot of the stuff you saw in single-player and how it would apply online." Activision also says it is "absolutely committed" to supporting eSports.</li><li dir="ltr">Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare will have some kind of co-op mode.</li><li dir="ltr">Veteran Metal Gear Solid composer Harry Gregson-Williams is working on the game's soundtrack. Audio director Don Veca says, "I think Advanced Warfare is going to be the best-sounding and certainly the best-mixed game ever."</li><li dir="ltr">In an effort to create a believable world, Activision consulted with "experts from production design in movies to experts in the military to scientists and futurists," according to Sledgehammer cofounder Glen Schofield.</li></ul><p style="">Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare launches November 4. For more, be sure to read <a href="/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare/" data-ref-id="false">GameSpot's previous coverage</a>.</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> Sun, 04 May 2014 14:34:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/tons-of-call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-details-emerge/1100-6419415/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/dragon-age-inquisition-writer-on-the-necessary-pain-of-cutting-content/1100-6419414/ <p style=""><a style="text-align:center;" href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2523788-9784360923-25115.jpg" rel="nofollow"><img alt="" src="/api/image/scale_super/2523788-9784360923-25115.jpg" /></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="">A reality of game development is that a lot of great ideas and content are cut from the final product due to deadlines and available resources. As players, we're always disappointed when a feature that sounded great didn't make into the game. As <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/dragon-age-inquisition/" data-ref-id="false">Dragon Age: Inquisition</a> writer David Gaider said on his <a href="http://dgaider.tumblr.com/post/84290901124/in-terms-of-game-development-now-that-the-dragon-age" rel="nofollow">Tumblr</a>, this process is harder for developers than you may assume.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Gaider explains that Dragon Age: Inquisition is approaching Alpha, also known as "Content Complete." The team is still creating content, but at this point it's more concerned with making everything it already has work properly than adding something new. It's also the phase in development when the team makes the biggest cuts.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The writers are mostly done with dialogue, which is currently being edited, recorded, and prepared for cinematics. At the moment, Gaider and his team are working on pretty much anything else in the game that requires text and responding to cuts.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"This is a pretty stressful time for everyone," Gaider said. "Every cut feels like it's reducing the overall quality of the game, until there are so many of them you feel like you're producing a piece of crap—until you remind yourself that every game goes through this, and the alternative is shipping late or not at all."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Gaider said that it's not a process fans can really understand. "They're usually oblivious to what's going on, harping on what color the sails should be while the hull is rapidly leaking water," he said. "Which is a strange dissonance from our perspective, let me tell you."</p><p style="">Dragon Age: Inquisition launches <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/dragon-age-inquisition-release-date-announced-new-gameplay-trailer-sets-up-the-story/1100-6419128/">October 7</a> for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC. For more on the role-playing game, be sure to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/dragon-age-inquisition/">read GameSpot's previous coverage</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><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></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sun, 04 May 2014 12:58:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/dragon-age-inquisition-writer-on-the-necessary-pain-of-cutting-content/1100-6419414/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/battlefield-4-finally-lets-you-join-a-squad-with-friends/1100-6419413/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ4R3nHv5Uk" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FyJ4R3nHv5Uk%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DyJ4R3nHv5Uk&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FyJ4R3nHv5Uk%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/battlefield-4/">Battlefield 4</a> is finally getting its long awaited Squad Join feature, developer <a href="http://blogs.battlefield.com/2014/05/introducing-squad-join-beta/" rel="nofollow">DICE has announced</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Squad Join is currently in Beta and available for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. It allows you to set up a squad for up to five players before joining a multiplayer game. The squad will join the game together and remain together over rounds.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"This is something we know our fans have been asking for – and something we wish we could have provided at launch – so we are now happy to present the first iteration of Squad Join," DICE said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">DICE said that it will continue to add features and tweak Squad Join based on player feedback. It expects to release an updated version of Squad Join when it launches the Dragon's Teeth DLC this summer.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">At the moment, Squad Join only works in Battlefield 4's base game maps in the Conquest, Team Deathmatch, Obliteration, Rush, and Domination game modes. Support for additional maps and modes will come later.</p><p style="">DICE also recently announced that it was <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/as-battlefield-4-issues-persist-dice-deploys-new-high-performance-servers-to-fix-rubber-banding/1100-6419205/">deploying high-performance servers</a> to fix the game's lingering technical problems, and that <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/battlefield-4-players-can-now-rent-servers-unless-they-re-playing-on-xbox-one/1100-6419310/">players can now rent their own private and public servers</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><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></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sun, 04 May 2014 11:20:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/battlefield-4-finally-lets-you-join-a-squad-with-friends/1100-6419413/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/bound-by-flame-mlb-14-on-ps4-and-killer-is-dead-on/2300-6418641/ This week we get Bound By Flame, MLB 14 The Show on PS4, Killer is Dead on PC, Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure, Stick it to the Man comes to PC and PS4, and the Vita gets Borderlands 2 and the God of War collection. Sun, 04 May 2014 10:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/bound-by-flame-mlb-14-on-ps4-and-killer-is-dead-on/2300-6418641/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/meet-the-gran-turismo-player-now-driving-race-cars-for-real/1100-6419397/ <p style="">Many of us use video games as a form of escapism, as a chance to live out our dreams and fantasies, if only for a few hours in a virtual world. However, there is a video game that is truly changing lives and giving a select few players the chance to live their wildest dreams for real. That game is <a href="/gran-turismo-6/" data-ref-id="false">Gran Turismo</a>. Gran Turismo's game director, Kazunori Yamauchi, has long spoken about his desire to bridge the gap between racing simulations and real motorsport. He has achieved this himself, racing for professional teams and winning at events like 24 Hours Nürburgring.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/225/2256286/2523005-jann+mardenborough.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2523005" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/225/2256286/2523005-jann+mardenborough.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2523005"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/225/2256286/2523005-jann+mardenborough.jpg"></a><figcaption>Virtual racer turned real-life pro Jann Mardenborough.</figcaption></figure><p style=""> </p><p style="">In 2008, Yamauchi's studio, Polyphony Digital, teamed up with Sony and Nissan to create GT Academy, a competition within the Gran Turismo games that gives winners a chance to become real racing drivers. The contest starts with a series of time trial events in the game, with the winners flown to Silverstone in England to take part in a reality TV show and racing driver bootcamp that determines which player will be put behind the wheel of a real racing car by Nissan.</p><p style="">The 2014 GT Academy has just started in <a href="/gran-turismo-6/" data-ref-id="false">Gran Turismo 6</a> with the first round of time trials, so we met up with 2011 winner Jann Mardenborough to talk about transferring his experience from the game into reality. While Mardenborough started with virtual racing, he's now part of the Red Bull racing team and is being touted as a potential Formula One racer in the near future.</p><p style="">"For me, the biggest similarities between virtual and reality is the way that you control the balance of the car. Braking, throttle, and steering input. The way the car pitches forwards on the brakes and yaws in the corners," says Mardenborough.</p><p style="">"The game is quite similar to real life in that sense. In GT6 you can really feel the car moving around underneath you, and if you put too much yaw or pitch into the car, it will react as it would in real life with a bit of a snap. It was crazy to jump from the virtual world into a sports car for the first time. I didn't feel like there was much difference in terms of the way the car feels and how you deliver your inputs."</p><blockquote data-size="large"><p style="">For me, this is the only thing that I have ever wanted to do, so fear never came across my mind until after I had won the competition.</p><cite>Jann Mardenborough</cite></blockquote><p style="">Of course, while a game can teach you the basics of car control, especially if you play with a force feedback steering wheel, there are things it can't prepare you for in a real car. There is no threat of injury or the financial cost of damaging a car in a game. You'd think that would make a virtual racer like Mardenborough nervous in a real car, but he claims that nerves never come into the equation.</p><p style="">"You just have to have that innate fearless thing inside you. I was young anyway, 19 at the time I entered GT Academy. You think you're invincible and you take more risks than you would if you were a bit older," Mardenborough says.</p><p style="">"For me, this is the only thing that I have ever wanted to do, so fear never came across my mind until after I had won the competition. You end up thinking about the things that could have happened. It's about passion really. If something is your passion, then you won't dwell as much on the things that could happen. Things like danger don't come into your mind. That's how I felt when I jumped into the Nissan GT-R for the first time at the Academy. I was just thinking 'Wow! I'm doing 140mph for the first time on a circuit I've never driven before in a really fast car!' The idea of crashing and hurting myself never came into my mind."</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/225/2256286/2523007-gt+academy+drift+at+silverstone.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2523007" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/225/2256286/2523007-gt+academy+drift+at+silverstone.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2523007"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/225/2256286/2523007-gt+academy+drift+at+silverstone.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p style="">The biggest challenge for Mardenborough was to get used to looking through a windshield instead of looking at a TV screen.</p><p style="">"It was difficult to train myself during GT Academy and in the months afterwards to cope with the visual side of real racing. In racing you need to look a long way ahead of you for complexes of corners. You have to look into the corners even when they're far in the distance. You look for accidents and debris and things like that. Because I came from gaming and because I had a really small 16-inch TV in my room, my eyes never needed to move. I could see everything that I needed to see," Mardenborough tells us.</p><p style="">"Jumping into a sports car for the first time at Silverstone, a Nissan 370Z, the instructor sits next to you and watches your eyes as well as the track. They were constantly telling me to look further ahead, but I found it really difficult. My mind only wanted to look at what was right in front of me. It took a while to get used to it. That was one of the biggest things, if not the biggest thing, to train myself after winning GT Academy, but it's all fine now!"</p><p style="">Since winning GT Academy, Mardenborough has competed in the Dubai 24 Hours, the British GT Championship, the Blancplain GT Series, Toyota Racing Series, British and European Formula Three Championships, and the 24 Hours of Le mans. In 2014, he now has the backing of the Red Bull Racing Formula One Team as a member of its young driver training program, and he is competing in the GP3 series, a single-seater championship just two classes down from his ultimate dream, the FIA Formula One World Championship.</p><p style="">Other winners of GT Academy have been taken down a career path into sports car racing by Nissan and Sony. Mardenborough is the only winner since 2008 to be given the opportunity to pursue a career in single-seater racing and potentially Formula One. We asked him how he copes with the extra pressure of being GT Academy's first genuine chance to produce a Formula One racer, not to mention receive the backing of a huge sponsor like Red Bull.</p><p style="">"I wouldn't say that I'm under more pressure. Nissan know that I put more pressure on myself than anyone else does! We've spoken about this quite a few times. During 2012, when I was driving the Nismo GT3 car, I was given the chance to do some single-seater testing. I was definitely assuming that I would be racing sports cars again in 2013, in the LMP2 class. We used the single-seater testing to get used to downforce because I needed that experience, to jump into a high downforce LMP2 car and get confident," says Mardenborough.</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/225/2256286/2523008-jann+mardenborough+gp3.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2523008" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/225/2256286/2523008-jann+mardenborough+gp3.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2523008"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/225/2256286/2523008-jann+mardenborough+gp3.jpg"></a><figcaption>Mardenborough is now racing single-seater race cars.</figcaption></figure><p style="">"The testing went really well, and Nissan decided to put me in a proper single-seater, a Formula Three car, so we did some more testing and took it from there. In 2013, I found myself racing in New Zealand in a single-seater series to get some more experience, and I was also doing Formula Three as my main championship in Europe."</p><p style="">"During GT Academy and during 2012 it wasn't the plan for me to drive single-seaters, but Nissan thought that I would excel in this area, and it has helped me to develop more quickly as a racing driver as well because these cars are constantly on a knife edge."</p><p style="">So does Mardenborough's success so far in single-seaters mean that other GT Academy champions could be given the opportunity to pursue this career path in the future?</p><p style="">"Yeah, I think so. If you look at what Lucas Ordonez (2008 Academy winner) is doing at the moment, he's racing a factory-backed Nissan in Japan. Wolfgang Reip (2012 winner) is a Nissan Zeod test pilot, and Mark Shulzhitskiy (2012 Russian winner) is doing some testing in an LMP2 car. If you look at all the things that the winners are doing, we're covering a lot of areas. Anyone competing now should be inspired, just as I was watching Lucas race at Le Mans for the first time."</p><p style="">It has been fascinating in recent years to watch the GT Academy winners competing and see how they fit into motorsport alongside established names and other up-and-coming drivers. Most of the guys that Mardenborough and the other winners compete with have been brought up on racing. Some of them will have been karting from as young as 6 or 7 years old and will have spent their entire lives chasing the dream of motorsport, facing financial hardship along the way. We asked Mardenborough what the atmosphere is like in the pit lane when he competes. Surely some of his competitors must be jealous of the fast-tracked path to top-level racing and the huge sponsors that GT Academy gives to its winners.</p><p style="">"I'm sure there is jealousy. If you've been karting since you were a little kid and have been working your way up the ranks and some guy jumps in from playing games to join a major single-seater championship after only three years of real driving, that's going to get people's backs up. I like being called 'The Gamer Kid.' There's only a few of us that have come through GT Academy, so that's a cool, unique title to have."</p><p style="">Mardenborough might be coy about his relationships with his competitors, but there's no doubt that GT Academy opens doors that drivers taking a more traditional path would kill for. As part of his preparation for the 2014 GP3 Series, Mardenborough has been able to use some of the most advanced simulators on the planet, including the Red Bull Racing F1 simulator used by four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel to prepare for Grand Prix races. It's certainly a step above GT6!</p><blockquote data-size="large"><p style="">I'm sure there is jealousy. If you've been karting since you were a little kid and have been working your way up the ranks and some guy jumps in from playing games to join a major single-seater championship after only three years of real driving, that's going to get people's backs up.</p><cite>Jann Mardenborough</cite></blockquote><p style="">"I've driven quite a few simulators recently. The one that I'm currently using to prepare for GP3 races is the Red Bull Racing simulator in Milton Keynes in England," says Mardenborough.</p><p style="">"That's the first time I've driven a simulator that's on hydraulic rams and lifts. It's not based on Rfactor like most other simulators. It's their own software, so it's very secretive. It's quite amazing to see what they can do. We can test new parts and aero maps as well as setup changes for each track. It's an amazing tool. The Rfactor-based sims are good as well. Especially for learning circuits and setup changes."</p><p style="">Interestingly, Mardenborough's video game experience means that he benefits more from simulator work than even some seasoned professionals do. Some pro racing drivers struggle to benefit from sim racing because they are so used to practicing in the real car.</p><p style="">"I sometimes work with guys who have never used simulators before. They're incredibly quick racing drivers, but they just can't manage in the sims. They feel sick or they just can't get used to having no feedback through their backside. That sometimes leads to them saying that the sim car doesn't have as much grip as they expect. For me, there are differences because developing a tire model is insanely difficult, and grip levels at real tracks change from corner to corner. Replicating that in a game or sim is extremely difficult," Mardenborough says.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/225/2256286/2523011-gt+academy+winners+-+mardenborough+on+right.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2523011" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/225/2256286/2523011-gt+academy+winners+-+mardenborough+on+right.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2523011"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/225/2256286/2523011-gt+academy+winners+-+mardenborough+on+right.jpg"></a><figcaption>The previous winners of GT Academy.</figcaption></figure><p style=""> </p><p style="">In the last few years, online sim racing has become more and more popular and is beginning to find its feet as a spectator sport, with events like the iRacing.com World Championship Grand Prix Series live-streamed with commentary and analysis that mirrors the style of real TV broadcasts. Some budding racers are even turning to PC racing simulation as a cheaper alternative to trackdays or karting. So, could sim racing start producing the real racing drivers of the future, outside of contests like GT Academy?</p><p style="">"I think so. The market for people that are really quick on sims or just racing games is becoming really important," Mardenborough says.</p><p style="">"You see Formula One teams and sports car teams that are looking to simulators more and more often because testing is hugely expensive and is mostly banned in F1. It costs hundreds of thousands of pounds to go testing for a few days. In the sim you don't have a tire bill, a fuel bill, or any accident damage to deal with. It's a great alternative."</p><p style="">The 2014 GT Academy is happening right now, with the first time trial events taking place in Gran Turismo 6. Over the coming weeks, virtual drivers will be competing on the leaderboards for their chance to go to Silverstone and compete in real cars to become the 2014 champion and win that real racing opportunity. Mardenborough lets us in on the techniques he used to win in 2011.</p><p style="">"When I did it, I would choose a ghost car from the leaderboard that was maybe 20 positions in front of me, try to beat that ghost, and then move on to the next one and so on," says Mardenborough.</p><p style="">"It's very difficult if you focus on the lead ghost car because it's going to be very close to the limit of the perfect lap. It can be disheartening to see how fast the leader is as well, if you use that ghost from the beginning. If you chip away at it, it's easier to improve your lap times and not get too frustrated."</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6416515" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6416515/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><p style="">"I used a ghost car to learn the correct lines, but you can ruin your lap by trying to outbrake it all the time, so I managed it during each lap, turning it on and off for certain corners. If I knew a corner really well, I'd leave it off to see if I could go quicker on my own."</p><p style="">"My biggest advice is never give up. It's so easy to put the controller down and not bother, but if you really put in the leg work, you can do it. The time trials are probably the second most tough part of the competition, the first being the army assault course at Silverstone! It's properly difficult because anyone can enter, and everyone has the same tools. You have to work harder than everyone else. I thought of chucking in the towel many times, but nobody who has won it did, and we've all done really well out of it. You have to have a determined attitude. That's the biggest thing that Nissan and GT Academy look for."</p><p style="">You can enter GT Academy 2014 right now by setting some lap times in the first time trials that are available in the main menu of Gran Turismo 6 on the PlayStation 3.</p><p style="">If you want to follow Mardenborough's progress in 2014, <a href="https://twitter.com/Jannthaman" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">follow him on Twitter </a>and check out the GP3 series too.</p> Sun, 04 May 2014 10:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/meet-the-gran-turismo-player-now-driving-race-cars-for-real/1100-6419397/
http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Mon, 05 May 2014 07:37:55 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/transformers-rise-of-the-dark-spark-comes-to-consoles-and-pc-on-june-24/1100-6419424/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1197/11970954/2487117-tfrotds_screen3.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2487117" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1197/11970954/2487117-tfrotds_screen3.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2487117"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1197/11970954/2487117-tfrotds_screen3.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Activision has announced (via <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2014/05/04/transformers-rise-of-the-dark-spark-planned-for-june-24/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Joystiq</a>) that its upcoming action game<a href="/transformers-rise-of-the-dark-spark/" data-ref-id="false"> Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark</a> is "expected" to launch across Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, 3DS, and PC on June 24. The third-person action game was previously slated for a "summer" release.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Activision also announced preorder details for GameStop shoppers, who will receive the "Weathered Warrior Pack" expansion. This include two characters--Thundercracker and Skywarp--as well as two weapons: the Glass Gas Cannon and the Electro Bolter.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">These weapons can be used in the Campaign and Escalation modes for Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark. The Weathered Warrior Pack isn't coming to Wii U or 3DS, Activision said.</p><p style="">Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark is not the only new Transformers game in the works. <a href="/runescape/" data-ref-id="false">RuneScape</a> developer Jagex is currently making a browser-based PC MMO called <a href="/transformers-universe/" data-ref-id="false">Transformers Universe</a>, which is due out later this year.</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> Mon, 05 May 2014 07:08:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/transformers-rise-of-the-dark-spark-comes-to-consoles-and-pc-on-june-24/1100-6419424/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nhl-15-announced-for-xbox-360-xbox-one-ps3-and-ps4-check-out-a-teaser-trailer/1100-6419423/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytkPcoi6VMw" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FytkPcoi6VMw%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DytkPcoi6VMw&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FytkPcoi6VMw%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="">EA Sports today officially announced NHL 15, the latest entry in the critically acclaimed professional hockey simulator series. The game launches this fall for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4. You can watch a teaser trailer above.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The Xbox One and PS4 versions of NHL 15 contain a number of features not found in their Xbox 360 and PS3 counterparts. First, the next-gen versions include real-world physics for all 12 skaters. Every player on the ice is governed by the physics at all times, EA says, noting that this is a first for any sports game ever.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">NHL 15 for Xbox One and PS4 also boasts a "completely rebuilt" puck physics system that EA promises will bring a "more realistic" feel to every puck interaction. What's more, EA says every part of the ice--including the surface itself--is "live," which will lead to the kind of unpredictable puck spins, rolls, and bounces that you'd expect to see in a real NHL game.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">EA also promises more authentic NHL player models for NHL 15 on Xbox One and PS4. Player models now have three unique layers--body, equipment, and jersey. Each layer interacts independently, which makes for even more realism, EA says. Player likenesses are also getting a boost from the power of the Xbox One and PS4.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"NHL 15 delivers groundbreaking player likeness, emotion, and animation," EA says. "From the strides a player takes to get up the ice to the emotion on their face after scoring a game winning goal, the players are as real as they've ever been."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">EA has also overhauled the Skill Stick feature to give players even more control, and updated the arenas with a new level of detail "not possible on the previous generation." This includes over 9,000 individual crowd models and 4x the animation fidelity of the past generation.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Lastly, EA and NBC Sports have partnered up to bring new commentators to NHL 15 in the form of Mike 'Doc' Emrick and Eddie Olczyk. TSN analyst Ray Ferraro will add game insights from the ice level. All of this combines for a level of authenticity that EA says blurs the lines of the real world of sport broadcast and the game.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Meanwhile, the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of NHL 15 are getting the new broadcast team, an updated collision physics system, an NHL 94 Anniversary mode, and a fantasy element in the form of Hockey Ultimate Team.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">EA has also announced that fans will get to decide which NHL hockey star will be featured on the NHL 15 cover. Eight players have been chosen to compete for the cover, and you can visit <a href="http://covervote.nhl.com/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">NHL.com/CoverVote</a> to make a decision. Voting ends June 1 and the winner will be announced during the 2014 NHL Awards on June 24. Choices include:</p><ul><li dir="ltr">Erik Karlsson</li><li dir="ltr">Logan Couture</li><li dir="ltr">T.J. Oshie</li><li dir="ltr">P.K. Subban</li><li dir="ltr">Drew Doughty</li><li dir="ltr">Phil Kessel</li><li dir="ltr">Matt Duchene</li><li dir="ltr">Patrice Bergeron</li></ul><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> Mon, 05 May 2014 06:42:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nhl-15-announced-for-xbox-360-xbox-one-ps3-and-ps4-check-out-a-teaser-trailer/1100-6419423/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/buy-games-from-amazon-you-can-now-add-them-to-your-cart-using-twitter/1100-6419422/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAm6pa9hPKA" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FiAm6pa9hPKA%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DiAm6pa9hPKA&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FiAm6pa9hPKA%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="">Online retailer Amazon today announced the next evolution of its shopping platform. #AmazonCart is a new feature that lets you add products to your cart directly through Twitter.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">All you need to do is find a tweet with an Amazon product link and reply with #AmazonCart. The product is then saved to your cart for you to purchase later on your computer or mobile device. For #AmazonCart to work, you need to connect your Twitter account to the service. Without that link, Amazon would not know to which customer's cart to add the item,<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/socialmedia/amazoncart/ref=tsm_1_yt_s_amzn_n4ys5f" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> the company says</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">You don't need to worry about accidentally purchasing items with the hashtag #AmazonCart, as using that hashtag only adds items to your cart, it doesn't purchase them. But here's a warning: unless your Twitter account is set to private, your followers will be able to see what products you're shopping for.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">You can see a video of how the Amazon Cart feature works above. One of the examples is a man standing in line for coffee who adds <a href="/watch-dogs/" data-ref-id="false">Watch Dogs</a> to his cart before he gets his drink. Quite a successful morning. </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> Mon, 05 May 2014 05:57:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/buy-games-from-amazon-you-can-now-add-them-to-your-cart-using-twitter/1100-6419422/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/oculus-responds-to-claims-that-it-stole-vr-tech-from-fallout-parent-company/1100-6419420/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2523977-oculuskit.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2523977" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2523977-oculuskit.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2523977"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2523977-oculuskit.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">The Facebook-owned Oculus VR--maker of the popular Oculus Rift virtual reality headset--today responded to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-elder-scrolls-parent-company-seeking-compensation-for-oculus-rift-headset-oculus-calls-claims-ridiculous/1100-6419351/" data-ref-id="1100-6419351">last week's claims </a>that it stole VR technology from Fallout and Elder Scrolls parent company ZeniMax.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In a statement, Oculus VR said: "We are disappointed but not surprised by ZeniMax's actions and we will prove that all of its claims are false." The company also provided a list of key points they say are relevant to the situation.</p><ul><li>There is not a line of Zenimax code or any of its technology in any Oculus products.</li><li>John Carmack did not take any intellectual property from ZeniMax.</li><li>ZeniMax has misstated the purposes and language of the ZeniMax non-disclosure agreement that Palmer Luckey signed.</li><li>A key reason that John permanently left ZeniMax in August of 2013 was that ZeniMax prevented John from working on VR, and stopped investing in VR games across the company.</li><li>ZeniMax canceled VR support for Doom 3 BFG when Oculus refused ZeniMax's demands for a non-dilutable equity stake in Oculus.</li><li>ZeniMax did not pursue claims against Oculus for IP or technology, ZeniMax has never contributed any IP or technology to Oculus, and only after the Facebook deal was announced has ZeniMax now made these claims through its lawyers.</li><li>Despite the fact that the full source code for the Oculus SDK is available online (<a href="http://developer.oculusvr.com/" rel="nofollow"><u>developer.oculusvr.com</u></a>), ZeniMax has never identified any 'stolen' code or technology."</li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="">Last week, ZeniMax accused legendary game designer John Carmack of <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-elder-scrolls-parent-company-seeking-compensation-for-oculus-rift-headset-oculus-calls-claims-ridiculous/1100-6419351/" data-ref-id="1100-6419351">improperly taking</a> intellectual property for what would become the Oculus Rift headset with him to Oculus VR when he joined the company last summer.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Oculus initially called the claims "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-elder-scrolls-parent-company-seeking-compensation-for-oculus-rift-headset-oculus-calls-claims-ridiculous/1100-6419351/" data-ref-id="1100-6419351">absurd</a>," and Carmack <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-elder-scrolls-parent-company-seeking-compensation-for-oculus-rift-headset-oculus-calls-claims-ridiculous/1100-6419351/" data-ref-id="1100-6419351">went on Twitter</a> to say that, "No work I have ever done has been patented. ZeniMax owns the code that I wrote, but they don't own VR. Oculus uses zero lines of code that I wrote while under contract to ZeniMax."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">We will of course continue to cover this story as it develops.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><em>Leslie Moonves, CEO of GameSpot parent company CBS Corp., is a member of the ZeniMax board of directors.</em></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> Mon, 05 May 2014 05:21:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/oculus-responds-to-claims-that-it-stole-vr-tech-from-fallout-parent-company/1100-6419420/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-boss-promises-new-ip-and-sequel-announcements-at-e3/1100-6419419/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2523971-spencere3.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2523971" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2523971-spencere3.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2523971"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2523971-spencere3.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">With just one month to go before the 2014 Electronic Entertainment Expo, Xbox boss Phil Spencer has revealed a slew of new details about what you can expect from Microsoft's presentation at the event.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Asked if gamers will see new IP announcements at the show from first-party Microsoft studios, Spencer <a href="https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/463149458100723712" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">replied</a>: "Yes, we'll announce both new IP and new sequels at E3." That's just one interesting piece of information that Spencer revealed last night during his tweeting spree.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">We've rounded up what you need to know below, based on his Twitter comments from overnight.</p><ul><li dir="ltr">Microsoft is <a href="https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/463175909076262914" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">focusing on</a> hardcore gamers for the show.</li><li dir="ltr">Some announcements will be <a href="https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/463140163451764737" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">made in May</a>, ahead of E3. "Yea, you'll get a couple of things before. May should be a good month for news. Took me a month to get plans set," Spencer said.</li><li dir="ltr">Microsoft <a href="https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/463171243324104705" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">will announce</a> new studios it's working with.</li><li dir="ltr">Spencer is <a href="https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/463144349383921664" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">not allowed to</a> talk about anything related to what Halo studio 343 Industries is working on.</li><li dir="ltr">Microsoft's <a href="https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/463138643519893504" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">overall goal</a> for 2014: "I feel like what we will show this year is stuff we are committed to, from top studios, for this year and future."</li><li dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/463171463168524288" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Don't expect</a> a Microsoft-made gaming handheld anytime soon. "I don't think we'll do a dedicated handheld gaming device, rather just focus on [Windows Phone], tablets, maybe with controller support someday," Spencer said.</li><li dir="ltr">Spencer <a href="https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/463173504410468353" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">wants </a>Microsoft's E3 2014 showing to be more "fan focused."</li><li dir="ltr">Microsoft <a href="https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/463174001708109824" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">thought about</a> using the voice of Cortana for their E3 show, but Spencer did not like this. Asked if the Cortana voice search functionality could come to Xbox One someday, Spencer said, "I like [Windows Phone] feature but don't want to overdo it."</li><li dir="ltr">Gamers <a href="https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/463174755676213248" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">won't need to</a> wait until the Tokyo Game Show (September) to learn about new Japanese Xbox One games.</li><li dir="ltr">Microsoft is <a href="https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/463140422861082624" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">close to finalizing </a>a release date for the Xbox One version of Minecraft.</li><li dir="ltr">The Lost Odyssey rights are "<a href="https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/463150206016425984" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">a bit complicated</a>," but Spencer would like to see the 2008 role-playing game come to Games on Demand some day.</li><li dir="ltr">Details about external storage support for Xbox One are <a href="https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/463153837658755073" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">coming later</a>.</li><li dir="ltr">Why there hasn't been a Battletoads sequel: "Just time, lot's of things we want to build, all the teams are full right now and a long list of what they'd want to do next. You want to spend time because you want things to be as good as they can be, I don't want to do cheap ports," Spencer <a href="https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/463143084889358336" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">said</a>.</li></ul><p style="">E3 2014 runs June 10-12 in Los Angeles, California. Microsoft's media briefing is often held on the Monday before the show kicks off, which would be June 9. GameSpot will be in attendance at E3 2014, bringing you all the news as it happens.</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> Mon, 05 May 2014 04:38:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-boss-promises-new-ip-and-sequel-announcements-at-e3/1100-6419419/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/house-of-horrors-euphemisms-and-gruesome-deaths-in/2300-6418647/ Zorine and Jess take on a true classic and remember what it's like to scour for green herbs and get caught off guard by a jump scare or twelve. Sun, 04 May 2014 23:47:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/house-of-horrors-euphemisms-and-gruesome-deaths-in/2300-6418647/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/au-new-releases-the-amazing-spider-man-2-swings-onto-multiple-consoles/1100-6419418/ <p style="">Peter Parker swings onto multiple platforms this week with the Australian retail release of<a href="/the-amazing-spider-man-2/" data-ref-id="false"> The Amazing Spider-Man 2</a>, the game based on the movie of the same name.</p><p style="">It serves as the sequel to 2012's <a href="/the-amazing-spider-man/" data-ref-id="false">The Amazing Spider-Man</a>, marks the first time Spider-Man has made his way onto the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles.</p><p style="">The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was met with lukewarm reception in GameSpot's review. The game was praised for being an "enjoyable representation of Spider-Man" but was let down by tedious side missions, simple combat, and imprecise movement. For more details, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-amazing-spider-man-2-review/1900-6415750/" data-ref-id="1900-6415750">check out our full review</a>.</p><p style="">For fans of the Etrian Odyssey series, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/etrian-odyssey-untold-the-millenium-girl/" data-ref-id="false">Etrian Oddysey Untold: The Millennium Girl</a> will be released for the 3DS this week. The game is a remake of the first title in the series, tailored to the 3DS. Players will be able to choose to play classic mode or story mode. The option to mix and match skilled acquired throughout the game will also be available.</p><p style="">To get more details on games out this week, check out the full list below.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418644" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418644/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""><b>May 7, 2014</b></p><p style=""><a href="/the-amazing-spider-man-2/" data-ref-id="false">The Amazing Spider-Man 2</a> (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, 3DS, Wii U)</p><p style=""> </p><p style=""><b>May 8, 2014</b></p><p style=""><a href="/demon-gaze/" data-ref-id="false">Demon Gaze</a> (Vita)</p><p style=""><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/etrian-odyssey-untold-the-millenium-girl/" data-ref-id="false">Etrian Odyssey Untold: Millenium Girl </a>(3DS)</p><p style=""> </p> Sun, 04 May 2014 22:30:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/au-new-releases-the-amazing-spider-man-2-swings-onto-multiple-consoles/1100-6419418/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-update-possible-last-of-us-2-concept-art-t/2300-6418646/ Cryptic posts from The Last of Us Game Director Bruce Straley and artist Marek Okon have sent the Internet rumour mill crazy about the possibility of The Last of Us 2. Sun, 04 May 2014 18:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-update-possible-last-of-us-2-concept-art-t/2300-6418646/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-last-of-us-artist-posts-image-of-what-looks-like-an-older-ellie-but-it-s-only-fanart/1100-6419417/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418646" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418646/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Freelance artist <a href="http://www.okonart.com/#portfolio&illustrations&83" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Marek Okon</a>, who worked on <a href="/the-last-of-us/" data-ref-id="false">The Last of Us</a>, posted a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152106238859562&set=a.10150352806654562.347159.681689561&type=1&theater" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">piece of art today on his Facebook page</a> of what looks like an older version of the Ellie we know from last year's game. It also looks like she is holding a guitar.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Okon said about the image: "Let me tease you something... It's coming... ;]" So are we looking at the first image of The Last of Us 2? It doesn't sound like it.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"[The] image you are referring to is a strictly personal one, just loosely based on The Last of Us universe. I guess you could say it's a fanart," Okon told GameSpot today. In the comments section of his original Facebook post containing the image, Okon elaborated further.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"So before its [sic] gonna get blown out of proportions [sic] - it's gonna be strictly personal image. Is it about TLOU2? Not really... Maybe... It's classified ;P But seriously it's gonna be just a fan art ;]"</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In February, The Last of Us creative director Neil Druckmann said the chances of Naughty Dog making a sequel to The Last of Us were<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-last-of-us-2-is-a-50-50-chance/1100-6417906/" data-ref-id="1100-6417906"> 50/50</a>. The Last of Us launched in June 2013 and has<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-last-of-us-sells-6-million-copies/1100-6418319/" data-ref-id="1100-6418319"> sold more than six million copies to date</a>. A sequel may not be on the immediate horizon, but Naughty Dog is bringing the game to the PlayStation 4 this summer through <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-last-of-us-for-ps4-runs-in-1080p-has-dlc-and-director-s-commentary-retailers-list-it-for-60/1100-6418878/" data-ref-id="1100-6418878">The Last of Us Remastered</a>.</p><p style="">In addition to The Last of Us Remastered, Naughty Dog is working on a new <a href="/uncharted-4/" data-ref-id="false">Uncharted game for PS4</a>. And according to a<a href="https://twitter.com/bruce_straley/status/462245347369054208" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> teasing tweet</a> from The Last of Us director Bruce Straley, there may be a third project in the works. "I got goosebumps playing & talking thru a prototype a designer was sketching in yesterday! That's how I know... #GonnaBeAwesome"</p><p style=""> </p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2523866-tlouellieguitar.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2523866" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2523866-tlouellieguitar.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2523866"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2523866-tlouellieguitar.jpg"></a><figcaption>Image credit: Marek Okon</figcaption></figure><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> Sun, 04 May 2014 17:08:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-last-of-us-artist-posts-image-of-what-looks-like-an-older-ellie-but-it-s-only-fanart/1100-6419417/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-dev-on-its-canceled-third-person-call-of-duty/1100-6419416/ <figure data-align="right" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2523818-3298032872-21097.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2523818" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2523818-3298032872-21097.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2523818"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/1535/15354745/2523818-3298032872-21097.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Last week, developer Sledgehammer gave us an impressive first look at its next entry in Activision's immensely popular series, <a href="/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare/" data-ref-id="false">Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare</a>. But that's not the first project that Sledgehammer worked on at the publisher.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Speaking with <em><a href="http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2014/05/04/june-cover-revealed-call-of-duty-advanced-warfare.aspx" rel="nofollow">Game Informer</a></em>, Sledgehammer cofounders Michael Condrey and Glen Schofield talked about their canceled third-person Call of Duty game.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">They started the project after leaving Visceral Games (where they worked on <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/dead-space/">Dead Space</a>) but stopped development in order to help finish <a href="/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-3/" data-ref-id="false">Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3</a>. This was right after <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/top-infinity-ward-devs-fired-for-insubordination-lawsuits-expected/1100-6252657/">Activision fired Infinity Ward's Vince Zampella and Jason West</a>, who took several of Infinity Ward's developers with them to work on <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/titanfall/">Titanfall</a> at Respawn Entertainment.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">At the time, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sledgehammer-probably-canceling-call-of-duty-action-adventure/1100-6340455/">Schofield said</a> it wasn't likely Sledgehammer would return to the third-person game because its setting was too obscure. Today, we learned that it was supposed to take place in the Vietnam War, focusing on the "Secret War" in Cambodia and Laos.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We had spent six or eight months on it, and were really getting into the story," Schofield told <em>Game Informer</em>. "We had some really cool mechanics. We had a big moment that I would love to get into a game someday, but it's not something we could do in first-person."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">He added that large sections of the game took place in underground tunnels, and that the team was "going for some Dead Space moments."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Sledgehammer had 15 fully playable minutes of the game before it moved on to Modern Warfare 3, and it says the decision to drop the project wasn't easy. "It was part of our culture that we were all gonna make that decision together. We would have loved to make that [third-person] game. It was in a space that we enjoyed, but how does anything compare to the first-person blockbuster release of 2011?"</p><p style="">Sledgehammer's Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare launches November 4. For more, be sure to read <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare/">GameSpot's previous coverage</a>.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418630" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418630/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><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></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sun, 04 May 2014 15:03:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-dev-on-its-canceled-third-person-call-of-duty/1100-6419416/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/tons-of-call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-details-emerge/1100-6419415/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2522998-10298334_700329690028758_7712115674594597657_o.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2522998" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2522998-10298334_700329690028758_7712115674594597657_o.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2522998"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/536/5360430/2522998-10298334_700329690028758_7712115674594597657_o.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">In addition to details about Sledgehammer Games' <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-dev-on-its-canceled-third-person-call-of-duty/1100-6419416/" data-ref-id="1100-6419416">scrapped third-person Call of Duty game that was set during the Vietnam War</a>, the June issue of <em>Game Informer</em> magazine is loaded with 12 pages' worth of information about the recently revealed <a href="/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare/" data-ref-id="false">Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">We've rounded up some of the most interesting details and listed them below. The full <em>Game Informer </em>June 2014 issue is <a href="http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2014/05/04/june-cover-revealed-call-of-duty-advanced-warfare.aspx" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">available for purchase today</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><strong>Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare details:</strong></p><ul><li dir="ltr">In development at Sledgehammer Games for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. A separate studio to be named later is working on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions. There's no word on Wii U.</li><li dir="ltr">The game runs on a new and unspecified game engine.</li><li dir="ltr">The story opens with a catastrophic event that Sledgehammer Games cofounder Michael Condrey describes as "like a global 9/11." There's little more to go on, but major cities on multiple continents are affected by some kind of terrorism perpetrated by a terrorist organization called KVA.</li><li dir="ltr">It is set in 2054.</li><li dir="ltr">You play a character named Private Mitchell, who is voiced by prolific voice actor Troy Baker. You may know Baker for his recent roles in <a href="/the-last-of-us/" data-ref-id="false">The Last of Us</a> (Joel), <a href="/bioshock-infinite/" data-ref-id="false">BioShock Infinite </a>(Booker), and <a href="/batman-arkham-origins/" data-ref-id="false">Batman: Arkham Origins</a> (The Joker). Mitchell only speaks during cutscenes; never during gameplay.</li><li dir="ltr">Mitchell starts Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare as a Marine, who is squadmates with Will Irons, the son of Private Military Company Atlas Corporation CEO Jonathan Irons (played by Kevin Spacey). After their tour of duty is done, the elder Irons asks Mitchell if he wants to leave the Marines to join his father's company. Mitchell says yes and is outfitted with an "EXO" suit for his new job.</li><li dir="ltr">Unlike past Call of Duty games, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare has only one protagonist.</li><li dir="ltr">Kevin Spacey says he was "very excited" about joining the game when he was originally approached.</li><li dir="ltr">You'll earn points every mission that can be used to upgrade your EXO suit. Using the EXO suit, you can climb walls with magnetic gloves, boost-dodge toward cover, perform super-jumps that let you get to higher ground, use optic camouflage for cloaking, and hover in mid-air.</li><li dir="ltr">Your arsenal includes "variable grenades," which can be switched from concussion to threat detection while they cook. The threat detection grenade reveals enemy locations and makes this information available via an augmented reality system visible in your visor.</li><li dir="ltr">Some of your guns are energy-based, and do not use traditional ammunition.</li><li dir="ltr">There is a rideable vehicle called a Pitbull, which is based on the real world Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle.</li><li dir="ltr">There's no official word on Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare multiplayer yet, but Condrey teases, "You can probably imagine the possibilities of a lot of the stuff you saw in single-player and how it would apply online." Activision also says it is "absolutely committed" to supporting eSports.</li><li dir="ltr">Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare will have some kind of co-op mode.</li><li dir="ltr">Veteran Metal Gear Solid composer Harry Gregson-Williams is working on the game's soundtrack. Audio director Don Veca says, "I think Advanced Warfare is going to be the best-sounding and certainly the best-mixed game ever."</li><li dir="ltr">In an effort to create a believable world, Activision consulted with "experts from production design in movies to experts in the military to scientists and futurists," according to Sledgehammer cofounder Glen Schofield.</li></ul><p style="">Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare launches November 4. For more, be sure to read <a href="/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare/" data-ref-id="false">GameSpot's previous coverage</a>.</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> Sun, 04 May 2014 14:34:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/tons-of-call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-details-emerge/1100-6419415/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/dragon-age-inquisition-writer-on-the-necessary-pain-of-cutting-content/1100-6419414/ <p style=""><a style="text-align:center;" href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2523788-9784360923-25115.jpg" rel="nofollow"><img alt="" src="/api/image/scale_super/2523788-9784360923-25115.jpg" /></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="">A reality of game development is that a lot of great ideas and content are cut from the final product due to deadlines and available resources. As players, we're always disappointed when a feature that sounded great didn't make into the game. As <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/dragon-age-inquisition/" data-ref-id="false">Dragon Age: Inquisition</a> writer David Gaider said on his <a href="http://dgaider.tumblr.com/post/84290901124/in-terms-of-game-development-now-that-the-dragon-age" rel="nofollow">Tumblr</a>, this process is harder for developers than you may assume.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Gaider explains that Dragon Age: Inquisition is approaching Alpha, also known as "Content Complete." The team is still creating content, but at this point it's more concerned with making everything it already has work properly than adding something new. It's also the phase in development when the team makes the biggest cuts.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The writers are mostly done with dialogue, which is currently being edited, recorded, and prepared for cinematics. At the moment, Gaider and his team are working on pretty much anything else in the game that requires text and responding to cuts.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"This is a pretty stressful time for everyone," Gaider said. "Every cut feels like it's reducing the overall quality of the game, until there are so many of them you feel like you're producing a piece of crap—until you remind yourself that every game goes through this, and the alternative is shipping late or not at all."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Gaider said that it's not a process fans can really understand. "They're usually oblivious to what's going on, harping on what color the sails should be while the hull is rapidly leaking water," he said. "Which is a strange dissonance from our perspective, let me tell you."</p><p style="">Dragon Age: Inquisition launches <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/dragon-age-inquisition-release-date-announced-new-gameplay-trailer-sets-up-the-story/1100-6419128/">October 7</a> for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC. For more on the role-playing game, be sure to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/dragon-age-inquisition/">read GameSpot's previous coverage</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><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></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sun, 04 May 2014 12:58:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/dragon-age-inquisition-writer-on-the-necessary-pain-of-cutting-content/1100-6419414/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/battlefield-4-finally-lets-you-join-a-squad-with-friends/1100-6419413/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ4R3nHv5Uk" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FyJ4R3nHv5Uk%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DyJ4R3nHv5Uk&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FyJ4R3nHv5Uk%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/battlefield-4/">Battlefield 4</a> is finally getting its long awaited Squad Join feature, developer <a href="http://blogs.battlefield.com/2014/05/introducing-squad-join-beta/" rel="nofollow">DICE has announced</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Squad Join is currently in Beta and available for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. It allows you to set up a squad for up to five players before joining a multiplayer game. The squad will join the game together and remain together over rounds.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"This is something we know our fans have been asking for – and something we wish we could have provided at launch – so we are now happy to present the first iteration of Squad Join," DICE said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">DICE said that it will continue to add features and tweak Squad Join based on player feedback. It expects to release an updated version of Squad Join when it launches the Dragon's Teeth DLC this summer.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">At the moment, Squad Join only works in Battlefield 4's base game maps in the Conquest, Team Deathmatch, Obliteration, Rush, and Domination game modes. Support for additional maps and modes will come later.</p><p style="">DICE also recently announced that it was <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/as-battlefield-4-issues-persist-dice-deploys-new-high-performance-servers-to-fix-rubber-banding/1100-6419205/">deploying high-performance servers</a> to fix the game's lingering technical problems, and that <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/battlefield-4-players-can-now-rent-servers-unless-they-re-playing-on-xbox-one/1100-6419310/">players can now rent their own private and public servers</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><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></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sun, 04 May 2014 11:20:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/battlefield-4-finally-lets-you-join-a-squad-with-friends/1100-6419413/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/bound-by-flame-mlb-14-on-ps4-and-killer-is-dead-on/2300-6418641/ This week we get Bound By Flame, MLB 14 The Show on PS4, Killer is Dead on PC, Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure, Stick it to the Man comes to PC and PS4, and the Vita gets Borderlands 2 and the God of War collection. Sun, 04 May 2014 10:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/bound-by-flame-mlb-14-on-ps4-and-killer-is-dead-on/2300-6418641/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/meet-the-gran-turismo-player-now-driving-race-cars-for-real/1100-6419397/ <p style="">Many of us use video games as a form of escapism, as a chance to live out our dreams and fantasies, if only for a few hours in a virtual world. However, there is a video game that is truly changing lives and giving a select few players the chance to live their wildest dreams for real. That game is <a href="/gran-turismo-6/" data-ref-id="false">Gran Turismo</a>. Gran Turismo's game director, Kazunori Yamauchi, has long spoken about his desire to bridge the gap between racing simulations and real motorsport. He has achieved this himself, racing for professional teams and winning at events like 24 Hours Nürburgring.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/225/2256286/2523005-jann+mardenborough.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2523005" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/225/2256286/2523005-jann+mardenborough.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2523005"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/225/2256286/2523005-jann+mardenborough.jpg"></a><figcaption>Virtual racer turned real-life pro Jann Mardenborough.</figcaption></figure><p style=""> </p><p style="">In 2008, Yamauchi's studio, Polyphony Digital, teamed up with Sony and Nissan to create GT Academy, a competition within the Gran Turismo games that gives winners a chance to become real racing drivers. The contest starts with a series of time trial events in the game, with the winners flown to Silverstone in England to take part in a reality TV show and racing driver bootcamp that determines which player will be put behind the wheel of a real racing car by Nissan.</p><p style="">The 2014 GT Academy has just started in <a href="/gran-turismo-6/" data-ref-id="false">Gran Turismo 6</a> with the first round of time trials, so we met up with 2011 winner Jann Mardenborough to talk about transferring his experience from the game into reality. While Mardenborough started with virtual racing, he's now part of the Red Bull racing team and is being touted as a potential Formula One racer in the near future.</p><p style="">"For me, the biggest similarities between virtual and reality is the way that you control the balance of the car. Braking, throttle, and steering input. The way the car pitches forwards on the brakes and yaws in the corners," says Mardenborough.</p><p style="">"The game is quite similar to real life in that sense. In GT6 you can really feel the car moving around underneath you, and if you put too much yaw or pitch into the car, it will react as it would in real life with a bit of a snap. It was crazy to jump from the virtual world into a sports car for the first time. I didn't feel like there was much difference in terms of the way the car feels and how you deliver your inputs."</p><blockquote data-size="large"><p style="">For me, this is the only thing that I have ever wanted to do, so fear never came across my mind until after I had won the competition.</p><cite>Jann Mardenborough</cite></blockquote><p style="">Of course, while a game can teach you the basics of car control, especially if you play with a force feedback steering wheel, there are things it can't prepare you for in a real car. There is no threat of injury or the financial cost of damaging a car in a game. You'd think that would make a virtual racer like Mardenborough nervous in a real car, but he claims that nerves never come into the equation.</p><p style="">"You just have to have that innate fearless thing inside you. I was young anyway, 19 at the time I entered GT Academy. You think you're invincible and you take more risks than you would if you were a bit older," Mardenborough says.</p><p style="">"For me, this is the only thing that I have ever wanted to do, so fear never came across my mind until after I had won the competition. You end up thinking about the things that could have happened. It's about passion really. If something is your passion, then you won't dwell as much on the things that could happen. Things like danger don't come into your mind. That's how I felt when I jumped into the Nissan GT-R for the first time at the Academy. I was just thinking 'Wow! I'm doing 140mph for the first time on a circuit I've never driven before in a really fast car!' The idea of crashing and hurting myself never came into my mind."</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/225/2256286/2523007-gt+academy+drift+at+silverstone.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2523007" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/225/2256286/2523007-gt+academy+drift+at+silverstone.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2523007"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/225/2256286/2523007-gt+academy+drift+at+silverstone.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p style="">The biggest challenge for Mardenborough was to get used to looking through a windshield instead of looking at a TV screen.</p><p style="">"It was difficult to train myself during GT Academy and in the months afterwards to cope with the visual side of real racing. In racing you need to look a long way ahead of you for complexes of corners. You have to look into the corners even when they're far in the distance. You look for accidents and debris and things like that. Because I came from gaming and because I had a really small 16-inch TV in my room, my eyes never needed to move. I could see everything that I needed to see," Mardenborough tells us.</p><p style="">"Jumping into a sports car for the first time at Silverstone, a Nissan 370Z, the instructor sits next to you and watches your eyes as well as the track. They were constantly telling me to look further ahead, but I found it really difficult. My mind only wanted to look at what was right in front of me. It took a while to get used to it. That was one of the biggest things, if not the biggest thing, to train myself after winning GT Academy, but it's all fine now!"</p><p style="">Since winning GT Academy, Mardenborough has competed in the Dubai 24 Hours, the British GT Championship, the Blancplain GT Series, Toyota Racing Series, British and European Formula Three Championships, and the 24 Hours of Le mans. In 2014, he now has the backing of the Red Bull Racing Formula One Team as a member of its young driver training program, and he is competing in the GP3 series, a single-seater championship just two classes down from his ultimate dream, the FIA Formula One World Championship.</p><p style="">Other winners of GT Academy have been taken down a career path into sports car racing by Nissan and Sony. Mardenborough is the only winner since 2008 to be given the opportunity to pursue a career in single-seater racing and potentially Formula One. We asked him how he copes with the extra pressure of being GT Academy's first genuine chance to produce a Formula One racer, not to mention receive the backing of a huge sponsor like Red Bull.</p><p style="">"I wouldn't say that I'm under more pressure. Nissan know that I put more pressure on myself than anyone else does! We've spoken about this quite a few times. During 2012, when I was driving the Nismo GT3 car, I was given the chance to do some single-seater testing. I was definitely assuming that I would be racing sports cars again in 2013, in the LMP2 class. We used the single-seater testing to get used to downforce because I needed that experience, to jump into a high downforce LMP2 car and get confident," says Mardenborough.</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/225/2256286/2523008-jann+mardenborough+gp3.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2523008" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/225/2256286/2523008-jann+mardenborough+gp3.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2523008"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/225/2256286/2523008-jann+mardenborough+gp3.jpg"></a><figcaption>Mardenborough is now racing single-seater race cars.</figcaption></figure><p style="">"The testing went really well, and Nissan decided to put me in a proper single-seater, a Formula Three car, so we did some more testing and took it from there. In 2013, I found myself racing in New Zealand in a single-seater series to get some more experience, and I was also doing Formula Three as my main championship in Europe."</p><p style="">"During GT Academy and during 2012 it wasn't the plan for me to drive single-seaters, but Nissan thought that I would excel in this area, and it has helped me to develop more quickly as a racing driver as well because these cars are constantly on a knife edge."</p><p style="">So does Mardenborough's success so far in single-seaters mean that other GT Academy champions could be given the opportunity to pursue this career path in the future?</p><p style="">"Yeah, I think so. If you look at what Lucas Ordonez (2008 Academy winner) is doing at the moment, he's racing a factory-backed Nissan in Japan. Wolfgang Reip (2012 winner) is a Nissan Zeod test pilot, and Mark Shulzhitskiy (2012 Russian winner) is doing some testing in an LMP2 car. If you look at all the things that the winners are doing, we're covering a lot of areas. Anyone competing now should be inspired, just as I was watching Lucas race at Le Mans for the first time."</p><p style="">It has been fascinating in recent years to watch the GT Academy winners competing and see how they fit into motorsport alongside established names and other up-and-coming drivers. Most of the guys that Mardenborough and the other winners compete with have been brought up on racing. Some of them will have been karting from as young as 6 or 7 years old and will have spent their entire lives chasing the dream of motorsport, facing financial hardship along the way. We asked Mardenborough what the atmosphere is like in the pit lane when he competes. Surely some of his competitors must be jealous of the fast-tracked path to top-level racing and the huge sponsors that GT Academy gives to its winners.</p><p style="">"I'm sure there is jealousy. If you've been karting since you were a little kid and have been working your way up the ranks and some guy jumps in from playing games to join a major single-seater championship after only three years of real driving, that's going to get people's backs up. I like being called 'The Gamer Kid.' There's only a few of us that have come through GT Academy, so that's a cool, unique title to have."</p><p style="">Mardenborough might be coy about his relationships with his competitors, but there's no doubt that GT Academy opens doors that drivers taking a more traditional path would kill for. As part of his preparation for the 2014 GP3 Series, Mardenborough has been able to use some of the most advanced simulators on the planet, including the Red Bull Racing F1 simulator used by four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel to prepare for Grand Prix races. It's certainly a step above GT6!</p><blockquote data-size="large"><p style="">I'm sure there is jealousy. If you've been karting since you were a little kid and have been working your way up the ranks and some guy jumps in from playing games to join a major single-seater championship after only three years of real driving, that's going to get people's backs up.</p><cite>Jann Mardenborough</cite></blockquote><p style="">"I've driven quite a few simulators recently. The one that I'm currently using to prepare for GP3 races is the Red Bull Racing simulator in Milton Keynes in England," says Mardenborough.</p><p style="">"That's the first time I've driven a simulator that's on hydraulic rams and lifts. It's not based on Rfactor like most other simulators. It's their own software, so it's very secretive. It's quite amazing to see what they can do. We can test new parts and aero maps as well as setup changes for each track. It's an amazing tool. The Rfactor-based sims are good as well. Especially for learning circuits and setup changes."</p><p style="">Interestingly, Mardenborough's video game experience means that he benefits more from simulator work than even some seasoned professionals do. Some pro racing drivers struggle to benefit from sim racing because they are so used to practicing in the real car.</p><p style="">"I sometimes work with guys who have never used simulators before. They're incredibly quick racing drivers, but they just can't manage in the sims. They feel sick or they just can't get used to having no feedback through their backside. That sometimes leads to them saying that the sim car doesn't have as much grip as they expect. For me, there are differences because developing a tire model is insanely difficult, and grip levels at real tracks change from corner to corner. Replicating that in a game or sim is extremely difficult," Mardenborough says.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/225/2256286/2523011-gt+academy+winners+-+mardenborough+on+right.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2523011" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/225/2256286/2523011-gt+academy+winners+-+mardenborough+on+right.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2523011"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/225/2256286/2523011-gt+academy+winners+-+mardenborough+on+right.jpg"></a><figcaption>The previous winners of GT Academy.</figcaption></figure><p style=""> </p><p style="">In the last few years, online sim racing has become more and more popular and is beginning to find its feet as a spectator sport, with events like the iRacing.com World Championship Grand Prix Series live-streamed with commentary and analysis that mirrors the style of real TV broadcasts. Some budding racers are even turning to PC racing simulation as a cheaper alternative to trackdays or karting. So, could sim racing start producing the real racing drivers of the future, outside of contests like GT Academy?</p><p style="">"I think so. The market for people that are really quick on sims or just racing games is becoming really important," Mardenborough says.</p><p style="">"You see Formula One teams and sports car teams that are looking to simulators more and more often because testing is hugely expensive and is mostly banned in F1. It costs hundreds of thousands of pounds to go testing for a few days. In the sim you don't have a tire bill, a fuel bill, or any accident damage to deal with. It's a great alternative."</p><p style="">The 2014 GT Academy is happening right now, with the first time trial events taking place in Gran Turismo 6. Over the coming weeks, virtual drivers will be competing on the leaderboards for their chance to go to Silverstone and compete in real cars to become the 2014 champion and win that real racing opportunity. Mardenborough lets us in on the techniques he used to win in 2011.</p><p style="">"When I did it, I would choose a ghost car from the leaderboard that was maybe 20 positions in front of me, try to beat that ghost, and then move on to the next one and so on," says Mardenborough.</p><p style="">"It's very difficult if you focus on the lead ghost car because it's going to be very close to the limit of the perfect lap. It can be disheartening to see how fast the leader is as well, if you use that ghost from the beginning. If you chip away at it, it's easier to improve your lap times and not get too frustrated."</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6416515" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6416515/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><p style="">"I used a ghost car to learn the correct lines, but you can ruin your lap by trying to outbrake it all the time, so I managed it during each lap, turning it on and off for certain corners. If I knew a corner really well, I'd leave it off to see if I could go quicker on my own."</p><p style="">"My biggest advice is never give up. It's so easy to put the controller down and not bother, but if you really put in the leg work, you can do it. The time trials are probably the second most tough part of the competition, the first being the army assault course at Silverstone! It's properly difficult because anyone can enter, and everyone has the same tools. You have to work harder than everyone else. I thought of chucking in the towel many times, but nobody who has won it did, and we've all done really well out of it. You have to have a determined attitude. That's the biggest thing that Nissan and GT Academy look for."</p><p style="">You can enter GT Academy 2014 right now by setting some lap times in the first time trials that are available in the main menu of Gran Turismo 6 on the PlayStation 3.</p><p style="">If you want to follow Mardenborough's progress in 2014, <a href="https://twitter.com/Jannthaman" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">follow him on Twitter </a>and check out the GP3 series too.</p> Sun, 04 May 2014 10:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/meet-the-gran-turismo-player-now-driving-race-cars-for-real/1100-6419397/
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