http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Tue, 08 Jul 2014 06:44:07 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-july-system-update-rolling-out-soon-has-i/1100-6420966/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2588382-xboxoneconsole.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2588382" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2588382-xboxoneconsole.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2588382"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2588382-xboxoneconsole.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">The Xbox One's July system update--which, among other things, expands the console's Snap functionality--will roll out across the world "in the coming days." Microsoft's director of Xbox Live programming director, Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb, <a href="http://news.xbox.com/2014/07/xbox-one-july-update" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">announced the news in a short post on the Xbox Wire</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">As we <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-july-system-update-lets-you-track-achievements-in-snap-mode/1100-6420480/" data-ref-id="1100-6420480">reported last month</a>, the Xbox One July system update's most notable new feature is what Microsoft calls "Achievement Snap," which will let you track your achievements "seamlessly" while you play. You'll be able to see the number of achievements you've unlocked in a particular game, as well as the progress you've made towards new achievements.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Another new feature for Xbox One coming through the July update is the "Snap Center," which lets you view a list of apps that can be snapped and then make a selection. Other new functionality includes the ability to "Like" recorded game clips, and expanded language control options for select markets.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6419768" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6419768/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">On top of those new features, the Xbox One July system update also support for "future digital bundles and compilation discs." Regarding this new functionality, Microsoft said in June, "We're doing some work now so that publishers will have options for great digital bundle and disc compilation offerings in the future. As we test this feature, we'll be seeing more flexible combinations of game titles and game content."</p><p style="">Are these changes not enough for you? You can let Microsoft know what you'd like to see added/tweaked/removed by offering your input at the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-feedback-site-now-lets-you-submit-and-vote-on-ideas-for-xbox/1100-6420243/" data-ref-id="1100-6420243">Xbox Feedback website</a>. "Thank you for taking the time to help us make Xbox the best place to play," Microsoft said.</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> Tue, 08 Jul 2014 06:23:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-july-system-update-rolling-out-soon-has-i/1100-6420966/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/bioshock-ps-vita-was-planned-as-final-fantasy-tact/1100-6420965/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2588365-bioshockvita.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2588365" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2588365-bioshockvita.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2588365"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2588365-bioshockvita.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">The <a href="/bioshock/" data-ref-id="false">BioShock</a> game for PlayStation Vita announced in 2011 is nowhere closer to release, but now series creator Ken Levine has opened up on what he originally had in mind for the game. "I was thinking a <a href="/final-fantasy-tactics/" data-ref-id="false">Final Fantasy Tactics</a>-style thing set in pre-fall Rapture," Levine <a href="https://twitter.com/IGLevine/status/486317495372873728" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">said to a fan on Twitter</a>. "As some know, I'm a turn-based whore."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Overall, the BioShock game for PS Vita was aimed to be something that would "work well" on the system and "not be a compromise in any way," Levine <a href="https://twitter.com/IGLevine/status/486318278131085312" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">explained</a> further.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">No images or video for the BioShock PS Vita game have been released, and it's unclear if any actual work on the game ever got underway. Levine said BioShock publisher 2K Games and Sony were "<a href="https://twitter.com/IGLevine/status/486316860695408641" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">way more enthusiastic</a>" about the game in 2011. Since then, the companies have not been able to agree to a deal.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">BioShock creator Irrational Games <a href="https://twitter.com/IGLevine/status/486319337809387521" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">sold the franchise to 2K Games/Take-Two Interactive in 2005</a>. Making the BioShock PS Vita game is not such a simple endeavor, Levine said, mainly for legal reasons. "Wish I could do it myself, but lawyers and all that," he said. "I still love my Vita."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">When Irrational Games <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/bioshock-creator-irrational-games-is-shutting-down/1100-6417821/" data-ref-id="1100-6417821">effectively shut down in February</a>, 2K Games said it had "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/will-bioshock-vita-ever-be-released-2k-says-it-has-no-update-following-irrational-games-layoffs/1100-6417874/" data-ref-id="1100-6417874">no update</a>" on the development status of BioShock for PS Vita. Levine and a handful of former Irrational Games developers are now working on a "smaller, more entrepreneurial" project for Take-Two, while the future of BioShock series is <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/another-reason-to-believe-red-dead-redemption-2-is-happening/1100-6419966/" data-ref-id="1100-6419966">in the hands of 2K Marin</a>.</p><p style="">On the subject of a possible PlayStation 4/Xbox One Game of the Year version of <a href="/bioshock-infinite/" data-ref-id="false">BioShock Infinite</a>, the most recent entry in the series, Levine <a href="https://twitter.com/IGLevine/status/486317827616694274" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">said</a> on Twitter, "I'm hoping, but not my decision."</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> Tue, 08 Jul 2014 05:50:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/bioshock-ps-vita-was-planned-as-final-fantasy-tact/1100-6420965/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamestop-might-participate-in-game-development-to-/1100-6420964/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2588338-gamestopholiday.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2588338" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2588338-gamestopholiday.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2588338"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2588338-gamestopholiday.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Video game retailer GameStop is thinking about a new way to convince people to shop at its stores instead of elsewhere. According to new reports, the retailer is considering actively involving itself earlier in the game development process (by partnering with game creators) in an effort to build gameplay experiences that would be exclusive to games sold at GameStop.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">This is according to video game industry analyst Colin Sebastian of Robert W. Baird, who met with GameStop management recently. In a note sent to investors this week (obtained by GameSpot), Sebastian writes that publishers are "more enthusiastic about partnering with GameStop, for example by offering exclusive content on each major game release, and longer term, future models may include GameStop participating in development with some gameplay exclusive to the retailer."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Asked for clarification on this point, Sebastian <a href="http://venturebeat.com/2014/07/07/gamestop-getting-involved-with-games-development/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">confirmed to Venturebeat </a>that GameStop is considering, "getting involved at the time of game development where there could be some content exclusive to [GameStop] included in the game." A GameStop representative confirmed that the company is indeed attempting to involve itself earlier in the development process to create better exclusives for shoppers, saying Sebastian's comments are "accurate."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We are working with our [development] partners to build in a longer lead time," a GameStop public relations representative said. "And we are working with them to get both physical and digital exclusives for our customers."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">There is no word yet on the specific types of physical and digital exclusives that GameStop might offer customers as part of its new campaign. And of course, GameStop already offers "exclusive" digital content to entice people to shop at its stores. Still, it's clear that GameStop is seeking to offer deeper and more meaningful--at least according to GameStop--content for shoppers as a means to secure better exclusives.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">GameStop's closer relationship with developers is not without its concerns, as some people are likely to see this move as a way in which GameStop can push its own interests. But of course, the impact GameStop's involvement in game development remains to be seen. It's also unknown if the potential GameStop exclusive gameplay would actually be truly exclusive or only exclusive to GameStop for a limited time.</p><p style="">We will continue to monitor this story as it develops. For now, what are your thoughts on GameStop's potential partnering with developers earlier on to create exclusive content? Let us know in the comments below!</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> Tue, 08 Jul 2014 05:15:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamestop-might-participate-in-game-development-to-/1100-6420964/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-driveclub-bundle-confirmed-for-europe-no-word-/1100-6420963/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2588334-driveclubps4.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2588334" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2588334-driveclubps4.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2588334"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2588334-driveclubps4.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Sony today <a href="http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2014/07/08/driveclub-ps4-hardware-bundle-unveiled/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">officially announced </a>a special PlayStation 4 <a href="/driveclub/" data-ref-id="false">Driveclub </a>bundle that includes a copy of Evolution Studios' racing game, a 500GB system, and a DualShock 4 controller. The €439 ($597) bundle launches this October alongside the game. Right now, it's announced only for Europe.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The PS4 Driveclub bundle's announcement today comes just a week after Sony revealed a hardware bundle for <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-last-of-us-ps4-bundle-confirmed-for-europe-but-what-about-the-us/1100-6420774/" data-ref-id="1100-6420774">Naughty Dog's The Last of Us Remastered</a>. That bundle is also only confirmed for Europe, where it will sell for €439 ($585).</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Gamers in the United States won't be left out in the cold altogether, however, as Sony and Activision have teamed up to offer a<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-450-white-ps4-destiny-bundle-arriving-september-9/1100-6420272/" data-ref-id="1100-6420272"> $450 Destiny PS4 bundle</a> launching with the game in September. This bundle will also be offered in Europe.</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> Tue, 08 Jul 2014 04:44:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-driveclub-bundle-confirmed-for-europe-no-word-/1100-6420963/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/game-developers-shifting-to-pc-and-new-consoles-es/1100-6420959/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1539/15391776/2588127-8391251678-25694.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2588127" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1539/15391776/2588127-8391251678-25694.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2588127"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1539/15391776/2588127-8391251678-25694.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">In anticipation of the Game Developers Conference Europe in August, GDC has released a new "European State of the Industry" study that found that European developers are moving over to current-gen consoles and <a href="/pc/" data-ref-id="false">PC</a>. But this isn't a balanced distribution across the platforms: they seem to favor the <a href="/ps4/" data-ref-id="false">PlayStation 4</a> slightly over the <a href="/xbox-one/" data-ref-id="false">Xbox One</a>, with 33 percent of developers stating that they are planning on developing for the PS4, as opposed to 23 percent for the Xbox.</p><p style="">Some of the findings include:</p><ul><li>The vast majority of European developers are currently making games for the PC and <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/new-games/?game_filter_type%5Bplatform%5D=112/" data-ref-id="false">mobile</a> platforms. 58 percent of surveyed companies are currently working on a PC title, and 65 percent are developing for mobile.</li><li>Both consoles are gaining developers, but the PS4 has the edge. Almost 20 percent are currently producing a title for the PS4 and 33 percent expect their next games to be on the console.</li><li>In contrast, only 13 percent of surveyed developers are working on a game for the Xbox One right now, and only 23 percent expect to release their next games on the system.</li><li>Crowdfunding is becoming an increasingly accepted form of financially supporting a game's development. A full 41 percent of all European developers surveyed are planning on using crowdfunding for future games.</li></ul><p style="">GDC Europe takes place from August 11-13 in Germany. Keep an eye on GameSpot for coverage of the event when it happens next month. </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Alex Newhouse is an editorial intern at GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/alexbnewhouse" rel="nofollow">Twitter @alexbnewhouse</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 08 Jul 2014 00:01:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/game-developers-shifting-to-pc-and-new-consoles-es/1100-6420959/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/cole-train-actor-says-he-ll-reprise-his-role-in-ne/1100-6420926/ <figure data-align="right" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2586886-2858415372-22728.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2586886" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2586886-2858415372-22728.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2586886"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/1535/15354745/2586886-2858415372-22728.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style=""><strong>Update: </strong>Speight is now backing off of his original statement. After originally responding "Yup!" in response to a question about whether he'd "gotten a call" about reprising his role, he has followed up with another <a href="https://twitter.com/lesterspeight/status/486355480927686656" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">tweet</a>, stating, "Let me clear up misunderstanding. I'm willing to reprise my roll [sic] as Cole Train but I HAVEN'T BEEN CONTACTED YET, STOP!!! NO MORE RUMORS!!!"</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><strong>Original Story: </strong>Lester Speight, the actor who voiced Augustus "Cole Train" Cole in the previous <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/gears-of-war/">Gears of War</a> games, has said that he's been approached to reprise his role.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Speight made the announcement in response to a question from a fan on <a href="https://twitter.com/lesterspeight/status/484942538483052545" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">He didn't share any additional details about the game, but the only Gears of War in development that we know of is the one being made by the Microsoft-owned Black Tusk Studios.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gears-of-war-can-do-a-lot-more-now-that-microsoft-owns-it/1100-6419678/">Last we heard</a>, the next Gears of War project was still in "the concept/prototype" phase. Black Tusk producer Rod Fergusson, who worked on previous Gears of War titles, is leading development on the project. He previously said that now that <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-buys-gears-of-war-from-epic/1100-6417361/">Microsoft owns the IP</a>, it can do a lot more with it. He also said that Black Tusk will try stay true to Gears of War canon for its new game, but he made it clear that the studio won't have any reservations about deviating if it's in the interest of fun.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Unless Speight has misspoken, now we know it will feature at least one returning character.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">He's impossible to forget if you've played the game, but in case you didn't, Cole Train is a former Thrashball player, a football-like sport in the Gears of War fiction. After Emergence Day, when the human species is attacked by the Locust, he becomes a Gear soldier and joins the war effort.</p><p style="">There's no release date or even a title for the new Gears of War game for Xbox One, and Microsoft did not showcase the game at E3 last month.</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> Mon, 07 Jul 2014 20:57:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/cole-train-actor-says-he-ll-reprise-his-role-in-ne/1100-6420926/ http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/richard-alice-review/1900-6415814/ <p style="">Nuclear war. Pandemic. Meteors. Zombies. With all the death and devastation in syndication these days it's become harder to discern the older, less ruinous meaning of the word apocalypse--that of simply "uncovering" or "revealing." But even as our media comes up with ever more creative ways to destroy civilization (wait, we're doing the monkey one again?), it's offered us simpler revelations. One post-apocalyptic priest in Richard & Alice offers a characteristically concise one: "We're all just trying to exist for another day. See the sun rise in the morning, then see it set once more."</p><p style="">That's a lot to ask for the eponymous duo, as it turns out. Richard & Alice occupy opposing prison cells, and though they're actually pretty cushy, as cells go, neither comes with a view. Not that there'd be much to see, what with the bulk of the outside world brought to its knees by crippling snowfall and cold. This point & click drama by Lewis Denby and Ashton Raze doesn't dwell on the particulars of that nasty bit of climate change, and that omission tells us a good bit about where its storytelling priorities lie. Richard is neurotic from his mostly solitary confinement, and preoccupied with the elaborate maintenance claims he files with his computer (they really are cushy cells). Alice is prone to bouts of dark sarcasm, and through a series of playable flashbacks we're shown that she's also a devoted mother of a five year old named Barney. As the stage shifts between Richard's point of view in the present and Alice's in the past, we're gradually brought up to speed on how each arrived at such bleak circumstance.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2587954-0001.png" data-ref-id="1300-2587954" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2587954-0001.png" data-ref-id="1300-2587954"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/416/4161502/2587954-0001.png"></a><figcaption>Well, it certainly doesn't feel like the end of the world.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Advancing the narrative requires solving rudimentary item-based puzzles of the "use rust remover on rusty ladder" ilk. It is the apocalypse, so crowbars and lighters fill the ad hoc roles that keycards and cryptexes play in less grimdark puzzle games. I'm all for the miracle of mundane things--anyone who's played <a href="/the-last-of-us/" data-ref-id="false">The Last of Us</a> can testify to the life-saving properties of a good pair of scissors--but sometimes their contrivance in Richard & Alice beggars belief.</p><p style="">But then, the end of the world itself feels a little suspect here, from the limited scope of devastation that Alice and Barney witness, right on down to the high school mascot-style name of the gang that waylays the survivors: the Polar Bears. Alice's game efforts to shield Barney from the horrors of their world seem to have proven too effective: the child doesn't seem to have the faintest comprehension of them. It's a dynamic that's played to good effect during a few tense early moments, as Alice struggles to convey a sense of urgency to her son without tipping him off to imminent dangers. But over the broader course of the game, Barney's saccharine naiveté pushes on past the point of plausibility.</p><blockquote data-align="center" data-size="large"><p style="">As the stage shifts between Richard's point of view in the present and Alice's in the past, we're gradually brought up to speed on how each arrived at such bleak circumstance.</p></blockquote><figure data-align="right" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2587955-0002.png" data-ref-id="1300-2587955" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2587955-0002.png" data-ref-id="1300-2587955"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/416/4161502/2587955-0002.png"></a><figcaption>Both Richard and Alice are well written.</figcaption></figure><p style="">But it's the art that ultimately fails to sell this version of the apocalypse. Not the stubby, monochromatic trees, or the bizarre, bowlegged stance that makes Alice look like a Matryoshka doll in mom jeans. It's the snow--or rather, the lack thereof. The white, pixel-sized snowflakes don't register on the white field that covers the ground, so it's hard to even tell that it's snowing in the first place. It certainly doesn't bury anything, or even pile into drifts. It doesn't change the landscape or otherwise disrupt the hard horizontal lines of the man-made environment. This snow wouldn't get you out of a school day anywhere above the 35-degree latitude line. Ditto for the cold, which the characters seem to be selectively aware of. So when Alice and Barney rest for a spell near a frozen lake, the scene's so free of danger that you can imagine the Peanuts gang cutting figures in the ice to "Christmas Time is Here."</p><p style="">An apocalypse can't reveal something if it hasn't been covered over in the first place. There's some strong writing in Richard & Alice, and a little bit of intrigue in the way the story's various threads wind their way back together. But when the game fails to convince us of its own high stakes, its Cormac McCarthyism loses its gloomy appeal. People will do terrible things to others to survive. Innocence should be treasured. Surely we don't have to destroy the world one more time to find those things out?</p> Mon, 07 Jul 2014 17:04:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/richard-alice-review/1900-6415814/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/ps4-exclusive-hohokum-is-a-joyful-exploration-of-c/2300-6420088/ Hohokum spreads joy with a flying, rainbow-colored snake in a variety of quirky and beautiful worlds. It may sound odd, but it's full of charm. Mon, 07 Jul 2014 16:26:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/ps4-exclusive-hohokum-is-a-joyful-exploration-of-c/2300-6420088/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-x-y-players-get-your-free-limited-edition-/1100-6420958/ <figure data-ref-id="1300-2588093" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2588093-vivillon.jpg" data-size="large" data-align="center" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2588093-vivillon.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2588093"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2588093-vivillon.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Starting today, <a href="/pokemon-x/" data-ref-id="false">Pokémon X</a> and <a href="/pokemon-y/" data-ref-id="false">Y</a> players can get themselves a free, special version of Pokémon Vivillon to celebrate a major milestone for online Pokémon trading.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">A whopping 100 million Pokémon have been traded through the Global Trade Station since its launch, hence the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-pokemon-company-giving-away-uniquely-coloured-vivillon-pokemon/1100-6419875/" data-ref-id="1100-6419875">previously announced giveaway</a> of this bug/flying-type Pokémon. Vivillon--which is basically a butterfly--is a popular Pokémon for trading because it has a number of different wing patterns depending on the real-world location its owner resides in. For this giveaway, the special "Fancy Pattern Vivillon" you see above is being made available to fans for a limited time. It even comes equipped with an exclusive move, Hold Hands, which has no effect beyond showing a brief embrace between Vivillon and the move's target. (Hey, at least it's not Splash.)</p><p dir="ltr" style="">To get your free Pokémon, you'll simply need to go through the process of receiving a mystery gift in Pokémon X or Y. Instructions for how to do so, courtesy of <a href="http://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-news/a-vivillon-of-a-different-pattern/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Pokémon.com</a>, follow:</p><ol><li dir="ltr">Connect your Nintendo 3DS system to the Internet.</li><li dir="ltr">Select Mystery Gift on the main menu.</li><li dir="ltr">Select Receive Gift, then Yes.</li><li dir="ltr">Select Get Via Internet, then Yes.</li><li dir="ltr">Watch as you receive Fancy Pattern Vivillon!</li><li dir="ltr">Speak to the delivery girl in any Pokémon Center to receive your Vivillon.</li><li dir="ltr">Be sure to save your game!</li></ol><p style="">You'll have until the end of the month to grab your very own Vivillon, so be sure to get it while you can.</p><p style="">It's been a busy time for Pokémon fans recently: an <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-concert-series-begins-touring-in-august/1100-6420829/" data-ref-id="1100-6420829">orchestral concert tour</a> will soon kick off, the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/official-pokemon-online-store-coming-in-august-cou/1100-6420894/" data-ref-id="1100-6420894">Pokémon Online Store's launch</a> is approaching, the franchise got its own <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-gets-its-own-dedicated-itunes-hub/1100-6420850/" data-ref-id="1100-6420850">dedicated iTunes hub</a>, and the Pokémon National Championships <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-national-championships-venues-and-dates-announced-are-you-going-to-try-out/1100-6418712/" data-ref-id="1100-6418712">took place this past weekend</a> (with the World Championships <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-national-championships-venues-and-dates-announced-are-you-going-to-try-out/1100-6418712/" data-ref-id="1100-6418712">set for next month</a>). That's not all they have in store, either, as the <a href="/pokemon-alpha-sapphire/" data-ref-id="false">Pokémon Omega Sapphire and Alpha Ruby</a> remakes are scheduled for release on 3DS on <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-pokemon-omega-ruby-alpha-sapphire-launching-november-21/1100-6420325/" data-ref-id="1100-6420325">November 21</a>. In the meantime, they can be <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/you-ve-never-seen-pokemon-like-this/1100-6420792/" data-ref-id="1100-6420792">weirded out by fan reimaginings of various Pokémon</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/thesmokingmanx" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p> Mon, 07 Jul 2014 14:54:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-x-y-players-get-your-free-limited-edition-/1100-6420958/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/borderlands-pre-sequel-dev-will-consider-xbox-one-/1100-6420956/ <div data-height="100%" data-width="100%" data-ref-id="2300-6420077" data-embed-type="video"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6420077/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">2K Games surprised some people earlier this year when it revealed that the next Borderlands game--<a href="/borderlands-the-pre-sequel/" data-ref-id="false">Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel</a>--would <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-new-borderlands-game-isn-t-coming-to-xbox-one-or-playstation-4/1100-6418862/" data-ref-id="1100-6418862">only be available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC</a>. That remains the plan for the upcoming shooter, but there is now a glimmer of hope that it will eventually make it to Xbox One and PlayStation 4, too.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"All the players of <a href="/borderlands-2/" data-ref-id="false">Borderlands 2</a> are all playing on those [last-gen] consoles, that's the choice they've got. So we want to reward those guys and give them the Borderlands Pre-Sequel experience on that console," said 2K Australia's Tony Lawrence in a recently published E3 interview with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_VHvfdpuQw" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Gamereactor</a>. "If fans say, 'Hey, we'd really like this on a next-gen console,' well, we'll think about that. But right now, we're concentrating on the consoles we know."</p><figure data-ref-id="1300-2587953" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2587953-borderlands.jpg" data-size="small" data-align="right" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2587953-borderlands.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587953"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/123/1239113/2587953-borderlands.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">That's as promising an indication as we've gotten to date that gamers who have fully transitioned to Xbox One and PS4 will still have the opportunity to play The Pre-Sequel. But Gearbox's Matt Armstrong notes that many of the fans clamoring for Xbox One and PS4 versions aren't necessarily indicative of everyone, saying that "the vast majority of our fans" still have their old hardware.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"The other thing is, it's between, it's the middle in a trilogy," he continued. "And moving it onto next-gen and requiring people to buy new hardware to play the middle on a trilogy feels a little disingenuous. And we sort of want to respect that. As I said, one day, maybe. We'll think about that, we'll see how people react to the game, how much fun they have, and whether or not everybody moves on to the next gen fully next year."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Indeed, while the new consoles <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-and-xbox-one-combined-sales-will-reach-30-million-units-by-march-2015-ubisoft-says/1100-6419670/" data-ref-id="1100-6419670">have sold well</a>, the install base for each remains relatively small compared with the previous generation of consoles. It's due in part to the huge install base for Xbox 360 and PS3 that Borderlands 2 was able to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/borderlands-2-is-now-the-best-selling-game-in-2k-s-history/1100-6418865/" data-ref-id="1100-6418865">become publisher 2K's best-selling game ever</a>. Gearbox head Randy Pitchford pointed out when Pre-Sequel was announced that Borderlands 2 had <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/borderlands-the-pre-sequel-first-look-blowout/1100-6418858/" data-ref-id="1100-6418858">sold more copies than Xbox One and PS4 consoles combined</a> (at least at that point). In light of that, the decision to develop The Pre-Sequel for last-gen hardware makes a lot of sense.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">But that doesn't mean the game couldn't <em>also</em> be available on Xbox One and PS4 for those who would like to be able to play the game and easily record video or snap Netflix to the side while doing so. Given that Lawrence and Armstrong's comments came at E3, we checked with Gearbox to see if its stance on being open to considering Xbox One and PS4 versions had changed, but it declined to comment.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The Pre-Sequel is scheduled for release on October 14 on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. For more, check out the new narrated gameplay walkthrough video above, which features the full <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-borderlands-the-pre-sequel-butt-stomping-on-the-moon/1100-6420194/" data-ref-id="1100-6420194">demo that we saw at E3 last month</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/thesmokingmanx" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Mon, 07 Jul 2014 12:28:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/borderlands-pre-sequel-dev-will-consider-xbox-one-/1100-6420956/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/despite-past-resistance-nintendo-now-sponsoring-ev/1100-6420955/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1539/15391776/2587926-3572658617-25602.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587926" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1539/15391776/2587926-3572658617-25602.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587926"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1539/15391776/2587926-3572658617-25602.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">In a surprising shift in policy, <a href="/companies/nintendo/" data-ref-id="false">Nintendo</a> is sponsoring this year's Evolution Championship Series fighting game tournament. <a href="http://evo.shoryuken.com/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">On the official Evo website</a>, a list of sponsors includes Nintendo's logo, indicating that the publisher has changed its stance toward the tournament. The company joins Capcom, Atlus, and Microsoft as sponsors</p><p style="">Notably, in 2013, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-wanted-to-shut-down-evo-super-smash-tournament/1100-6411317/" data-ref-id="1100-6411317">Nintendo attempted to shut down</a> the <a href="/super-smash-bros-melee/" data-ref-id="false">Super Smash Bros. </a>portion of the competition, even after the community raised almost $100,000 to include it. The company eventually relented, but only after another fight to prevent the tournament organizers from broadcasting the Super Smash Bros. matches.</p><p style="">Now with the support of Nintendo, competitors will be playing <a href="/super-smash-bros-melee/" data-ref-id="false">Super Smash Bros. Melee</a> at the tournament. Although Nintendo hasn't provided any statement on their sponsorship, it's possible that the company hopes to promote the upcoming <a href="/super-smash-bros-for-wii-u/" data-ref-id="false">Super Smash Bros. for Wii U</a> and <a href="/super-smash-bros-for-nintendo-3ds/" data-ref-id="false">3DS</a>.</p><p style="">Evo 2014 takes place this weekend between July 11-13 in Las Vegas. In addition to Super Smash Bros. Melee, Evo will feature <a href="/super-street-fighter-iv-arcade-edition/" data-ref-id="false">Ultra Street Fighter IV</a>, <a href="/injustice-gods-among-us/" data-ref-id="false">Injustice: Gods Among Us</a>, <a href="/killer-instinct/" data-ref-id="false">Killer Instinct</a>, and several other games.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Alex Newhouse is an editorial intern at GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/alexbnewhouse" rel="nofollow">Twitter @alexbnewhouse</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Mon, 07 Jul 2014 12:07:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/despite-past-resistance-nintendo-now-sponsoring-ev/1100-6420955/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/we-might-get-to-see-valves-steam-controller-next-m/1100-6420954/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2587928-controllervalve.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587928" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2587928-controllervalve.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587928"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2587928-controllervalve.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Valve may not only attend next month's Gamescom public gaming event in Germany, but the company might also bring its Steam Controller to the show. That's according to a <a href="http://www.gamescom-cologne.com/en/gamescom/ausstellersuche/suche/suche.php?&fw_goto=aussteller/details&&kid=0040075218" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">listing on the Gamescom website</a>, which states "Valve Corporation" will have a presence at the show.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The page suggests that Valve's booth at Gamescom will include "controllers," potentially referencing the Steam Controller, which we got our <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/here-s-the-latest-steam-controller-prototype/1100-6418327/" data-ref-id="1100-6418327">latest look at during GDC in March</a>. We have reached out to Valve for details regarding the company's official plans for Gamescom.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The Gamescom website has a less-than-excellent track record when it comes to information about Valve products. After all, two years ago the site <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/half-life-3-mention-on-gamescom-document-a-mistake/1100-6391463/" data-ref-id="1100-6391463">said Half-Life 3 would be at the show</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Gamescom 2014 takes places August 13-17 in Cologne, Germany. The show is open to the public, so if you're able to attend, you might even get to go hands-on with the Steam Controller. GameSpot will be in attendance at the show, bringing you all the news as it happens.</p><p style="">The <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/here-s-the-latest-steam-controller-prototype/1100-6418327/" data-ref-id="1100-6418327">latest version of the in-development Steam Controller </a>showed that it hadn't changed much from the<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/valve-reveals-steam-controller-with-touch-screen-haptic-feedback/1100-6415065/" data-ref-id="1100-6415065"> initial prototype we saw last September</a>. The controller is <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-steam-controller-goes-on-sale-this-fall-500-games-natively-playable-on-steamos-by-the-end-of-the-year/1100-6418978/" data-ref-id="1100-6418978">rumored to go on sale sometime this fall</a>, though Valve has yet to confirm availability details for the input.</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, 07 Jul 2014 11:54:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/we-might-get-to-see-valves-steam-controller-next-m/1100-6420954/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/fan-creates-t-shirt-that-plays-tetris/1100-6420953/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsi3bIHlKv4" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2Fvideoseries%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26list%3DUUp5AVXyQgHU3xioBhjm4Uhw&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Ddsi3bIHlKv4%26list%3DUUp5AVXyQgHU3xioBhjm4Uhw&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2Fdsi3bIHlKv4%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">Iconic puzzle game Tetris is already available on numerous platforms, and it has even<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mit-students-hack-building-to-play-tetris/1100-6373240/" data-ref-id="1100-6373240"> been played on the sides of buildings</a>, but its reach continues to grow further still. In celebration of the<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/tetris-turns-30-creator-says-he-still-plays-every-week/1100-6420154/" data-ref-id="1100-6420154"> 30th anniversary of Tetris</a>, one superfan created a t-shirt that lets you play the game on it.</p><p style="">"I always wanted a playable t-shirt," Marc Kerger <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsi3bIHlKv4&list=UUp5AVXyQgHU3xioBhjm4Uhw" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">wrote on the video's page on YouTube</a>. "Well, now I made one myself." To make the shirt, Kerger put an Arduino Uno, 4 AA batteries, and 128 LEDs into the piece of clothing. More details about how it works are available in the video above.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Tetris was released in June 1984. On the game's 30th anniversary last month, creator Alexey Pajitnov said he never imaged Tetris would become as successful as it is today. The game has seen <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/tetris-turns-30-creator-says-he-still-plays-every-week/1100-6420154/" data-ref-id="1100-6420154">more than 425 million paid downloads to date.</a> Pajitnov also revealed that he<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/tetris-turns-30-creator-says-he-still-plays-every-week/1100-6420154/" data-ref-id="1100-6420154"> still plays the game every week</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The Tetris Company agent Blue Planet Software said last month that it envisions the game will last another 30 years or more, and announced plans to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/tetris-turns-30-creator-says-he-still-plays-every-week/1100-6420154/" data-ref-id="1100-6420154">extend licensing arrangements to various markets outside of gaming</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Mon, 07 Jul 2014 11:26:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/fan-creates-t-shirt-that-plays-tetris/1100-6420953/ http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/child-of-light-review/1900-6415812/ <p style="">Fairy tales may be works of escapism, but no fairy tale worth its salt is purely a work of frivolous fantasy. No, the best fairy tales simultaneously let children escape from the frightening realities of life, while also helping them confront those realities, teaching them that even though life is difficult and scary sometimes, they are capable of overcoming adversity and coping with loss. Child of Light is a fine fairy tale in this tradition, a fantasy that deals with the reality of what it means to grow up. It's also a gorgeous game with an engaging turn-based battle system and wondrous realms that are a joy to discover and explore. After coming to consoles and PC earlier this year, the game has made its way to the Vita, and it's as excellent as ever.</p><p style="">Child of Light tells the story of Aurora, daughter of an Austrian duke in the late 1800s who finds herself transported to the land of Lemuria. Here, she learns that it is her destiny to recover the sun, moon, and stars from the evil queen who has stolen the light from the land. At first, she is understandably reluctant and even petulant about having this responsibility thrust upon her shoulders when all she wants to do is wake up back in Austria and hurry to her heartsick father's side. It's the way that she grows over the course of the game that makes her journey meaningful. She befriends a diverse group of characters who all have struggles of their own and who find their strength in each other, and her journey is empowering, but not altogether joyous. Child of Light is a richer game for the ways in which it acknowledges the hard decisions and the inevitable sadness that are part and parcel of leaving childhood behind.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/78/787590/2587891-2014-07-02-224620.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587891" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/78/787590/2587891-2014-07-02-224620.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587891"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/78/787590/2587891-2014-07-02-224620.jpg"></a><figcaption>Lemuria, like Child of Light, is sad and beautiful and full of wonder.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Unfortunately, the game's writing sometimes distracts from the emotion of its story. Characters speak in rhyme, and at times, the words they use are clumsy and forced, chosen to fit into the rhyming structure rather than to effectively communicate what the characters are thinking or feeling. At least the game has some fun with its own convention via the character of Rubella, an aspiring circus jester who goofs up every exchange, using a word that doesn't rhyme with what came before ("vocalist") when a perfectly common and obvious word ("singer") would have worked just fine.</p><p style="">But if the writing sometimes keeps you at arms length, the visuals pull you in completely. The distinctive realms of Lemuria are more reminiscent of the off-kilter fantasy lands of films like <i>The Neverending Story </i>and <i>The Dark Crystal </i>than of the Tolkienesque high fantasy that informs so many games. Your quest takes you high and low, to platforms held in the sky by massive balloons and into crystal caverns under the surface of the land. and everywhere you go, their melancholy beauty makes them a pleasure to behold, and their imaginative design creates the feeling that you don't know what other strange wonders Lemuria might have for you to discover.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/78/787590/2587897-2014-07-02-122040.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587897" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/78/787590/2587897-2014-07-02-122040.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587897"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/78/787590/2587897-2014-07-02-122040.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">You travel through Lemuria from a two-dimensional side-view perspective, and though you're bound to the ground like an ordinary girl when the game begins, early on you gain the power of flight. There are plenty of treasure chests for you to discover and optional side quests to complete, giving you an incentive to venture off the beaten path, soar up into the skies and explore every nook and cranny of these lands. Many areas also have environmental hazards and traps for you to avoid, and though these never pose too much of a challenge, they make navigating the world a bit trickier and more involving than it would be if it didn't have any dangers.</p><p style="">The real danger of Lemuria is in its monsters. You can see them in the environment which typically makes avoiding them easy, but more often than not, you'll want to fly into them, both because Child of Light's combat is enjoyable and because you'll want to level up your characters to prepare them for the challenges ahead. Battles are built on a foundation of traditional turn-based role-playing game combat, but there are enough wrinkles here to give you plenty to think about. You can rarely just spam standard attacks endlessly on your way to victory.</p><p style="">You can only have two characters in combat at any one time, but you can swap out one character for another instantly when his or her turn comes along, and switching between characters with the offensive muscle you want and those with the healing abilities you need to stay alive is one concern. And you can use the glow of Aurora's firefly friend Igniculus to slow down enemies' progress along the timeline. Your goal with this is typically to have your attacks strike enemies just before they would have attack you, which interrupts their attacks and knocks them backwards on the timeline, effectively denying them a chance to act. It's particularly satisfying to get into a rhythm where you keep knocking enemies back, using Igniculus to slow them down just enough so that they're right where you want them and then using your characters' own attacks to interrupt them again and again.</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/78/787590/2587893-2014-07-03-115940.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587893" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/78/787590/2587893-2014-07-03-115940.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587893"><img src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/78/787590/2587893-2014-07-03-115940.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Battles are also rewarding because of the steady clip at which your characters level up. After almost every battle, at least one of your characters advances, getting boosts to stats as well as earning skill points that you can use to unlock additional stat boosts or more powerful skills. Of course, it's fun to see your characters become stronger over the course of the game, but what gives makes Child of Light meaningful is the way that Aurora grows emotionally stronger. Eventually we have to leave the realms of fairy tales behind and face the challenges of reality once more, but Lemuria is the kind of fantasy realm that stays with you as long as you remain a child somewhere in your heart.</p> Mon, 07 Jul 2014 11:15:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/child-of-light-review/1900-6415812/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-files-another-trademark-for-horror-game-until/1100-6420951/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6391549" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6391549/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">Remember <a href="/until-dawn/" data-ref-id="false">Until Dawn</a>, the <a href="/ps3/" data-ref-id="false">PlayStation 3</a> and PlayStation Move-exclusive horror game <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-unveils-teen-horror-style-game-until-dawn/1100-6391504/" data-ref-id="1100-6391504">announced at the 2012 Gamescom conference</a>? Well, it looks like Sony and developer <a href="/companies/supermassive-games/" data-ref-id="false">Supermassive </a>haven't given up on it just yet.</p><p style="">Sony <a href="http://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=86326989&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">recently filed a trademark for Until Dawn</a>, indicating that it at least intends to hold onto the property. Since its announcement in 2012, Sony hasn't said much about the game, except that it had been delayed past its initial 2013 release date.</p><p style="">We do know the basic premise of the game, however. It's meant to emulate teen-horror films and the developer has hired Hollywood talent to write the game's story. You use the PS Move controller as a flashlight, illuminating paths as you fight for survival throughout a night filled with enemies and danger.</p><p style="">Sony has yet to give any official reason for the delay. But considering how long it's been since we've heard about the game, and given PS Move's compatibility with Sony's VR headset for <a href="/ps4/" data-ref-id="false">PlayStation 4</a>, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-announces-ps4-virtual-reality-initiative-project-morpheus/1100-6418391/" data-ref-id="1100-6418391">Project Morpheus</a>, it seems possible that a PS4 redo is in the works. Although this is purely speculation, I'd love to see what Until Dawn would look like on the Morpheus.</p><p style="">Would you play a game like Until Dawn on the Morpheus with PS Move controllers? Let us know in the comments!</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Alex Newhouse is an editorial intern at GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/alexbnewhouse" rel="nofollow">Twitter @alexbnewhouse</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Mon, 07 Jul 2014 10:51:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-files-another-trademark-for-horror-game-until/1100-6420951/
http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Tue, 08 Jul 2014 06:44:07 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-july-system-update-rolling-out-soon-has-i/1100-6420966/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2588382-xboxoneconsole.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2588382" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2588382-xboxoneconsole.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2588382"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2588382-xboxoneconsole.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">The Xbox One's July system update--which, among other things, expands the console's Snap functionality--will roll out across the world "in the coming days." Microsoft's director of Xbox Live programming director, Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb, <a href="http://news.xbox.com/2014/07/xbox-one-july-update" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">announced the news in a short post on the Xbox Wire</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">As we <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-july-system-update-lets-you-track-achievements-in-snap-mode/1100-6420480/" data-ref-id="1100-6420480">reported last month</a>, the Xbox One July system update's most notable new feature is what Microsoft calls "Achievement Snap," which will let you track your achievements "seamlessly" while you play. You'll be able to see the number of achievements you've unlocked in a particular game, as well as the progress you've made towards new achievements.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Another new feature for Xbox One coming through the July update is the "Snap Center," which lets you view a list of apps that can be snapped and then make a selection. Other new functionality includes the ability to "Like" recorded game clips, and expanded language control options for select markets.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6419768" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6419768/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">On top of those new features, the Xbox One July system update also support for "future digital bundles and compilation discs." Regarding this new functionality, Microsoft said in June, "We're doing some work now so that publishers will have options for great digital bundle and disc compilation offerings in the future. As we test this feature, we'll be seeing more flexible combinations of game titles and game content."</p><p style="">Are these changes not enough for you? You can let Microsoft know what you'd like to see added/tweaked/removed by offering your input at the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-feedback-site-now-lets-you-submit-and-vote-on-ideas-for-xbox/1100-6420243/" data-ref-id="1100-6420243">Xbox Feedback website</a>. "Thank you for taking the time to help us make Xbox the best place to play," Microsoft said.</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> Tue, 08 Jul 2014 06:23:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-july-system-update-rolling-out-soon-has-i/1100-6420966/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/bioshock-ps-vita-was-planned-as-final-fantasy-tact/1100-6420965/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2588365-bioshockvita.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2588365" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2588365-bioshockvita.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2588365"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2588365-bioshockvita.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">The <a href="/bioshock/" data-ref-id="false">BioShock</a> game for PlayStation Vita announced in 2011 is nowhere closer to release, but now series creator Ken Levine has opened up on what he originally had in mind for the game. "I was thinking a <a href="/final-fantasy-tactics/" data-ref-id="false">Final Fantasy Tactics</a>-style thing set in pre-fall Rapture," Levine <a href="https://twitter.com/IGLevine/status/486317495372873728" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">said to a fan on Twitter</a>. "As some know, I'm a turn-based whore."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Overall, the BioShock game for PS Vita was aimed to be something that would "work well" on the system and "not be a compromise in any way," Levine <a href="https://twitter.com/IGLevine/status/486318278131085312" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">explained</a> further.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">No images or video for the BioShock PS Vita game have been released, and it's unclear if any actual work on the game ever got underway. Levine said BioShock publisher 2K Games and Sony were "<a href="https://twitter.com/IGLevine/status/486316860695408641" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">way more enthusiastic</a>" about the game in 2011. Since then, the companies have not been able to agree to a deal.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">BioShock creator Irrational Games <a href="https://twitter.com/IGLevine/status/486319337809387521" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">sold the franchise to 2K Games/Take-Two Interactive in 2005</a>. Making the BioShock PS Vita game is not such a simple endeavor, Levine said, mainly for legal reasons. "Wish I could do it myself, but lawyers and all that," he said. "I still love my Vita."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">When Irrational Games <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/bioshock-creator-irrational-games-is-shutting-down/1100-6417821/" data-ref-id="1100-6417821">effectively shut down in February</a>, 2K Games said it had "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/will-bioshock-vita-ever-be-released-2k-says-it-has-no-update-following-irrational-games-layoffs/1100-6417874/" data-ref-id="1100-6417874">no update</a>" on the development status of BioShock for PS Vita. Levine and a handful of former Irrational Games developers are now working on a "smaller, more entrepreneurial" project for Take-Two, while the future of BioShock series is <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/another-reason-to-believe-red-dead-redemption-2-is-happening/1100-6419966/" data-ref-id="1100-6419966">in the hands of 2K Marin</a>.</p><p style="">On the subject of a possible PlayStation 4/Xbox One Game of the Year version of <a href="/bioshock-infinite/" data-ref-id="false">BioShock Infinite</a>, the most recent entry in the series, Levine <a href="https://twitter.com/IGLevine/status/486317827616694274" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">said</a> on Twitter, "I'm hoping, but not my decision."</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> Tue, 08 Jul 2014 05:50:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/bioshock-ps-vita-was-planned-as-final-fantasy-tact/1100-6420965/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamestop-might-participate-in-game-development-to-/1100-6420964/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2588338-gamestopholiday.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2588338" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2588338-gamestopholiday.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2588338"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2588338-gamestopholiday.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Video game retailer GameStop is thinking about a new way to convince people to shop at its stores instead of elsewhere. According to new reports, the retailer is considering actively involving itself earlier in the game development process (by partnering with game creators) in an effort to build gameplay experiences that would be exclusive to games sold at GameStop.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">This is according to video game industry analyst Colin Sebastian of Robert W. Baird, who met with GameStop management recently. In a note sent to investors this week (obtained by GameSpot), Sebastian writes that publishers are "more enthusiastic about partnering with GameStop, for example by offering exclusive content on each major game release, and longer term, future models may include GameStop participating in development with some gameplay exclusive to the retailer."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Asked for clarification on this point, Sebastian <a href="http://venturebeat.com/2014/07/07/gamestop-getting-involved-with-games-development/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">confirmed to Venturebeat </a>that GameStop is considering, "getting involved at the time of game development where there could be some content exclusive to [GameStop] included in the game." A GameStop representative confirmed that the company is indeed attempting to involve itself earlier in the development process to create better exclusives for shoppers, saying Sebastian's comments are "accurate."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We are working with our [development] partners to build in a longer lead time," a GameStop public relations representative said. "And we are working with them to get both physical and digital exclusives for our customers."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">There is no word yet on the specific types of physical and digital exclusives that GameStop might offer customers as part of its new campaign. And of course, GameStop already offers "exclusive" digital content to entice people to shop at its stores. Still, it's clear that GameStop is seeking to offer deeper and more meaningful--at least according to GameStop--content for shoppers as a means to secure better exclusives.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">GameStop's closer relationship with developers is not without its concerns, as some people are likely to see this move as a way in which GameStop can push its own interests. But of course, the impact GameStop's involvement in game development remains to be seen. It's also unknown if the potential GameStop exclusive gameplay would actually be truly exclusive or only exclusive to GameStop for a limited time.</p><p style="">We will continue to monitor this story as it develops. For now, what are your thoughts on GameStop's potential partnering with developers earlier on to create exclusive content? Let us know in the comments below!</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> Tue, 08 Jul 2014 05:15:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamestop-might-participate-in-game-development-to-/1100-6420964/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-driveclub-bundle-confirmed-for-europe-no-word-/1100-6420963/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2588334-driveclubps4.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2588334" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2588334-driveclubps4.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2588334"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2588334-driveclubps4.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Sony today <a href="http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2014/07/08/driveclub-ps4-hardware-bundle-unveiled/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">officially announced </a>a special PlayStation 4 <a href="/driveclub/" data-ref-id="false">Driveclub </a>bundle that includes a copy of Evolution Studios' racing game, a 500GB system, and a DualShock 4 controller. The €439 ($597) bundle launches this October alongside the game. Right now, it's announced only for Europe.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The PS4 Driveclub bundle's announcement today comes just a week after Sony revealed a hardware bundle for <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-last-of-us-ps4-bundle-confirmed-for-europe-but-what-about-the-us/1100-6420774/" data-ref-id="1100-6420774">Naughty Dog's The Last of Us Remastered</a>. That bundle is also only confirmed for Europe, where it will sell for €439 ($585).</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Gamers in the United States won't be left out in the cold altogether, however, as Sony and Activision have teamed up to offer a<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-450-white-ps4-destiny-bundle-arriving-september-9/1100-6420272/" data-ref-id="1100-6420272"> $450 Destiny PS4 bundle</a> launching with the game in September. This bundle will also be offered in Europe.</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> Tue, 08 Jul 2014 04:44:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-driveclub-bundle-confirmed-for-europe-no-word-/1100-6420963/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/game-developers-shifting-to-pc-and-new-consoles-es/1100-6420959/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1539/15391776/2588127-8391251678-25694.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2588127" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1539/15391776/2588127-8391251678-25694.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2588127"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1539/15391776/2588127-8391251678-25694.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">In anticipation of the Game Developers Conference Europe in August, GDC has released a new "European State of the Industry" study that found that European developers are moving over to current-gen consoles and <a href="/pc/" data-ref-id="false">PC</a>. But this isn't a balanced distribution across the platforms: they seem to favor the <a href="/ps4/" data-ref-id="false">PlayStation 4</a> slightly over the <a href="/xbox-one/" data-ref-id="false">Xbox One</a>, with 33 percent of developers stating that they are planning on developing for the PS4, as opposed to 23 percent for the Xbox.</p><p style="">Some of the findings include:</p><ul><li>The vast majority of European developers are currently making games for the PC and <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/new-games/?game_filter_type%5Bplatform%5D=112/" data-ref-id="false">mobile</a> platforms. 58 percent of surveyed companies are currently working on a PC title, and 65 percent are developing for mobile.</li><li>Both consoles are gaining developers, but the PS4 has the edge. Almost 20 percent are currently producing a title for the PS4 and 33 percent expect their next games to be on the console.</li><li>In contrast, only 13 percent of surveyed developers are working on a game for the Xbox One right now, and only 23 percent expect to release their next games on the system.</li><li>Crowdfunding is becoming an increasingly accepted form of financially supporting a game's development. A full 41 percent of all European developers surveyed are planning on using crowdfunding for future games.</li></ul><p style="">GDC Europe takes place from August 11-13 in Germany. Keep an eye on GameSpot for coverage of the event when it happens next month. </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Alex Newhouse is an editorial intern at GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/alexbnewhouse" rel="nofollow">Twitter @alexbnewhouse</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 08 Jul 2014 00:01:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/game-developers-shifting-to-pc-and-new-consoles-es/1100-6420959/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/cole-train-actor-says-he-ll-reprise-his-role-in-ne/1100-6420926/ <figure data-align="right" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2586886-2858415372-22728.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2586886" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2586886-2858415372-22728.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2586886"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/1535/15354745/2586886-2858415372-22728.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style=""><strong>Update: </strong>Speight is now backing off of his original statement. After originally responding "Yup!" in response to a question about whether he'd "gotten a call" about reprising his role, he has followed up with another <a href="https://twitter.com/lesterspeight/status/486355480927686656" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">tweet</a>, stating, "Let me clear up misunderstanding. I'm willing to reprise my roll [sic] as Cole Train but I HAVEN'T BEEN CONTACTED YET, STOP!!! NO MORE RUMORS!!!"</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><strong>Original Story: </strong>Lester Speight, the actor who voiced Augustus "Cole Train" Cole in the previous <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/gears-of-war/">Gears of War</a> games, has said that he's been approached to reprise his role.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Speight made the announcement in response to a question from a fan on <a href="https://twitter.com/lesterspeight/status/484942538483052545" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">He didn't share any additional details about the game, but the only Gears of War in development that we know of is the one being made by the Microsoft-owned Black Tusk Studios.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gears-of-war-can-do-a-lot-more-now-that-microsoft-owns-it/1100-6419678/">Last we heard</a>, the next Gears of War project was still in "the concept/prototype" phase. Black Tusk producer Rod Fergusson, who worked on previous Gears of War titles, is leading development on the project. He previously said that now that <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-buys-gears-of-war-from-epic/1100-6417361/">Microsoft owns the IP</a>, it can do a lot more with it. He also said that Black Tusk will try stay true to Gears of War canon for its new game, but he made it clear that the studio won't have any reservations about deviating if it's in the interest of fun.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Unless Speight has misspoken, now we know it will feature at least one returning character.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">He's impossible to forget if you've played the game, but in case you didn't, Cole Train is a former Thrashball player, a football-like sport in the Gears of War fiction. After Emergence Day, when the human species is attacked by the Locust, he becomes a Gear soldier and joins the war effort.</p><p style="">There's no release date or even a title for the new Gears of War game for Xbox One, and Microsoft did not showcase the game at E3 last month.</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> Mon, 07 Jul 2014 20:57:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/cole-train-actor-says-he-ll-reprise-his-role-in-ne/1100-6420926/ http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/richard-alice-review/1900-6415814/ <p style="">Nuclear war. Pandemic. Meteors. Zombies. With all the death and devastation in syndication these days it's become harder to discern the older, less ruinous meaning of the word apocalypse--that of simply "uncovering" or "revealing." But even as our media comes up with ever more creative ways to destroy civilization (wait, we're doing the monkey one again?), it's offered us simpler revelations. One post-apocalyptic priest in Richard & Alice offers a characteristically concise one: "We're all just trying to exist for another day. See the sun rise in the morning, then see it set once more."</p><p style="">That's a lot to ask for the eponymous duo, as it turns out. Richard & Alice occupy opposing prison cells, and though they're actually pretty cushy, as cells go, neither comes with a view. Not that there'd be much to see, what with the bulk of the outside world brought to its knees by crippling snowfall and cold. This point & click drama by Lewis Denby and Ashton Raze doesn't dwell on the particulars of that nasty bit of climate change, and that omission tells us a good bit about where its storytelling priorities lie. Richard is neurotic from his mostly solitary confinement, and preoccupied with the elaborate maintenance claims he files with his computer (they really are cushy cells). Alice is prone to bouts of dark sarcasm, and through a series of playable flashbacks we're shown that she's also a devoted mother of a five year old named Barney. As the stage shifts between Richard's point of view in the present and Alice's in the past, we're gradually brought up to speed on how each arrived at such bleak circumstance.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2587954-0001.png" data-ref-id="1300-2587954" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2587954-0001.png" data-ref-id="1300-2587954"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/416/4161502/2587954-0001.png"></a><figcaption>Well, it certainly doesn't feel like the end of the world.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Advancing the narrative requires solving rudimentary item-based puzzles of the "use rust remover on rusty ladder" ilk. It is the apocalypse, so crowbars and lighters fill the ad hoc roles that keycards and cryptexes play in less grimdark puzzle games. I'm all for the miracle of mundane things--anyone who's played <a href="/the-last-of-us/" data-ref-id="false">The Last of Us</a> can testify to the life-saving properties of a good pair of scissors--but sometimes their contrivance in Richard & Alice beggars belief.</p><p style="">But then, the end of the world itself feels a little suspect here, from the limited scope of devastation that Alice and Barney witness, right on down to the high school mascot-style name of the gang that waylays the survivors: the Polar Bears. Alice's game efforts to shield Barney from the horrors of their world seem to have proven too effective: the child doesn't seem to have the faintest comprehension of them. It's a dynamic that's played to good effect during a few tense early moments, as Alice struggles to convey a sense of urgency to her son without tipping him off to imminent dangers. But over the broader course of the game, Barney's saccharine naiveté pushes on past the point of plausibility.</p><blockquote data-align="center" data-size="large"><p style="">As the stage shifts between Richard's point of view in the present and Alice's in the past, we're gradually brought up to speed on how each arrived at such bleak circumstance.</p></blockquote><figure data-align="right" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2587955-0002.png" data-ref-id="1300-2587955" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2587955-0002.png" data-ref-id="1300-2587955"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/416/4161502/2587955-0002.png"></a><figcaption>Both Richard and Alice are well written.</figcaption></figure><p style="">But it's the art that ultimately fails to sell this version of the apocalypse. Not the stubby, monochromatic trees, or the bizarre, bowlegged stance that makes Alice look like a Matryoshka doll in mom jeans. It's the snow--or rather, the lack thereof. The white, pixel-sized snowflakes don't register on the white field that covers the ground, so it's hard to even tell that it's snowing in the first place. It certainly doesn't bury anything, or even pile into drifts. It doesn't change the landscape or otherwise disrupt the hard horizontal lines of the man-made environment. This snow wouldn't get you out of a school day anywhere above the 35-degree latitude line. Ditto for the cold, which the characters seem to be selectively aware of. So when Alice and Barney rest for a spell near a frozen lake, the scene's so free of danger that you can imagine the Peanuts gang cutting figures in the ice to "Christmas Time is Here."</p><p style="">An apocalypse can't reveal something if it hasn't been covered over in the first place. There's some strong writing in Richard & Alice, and a little bit of intrigue in the way the story's various threads wind their way back together. But when the game fails to convince us of its own high stakes, its Cormac McCarthyism loses its gloomy appeal. People will do terrible things to others to survive. Innocence should be treasured. Surely we don't have to destroy the world one more time to find those things out?</p> Mon, 07 Jul 2014 17:04:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/richard-alice-review/1900-6415814/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/ps4-exclusive-hohokum-is-a-joyful-exploration-of-c/2300-6420088/ Hohokum spreads joy with a flying, rainbow-colored snake in a variety of quirky and beautiful worlds. It may sound odd, but it's full of charm. Mon, 07 Jul 2014 16:26:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/ps4-exclusive-hohokum-is-a-joyful-exploration-of-c/2300-6420088/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-x-y-players-get-your-free-limited-edition-/1100-6420958/ <figure data-ref-id="1300-2588093" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2588093-vivillon.jpg" data-size="large" data-align="center" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2588093-vivillon.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2588093"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2588093-vivillon.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Starting today, <a href="/pokemon-x/" data-ref-id="false">Pokémon X</a> and <a href="/pokemon-y/" data-ref-id="false">Y</a> players can get themselves a free, special version of Pokémon Vivillon to celebrate a major milestone for online Pokémon trading.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">A whopping 100 million Pokémon have been traded through the Global Trade Station since its launch, hence the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-pokemon-company-giving-away-uniquely-coloured-vivillon-pokemon/1100-6419875/" data-ref-id="1100-6419875">previously announced giveaway</a> of this bug/flying-type Pokémon. Vivillon--which is basically a butterfly--is a popular Pokémon for trading because it has a number of different wing patterns depending on the real-world location its owner resides in. For this giveaway, the special "Fancy Pattern Vivillon" you see above is being made available to fans for a limited time. It even comes equipped with an exclusive move, Hold Hands, which has no effect beyond showing a brief embrace between Vivillon and the move's target. (Hey, at least it's not Splash.)</p><p dir="ltr" style="">To get your free Pokémon, you'll simply need to go through the process of receiving a mystery gift in Pokémon X or Y. Instructions for how to do so, courtesy of <a href="http://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-news/a-vivillon-of-a-different-pattern/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Pokémon.com</a>, follow:</p><ol><li dir="ltr">Connect your Nintendo 3DS system to the Internet.</li><li dir="ltr">Select Mystery Gift on the main menu.</li><li dir="ltr">Select Receive Gift, then Yes.</li><li dir="ltr">Select Get Via Internet, then Yes.</li><li dir="ltr">Watch as you receive Fancy Pattern Vivillon!</li><li dir="ltr">Speak to the delivery girl in any Pokémon Center to receive your Vivillon.</li><li dir="ltr">Be sure to save your game!</li></ol><p style="">You'll have until the end of the month to grab your very own Vivillon, so be sure to get it while you can.</p><p style="">It's been a busy time for Pokémon fans recently: an <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-concert-series-begins-touring-in-august/1100-6420829/" data-ref-id="1100-6420829">orchestral concert tour</a> will soon kick off, the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/official-pokemon-online-store-coming-in-august-cou/1100-6420894/" data-ref-id="1100-6420894">Pokémon Online Store's launch</a> is approaching, the franchise got its own <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-gets-its-own-dedicated-itunes-hub/1100-6420850/" data-ref-id="1100-6420850">dedicated iTunes hub</a>, and the Pokémon National Championships <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-national-championships-venues-and-dates-announced-are-you-going-to-try-out/1100-6418712/" data-ref-id="1100-6418712">took place this past weekend</a> (with the World Championships <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-national-championships-venues-and-dates-announced-are-you-going-to-try-out/1100-6418712/" data-ref-id="1100-6418712">set for next month</a>). That's not all they have in store, either, as the <a href="/pokemon-alpha-sapphire/" data-ref-id="false">Pokémon Omega Sapphire and Alpha Ruby</a> remakes are scheduled for release on 3DS on <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-pokemon-omega-ruby-alpha-sapphire-launching-november-21/1100-6420325/" data-ref-id="1100-6420325">November 21</a>. In the meantime, they can be <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/you-ve-never-seen-pokemon-like-this/1100-6420792/" data-ref-id="1100-6420792">weirded out by fan reimaginings of various Pokémon</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/thesmokingmanx" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p> Mon, 07 Jul 2014 14:54:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-x-y-players-get-your-free-limited-edition-/1100-6420958/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/borderlands-pre-sequel-dev-will-consider-xbox-one-/1100-6420956/ <div data-height="100%" data-width="100%" data-ref-id="2300-6420077" data-embed-type="video"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6420077/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">2K Games surprised some people earlier this year when it revealed that the next Borderlands game--<a href="/borderlands-the-pre-sequel/" data-ref-id="false">Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel</a>--would <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-new-borderlands-game-isn-t-coming-to-xbox-one-or-playstation-4/1100-6418862/" data-ref-id="1100-6418862">only be available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC</a>. That remains the plan for the upcoming shooter, but there is now a glimmer of hope that it will eventually make it to Xbox One and PlayStation 4, too.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"All the players of <a href="/borderlands-2/" data-ref-id="false">Borderlands 2</a> are all playing on those [last-gen] consoles, that's the choice they've got. So we want to reward those guys and give them the Borderlands Pre-Sequel experience on that console," said 2K Australia's Tony Lawrence in a recently published E3 interview with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_VHvfdpuQw" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Gamereactor</a>. "If fans say, 'Hey, we'd really like this on a next-gen console,' well, we'll think about that. But right now, we're concentrating on the consoles we know."</p><figure data-ref-id="1300-2587953" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2587953-borderlands.jpg" data-size="small" data-align="right" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2587953-borderlands.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587953"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/123/1239113/2587953-borderlands.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">That's as promising an indication as we've gotten to date that gamers who have fully transitioned to Xbox One and PS4 will still have the opportunity to play The Pre-Sequel. But Gearbox's Matt Armstrong notes that many of the fans clamoring for Xbox One and PS4 versions aren't necessarily indicative of everyone, saying that "the vast majority of our fans" still have their old hardware.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"The other thing is, it's between, it's the middle in a trilogy," he continued. "And moving it onto next-gen and requiring people to buy new hardware to play the middle on a trilogy feels a little disingenuous. And we sort of want to respect that. As I said, one day, maybe. We'll think about that, we'll see how people react to the game, how much fun they have, and whether or not everybody moves on to the next gen fully next year."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Indeed, while the new consoles <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-and-xbox-one-combined-sales-will-reach-30-million-units-by-march-2015-ubisoft-says/1100-6419670/" data-ref-id="1100-6419670">have sold well</a>, the install base for each remains relatively small compared with the previous generation of consoles. It's due in part to the huge install base for Xbox 360 and PS3 that Borderlands 2 was able to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/borderlands-2-is-now-the-best-selling-game-in-2k-s-history/1100-6418865/" data-ref-id="1100-6418865">become publisher 2K's best-selling game ever</a>. Gearbox head Randy Pitchford pointed out when Pre-Sequel was announced that Borderlands 2 had <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/borderlands-the-pre-sequel-first-look-blowout/1100-6418858/" data-ref-id="1100-6418858">sold more copies than Xbox One and PS4 consoles combined</a> (at least at that point). In light of that, the decision to develop The Pre-Sequel for last-gen hardware makes a lot of sense.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">But that doesn't mean the game couldn't <em>also</em> be available on Xbox One and PS4 for those who would like to be able to play the game and easily record video or snap Netflix to the side while doing so. Given that Lawrence and Armstrong's comments came at E3, we checked with Gearbox to see if its stance on being open to considering Xbox One and PS4 versions had changed, but it declined to comment.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The Pre-Sequel is scheduled for release on October 14 on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. For more, check out the new narrated gameplay walkthrough video above, which features the full <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-borderlands-the-pre-sequel-butt-stomping-on-the-moon/1100-6420194/" data-ref-id="1100-6420194">demo that we saw at E3 last month</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/thesmokingmanx" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Mon, 07 Jul 2014 12:28:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/borderlands-pre-sequel-dev-will-consider-xbox-one-/1100-6420956/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/despite-past-resistance-nintendo-now-sponsoring-ev/1100-6420955/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1539/15391776/2587926-3572658617-25602.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587926" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1539/15391776/2587926-3572658617-25602.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587926"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1539/15391776/2587926-3572658617-25602.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">In a surprising shift in policy, <a href="/companies/nintendo/" data-ref-id="false">Nintendo</a> is sponsoring this year's Evolution Championship Series fighting game tournament. <a href="http://evo.shoryuken.com/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">On the official Evo website</a>, a list of sponsors includes Nintendo's logo, indicating that the publisher has changed its stance toward the tournament. The company joins Capcom, Atlus, and Microsoft as sponsors</p><p style="">Notably, in 2013, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-wanted-to-shut-down-evo-super-smash-tournament/1100-6411317/" data-ref-id="1100-6411317">Nintendo attempted to shut down</a> the <a href="/super-smash-bros-melee/" data-ref-id="false">Super Smash Bros. </a>portion of the competition, even after the community raised almost $100,000 to include it. The company eventually relented, but only after another fight to prevent the tournament organizers from broadcasting the Super Smash Bros. matches.</p><p style="">Now with the support of Nintendo, competitors will be playing <a href="/super-smash-bros-melee/" data-ref-id="false">Super Smash Bros. Melee</a> at the tournament. Although Nintendo hasn't provided any statement on their sponsorship, it's possible that the company hopes to promote the upcoming <a href="/super-smash-bros-for-wii-u/" data-ref-id="false">Super Smash Bros. for Wii U</a> and <a href="/super-smash-bros-for-nintendo-3ds/" data-ref-id="false">3DS</a>.</p><p style="">Evo 2014 takes place this weekend between July 11-13 in Las Vegas. In addition to Super Smash Bros. Melee, Evo will feature <a href="/super-street-fighter-iv-arcade-edition/" data-ref-id="false">Ultra Street Fighter IV</a>, <a href="/injustice-gods-among-us/" data-ref-id="false">Injustice: Gods Among Us</a>, <a href="/killer-instinct/" data-ref-id="false">Killer Instinct</a>, and several other games.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Alex Newhouse is an editorial intern at GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/alexbnewhouse" rel="nofollow">Twitter @alexbnewhouse</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Mon, 07 Jul 2014 12:07:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/despite-past-resistance-nintendo-now-sponsoring-ev/1100-6420955/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/we-might-get-to-see-valves-steam-controller-next-m/1100-6420954/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2587928-controllervalve.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587928" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2587928-controllervalve.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587928"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2587928-controllervalve.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Valve may not only attend next month's Gamescom public gaming event in Germany, but the company might also bring its Steam Controller to the show. That's according to a <a href="http://www.gamescom-cologne.com/en/gamescom/ausstellersuche/suche/suche.php?&fw_goto=aussteller/details&&kid=0040075218" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">listing on the Gamescom website</a>, which states "Valve Corporation" will have a presence at the show.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The page suggests that Valve's booth at Gamescom will include "controllers," potentially referencing the Steam Controller, which we got our <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/here-s-the-latest-steam-controller-prototype/1100-6418327/" data-ref-id="1100-6418327">latest look at during GDC in March</a>. We have reached out to Valve for details regarding the company's official plans for Gamescom.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The Gamescom website has a less-than-excellent track record when it comes to information about Valve products. After all, two years ago the site <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/half-life-3-mention-on-gamescom-document-a-mistake/1100-6391463/" data-ref-id="1100-6391463">said Half-Life 3 would be at the show</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Gamescom 2014 takes places August 13-17 in Cologne, Germany. The show is open to the public, so if you're able to attend, you might even get to go hands-on with the Steam Controller. GameSpot will be in attendance at the show, bringing you all the news as it happens.</p><p style="">The <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/here-s-the-latest-steam-controller-prototype/1100-6418327/" data-ref-id="1100-6418327">latest version of the in-development Steam Controller </a>showed that it hadn't changed much from the<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/valve-reveals-steam-controller-with-touch-screen-haptic-feedback/1100-6415065/" data-ref-id="1100-6415065"> initial prototype we saw last September</a>. The controller is <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-steam-controller-goes-on-sale-this-fall-500-games-natively-playable-on-steamos-by-the-end-of-the-year/1100-6418978/" data-ref-id="1100-6418978">rumored to go on sale sometime this fall</a>, though Valve has yet to confirm availability details for the input.</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, 07 Jul 2014 11:54:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/we-might-get-to-see-valves-steam-controller-next-m/1100-6420954/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/fan-creates-t-shirt-that-plays-tetris/1100-6420953/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsi3bIHlKv4" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2Fvideoseries%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26list%3DUUp5AVXyQgHU3xioBhjm4Uhw&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Ddsi3bIHlKv4%26list%3DUUp5AVXyQgHU3xioBhjm4Uhw&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2Fdsi3bIHlKv4%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">Iconic puzzle game Tetris is already available on numerous platforms, and it has even<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mit-students-hack-building-to-play-tetris/1100-6373240/" data-ref-id="1100-6373240"> been played on the sides of buildings</a>, but its reach continues to grow further still. In celebration of the<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/tetris-turns-30-creator-says-he-still-plays-every-week/1100-6420154/" data-ref-id="1100-6420154"> 30th anniversary of Tetris</a>, one superfan created a t-shirt that lets you play the game on it.</p><p style="">"I always wanted a playable t-shirt," Marc Kerger <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsi3bIHlKv4&list=UUp5AVXyQgHU3xioBhjm4Uhw" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">wrote on the video's page on YouTube</a>. "Well, now I made one myself." To make the shirt, Kerger put an Arduino Uno, 4 AA batteries, and 128 LEDs into the piece of clothing. More details about how it works are available in the video above.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Tetris was released in June 1984. On the game's 30th anniversary last month, creator Alexey Pajitnov said he never imaged Tetris would become as successful as it is today. The game has seen <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/tetris-turns-30-creator-says-he-still-plays-every-week/1100-6420154/" data-ref-id="1100-6420154">more than 425 million paid downloads to date.</a> Pajitnov also revealed that he<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/tetris-turns-30-creator-says-he-still-plays-every-week/1100-6420154/" data-ref-id="1100-6420154"> still plays the game every week</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The Tetris Company agent Blue Planet Software said last month that it envisions the game will last another 30 years or more, and announced plans to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/tetris-turns-30-creator-says-he-still-plays-every-week/1100-6420154/" data-ref-id="1100-6420154">extend licensing arrangements to various markets outside of gaming</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Mon, 07 Jul 2014 11:26:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/fan-creates-t-shirt-that-plays-tetris/1100-6420953/ http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/child-of-light-review/1900-6415812/ <p style="">Fairy tales may be works of escapism, but no fairy tale worth its salt is purely a work of frivolous fantasy. No, the best fairy tales simultaneously let children escape from the frightening realities of life, while also helping them confront those realities, teaching them that even though life is difficult and scary sometimes, they are capable of overcoming adversity and coping with loss. Child of Light is a fine fairy tale in this tradition, a fantasy that deals with the reality of what it means to grow up. It's also a gorgeous game with an engaging turn-based battle system and wondrous realms that are a joy to discover and explore. After coming to consoles and PC earlier this year, the game has made its way to the Vita, and it's as excellent as ever.</p><p style="">Child of Light tells the story of Aurora, daughter of an Austrian duke in the late 1800s who finds herself transported to the land of Lemuria. Here, she learns that it is her destiny to recover the sun, moon, and stars from the evil queen who has stolen the light from the land. At first, she is understandably reluctant and even petulant about having this responsibility thrust upon her shoulders when all she wants to do is wake up back in Austria and hurry to her heartsick father's side. It's the way that she grows over the course of the game that makes her journey meaningful. She befriends a diverse group of characters who all have struggles of their own and who find their strength in each other, and her journey is empowering, but not altogether joyous. Child of Light is a richer game for the ways in which it acknowledges the hard decisions and the inevitable sadness that are part and parcel of leaving childhood behind.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/78/787590/2587891-2014-07-02-224620.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587891" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/78/787590/2587891-2014-07-02-224620.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587891"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/78/787590/2587891-2014-07-02-224620.jpg"></a><figcaption>Lemuria, like Child of Light, is sad and beautiful and full of wonder.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Unfortunately, the game's writing sometimes distracts from the emotion of its story. Characters speak in rhyme, and at times, the words they use are clumsy and forced, chosen to fit into the rhyming structure rather than to effectively communicate what the characters are thinking or feeling. At least the game has some fun with its own convention via the character of Rubella, an aspiring circus jester who goofs up every exchange, using a word that doesn't rhyme with what came before ("vocalist") when a perfectly common and obvious word ("singer") would have worked just fine.</p><p style="">But if the writing sometimes keeps you at arms length, the visuals pull you in completely. The distinctive realms of Lemuria are more reminiscent of the off-kilter fantasy lands of films like <i>The Neverending Story </i>and <i>The Dark Crystal </i>than of the Tolkienesque high fantasy that informs so many games. Your quest takes you high and low, to platforms held in the sky by massive balloons and into crystal caverns under the surface of the land. and everywhere you go, their melancholy beauty makes them a pleasure to behold, and their imaginative design creates the feeling that you don't know what other strange wonders Lemuria might have for you to discover.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/78/787590/2587897-2014-07-02-122040.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587897" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/78/787590/2587897-2014-07-02-122040.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587897"><img src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/78/787590/2587897-2014-07-02-122040.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">You travel through Lemuria from a two-dimensional side-view perspective, and though you're bound to the ground like an ordinary girl when the game begins, early on you gain the power of flight. There are plenty of treasure chests for you to discover and optional side quests to complete, giving you an incentive to venture off the beaten path, soar up into the skies and explore every nook and cranny of these lands. Many areas also have environmental hazards and traps for you to avoid, and though these never pose too much of a challenge, they make navigating the world a bit trickier and more involving than it would be if it didn't have any dangers.</p><p style="">The real danger of Lemuria is in its monsters. You can see them in the environment which typically makes avoiding them easy, but more often than not, you'll want to fly into them, both because Child of Light's combat is enjoyable and because you'll want to level up your characters to prepare them for the challenges ahead. Battles are built on a foundation of traditional turn-based role-playing game combat, but there are enough wrinkles here to give you plenty to think about. You can rarely just spam standard attacks endlessly on your way to victory.</p><p style="">You can only have two characters in combat at any one time, but you can swap out one character for another instantly when his or her turn comes along, and switching between characters with the offensive muscle you want and those with the healing abilities you need to stay alive is one concern. And you can use the glow of Aurora's firefly friend Igniculus to slow down enemies' progress along the timeline. Your goal with this is typically to have your attacks strike enemies just before they would have attack you, which interrupts their attacks and knocks them backwards on the timeline, effectively denying them a chance to act. It's particularly satisfying to get into a rhythm where you keep knocking enemies back, using Igniculus to slow them down just enough so that they're right where you want them and then using your characters' own attacks to interrupt them again and again.</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/78/787590/2587893-2014-07-03-115940.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587893" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/78/787590/2587893-2014-07-03-115940.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587893"><img src="http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/78/787590/2587893-2014-07-03-115940.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Battles are also rewarding because of the steady clip at which your characters level up. After almost every battle, at least one of your characters advances, getting boosts to stats as well as earning skill points that you can use to unlock additional stat boosts or more powerful skills. Of course, it's fun to see your characters become stronger over the course of the game, but what gives makes Child of Light meaningful is the way that Aurora grows emotionally stronger. Eventually we have to leave the realms of fairy tales behind and face the challenges of reality once more, but Lemuria is the kind of fantasy realm that stays with you as long as you remain a child somewhere in your heart.</p> Mon, 07 Jul 2014 11:15:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/child-of-light-review/1900-6415812/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-files-another-trademark-for-horror-game-until/1100-6420951/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6391549" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6391549/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">Remember <a href="/until-dawn/" data-ref-id="false">Until Dawn</a>, the <a href="/ps3/" data-ref-id="false">PlayStation 3</a> and PlayStation Move-exclusive horror game <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-unveils-teen-horror-style-game-until-dawn/1100-6391504/" data-ref-id="1100-6391504">announced at the 2012 Gamescom conference</a>? Well, it looks like Sony and developer <a href="/companies/supermassive-games/" data-ref-id="false">Supermassive </a>haven't given up on it just yet.</p><p style="">Sony <a href="http://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=86326989&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">recently filed a trademark for Until Dawn</a>, indicating that it at least intends to hold onto the property. Since its announcement in 2012, Sony hasn't said much about the game, except that it had been delayed past its initial 2013 release date.</p><p style="">We do know the basic premise of the game, however. It's meant to emulate teen-horror films and the developer has hired Hollywood talent to write the game's story. You use the PS Move controller as a flashlight, illuminating paths as you fight for survival throughout a night filled with enemies and danger.</p><p style="">Sony has yet to give any official reason for the delay. But considering how long it's been since we've heard about the game, and given PS Move's compatibility with Sony's VR headset for <a href="/ps4/" data-ref-id="false">PlayStation 4</a>, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-announces-ps4-virtual-reality-initiative-project-morpheus/1100-6418391/" data-ref-id="1100-6418391">Project Morpheus</a>, it seems possible that a PS4 redo is in the works. Although this is purely speculation, I'd love to see what Until Dawn would look like on the Morpheus.</p><p style="">Would you play a game like Until Dawn on the Morpheus with PS Move controllers? Let us know in the comments!</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Alex Newhouse is an editorial intern at GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/alexbnewhouse" rel="nofollow">Twitter @alexbnewhouse</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Mon, 07 Jul 2014 10:51:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-files-another-trademark-for-horror-game-until/1100-6420951/
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