Written By Kom Limpulnam on Jumat, 28 Februari 2014 | 21.51
Sony Electronics, the division of the technology giant that creates TVs and cameras, will lay off about one-third of its staff--or around 1,000 people--by the end of 2014. The company announced the news Wednesday, which is aimed at allowing the company to "maintain its competitiveness in an evolving consumer electronics market."
The layoffs are part of the 5,000 jobs worldwide Sony announced it would cut earlier this month. On top of the job cuts, Sony said it will close 20 Sony Stores in the United States, leaving only 11 left in operation across the country. A breakdown of affected stores is available on Sony's website.
"While these moves were extremely tough, they were absolutely necessary to position us in the best possible place for future growth," Sony Electronics president and COO Mike Fasulo said in a statement. "I am entirely confident in our ability to turn the business around, in achieving our preferred future, and continue building on our flawless commitment to customer loyalty through the complete entertainment experience only Sony can offer."
Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal's AllThingsD reports that Sony will sell its former Japanese headquarters for an estimated $146 million. It would be the third major office building Sony has sold in the past year, following the $1.1 billion sale of the company's U.S. headquarters and one of its major outfits in Tokyo for another $1.2 billion in February 2013.
Sony Corporation is a massive company and its Electronics division is one of a half-dozen business units at the company. Others include Sony Mobile, Sony Pictures, and Sony Music, as well as gaming-focused divisions like Sony Computer Entertainment and Sony Online Entertainment. Importantly, today's news does not ostensibly affecting Sony's gaming initiatives, though the company did recently cut a number of jobs and cancel one game at God of War developer Sony Santa Monica.
Episode 2 of The Walking Dead Season 2, dubbed A House Divided, will be released next Tuesday, March 4 for PC, Mac, and PS3, developer Telltale Games has confirmed.
Xbox 360 and iOS versions will follow at a later date. Vita versions of both Episode 1 and Episode 2 should also be available near the end of March, Telltale Games adds, priced at $4.99 each.
Season 2 of Telltale Games' adaptation of The Walking Dead revolves around Clementine, the orphaned girl discovered in a zombie-filled house by Season 1 protagonist Lee Everett.
The first episode of the season was released back in December 2013. GameSpot reviewer Carolyn Petit said the opening chapter of the series did not work well as a standalone entry, but that its narrative setups might pay off later into the season.
Telltale Games also released a new trailer for Episode 2 of The Walking Dead Season 2:
Filed under:
The Walking Dead: Season Two - A Telltale Games Series
This post contains spoilers about James Bond movie Skyfall. That might sound strange, but it's true.
AAA games aren't likely to feature openly gay protagonists anytime soon over fears that such characters could negatively impact a game's sales potential, according to Ubisoft Montreal lead writer Lucien Soulban, who most recently worked on Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon.
"When are we going to see that gay protagonist in a AAA game? Not for a while, I suspect, because of fears that it'll impact sales," Lucien told the Ubisoft Blog.
"So either we'll see a bait-and-switch like the original Metroid with Samus Aran where we'll find out damn near after the fact (PS: And Dumbledore was gay), or it'll come out of left field with Rockstar, Valve, Naughty Dog or Telltale, perhaps," he added. "But when it happens, I hope it's a serious take on it and not played up for jokes."
Lucien said a better question might be, "When are we going to get a gay/lesbian AAA hero(ine) who isn't a one-off joke?" One example Lucien cited of what he believes is poor execution of a gay character in a major entertainment franchise was Javier Bardem's role as the villain Silva in James Bond movie Skyfall.
"His character's sexuality was total shtick to satisfy one scene. Otherwise, he was a narcissist with mommy issues, and a pedophile to boot," Soulban said. "His 'seduction' of Bond was nothing more than vanity because Bond was his reflection, the new 'him.' Yay. So it bothers me when I hear people using his performance as a benchmark for diversity in entertainment, and I have heard it being bandied about."
So what's it going to take for the video game industry to get to a place where more gay characters are featured in major games? Soulban said it's already happening, albeit only on the periphery, at least right now.
"We'll definitely see more of them, and I think it's happening quietly. Look at the choices offered in Mass Effect 2 & 3, or Fable III, or Dragon Age II or Skyrim, the gay characters in Borderlands 2 who mention it without much fanfare, etc. Video games have stopped 'announcing' gay characters. They're introducing them without much fanfare in an effort to say, 'Yeah, it's there and pretty normal.' Call it: 'We're here, we're queer, and we're busy working.'"
Could your Xbox Kinect camera be spying on you? According to secret documents provided by Edward Snowden to The Guardian, as part of Britain's "Optic Nerve" program, the country's top intelligence agency--Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ)--identified the Xbox 360's Kinect as a potential surveillance tool.
"One presentation discusses with interest the potential and capabilities of the Xbox 360's Kinect camera, saying it generated 'fairly normal webcam traffic' and was being evaluated as part of a wider program," The Guardian explains.
Importantly, it's unclear if any actual snooping was ever conducted via Kinect. This is not the first time Microsoft's name has come up in spying reports, as leaked documents from January showed that National Security Agency (NSA) and GCHQ agents scooped up user data from Xbox Live (as well as World of Warcraft and Second Life).
Microsoft has previously denied having any knowledge of spying activity through Xbox Live, and the company reiterated that stance in a statement to GameSpot on today's report.
"Microsoft has never heard of this program. However, we're concerned about any reports of governments surreptitiously collecting private customer data," a company representative said. "That's why in December we initiated a broad effort to expand encryption across our services and are advocating for legal reforms."
For its part, the GCHQ says its initiatives are always carried out legally.
"All of GCHQ's work is carried out in accordance with a strict legal and policy framework which ensures that our activities are authorised, necessary and proportionate, and that there is rigorous oversight, including from the secretary of state, the interception and intelligence services commissioners and the Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee," the group said.
The Optic Nerve program began in 2008 and was still active in 2012, though it's unclear if the GCHQ or NSA is also considering the Xbox One's Kinect--which captures in full 1080p and has a wider field of view--as a potential surveillance tool. Microsoft product planning director Albert Penello told GameSpot in September that capturing personal data via Kinect on Xbox One is "somewhat implausible," technologically speaking. He said people who are concerned about potential spying can simply unplug their Kinect.
The Guardian's report today primarily focused on the GCHQ's widespread collection of video webcam images from millions of Yahoo users--regardless of whether or not they were suspected of participating in illegal activity.
Written By Kom Limpulnam on Kamis, 27 Februari 2014 | 21.50
Gamespot's Site MashupUbisoft removes swastikas from German version of South Park RPGIndie dev calls out "Mr. Business Suit Guy" after layoffs, new IP cancellation at God of War devGod of War dev canceled a new IP as part of recent layoffsTitanfall goes gold -- Are you taking a sick day March 11?Nintendo killing online support for Mario Kart Wii, Super Smash Bros. Brawl in MayCastlevania: Lords of Shadow Story SynopsisPower Leveling Exploit - Diablo III Patch 2.01Banished ReviewCar Mechanic Simulator 2014 - Random EncounterTwitch Plays Pokemon collects all badges, enters home stretchX Rebirth - Patch 1.25 TrailerGS News - GTA V Sued AGAIN + What's Xbox One's Secret Weapon?Random Questions With Tim Schafer - What was the first game you ever played?Independent Game Festival Awards 2014 - Developer Nominees MessageBurnout Paradise dev offering free DLC to honor Ghostbusters actor Harold Ramis
http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Thu, 27 Feb 2014 06:21:30 -0800 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ubisoft-removes-swastikas-from-german-version-of-south-park-rpg/1100-6417987/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1365/13658182/2437586-stickoftruth_preview_1.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2437586" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1365/13658182/2437586-stickoftruth_preview_1.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2437586"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/1365/13658182/2437586-stickoftruth_preview_1.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">The German version of <a href="/south-park-the-stick-of-truth/" data-ref-id="false">South Park: The Stick of Truth</a>, the upcoming role-playing game from<a href="/fallout-new-vegas/" data-ref-id="false"> Fallout: New Vegas</a> developer Obsidian Entertainment, will not feature any swastikas, Ubisoft has confirmed. The Nazi symbols were discovered by <a href="http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/27/south-park-the-stick-of-truth-swastikas-removed-in-germany-ubisoft-confirms/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">VG247 </a>during a recent play-through.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"With regards to the German version, all Nazi symbols have been removed from the game in accordance with German law," an Ubisoft representative told the site.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">South Park: The Stick of Truth is not only censored in Germany, but also many other regions worldwide. Earlier this week, it was confirmed that various anal probing and abortion scenes had been censored for the United Kingdom, European, and Middle Eastern versions of the game.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The South Park franchise, created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, is known for pushing the envelope, so it comes as little surprise that their original vision for the game would have to be pared back somewhat to meet specific regional guidelines.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In the United States, South Park: The Stick of Truth is rated M-for-Mature by the Entertainment Software Rating Board. Below is a selection of the <a href="http://www.esrb.org/ratings/synopsis.jsp?Certificate=33231&Title=South%20Park%3A%20The%20Stick%20of%20Truth&searchkeyword=stick%20of%20truth" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">ESRB's content description</a> for the game.</p><p style=""><em>Cutscenes occasionally depict "cartoony" characters dismembered or decapitated. The game includes several instances of mature humor and sexual material: one extended sequence depicts characters getting anally probed by alien creatures; another sequence (in an abortion clinic) depicts doctors using a vacuum to perform procedures on male characters; one level takes place inside the rectum/colon of a character (sex toys, random objects and fecal matter appear in the level)—all sequences are depicted in a cartoony and over-the-top manner. Characters are occasionally depicted nude (e.g., breasts, buttocks, male genitalia); one extended sequence depicts an out-of-focus couple having sex in the background; as players engage in turn-based battle in the foreground, sexual moaning sounds/dialogue is heard. During the course of the game, drug paraphernalia can be seen strewn around a methamphetamine lab. The words "f**k," "sh*t," "a*shole," and "f*ggot" can be heard in the dialogue.</em></p><p style="">South Park: The Stick of Truth launches March 4 for PC and consoles. Be sure to check out our <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/embracing-the-crude-in-south-park-the-stick-of-truth/1100-6417716/" data-ref-id="1100-6417716">newly published preview of The Stick of Truth</a>, written by GameSpot editor Mark Walton. He says, "South Park: The Stick of Truth is shaping up to be every bit as crude, offensive, and poorly animated as the legendary TV show."</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6417237" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6417237/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p> Thu, 27 Feb 2014 06:13:00 -0800 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ubisoft-removes-swastikas-from-german-version-of-south-park-rpg/1100-6417987/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/indie-dev-calls-out-mr-business-suit-guy-after-layoffs-new-ip-cancellation-at-god-of-war-dev/1100-6417986/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2445291-braid.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2445291" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2445291-braid.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2445291"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2445291-braid.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Indie developer Jonathan Blow, who created <a href="/braid/" data-ref-id="false">Braid</a>, has called out "Mr. Business Suit Guy" after the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-god-of-war-dev-hit-with-layoffs-one-project-might-be-canceled/1100-6417963/" data-ref-id="1100-6417963">recent round of layoffs</a> at God of War developer Sony Santa Monica. Specifically, Blow took issue with how publisher executives think about new IPs, like the one <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/god-of-war-dev-canceled-a-new-ip-as-part-of-recent-layoffs/1100-6417985/" data-ref-id="1100-6417985">reportedly canceled as part of the job cuts</a> at the Sony-owned studio this week.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Game publishers like to talk about how new IPs are scary and risky and usually not worth it... but this is clearly poor thinking, because every single megablockbuster franchise, that Mr. Business Suit Guy would rather put the money toward, was once a new IP," Blow <a href="https://twitter.com/Jonathan_Blow/status/438791757833068544" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">said on Twitter</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"God of War was once a new IP. Call of Duty was once a new IP. etc," Blow<a href="https://twitter.com/Jonathan_Blow/status/438792054659756032" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> added</a>. "It is so obvious, how does Mr. Business Suit not see this? Maybe next time I meet Mr. Business Suit I will ask him to name an Old IP that was not once a New IP."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Little is known about Sony Santa Monica's new IP, which <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/god-of-war-dev-canceled-a-new-ip-as-part-of-recent-layoffs/1100-6417985/" data-ref-id="1100-6417985">had been in development since 2010 before its reported cancellation this week</a>. Importantly, we do not know the full situation surrounding the game's shutdown. Sony's official line is that the job cuts were the result of a "cycle of resource realignment against priority growth areas," but the company has not spoken publicly about the affected game.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><em>Do you think Blow has a point? Let us know in the comments below.</em></p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6410248" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6410248/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p> Thu, 27 Feb 2014 05:49:00 -0800 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/indie-dev-calls-out-mr-business-suit-guy-after-layoffs-new-ip-cancellation-at-god-of-war-dev/1100-6417986/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/god-of-war-dev-canceled-a-new-ip-as-part-of-recent-layoffs/1100-6417985/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2445286-newip.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2445286" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2445286-newip.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2445286"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/1179/11799911/2445286-newip.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">When Sony <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-god-of-war-dev-hit-with-layoffs-one-project-might-be-canceled/1100-6417963/" data-ref-id="1100-6417963">announced a round of layoffs at God of War developer Sony Santa Monica on Tuesday</a>, it was reported that <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-god-of-war-dev-hit-with-layoffs-one-project-might-be-canceled/1100-6417963/" data-ref-id="1100-6417963">one project had been canceled as well</a>. Now, that's been seemingly confirmed, as <a href="https://twitter.com/jonathanhawkins" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">former lead level designer Jonathan Hawkins</a> explained in a series of tweets that a mystery new IP is no longer in the works, though he can't comment more on it.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Yesterday, I was laid off. It was a good 10 year run & I got to make three 90+ games. I lived the dream & got to accomplish all of my goals. Except one… making something out of nothing & creating a new AAA IP," Hawkins said on Twitter.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"The saddest part of waking up today is I no longer get to work with my family. Secondly, the pain that I feel for my friends who have lost their jobs," he added. "The saddest & most important part is the game I was creating for the player that will never be played. I'm sorry that I've failed you."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">This new IP was supposedly the brainchild of <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/stig-asmussen/3040-42647/" data-ref-id="3040-42647">Stig Asmussen</a>, who served as game director for <a href="/god-of-war-iii/" data-ref-id="false">God of War III</a>. We don't know much more about it, unfortunately, but Hawkins said it <a href="https://twitter.com/jonathanhawkins/status/438823474572718080" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">had been in development since God of War III</a>, which launched in 2010. He also didn't see the layoffs coming, as he noted, "We were surprised too."</p><p style="">With the new IP canceled, what is Sony Santa Monica working on? In addition to supporting Ready at Dawn's PlayStation 4-exclusive <a href="/the-order-1886/" data-ref-id="false">The Order: 1886</a>, the studio is also working on a mystery project led by veteran designer Cory Barlog that is described only as "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/god-of-war-ii-director-returns-to-sony/1100-6412772/" data-ref-id="1100-6412772">freaking huge</a>."</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6417286" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6417286/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p> Thu, 27 Feb 2014 05:29:00 -0800 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/god-of-war-dev-canceled-a-new-ip-as-part-of-recent-layoffs/1100-6417985/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/titanfall-goes-gold-are-you-taking-a-sick-day-march-11/1100-6417984/ <p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="/titanfall/" data-ref-id="false">Titanfall</a>, the upcoming multiplayer shooter from Respawn Entertainment, has gone gold--meaning development is finished and it's headed to mass production.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2445275-titanfallgold.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2445275" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2445275-titanfallgold.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2445275"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2445275-titanfallgold.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We're gold!!!!!!," Respawn Entertainment <a href="https://twitter.com/Respawn/statuses/438867899847946241" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">wrote on Twitter last night</a>. Accompanying the enthusiastic tweet was an image of the Xbox One version packaged and ready to go.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Titanfall launches <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/titanfall-launching-march-11-2014/1100-6415710/" data-ref-id="1100-6415710">March 11</a> for Xbox One and PC, while the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/titanfall-for-xbox-360-delayed/1100-6417577/" data-ref-id="1100-6417577">Xbox 360 version is slated to arrive on March 25</a>. It's unclear if that version, developed externally at Bluepoint Games, has also gone gold.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Developed by a team of former Call of Duty veterans including Infinity Ward cofounder Vince Zampella, Titanfall is expected to be one of 2014's biggest games. The game is coming only to Xbox and PC thanks to an exclusive arrangement with Microsoft.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Titanfall <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/titanfall-on-xbox-one-does-not-run-in-1080p/1100-6417701/" data-ref-id="1100-6417701">runs in 792p on Xbox One</a> and <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/titanfall-for-xbox-one-actually-requires-20gb-of-hard-drive-space/1100-6417978/" data-ref-id="1100-6417978">requires a 20GB install</a>.</p><p style="">On March 11, Titanfall fans can not only pick up a copy of the game, but also a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/get-titanfall-for-free-when-you-buy-an-xbox-one/1100-6417928/" data-ref-id="1100-6417928">special $500 Xbox One bundle </a>and a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/65-xbox-one-titanfall-controller-revealed/1100-6417140/" data-ref-id="1100-6417140">$65 limited-run controller</a>. For more on Titanfall, be sure to read GameSpot's new feature <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/the-next-big-game-titanfall/" data-ref-id="false">The Next Big Game: Titanfall</a>.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6417171" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6417171/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p> Thu, 27 Feb 2014 04:50:00 -0800 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/titanfall-goes-gold-are-you-taking-a-sick-day-march-11/1100-6417984/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-killing-online-support-for-mario-kart-wii-super-smash-bros-brawl-in-may/1100-6417983/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2445268-wiimario.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2445268" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2445268-wiimario.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2445268"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/1179/11799911/2445268-wiimario.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Nintendo announced overnight that as of May 20, the company will end online functionality for a host of Wii, DS, and DSi games--including high-profile titles like <a href="/mario-kart-wii/" data-ref-id="false">Mario Kart Wii </a>and <a href="/super-smash-bros-brawl/" data-ref-id="false">Super Smash Bros. Brawl</a>. Of course, you can still play the games in their offline mode, but you won't--come May 20--be able to play online or access leaderboards.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Wii Speak and the Wii Speak Channel are also affected, as they require an Internet connection.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Online play for Wii U and 3DS games is unaffected (outside of the Wii mode on Wii U and DS games played on 3DS). Other online functionality, including access to the Wii Shop Channel, the Nintendo DSi Shop, and video-on-demand services like Hulu and Netflix, is also not affected.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We at Nintendo sincerely thank our fans for their continued support of our company's legacy systems," Nintendo <a href="http://www.nintendo.com/whatsnew/detail/vyWpoM6CBIe6FjW8NIY7bvzOrgBURhzw" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">said in a statement</a>. "Your enthusiasm for games made for these systems speaks to their longevity, and the passion of Nintendo fans."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Though the closure of online support for games might come as a headache for some players, sunsetting online services for aging titles is nothing new and it is not a practice conducted exclusively by Nintendo. Publishers often need to end online support for older titles so their IT staff can focus on supporting new games, which need more attention.</p><p style="">A full list of affected titles is below.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><strong>Nintendo DS</strong></p><ul><li dir="ltr">100 Classic Books</li><li dir="ltr">Animal Crossing: Wild World</li><li dir="ltr">Advance Wars: Days of Ruin</li><li dir="ltr">Clubhouse Games</li><li dir="ltr">Custom Robo Arena</li><li dir="ltr">Diddy Kong Racing DS</li><li dir="ltr">Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies</li><li dir="ltr">Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2</li><li dir="ltr">Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon</li><li dir="ltr">Fossil Fighters: Champions</li><li dir="ltr">Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass</li><li dir="ltr">Mario Kart DS</li><li dir="ltr">Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis</li><li dir="ltr">Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem</li><li dir="ltr">Metroid Prime Hunters</li><li dir="ltr">Personal Trainer: Walking</li><li dir="ltr">Picross 3D</li><li dir="ltr">Picross DS</li><li dir="ltr">Planet Puzzle League</li><li dir="ltr">Pokémon Black Version</li><li dir="ltr">Pokémon Black Version 2</li><li dir="ltr">Pokémon Diamond Version</li><li dir="ltr">Pokémon HeartGold Version</li><li dir="ltr">Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness</li><li dir="ltr">Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky</li><li dir="ltr">Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time</li><li dir="ltr">Pokémon Pearl Version</li><li dir="ltr">Pokémon Platinum Version</li><li dir="ltr">Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs</li><li dir="ltr">Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia</li><li dir="ltr">Pokémon SoulSilver Version</li><li dir="ltr">Pokémon White Version</li><li dir="ltr">Pokémon White Version 2</li><li dir="ltr">Professor Layton and the Curious Village</li><li dir="ltr">Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box</li><li dir="ltr">Professor Layton and the Last Specter</li><li dir="ltr">Professor Layton and the Unwound Future</li><li dir="ltr">Star Fox Command</li><li dir="ltr">Style Savvy</li><li dir="ltr">Tenchu: Dark Secret</li><li dir="ltr">Tetris DS</li><li dir="ltr">WarioWare DIY</li><li dir="ltr">Nintendo DSiWare</li><li dir="ltr">Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!</li><li dir="ltr">Metal Torrent</li><li dir="ltr">Number Battle</li></ul><p dir="ltr" style=""><strong>Wii</strong></p><ul><li dir="ltr">Animal Crossing: City Life</li><li dir="ltr">Battalion Wars 2</li><li dir="ltr">Endless Ocean</li><li dir="ltr">Endless Ocean 2: Adventures of the Deep</li><li dir="ltr">Excitebots: Trick Racing</li><li dir="ltr">Fortune Street</li><li dir="ltr">Mario Kart Wii</li><li dir="ltr">Mario Sports Mix</li><li dir="ltr">Mario Strikers Charged</li><li dir="ltr">Pokémon Battle Revolution</li><li dir="ltr">Samurai Warriors 3</li><li dir="ltr">Sin & Punishment: Star Successor</li><li dir="ltr">Super Smash Brothers Brawl</li><li dir="ltr">Wii Music</li><li dir="ltr">WiiWare</li><li dir="ltr">Dr. Mario Online RX</li><li dir="ltr">Excitebike: World Rally</li><li dir="ltr">LONPOS</li><li dir="ltr">Maboshi's Arcade</li><li dir="ltr">My Pokémon Ranch</li><li dir="ltr">ThruSpace</li><li dir="ltr">WarioWare DIY</li></ul><p dir="ltr" style=""><strong>Other</strong></p><ul><li dir="ltr">Wii Speak</li><li>Wii Speak Channel</li></ul><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6189940" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6189940/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p> Thu, 27 Feb 2014 04:24:00 -0800 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-killing-online-support-for-mario-kart-wii-super-smash-bros-brawl-in-may/1100-6417983/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-story-synopsis/2300-6417427/ Planning on playing Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, but didn't play or can't remember the first game? This concise story rundown is for you! Wed, 26 Feb 2014 22:00:00 -0800 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-story-synopsis/2300-6417427/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/power-leveling-exploit-diablo-iii-patch-2-01/2300-6417426/ Find out how to get from level 1 to 50+ in the new Diablo III patch 2.01 in a matter of minutes Wed, 26 Feb 2014 20:34:00 -0800 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/power-leveling-exploit-diablo-iii-patch-2-01/2300-6417426/ http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/banished-review/1900-6415679/ <p style="">SimCity's influence, both on the strategy genre and on gaming in general, is immense. Still, the past few years have seen an explosion of clever city builders taking some huge steps toward developing personality and becoming more than their progenitor. Banished is the latest in that line, elaborating on the intricate, small-scale design of recent games like <a href="/tropico/" data-ref-id="false">Tropico</a> and creating something unique in the process.</p><p style="">If you're reading this, it's safe to assume that you have an Internet-capable device with all of the modern comforts that typically implies. But what if you didn't? What if you were forced out of civilization as you know it, to live in the wilderness? How do you think you'd fare? Banished asks those questions, opening with a dozen or so outcasts seeking to make their way in the wilderness. It's a humble setup, but the game is masterfully constructed with dozens of interlocking mechanics--the perfect foundation for a stinging emergent narrative and a focus on empathy in the face of a Malthusian world.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2445099-001.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2445099" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2445099-001.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2445099"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/416/4161502/2445099-001.jpg"></a><figcaption>Cultivating crops can be one of the best ways to keep some consistent food coming in. Be warned, however. Too much farming will deplete the soil.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Banished is a series of small goals that feed into one ever-looming command: survive. Every game starts in the spring, and before winter hits, you need to get enough firewood, gather a decent supply of food, and build some houses to keep your citizens from freezing to death. Just getting enough food is tough, because you rarely have enough time or free land to get a proper set of crops growing. Instead, you'll be chopping down as many trees as you can before getting a fishery going in a nearby lake or river. Then you hunker down and hope nobody dies.</p><blockquote data-align="left"><p style="">What if you were forced out of civilization as you know it, to live in the wilderness? How do you think you'd fare? Banished asks those questions, opening with a dozen or so outcasts seeking to make their way alone in the wilderness.</p></blockquote><p style="">People, more than anything else, are your vital resource. They need homes, food, decent clothes, tools, emotional support, medicine, and more. Every mechanic, every building you can place, and everything else you can do relates back to that central theme of survival. If you can't gather enough food, your people die. If they're stuck outside for too long, or don't have warm clothing, they die. Each time you fail as their leader, you're reminded of the loss with a grating sound and a yellow gravestone. These serve as a one-two punch to punish you for failure because losing citizens makes it that much harder to keep up the resource flow. One fewer worker means you can't gather food, stone, wood, or anything else as quickly. When children die, it's even worse, though you likely won't know it for some time. As your population ages, you eventually lose more than a few citizens to old age, and the best way to replace them is to give your younger citizens houses in the hopes that they'll reproduce and bolster your future numbers.</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2445100-002.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2445100" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2445100-002.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2445100"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_medium/416/4161502/2445100-002.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Like most games of its type, Banished has a number of natural disasters that strike your populace. In many ways, they serve as a kind of random "boss fight" in the sense that they will often test one aspect of your infrastructure. Diseases test the health of your population, fires your city planning, and tornadoes your ability to rapidly rebuild before winter comes again. With Banished already amounting to a desperate attempt to stave off death, disasters can be absolutely devastating for the unprepared. When pests hit your crops and you're already barely squeaking by each year, you're going to start losing a lot of people. Those kinds of cascading failures contrast with the almost hilarious scenarios that surround SimCity's giant robots or aliens.</p><p style="">Societal collapse isn't caused just by disasters, though, as maintaining equilibrium with the environment is actually impossible, which is another point of contrast between Banished and other games in its family. Most of the time, resources are unlimited in these sorts of games, but not quite so here. Farms won't continue producing food indefinitely, and most fishermen's docks steadily deplete the available population of fish that you can draw upon. Stone and iron, two critical materials for construction and maintenance, are also finite. After your initial stores run out, you can find some of these materials out in the world, but once you've exhausted those reserves, you're left with two options: trading and mining. Trading is a lot harder than it sounds, as opportunities come only a few times each year. Trade ships also have limited space and don't carry too much with them. Additionally, accepting trade increases your risk of disease and pests for your people and your crops. Mines are just as troublesome. Their supply of stone, iron, and coal is finite, and they take an enormous number of people to operate efficiently; they are also deadly, potentially risking mineshaft collapses or being crushed to death by stone. This, of course, all leads back to the struggle of maintaining your population.</p><blockquote data-align="center" data-size="large"><p style="">Societal collapse isn't caused just by disasters, though, as maintaining equilibrium with the environment is actually impossible.</p></blockquote><p style="">Banished has dozens of these kinds of interlocking, intricately woven systems that all feed into one another. Every decision has a cost, and every choice is a risk. Some elements of city planning are also completely incompatible with each other. To maintain your peoples' health, for example, you need some herbalists. They collect basic resources from the floors of old growth forests and can use them to make poultices that keep your people working their best and resistant to possible disease outbreaks. The key, however, is the "old growth" bit. You also need a steady source of logs to chop up for firewood. A good team of foresters can maintain a large enough area of continuous growth, but helpful herbs and wildlife can't be found in such young forests. To maximize your production, you need separate forests for your potion masters and your loggers. This dynamic becomes much harder to balance with the addition of resource-distribution mechanics. Loggers that need to transport the fruits of their labor more than a few tiles begin to lose efficiency and increase the risk of running low on firewood or tools--the two main long-term uses for lumber. If any of these pieces begin to lag, you place yourself and your people at risk of a systemic failure. A reduction in logging output can cause your supply of new tools to run low, dropping your logging output that much further. Everything is a feedback loop.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2445102-003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2445102" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2445102-003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2445102"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_small/416/4161502/2445102-003.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Such strongly linked systems require an enormous amount of care to manage effectively, and that most often comes into play when you're looking to expand your village. If you try to develop a new logging outpost without building a network of roads, supply barns, and the like to make sure the resources keep moving where they are needed, your new loggers will likely die of starvation or hypothermia. You must effectively build semi-self-sufficient towns that link together via markets and high-capacity roads. The game isn't completely unreasonable here, though. If you build a new house near a mine on the edge of town, a few people will probably move in, and their occupation automatically shifts to match the closest workspace that can support them. When everything works, Banished is remarkably rewarding.</p><p style="">While the process of survival is never-ending, holding out against the elements amid the hostility of the untamed natural world is a small but powerful personal victory. Villagers have names; they're born, grow up, and eventually die under your intense supervision. Banished reinforces the human drama with its brutal difficulty and negative feedback loops. It's fertile soil for some of the most remarkable emergent storytelling around. With relatively few, well-designed mechanics, the game weaves a powerful tale of empathy and desperation and is a high-water mark for narrative elements that mutually reinforce mechanics. Even better, this is a very human story divorced from the Western tropes common in the loosely imperialistic messages of other, similar games. It's just you, your people, and their strong desire to live.</p> Wed, 26 Feb 2014 18:24:00 -0800 http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/banished-review/1900-6415679/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/car-mechanic-simulator-2014-random-encounter/2300-6417425/ Would you trust Danny O'Dwyer to fix your auto? How handy is he with his tools? Find out in this episode of Random Encounter! Wed, 26 Feb 2014 17:34:00 -0800 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/car-mechanic-simulator-2014-random-encounter/2300-6417425/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/twitch-plays-pokemon-collects-all-badges-enters-home-stretch/1100-6417981/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.twitch.tv/twitchplayspokemon" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.twitch.tv%2Fwidgets%2Flive_embed_player.swf%3Fchannel%3Dtwitchplayspokemon&fv=hostname%3Dwww.twitch.tv%26start_volume%3D25%26channel%3Dtwitchplayspokemon%26auto_play%3Dfalse&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.twitch.tv%2Ftwitchplayspokemon&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=application%2Fx-shockwave-flash&schema=twitch&wmode=opaque" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">Against seemingly impossible odds, the Twitch Plays Pokemon stream has collected all of the game's badges and is getting ready to take on the Elite Four.</p><p style="">If you'd like a complete recap of events, Reddit has put together an exhaustively <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/twitchplayspokemon/comments/1y6wyc/nearly_complete_timeline_of_events/" rel="nofollow">time-stamped recap</a>, or you can read a <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/twitchplayspokemon/wiki/historyoftpp" rel="nofollow">more narrative retelling</a>. But this <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/twitchplayspokemonstatus/" rel="nofollow">public Google document</a> is the easiest way to see at a glance what's up in the game. According to the document, the players are working towards getting past one of the game's trickier ledge sections (tricky when you have 50,000 people playing, at least) as they head towards Victory Road. </p><p style="">Also notable is that the stream was able to revive the Helix fossil into the Pokemon Omanyte. The Helix Fossil is an item given to the player early in the game that cannot be thrown away; it has been elevated to a savior-like status in the chat with prayers of "Praise Helix" and "Base Helix."</p><p style="">Users are able to balance the game by shifting control between an Anarchy mode (where every command from the chat is input into the game) and Democracy (where the most popular commands go through). But <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/twitch-plays-pokemon-is-a-fascinating-vision-of-the-future/1100-6417867/" data-ref-id="1100-6417867">none of the spin-off games (like QWOP and Tetris) have reached the same level of incredible popularity</a>. The phenomenon has seen some drop-off from it's <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/over-60k-people-watching-twitch-play-pokemon-update/1100-6417762/" data-ref-id="1100-6417762">high count of over 100k viewers</a>, currently sitting at just over 50k viewers, though it's likely the game will see another uptick as it nears its conclusion.</p><p style="">Are you going to tune in more frequently now that it's over? And if so, will you work to sabotage the people trying to finish the game, or are you part of the group trying to shift the game to democracy, order, and finality? Either way, Pokemon Plays Twitch has turned out to be a surprising experiment that no one could've seen coming. </p> Wed, 26 Feb 2014 16:23:00 -0800 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/twitch-plays-pokemon-collects-all-badges-enters-home-stretch/1100-6417981/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/x-rebirth-patch-1-25-trailer/2300-6417424/ New features explained for the latest patch for X Rebirth. Wed, 26 Feb 2014 16:10:00 -0800 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/x-rebirth-patch-1-25-trailer/2300-6417424/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-gta-v-sued-again-what-s-xbox-one-s-secret-/2300-6417420/ DayZ's Dean Hall hints that Microsoft has something up their sleeve for Xbox One, and Rockstar may need to pay $40 million to a former Mob Wives star! Wed, 26 Feb 2014 16:00:00 -0800 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-gta-v-sued-again-what-s-xbox-one-s-secret-/2300-6417420/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/random-questions-with-tim-schafer-what-was-the-fir/2300-6417417/ Premiering on the first episode of The Lobby, we asked Tim Schafer the first game he ever played. For more answers from Tim Schafer, tune into The Lobby every Tuesday at 2PM. Wed, 26 Feb 2014 14:00:00 -0800 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/random-questions-with-tim-schafer-what-was-the-fir/2300-6417417/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/independent-game-festival-awards-2014-developer-no/2300-6417416/ Go place your votes for the Audience Awards at the IGF Awards show by March 1st and find out the results on March 19th here at GameSpot.com. Vote here: igf.com/audience.php Wed, 26 Feb 2014 13:30:00 -0800 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/independent-game-festival-awards-2014-developer-no/2300-6417416/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/burnout-paradise-dev-offering-free-dlc-to-honor-ghostbusters-actor-harold-ramis/1100-6417980/ <p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Criterion Games has announced a special promotion--valid today only--where <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/burnout-paradise/" data-ref-id="false">Burnout Paradise</a> players can download the Legendary Cars pack for free on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2444906-ecto.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2444906" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2444906-ecto.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2444906"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_medium/1179/11799911/2444906-ecto.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">The promotion honors Harold Ramis, the Hollywood comedy legend known for his role as Egon Spengler in the <em>Ghostbusters</em> movies who <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/harold-ramis-1944-2014/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">died earlier this week</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The Legendary Cars pack features homages to iconic vehicles from famous movies including one made to look like Ecto 1 from the Ghostbusters franchise.</p><p style="">"Harold Ramis was a comedy genius. He inspired us," Criterion Games <a href="https://twitter.com/CriterionGames/status/438637814818033664" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">said on Twitter</a>.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6185064" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6185064/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p> Wed, 26 Feb 2014 12:48:00 -0800 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/burnout-paradise-dev-offering-free-dlc-to-honor-ghostbusters-actor-harold-ramis/1100-6417980/
Gamespot's Site MashupUbisoft removes swastikas from German version of South Park RPGIndie dev calls out "Mr. Business Suit Guy" after layoffs, new IP cancellation at God of War devGod of War dev canceled a new IP as part of recent layoffsTitanfall goes gold -- Are you taking a sick day March 11?Nintendo killing online support for Mario Kart Wii, Super Smash Bros. Brawl in MayCastlevania: Lords of Shadow Story SynopsisPower Leveling Exploit - Diablo III Patch 2.01Banished ReviewCar Mechanic Simulator 2014 - Random EncounterTwitch Plays Pokemon collects all badges, enters home stretchX Rebirth - Patch 1.25 TrailerGS News - GTA V Sued AGAIN + What's Xbox One's Secret Weapon?Random Questions With Tim Schafer - What was the first game you ever played?Independent Game Festival Awards 2014 - Developer Nominees MessageBurnout Paradise dev offering free DLC to honor Ghostbusters actor Harold Ramis
http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Thu, 27 Feb 2014 06:21:30 -0800 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ubisoft-removes-swastikas-from-german-version-of-south-park-rpg/1100-6417987/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1365/13658182/2437586-stickoftruth_preview_1.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2437586" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1365/13658182/2437586-stickoftruth_preview_1.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2437586"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/1365/13658182/2437586-stickoftruth_preview_1.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">The German version of <a href="/south-park-the-stick-of-truth/" data-ref-id="false">South Park: The Stick of Truth</a>, the upcoming role-playing game from<a href="/fallout-new-vegas/" data-ref-id="false"> Fallout: New Vegas</a> developer Obsidian Entertainment, will not feature any swastikas, Ubisoft has confirmed. The Nazi symbols were discovered by <a href="http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/27/south-park-the-stick-of-truth-swastikas-removed-in-germany-ubisoft-confirms/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">VG247 </a>during a recent play-through.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"With regards to the German version, all Nazi symbols have been removed from the game in accordance with German law," an Ubisoft representative told the site.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">South Park: The Stick of Truth is not only censored in Germany, but also many other regions worldwide. Earlier this week, it was confirmed that various anal probing and abortion scenes had been censored for the United Kingdom, European, and Middle Eastern versions of the game.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The South Park franchise, created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, is known for pushing the envelope, so it comes as little surprise that their original vision for the game would have to be pared back somewhat to meet specific regional guidelines.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In the United States, South Park: The Stick of Truth is rated M-for-Mature by the Entertainment Software Rating Board. Below is a selection of the <a href="http://www.esrb.org/ratings/synopsis.jsp?Certificate=33231&Title=South%20Park%3A%20The%20Stick%20of%20Truth&searchkeyword=stick%20of%20truth" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">ESRB's content description</a> for the game.</p><p style=""><em>Cutscenes occasionally depict "cartoony" characters dismembered or decapitated. The game includes several instances of mature humor and sexual material: one extended sequence depicts characters getting anally probed by alien creatures; another sequence (in an abortion clinic) depicts doctors using a vacuum to perform procedures on male characters; one level takes place inside the rectum/colon of a character (sex toys, random objects and fecal matter appear in the level)—all sequences are depicted in a cartoony and over-the-top manner. Characters are occasionally depicted nude (e.g., breasts, buttocks, male genitalia); one extended sequence depicts an out-of-focus couple having sex in the background; as players engage in turn-based battle in the foreground, sexual moaning sounds/dialogue is heard. During the course of the game, drug paraphernalia can be seen strewn around a methamphetamine lab. The words "f**k," "sh*t," "a*shole," and "f*ggot" can be heard in the dialogue.</em></p><p style="">South Park: The Stick of Truth launches March 4 for PC and consoles. Be sure to check out our <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/embracing-the-crude-in-south-park-the-stick-of-truth/1100-6417716/" data-ref-id="1100-6417716">newly published preview of The Stick of Truth</a>, written by GameSpot editor Mark Walton. He says, "South Park: The Stick of Truth is shaping up to be every bit as crude, offensive, and poorly animated as the legendary TV show."</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6417237" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6417237/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p> Thu, 27 Feb 2014 06:13:00 -0800 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ubisoft-removes-swastikas-from-german-version-of-south-park-rpg/1100-6417987/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/indie-dev-calls-out-mr-business-suit-guy-after-layoffs-new-ip-cancellation-at-god-of-war-dev/1100-6417986/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2445291-braid.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2445291" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2445291-braid.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2445291"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2445291-braid.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Indie developer Jonathan Blow, who created <a href="/braid/" data-ref-id="false">Braid</a>, has called out "Mr. Business Suit Guy" after the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-god-of-war-dev-hit-with-layoffs-one-project-might-be-canceled/1100-6417963/" data-ref-id="1100-6417963">recent round of layoffs</a> at God of War developer Sony Santa Monica. Specifically, Blow took issue with how publisher executives think about new IPs, like the one <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/god-of-war-dev-canceled-a-new-ip-as-part-of-recent-layoffs/1100-6417985/" data-ref-id="1100-6417985">reportedly canceled as part of the job cuts</a> at the Sony-owned studio this week.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Game publishers like to talk about how new IPs are scary and risky and usually not worth it... but this is clearly poor thinking, because every single megablockbuster franchise, that Mr. Business Suit Guy would rather put the money toward, was once a new IP," Blow <a href="https://twitter.com/Jonathan_Blow/status/438791757833068544" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">said on Twitter</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"God of War was once a new IP. Call of Duty was once a new IP. etc," Blow<a href="https://twitter.com/Jonathan_Blow/status/438792054659756032" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> added</a>. "It is so obvious, how does Mr. Business Suit not see this? Maybe next time I meet Mr. Business Suit I will ask him to name an Old IP that was not once a New IP."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Little is known about Sony Santa Monica's new IP, which <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/god-of-war-dev-canceled-a-new-ip-as-part-of-recent-layoffs/1100-6417985/" data-ref-id="1100-6417985">had been in development since 2010 before its reported cancellation this week</a>. Importantly, we do not know the full situation surrounding the game's shutdown. Sony's official line is that the job cuts were the result of a "cycle of resource realignment against priority growth areas," but the company has not spoken publicly about the affected game.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><em>Do you think Blow has a point? Let us know in the comments below.</em></p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6410248" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6410248/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p> Thu, 27 Feb 2014 05:49:00 -0800 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/indie-dev-calls-out-mr-business-suit-guy-after-layoffs-new-ip-cancellation-at-god-of-war-dev/1100-6417986/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/god-of-war-dev-canceled-a-new-ip-as-part-of-recent-layoffs/1100-6417985/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2445286-newip.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2445286" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2445286-newip.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2445286"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/1179/11799911/2445286-newip.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">When Sony <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-god-of-war-dev-hit-with-layoffs-one-project-might-be-canceled/1100-6417963/" data-ref-id="1100-6417963">announced a round of layoffs at God of War developer Sony Santa Monica on Tuesday</a>, it was reported that <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-god-of-war-dev-hit-with-layoffs-one-project-might-be-canceled/1100-6417963/" data-ref-id="1100-6417963">one project had been canceled as well</a>. Now, that's been seemingly confirmed, as <a href="https://twitter.com/jonathanhawkins" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">former lead level designer Jonathan Hawkins</a> explained in a series of tweets that a mystery new IP is no longer in the works, though he can't comment more on it.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Yesterday, I was laid off. It was a good 10 year run & I got to make three 90+ games. I lived the dream & got to accomplish all of my goals. Except one… making something out of nothing & creating a new AAA IP," Hawkins said on Twitter.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"The saddest part of waking up today is I no longer get to work with my family. Secondly, the pain that I feel for my friends who have lost their jobs," he added. "The saddest & most important part is the game I was creating for the player that will never be played. I'm sorry that I've failed you."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">This new IP was supposedly the brainchild of <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/stig-asmussen/3040-42647/" data-ref-id="3040-42647">Stig Asmussen</a>, who served as game director for <a href="/god-of-war-iii/" data-ref-id="false">God of War III</a>. We don't know much more about it, unfortunately, but Hawkins said it <a href="https://twitter.com/jonathanhawkins/status/438823474572718080" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">had been in development since God of War III</a>, which launched in 2010. He also didn't see the layoffs coming, as he noted, "We were surprised too."</p><p style="">With the new IP canceled, what is Sony Santa Monica working on? In addition to supporting Ready at Dawn's PlayStation 4-exclusive <a href="/the-order-1886/" data-ref-id="false">The Order: 1886</a>, the studio is also working on a mystery project led by veteran designer Cory Barlog that is described only as "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/god-of-war-ii-director-returns-to-sony/1100-6412772/" data-ref-id="1100-6412772">freaking huge</a>."</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6417286" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6417286/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p> Thu, 27 Feb 2014 05:29:00 -0800 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/god-of-war-dev-canceled-a-new-ip-as-part-of-recent-layoffs/1100-6417985/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/titanfall-goes-gold-are-you-taking-a-sick-day-march-11/1100-6417984/ <p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="/titanfall/" data-ref-id="false">Titanfall</a>, the upcoming multiplayer shooter from Respawn Entertainment, has gone gold--meaning development is finished and it's headed to mass production.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2445275-titanfallgold.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2445275" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2445275-titanfallgold.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2445275"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2445275-titanfallgold.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We're gold!!!!!!," Respawn Entertainment <a href="https://twitter.com/Respawn/statuses/438867899847946241" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">wrote on Twitter last night</a>. Accompanying the enthusiastic tweet was an image of the Xbox One version packaged and ready to go.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Titanfall launches <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/titanfall-launching-march-11-2014/1100-6415710/" data-ref-id="1100-6415710">March 11</a> for Xbox One and PC, while the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/titanfall-for-xbox-360-delayed/1100-6417577/" data-ref-id="1100-6417577">Xbox 360 version is slated to arrive on March 25</a>. It's unclear if that version, developed externally at Bluepoint Games, has also gone gold.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Developed by a team of former Call of Duty veterans including Infinity Ward cofounder Vince Zampella, Titanfall is expected to be one of 2014's biggest games. The game is coming only to Xbox and PC thanks to an exclusive arrangement with Microsoft.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Titanfall <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/titanfall-on-xbox-one-does-not-run-in-1080p/1100-6417701/" data-ref-id="1100-6417701">runs in 792p on Xbox One</a> and <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/titanfall-for-xbox-one-actually-requires-20gb-of-hard-drive-space/1100-6417978/" data-ref-id="1100-6417978">requires a 20GB install</a>.</p><p style="">On March 11, Titanfall fans can not only pick up a copy of the game, but also a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/get-titanfall-for-free-when-you-buy-an-xbox-one/1100-6417928/" data-ref-id="1100-6417928">special $500 Xbox One bundle </a>and a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/65-xbox-one-titanfall-controller-revealed/1100-6417140/" data-ref-id="1100-6417140">$65 limited-run controller</a>. For more on Titanfall, be sure to read GameSpot's new feature <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/the-next-big-game-titanfall/" data-ref-id="false">The Next Big Game: Titanfall</a>.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6417171" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6417171/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p> Thu, 27 Feb 2014 04:50:00 -0800 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/titanfall-goes-gold-are-you-taking-a-sick-day-march-11/1100-6417984/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-killing-online-support-for-mario-kart-wii-super-smash-bros-brawl-in-may/1100-6417983/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2445268-wiimario.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2445268" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2445268-wiimario.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2445268"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/1179/11799911/2445268-wiimario.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Nintendo announced overnight that as of May 20, the company will end online functionality for a host of Wii, DS, and DSi games--including high-profile titles like <a href="/mario-kart-wii/" data-ref-id="false">Mario Kart Wii </a>and <a href="/super-smash-bros-brawl/" data-ref-id="false">Super Smash Bros. Brawl</a>. Of course, you can still play the games in their offline mode, but you won't--come May 20--be able to play online or access leaderboards.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Wii Speak and the Wii Speak Channel are also affected, as they require an Internet connection.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Online play for Wii U and 3DS games is unaffected (outside of the Wii mode on Wii U and DS games played on 3DS). Other online functionality, including access to the Wii Shop Channel, the Nintendo DSi Shop, and video-on-demand services like Hulu and Netflix, is also not affected.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We at Nintendo sincerely thank our fans for their continued support of our company's legacy systems," Nintendo <a href="http://www.nintendo.com/whatsnew/detail/vyWpoM6CBIe6FjW8NIY7bvzOrgBURhzw" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">said in a statement</a>. "Your enthusiasm for games made for these systems speaks to their longevity, and the passion of Nintendo fans."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Though the closure of online support for games might come as a headache for some players, sunsetting online services for aging titles is nothing new and it is not a practice conducted exclusively by Nintendo. Publishers often need to end online support for older titles so their IT staff can focus on supporting new games, which need more attention.</p><p style="">A full list of affected titles is below.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><strong>Nintendo DS</strong></p><ul><li dir="ltr">100 Classic Books</li><li dir="ltr">Animal Crossing: Wild World</li><li dir="ltr">Advance Wars: Days of Ruin</li><li dir="ltr">Clubhouse Games</li><li dir="ltr">Custom Robo Arena</li><li dir="ltr">Diddy Kong Racing DS</li><li dir="ltr">Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies</li><li dir="ltr">Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2</li><li dir="ltr">Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon</li><li dir="ltr">Fossil Fighters: Champions</li><li dir="ltr">Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass</li><li dir="ltr">Mario Kart DS</li><li dir="ltr">Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis</li><li dir="ltr">Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem</li><li dir="ltr">Metroid Prime Hunters</li><li dir="ltr">Personal Trainer: Walking</li><li dir="ltr">Picross 3D</li><li dir="ltr">Picross DS</li><li dir="ltr">Planet Puzzle League</li><li dir="ltr">Pokémon Black Version</li><li dir="ltr">Pokémon Black Version 2</li><li dir="ltr">Pokémon Diamond Version</li><li dir="ltr">Pokémon HeartGold Version</li><li dir="ltr">Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness</li><li dir="ltr">Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky</li><li dir="ltr">Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time</li><li dir="ltr">Pokémon Pearl Version</li><li dir="ltr">Pokémon Platinum Version</li><li dir="ltr">Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs</li><li dir="ltr">Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia</li><li dir="ltr">Pokémon SoulSilver Version</li><li dir="ltr">Pokémon White Version</li><li dir="ltr">Pokémon White Version 2</li><li dir="ltr">Professor Layton and the Curious Village</li><li dir="ltr">Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box</li><li dir="ltr">Professor Layton and the Last Specter</li><li dir="ltr">Professor Layton and the Unwound Future</li><li dir="ltr">Star Fox Command</li><li dir="ltr">Style Savvy</li><li dir="ltr">Tenchu: Dark Secret</li><li dir="ltr">Tetris DS</li><li dir="ltr">WarioWare DIY</li><li dir="ltr">Nintendo DSiWare</li><li dir="ltr">Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!</li><li dir="ltr">Metal Torrent</li><li dir="ltr">Number Battle</li></ul><p dir="ltr" style=""><strong>Wii</strong></p><ul><li dir="ltr">Animal Crossing: City Life</li><li dir="ltr">Battalion Wars 2</li><li dir="ltr">Endless Ocean</li><li dir="ltr">Endless Ocean 2: Adventures of the Deep</li><li dir="ltr">Excitebots: Trick Racing</li><li dir="ltr">Fortune Street</li><li dir="ltr">Mario Kart Wii</li><li dir="ltr">Mario Sports Mix</li><li dir="ltr">Mario Strikers Charged</li><li dir="ltr">Pokémon Battle Revolution</li><li dir="ltr">Samurai Warriors 3</li><li dir="ltr">Sin & Punishment: Star Successor</li><li dir="ltr">Super Smash Brothers Brawl</li><li dir="ltr">Wii Music</li><li dir="ltr">WiiWare</li><li dir="ltr">Dr. Mario Online RX</li><li dir="ltr">Excitebike: World Rally</li><li dir="ltr">LONPOS</li><li dir="ltr">Maboshi's Arcade</li><li dir="ltr">My Pokémon Ranch</li><li dir="ltr">ThruSpace</li><li dir="ltr">WarioWare DIY</li></ul><p dir="ltr" style=""><strong>Other</strong></p><ul><li dir="ltr">Wii Speak</li><li>Wii Speak Channel</li></ul><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6189940" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6189940/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p> Thu, 27 Feb 2014 04:24:00 -0800 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-killing-online-support-for-mario-kart-wii-super-smash-bros-brawl-in-may/1100-6417983/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-story-synopsis/2300-6417427/ Planning on playing Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, but didn't play or can't remember the first game? This concise story rundown is for you! Wed, 26 Feb 2014 22:00:00 -0800 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-story-synopsis/2300-6417427/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/power-leveling-exploit-diablo-iii-patch-2-01/2300-6417426/ Find out how to get from level 1 to 50+ in the new Diablo III patch 2.01 in a matter of minutes Wed, 26 Feb 2014 20:34:00 -0800 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/power-leveling-exploit-diablo-iii-patch-2-01/2300-6417426/ http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/banished-review/1900-6415679/ <p style="">SimCity's influence, both on the strategy genre and on gaming in general, is immense. Still, the past few years have seen an explosion of clever city builders taking some huge steps toward developing personality and becoming more than their progenitor. Banished is the latest in that line, elaborating on the intricate, small-scale design of recent games like <a href="/tropico/" data-ref-id="false">Tropico</a> and creating something unique in the process.</p><p style="">If you're reading this, it's safe to assume that you have an Internet-capable device with all of the modern comforts that typically implies. But what if you didn't? What if you were forced out of civilization as you know it, to live in the wilderness? How do you think you'd fare? Banished asks those questions, opening with a dozen or so outcasts seeking to make their way in the wilderness. It's a humble setup, but the game is masterfully constructed with dozens of interlocking mechanics--the perfect foundation for a stinging emergent narrative and a focus on empathy in the face of a Malthusian world.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2445099-001.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2445099" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2445099-001.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2445099"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/416/4161502/2445099-001.jpg"></a><figcaption>Cultivating crops can be one of the best ways to keep some consistent food coming in. Be warned, however. Too much farming will deplete the soil.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Banished is a series of small goals that feed into one ever-looming command: survive. Every game starts in the spring, and before winter hits, you need to get enough firewood, gather a decent supply of food, and build some houses to keep your citizens from freezing to death. Just getting enough food is tough, because you rarely have enough time or free land to get a proper set of crops growing. Instead, you'll be chopping down as many trees as you can before getting a fishery going in a nearby lake or river. Then you hunker down and hope nobody dies.</p><blockquote data-align="left"><p style="">What if you were forced out of civilization as you know it, to live in the wilderness? How do you think you'd fare? Banished asks those questions, opening with a dozen or so outcasts seeking to make their way alone in the wilderness.</p></blockquote><p style="">People, more than anything else, are your vital resource. They need homes, food, decent clothes, tools, emotional support, medicine, and more. Every mechanic, every building you can place, and everything else you can do relates back to that central theme of survival. If you can't gather enough food, your people die. If they're stuck outside for too long, or don't have warm clothing, they die. Each time you fail as their leader, you're reminded of the loss with a grating sound and a yellow gravestone. These serve as a one-two punch to punish you for failure because losing citizens makes it that much harder to keep up the resource flow. One fewer worker means you can't gather food, stone, wood, or anything else as quickly. When children die, it's even worse, though you likely won't know it for some time. As your population ages, you eventually lose more than a few citizens to old age, and the best way to replace them is to give your younger citizens houses in the hopes that they'll reproduce and bolster your future numbers.</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2445100-002.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2445100" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2445100-002.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2445100"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_medium/416/4161502/2445100-002.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Like most games of its type, Banished has a number of natural disasters that strike your populace. In many ways, they serve as a kind of random "boss fight" in the sense that they will often test one aspect of your infrastructure. Diseases test the health of your population, fires your city planning, and tornadoes your ability to rapidly rebuild before winter comes again. With Banished already amounting to a desperate attempt to stave off death, disasters can be absolutely devastating for the unprepared. When pests hit your crops and you're already barely squeaking by each year, you're going to start losing a lot of people. Those kinds of cascading failures contrast with the almost hilarious scenarios that surround SimCity's giant robots or aliens.</p><p style="">Societal collapse isn't caused just by disasters, though, as maintaining equilibrium with the environment is actually impossible, which is another point of contrast between Banished and other games in its family. Most of the time, resources are unlimited in these sorts of games, but not quite so here. Farms won't continue producing food indefinitely, and most fishermen's docks steadily deplete the available population of fish that you can draw upon. Stone and iron, two critical materials for construction and maintenance, are also finite. After your initial stores run out, you can find some of these materials out in the world, but once you've exhausted those reserves, you're left with two options: trading and mining. Trading is a lot harder than it sounds, as opportunities come only a few times each year. Trade ships also have limited space and don't carry too much with them. Additionally, accepting trade increases your risk of disease and pests for your people and your crops. Mines are just as troublesome. Their supply of stone, iron, and coal is finite, and they take an enormous number of people to operate efficiently; they are also deadly, potentially risking mineshaft collapses or being crushed to death by stone. This, of course, all leads back to the struggle of maintaining your population.</p><blockquote data-align="center" data-size="large"><p style="">Societal collapse isn't caused just by disasters, though, as maintaining equilibrium with the environment is actually impossible.</p></blockquote><p style="">Banished has dozens of these kinds of interlocking, intricately woven systems that all feed into one another. Every decision has a cost, and every choice is a risk. Some elements of city planning are also completely incompatible with each other. To maintain your peoples' health, for example, you need some herbalists. They collect basic resources from the floors of old growth forests and can use them to make poultices that keep your people working their best and resistant to possible disease outbreaks. The key, however, is the "old growth" bit. You also need a steady source of logs to chop up for firewood. A good team of foresters can maintain a large enough area of continuous growth, but helpful herbs and wildlife can't be found in such young forests. To maximize your production, you need separate forests for your potion masters and your loggers. This dynamic becomes much harder to balance with the addition of resource-distribution mechanics. Loggers that need to transport the fruits of their labor more than a few tiles begin to lose efficiency and increase the risk of running low on firewood or tools--the two main long-term uses for lumber. If any of these pieces begin to lag, you place yourself and your people at risk of a systemic failure. A reduction in logging output can cause your supply of new tools to run low, dropping your logging output that much further. Everything is a feedback loop.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2445102-003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2445102" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2445102-003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2445102"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_small/416/4161502/2445102-003.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Such strongly linked systems require an enormous amount of care to manage effectively, and that most often comes into play when you're looking to expand your village. If you try to develop a new logging outpost without building a network of roads, supply barns, and the like to make sure the resources keep moving where they are needed, your new loggers will likely die of starvation or hypothermia. You must effectively build semi-self-sufficient towns that link together via markets and high-capacity roads. The game isn't completely unreasonable here, though. If you build a new house near a mine on the edge of town, a few people will probably move in, and their occupation automatically shifts to match the closest workspace that can support them. When everything works, Banished is remarkably rewarding.</p><p style="">While the process of survival is never-ending, holding out against the elements amid the hostility of the untamed natural world is a small but powerful personal victory. Villagers have names; they're born, grow up, and eventually die under your intense supervision. Banished reinforces the human drama with its brutal difficulty and negative feedback loops. It's fertile soil for some of the most remarkable emergent storytelling around. With relatively few, well-designed mechanics, the game weaves a powerful tale of empathy and desperation and is a high-water mark for narrative elements that mutually reinforce mechanics. Even better, this is a very human story divorced from the Western tropes common in the loosely imperialistic messages of other, similar games. It's just you, your people, and their strong desire to live.</p> Wed, 26 Feb 2014 18:24:00 -0800 http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/banished-review/1900-6415679/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/car-mechanic-simulator-2014-random-encounter/2300-6417425/ Would you trust Danny O'Dwyer to fix your auto? How handy is he with his tools? Find out in this episode of Random Encounter! Wed, 26 Feb 2014 17:34:00 -0800 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/car-mechanic-simulator-2014-random-encounter/2300-6417425/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/twitch-plays-pokemon-collects-all-badges-enters-home-stretch/1100-6417981/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.twitch.tv/twitchplayspokemon" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.twitch.tv%2Fwidgets%2Flive_embed_player.swf%3Fchannel%3Dtwitchplayspokemon&fv=hostname%3Dwww.twitch.tv%26start_volume%3D25%26channel%3Dtwitchplayspokemon%26auto_play%3Dfalse&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.twitch.tv%2Ftwitchplayspokemon&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=application%2Fx-shockwave-flash&schema=twitch&wmode=opaque" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">Against seemingly impossible odds, the Twitch Plays Pokemon stream has collected all of the game's badges and is getting ready to take on the Elite Four.</p><p style="">If you'd like a complete recap of events, Reddit has put together an exhaustively <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/twitchplayspokemon/comments/1y6wyc/nearly_complete_timeline_of_events/" rel="nofollow">time-stamped recap</a>, or you can read a <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/twitchplayspokemon/wiki/historyoftpp" rel="nofollow">more narrative retelling</a>. But this <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/twitchplayspokemonstatus/" rel="nofollow">public Google document</a> is the easiest way to see at a glance what's up in the game. According to the document, the players are working towards getting past one of the game's trickier ledge sections (tricky when you have 50,000 people playing, at least) as they head towards Victory Road. </p><p style="">Also notable is that the stream was able to revive the Helix fossil into the Pokemon Omanyte. The Helix Fossil is an item given to the player early in the game that cannot be thrown away; it has been elevated to a savior-like status in the chat with prayers of "Praise Helix" and "Base Helix."</p><p style="">Users are able to balance the game by shifting control between an Anarchy mode (where every command from the chat is input into the game) and Democracy (where the most popular commands go through). But <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/twitch-plays-pokemon-is-a-fascinating-vision-of-the-future/1100-6417867/" data-ref-id="1100-6417867">none of the spin-off games (like QWOP and Tetris) have reached the same level of incredible popularity</a>. The phenomenon has seen some drop-off from it's <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/over-60k-people-watching-twitch-play-pokemon-update/1100-6417762/" data-ref-id="1100-6417762">high count of over 100k viewers</a>, currently sitting at just over 50k viewers, though it's likely the game will see another uptick as it nears its conclusion.</p><p style="">Are you going to tune in more frequently now that it's over? And if so, will you work to sabotage the people trying to finish the game, or are you part of the group trying to shift the game to democracy, order, and finality? Either way, Pokemon Plays Twitch has turned out to be a surprising experiment that no one could've seen coming. </p> Wed, 26 Feb 2014 16:23:00 -0800 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/twitch-plays-pokemon-collects-all-badges-enters-home-stretch/1100-6417981/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/x-rebirth-patch-1-25-trailer/2300-6417424/ New features explained for the latest patch for X Rebirth. Wed, 26 Feb 2014 16:10:00 -0800 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/x-rebirth-patch-1-25-trailer/2300-6417424/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-gta-v-sued-again-what-s-xbox-one-s-secret-/2300-6417420/ DayZ's Dean Hall hints that Microsoft has something up their sleeve for Xbox One, and Rockstar may need to pay $40 million to a former Mob Wives star! Wed, 26 Feb 2014 16:00:00 -0800 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-gta-v-sued-again-what-s-xbox-one-s-secret-/2300-6417420/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/random-questions-with-tim-schafer-what-was-the-fir/2300-6417417/ Premiering on the first episode of The Lobby, we asked Tim Schafer the first game he ever played. For more answers from Tim Schafer, tune into The Lobby every Tuesday at 2PM. Wed, 26 Feb 2014 14:00:00 -0800 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/random-questions-with-tim-schafer-what-was-the-fir/2300-6417417/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/independent-game-festival-awards-2014-developer-no/2300-6417416/ Go place your votes for the Audience Awards at the IGF Awards show by March 1st and find out the results on March 19th here at GameSpot.com. Vote here: igf.com/audience.php Wed, 26 Feb 2014 13:30:00 -0800 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/independent-game-festival-awards-2014-developer-no/2300-6417416/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/burnout-paradise-dev-offering-free-dlc-to-honor-ghostbusters-actor-harold-ramis/1100-6417980/ <p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Criterion Games has announced a special promotion--valid today only--where <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/burnout-paradise/" data-ref-id="false">Burnout Paradise</a> players can download the Legendary Cars pack for free on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2444906-ecto.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2444906" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2444906-ecto.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2444906"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_medium/1179/11799911/2444906-ecto.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">The promotion honors Harold Ramis, the Hollywood comedy legend known for his role as Egon Spengler in the <em>Ghostbusters</em> movies who <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/harold-ramis-1944-2014/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">died earlier this week</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The Legendary Cars pack features homages to iconic vehicles from famous movies including one made to look like Ecto 1 from the Ghostbusters franchise.</p><p style="">"Harold Ramis was a comedy genius. He inspired us," Criterion Games <a href="https://twitter.com/CriterionGames/status/438637814818033664" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">said on Twitter</a>.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6185064" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6185064/" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p> Wed, 26 Feb 2014 12:48:00 -0800 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/burnout-paradise-dev-offering-free-dlc-to-honor-ghostbusters-actor-harold-ramis/1100-6417980/
Written By Kom Limpulnam on Rabu, 26 Februari 2014 | 21.50
One year after its unveiling last February, Destiny remains something of a mystery. Few outside of Bungie's Bellevue offices have been able to explore space as a magic-wielding Warlock, a brutish Titan, or an elusive Hunter. But for as much as we'd all love to discover whether a legendary gun like The Fate of All Fools really deserves that sort of name, Bungie has done plenty to describe Destiny based on their own anecdotes and experiences. All it takes is a little searching. Luckily for you, we've done just that.
So have a look at the following quotes, pulled from various interviews and podcasts over the past few months. Destiny still has a lot of question marks surrounding it, but read on and you may just learn something new.
Destiny will never reach a final level of balance
"We have an evolving understanding of balance. In the past you might have characterized our idea of successful balance as getting it to the point where we could [stop working on the game] and it would be perfect. Nobody had to touch it anymore and it would just be a shining gem for all time. But the problem is, those games don't hold a community the same way as a living game like League of Legends or Dota 2. Those games can build these amazing communities around them because they're changing and evolving. There's a metagame that develops over time. The thing that was awesome before is not so awesome now. The thing that you didn't think about before is suddenly the best idea you ever had."
"That kind of dynamic balance where the game is ebbing and flowing, changing and circulating, we understand that and want more of that now. We want to build a game that's always exciting and entertaining, and not just exciting and entertaining because it achieved a final singularity point." - Tyson Green, lead investment designer
Source: Bungie January Podcast
Everything in multiplayer is designed with a counter in mind
"We definitely believe that something can be powerful as long as there's a way to deal with it. That's a hard balance to strike, but that's the reason we play the game every single day. We're constantly looking at these things to make sure there's no one thing that's so extremely powerful that no one is ever going to deal with it."
"[For example], when you use your vertical movement modes, you're actually getting rid of your ability to be in combat for a short amount of time. So if you want to double-jump, if you want to glide, you're putting yourself in what we call weapon-down. You're making a tactical choice at that point. Like, I want to take the high road right now and get away from combat, but I can't just sit in the air and fire on people. That's now how it works." - Lars Bakken, lead multiplayer designer
Source: Bungie January Podcast
You'll need to make lasting choices
That kind of dynamic balance where the game is ebbing and flowing, changing and circulating, we want more of that now.
Tyson Green
"We're going in a little bit of a different direction from some of the recent RPGs where they really never asked the player to make any commitments. We want players to actually do some things that they may be locked into, at least for some period of time. Because we feel like that allows a person to actually make a different decision from another person and not just immediately copy the decision that's optimal. Everyone doesn't just go to a website and say, what's the best build? We're trying to give people the opportunity to distinguish themselves. Commitment is part of that. When nobody is committed to anything, nobody's distinct either." - Tyson Green, lead investment designer
Source: Game Informer's Designing the RPG Elements of Destiny
Playlists will change fast and often
"We have a really robust system for how we put together our [multiplayer] playlists, just like we always had in Halo. It's even beyond that now in terms of what we're capable of doing and in terms of how quickly and easily we can rearrange those things. So you can expect a similar cadence, if not faster in some cases." - Lars Bakken, lead multiplayer designer
Source: Game Informer's Revealing the Details of Destiny's Multiplayer
It's an action game first and foremost
"You can't make a bad action game good by adding investment. And you can make a good action game bad by adding investment. So we really have to look at it and say, is the game playing well? What are the ways we can add to this experience? A good example is breadth versus power. If you unlock new abilities and weapons that are balanced but different, those are valid rewards. They don't change or ruin the game; they broaden the game. They give people more varied experiences. So the investment game is really trying to make the action game better by creating breadth, personalization, personal identity, and helping it evolve over time." - Tyson Green, lead investment designer
Source: Bungie January Podcast
Success doesn't come from twitch reflexes alone
"Skill is very important. It's not just your thumb skill, it's understanding how you're outfitting yourself, what choices you've made in your build, and how to use that properly. So getting around the map is different depending on what vertical movement mode you chose. Say there's a door to my right, and a staircase coming up to my left, and straight ahead there's this hole blown in the wall. Is the guy going to come up the stairs, or is he going to use glide to jump up through the hole in the wall? Then what's he going to use at that point? Do I want to plant my prox grenade on the ground so that he lands directly on it, do I want to hide in the corner, sprint towards him and melee him in the face? I don't know what's going to happen. There's such a surprising amount of depth to each encounter." - Lars Bakken, lead multiplayer designer
Source: Bungie January Podcast
You won't be exploring a hopeless wasteland
"We [want to build a hopeful world] because people have limited time they can spend with entertainment. We don't want to put them in this grim, dark, grotesque place. People are choosing to spend their time with us and we want them to feel like they're in a world that's worthy of their time, that's worthy of its heroes. It's really important for us to tell positive stories where every player is on the side of good."
"In terms of what we're doing, I think if you look at the art palette and the post-apocalyptic images, they're not about the terror that happened or the fall of civilization, but this reboot that you get. It's this world where you can leave your 9-to-5 job and become a hero and have fun with your friends, tell these cool stories with one another in a place you want to be in." - Eric Osborne, community manager
Source: GameSpot's Making a World Players Want to Be In
Of course, there are still plenty of details left for Bungie to reveal. So what's that one party of Destiny that you're most eager to find out about? Let us know in the comments below.
