Battlefield Hardline the "Most Complete" FPS Out There, EA Says

Electronic Arts isn't holding back in boasting about its 2015 first-person shooter Battlefield Hardline, saying today that the upcoming game is the "most complete" FPS out there.

EA says Hardline's cops-vs-criminals FPS gameplay, combined with an "emotionally driven" single-player campaign inspired by TV crime dramas such as Justified, as well as its all-out multiplayer, combine to make the game "the most complete FPS on the market today."

Jamie N Commons

The publisher made the claim today as part of an announcement of a partnership with musician Jamie N Commons, who--along with producer Alex Da Kid--created the song "Karma" for Hardline. The song serves as Hardline's theme music, and Commons will perform the track tonight during The Game Awards in Las Vegas. It's possible this is the "special announcement" EA COO Peter Moore teased.

"The music, and moreover the audio, help create that emotional experience you want gamers to feel as they play in the world we've built for them," Hardline developer Visceral Games general manager Steve Papoutsis said. "With 'Karma', Jamie captured that gritty cop and criminals tone that defines Hardline, where not everyone is good and not everyone is bad, toeing that fine line of the law."

Papoutsis knows a thing or two about music, as he was a founding member of punk band No Use for a Name before he left the group and joined EA. You can listen to "Karma" through the Spotify embed in this post, or you can download it on iTunes here.

For his part, Commons says he's a longtime gamer and that he "could not pass up" the opportunity to work on a Battlefield game. "The deep melodic beats and lyrics help express the game's theme where actions have consequences, but sometimes those consequences come back full circle. I think gamers are going to love it," he said.

Rock band Imagine Dragons will also perform tonight during The Game Awards 2014, which kick off at 6 PM Pacific / 9 PM Eastern.

Hardline, which was originally expected to launch in October 2014, is now scheduled to debut on March 17, 2015. The game is coming to Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC.

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Dying Light System Requirements Revealed

Ahead of Dying Light's release in January 2015, developer Techland has revealed the open-world zombie game's PC requirements through an update to the game's Steam product page.

Can your PC rig run the latest project from the creators of Dead Island? Check out the minimum and recommended specs below to find out.

Dying Light launches January 27, 2015 for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. The game was originally expected to arrive for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, but those versions were recently canceled.

It's been a big week for Dying Light news, as Techland has also revealed the game's DLC pass, which will span three expansion packs.

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New Pokemon 3DS Games Ship 7.7 Million Units

Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, remakes of the classic Game Boy Advance titles for Nintendo 3DS, have together shipped over 7.7 million units worldwide since launch last month. The Pokemon Company announced the news today, according to a report from Siliconera.

The major milestone comes after the games' European release on November 28. The 3DS games originally launched on November 21 in the United States and Japan, selling 3 million units at launch.

Concerns that remakes might not sell as well as brand new titles are apparently unfounded, as The Pokemon Company added that Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire's launch sales made up 135 percent of Pokemon X and Y's over the same period of time.

As Siiconera points out, the original Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire for GBA sold 16.22 million copies globally. Can the remakes catch up? They are certainly off to a good start, that's for sure.

For more on Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, check out GameSpot's review.

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Driveclub's Troubled Launch Hasn't Damaged Sony's Reputation, Exec Says

PlayStation 4 racing game Driveclub's release in October did not go smoothly. However, the launch wasn't so terrible that it damaged Sony's reputation in the eyes of gamers, according to one Sony executive. PlayStation Europe boss Jim Ryan explained in a new interview that fans understand that mistakes do happen, especially "in a world that's becoming more and more technically complicated."

"We have to acknowledge that there have been problems and we're really sorry to anyone who has suffered from those issues," Ryan told MCV. "They shouldn't happen. But in a world that's becoming more and more technically complicated, it's getting harder to deliver stuff. That's not an excuse, because you shouldn't really launch a game before it's ready. And clearly we've made mistakes and we apologize for that."

"Has it dampened our momentum? No. Has it damaged our reputation? I don't think so" -- Jim Ryan

Ryan went on to say that he doesn't believe Driveclub's launch woes have slowed PS4's incredible momentum or diminished Sony's standing as it relates to how gamers perceive the PlayStation brand.

"Has it dampened our momentum? No. Has it damaged our reputation? I don't think so," Ryan said. "People understand that mistakes do get made so as long as you apologize and make them right. That's the main thing."

Driveclub launched in early October, and was immediately beset by various technical troubles. Developer Evolution Studios even had to limit some functionality, and the game's promised PlayStation Plus version--a free edition of the game for subscribers--is still without a release date.

"When you spend £50/£60 on a game you're entitled to expect that it works," Ryan added. "If we or anyone else in the industry makes mistakes you should fess up to it and then put it right as soon as possible."

Last month, PlayStation president Shawn Layden suggested that it was technically impossible to test for the kind of numbers that Driveclub saw on launch day. To make it up to fans, Sony offered some Driveclub DLC to all players.

Another high-profile game, Battlefield 4, suffered launch woes upon its initial release in October 2013. These troubles "absolutely" damaged player trust in EA and DICE, one of the game's producers said. However, EA management maintains that the Battlefield brand's commercial appeal was unaffected by Battlefield 4's rocky launch.

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New Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel DLC Revealed

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel players are getting new DLC this month. 2K Games announced today that an expansion called The Holodome Onslaught, the game's second post-release add-on, will be available December 16 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. It's included with The Pre-Sequel's $30 DLC pass, or can be purchased separately for $10 on all platforms.

The Holodome Onslaught expansion features new story content, including appearances from well-known Vault hunters such as Gaige and Axton.

"While they were gone on a mission, they missed out on the events of Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel and ask Athena to recount the story," 2K says. "Since they're not the most patient badass Vault Hunters on Pandora, they just want an abbreviated version--only the juicy, violent stuff."

As Athena tells the story, players will venture through The Holodome Onslaught, a new challenge arena that tasks you with fighting against wave after wave of enemies. Foes will include "some of The Pre-Sequel's most memorable badasses, as well as several new enemies," 2K says.

Players who survive will be able to earn new weapons, class mods, and "some radical new heads and skins."The Holodome Onslaught DLC also includes the Ultimate Vault Hunter Upgrade Pack, which boosts the level cap to 60.

In addition to the paid content, The Pre-Sequel will introduce a free patch next week that adds the Ultimate Vault Hunter mode, which is described as "more difficult." Players can also reset campaign progress at any time, while enemies will scale to your current level, 2K says. Full patches notes will be available soon.

The Pre-Sequel launched in October, and developer 2K Australia is not finished supporting it just yet. Two further expansion packs are coming to the game, introducing one more playable character, a new campaign, and more. 2K has not announced release dates for these expansions.

For more on The Pre-Sequel, check out GameSpot's review.

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Master Chief Collection Update Improves Matchmaking Times, But Doesn't Fix Uneven Teams

As promised, developer 343 Industries has released a new update for Xbox One game Halo: The Master Chief Collection that addresses some of the game's matchmaking issues.

Writing on the Halo website, 343 says this new update--which you'll be prompted to download the next time you play the game--focuses specifically on improving matchmaking times. Though this patch should improve team balance issues, it won't completely fix the problem of uneven teams, 343 said.

"Our next content update, targeted for early next week, will address team balance," 343 explained.

Below is a roundup, courtesy of 343, of the topline improvements featured in The Master Chief Collection's latest update.

• Made a change to allow for matches to start once minimum player counts are met, allowing for faster matching times.
• Made an update to resolve issues that caused false matches to be created, which resulted in a variety of matchmaking issues, including slow matchmaking and bad session starts.
• Streamlined the process for maintaining party continuity through the matchmaking process.
• Made an update to the high-level matchmaking flow that will reset lobbies after each match. Moving forward, players and party leaders need to press "B" after the post-game-carnage report, and select a playlist for their next match. This flow is consistent with previous Halo titles.
• Improved user experience through removal of non-actionable error messages. This will allow for a more seamless matchmaking flow with less interruption and confusion.
• Improved the post-game experience to fix an issue that could result in a player getting sent to another player's lobby, rather than returning to the matchmaking screen.

Finally, 343 stressed that it continues to work on further content updates that will address other issues with The Master Chief Collection, though none were named outright.

"We have additional updates on the way in an effort to further improve your experience with Halo: The Master Chief Collection," 343 said. "We thank you for your continued feedback, patience, and support."

Have you downloaded the new update for The Master Chief Collection? Is it an improvement? Let us know in the comments below!

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EA Making "Special Announcement" At Awards Show -- What Should It Be?

Electronic Arts COO Peter Moore will make a "special announcement" tomorrow during The Game Awards 2014, the executive said on Twitter. No further details were provided. Here's the tweet.

I'm looking forward to joining @geoffkeighley on stage Friday night in Las Vegas @thegameawards to make a special announcement from @EA

— Peter Moore (@petermooreEA) December 4, 2014

Geoff Keighley is the producer for The Game Awards 2014. The event kicks off at 6 PM Pacific / 9 PM Eastern, and you'll be able to watch the full show right here.

In addition to various awards, including Game of the Year, The game Awards 2014 promises at least a dozen world premieres, one of which is the latest edition of Metal Gear Online. What you won't see at the show, however, are any Xbox-specific announcements or Fallout 4.

GameSpot will have a team on the ground in Vegas this weekend for The Game Awards 2014. We'll have red carpet interviews and all the news coverage and trailers for you as they're released.

It's a busy weekend for games, as Sony's PlayStation Experience will immediately follow the awards show, taking place in Vegas December 6-7. Stay with GameSpot all weekend long for all the news.

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Smash Bros. Director Has Uncertain Future With The Series

In a new interview with Game Informer, Super Smash Bros. series director Masahiro Sakurai gives his thoughts on the future of the acclaimed fighting game series--and it could be without him. Sakurai suggested that if there is to be a follow-up to this year's Wii U and 3DS game, he may not be involved.

"I can't positively declare there won't be [another Smash Bros.]," Sakurai explained, via Videogamer. "With both Melee and Brawl, I made those games with the thought that there wouldn't be any more sequels. Thus, I really can't deny the chance for another. However, as for myself, I don't think there will be."

"In terms of scope, and in terms of sheer number of characters, we went beyond our limits long ago" -- Masahiro Sakurai

Sakurai went on to say that his goal for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U was to over-deliver on content. This, while great for consumers, could create something of a problem for a potential follow-up, which would need to offer even more or else fans might complain, he said.

"Our intention [with Super Smash Bros. for Wii U] was to provide extra merits to the game which go far beyond the sale price," he added. "In terms of scope, and in terms of sheer number of characters, we went beyond our limits long ago. And yet, if we cut the number of fighters or modes in a future game, I'm sure there would be complaints."

"You could say that all the effort in the past to stretch out, keep pushing myself, and provide all these extra merits wound up tightening the noose around my neck in the future," he added. "That may seem like it contradicts my personal desire to keep giving gamers as much as I can, but I don't see any easy answer for it. And yet, despite that, I also have trouble picturing someone else taking my place and providing all this value-added content without me."

As a result of the reasons he laid out above, Sakurai concluded that the Smash Bros. series now sits in a "very difficult place." One thing he wants to make clear, however, is that, "I hope people don't think that Smash Bros. has come to its natural conclusion as a matter of course. That's my personal plea."

Given the huge success of the Super Smash Bros. series, we'd be hard-pressed to believe Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS--both huge sellers already--will be the final entries in the series. Key designers often step away from projects they helped create, with new directors stepping in to take over.

Nintendo has not commented on the future of the Smash Bros. series, which makes sense, given the new games for 3DS and Wii U are still very new.

Development on the new Super Smash Bros. game took a physical and emotional toll on Sakurai, as he reported that developing the game led to an arm injury. He also said previously that game development can be so stressful that it can ruin a person's social life.

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Madden NFL 15 Holiday Edition Includes Ray Lewis, Emmitt Smith, Dan Marino

EA Sports today announced a Holiday Edition of its professional football game, Madden NFL 15. The digital-only version, which is available today through January 12, 2015 on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, will come with the main game as well as over $20 worth of Ultimate Team content.

This includes 10 Pro Packs for Madden Ultimate Team, in addition to a special "Ghosts of Madden Past Pack" that features football icons Dan Marino, Emmitt Smith, and Ray Lewis, a player who should be particularly dominant in Madden NFL 15 thanks to the game's new emphasis on defense.

Madden NFL 15 Holiday Edition sells for $60. The game is available in North and South America for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, and worldwide for Xbox One. There's no word on a release for Xbox 360.

For more on Madden NFL 15, check out GameSpot's review.

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PS4 Gets Dead Island 2 Beta Before Xbox One, PC

The upcoming beta for open-world zombie game Dead Island 2 will be exclusive to PlayStation 4 for a period of 30 days. After that time is up, it will be made available on Xbox One and PC, according to an FAQ on the game's website spotted by Videogamer.

To get into the Dead Island 2 beta, you needed to have preordered November's cel-shaded spinoff, Escape Dead Island. Publisher Deep Silver has not announced any other ways you can get into the Dead Island 2 beta, though it still has plenty of time to announce further plans.

A start date for the Dead Island 2 beta has not been announced, nor are there any immediate details on what the beta will entail.

Unlike the original Dead Island (2011) and sequel Dead Island Riptide (2013), which were developed by Polish studio Techland, Dead Island 2 is currently in development at Spec Ops: The Line studio Yager.

Dead Island 2 is not the only new Dead Island project in the works. There is also the MOBA Dead Island Epidemic and a Dead Island movie, which was recently resurrected.

For more on Dead Island 2, which launches in 2015, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.

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