Author: dpugh007

Not everyone is happy with the way in which Ubisoft’s recently released action game Assassin’s Creed Unity depicts the French revolution. Former French minister and presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon recently denounced the game during an appearance on French radio.

He slammed Unity, labeling it “propaganda” that presents historical figures such as the “cretin” Marie-Antoinette and King Louis XVI as upstanding people while simultaneously showing the French masses as savages, according to a transcription of his talk by the Daily Telegraph (via Polygon).

Melenchon added that Unity depicts Robespierre as a monster when the truth of the matter, according to Melenchon, was that he was a hero of the French revolution.

“It is propaganda against the people, the people who are (portrayed as) barbarians, bloodthirsty savages,” Melenchon said. “In 1789 there were the poor aristocrats, and they are presented as fine upstanding people.”

Overall, Melenchon described Unity as a game that “presents an image of hatred of the Revolution, hatred of the people, hatred of the republic which is rampant in the far-right milieux (of today).”

We have reached out to Ubisoft for comment and will update this post with anything we hear back.

Unity launched last Tuesday across Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. Fans immediately cried out over the game’s technical issues, which Ubisoft is working “furiously” now to fix. For more on Unity, check out GameSpot’s review and what other critics are saying.

Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com

Powered by WPeMatico

Since Microsoft implemented a temporary $50 Xbox One price cut earlier this month, the console has outsold the rival PlayStation 4 in the United States. However, Sony isn’t shaking in its boots just yet. SCEA president Shawn Layden says in a new interview that he is unfazed by Microsoft’s recent Xbox One pricing moves, and maintains that PS4 will be competitive this holiday season.

Asked if he feels any pressure from Microsoft’s recent Xbox One price cut, Layden told GamesBeat: “No, not at all. It’s going to be a very competitive holiday season. Everyone’s going to move their numbers the best way they can. We’re going to be fully engaged in that battle.”

One of the ways Sony is going about that is with its PS4 Black Friday bundle that includes a system and copies of Grand Theft Auto V and The Last of Us for $400. By comparison, various retailers are selling the Assassin’s Creed Unity Xbox One bundle, which also comes with Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, for $330.

In terms of shipment numbers, Sony has moved 13.5 million PS4s, while Microsoft has sold 10 million Xbox Ones to retailers. Of the 13.5 million PS4s shipped, Sony has sold to consumers 10 million consoles as of August. Microsoft has not announced a sold-through figure for Xbox One so far this year, though the number is likely north of 5 million systems.

According to Layden, the PS4 is dominating the Xbox One in terms of units sold-through to consumers. Asked if it would be accurate to say Sony has a 2:1 advantage over Xbox One in terms of units sold, the executive replied: “The math seems to look like that.”

The PS4 recently celebrated its first birthday, and GameSpot marked the occasion with an in-depth analysis of every key aspect of the console. We will publish similar reports for the Wii U (later today) and the Xbox One next week.

Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com

Powered by WPeMatico

BioWare’s latest RPG, Dragon Age: Inquisition, is released today, but gamers in India will not be able to buy a copy in the country. Publisher Electronic Arts has elected to remove the game from sale in the region due to “local obscenity laws,” a representative for the company confirmed.

“In order to avoid a breach of local content laws, EA has withdrawn Dragon Age: Inquisition from sale in India and the game is no longer available for preorder,” a company spokesperson told Kotaku. “Customers who preordered the game will be contacted directly and will be fully refunded.”

The EA representative also clarified that the company’s decision to remove the game from sale in India is not related to Dragon Age: Inquisition’s same-gender romance options or gay characters, as some reports have suggested.

“The decision here is in relation to local obscenity laws, but not specific to same-gender romance,” the spokesperson explained.

The EA representative further clarified that the game’s same-sex romance options and gay characters are “irrelevant” to the company’s decision to pull the game from India.

Asked which obscenity laws EA was attempting to avoid breaking, the EA representative pointed Kotaku to the country’s penal code, which is reportedly very vague. The publisher added that looking at Dragon Age: Inquisition’s ESRB content description would give you a good idea as to why EA feels it might be running a risk of breaking India’s obscenity laws. Below is the game’s description, in full.

“This is a role-playing game in which players assume the role of a warrior battling evil forces in different dimensions. Characters use swords, axes, hammers, and magic attacks to kill fantastical creatures (e.g., demons, monsters, dwarfs) and humans in melee-style combat. Cutscenes sometimes depict characters impaled or getting their throats slit. Violent sequences are often highlighted by cries of pain, gurgling/gushing sounds, and large blood-splatter effects; blood remains on the ground in several environments. The game includes some sexual material: a female character briefly depicted in front of a man’s torso (fellatio is implied); characters depicted topless or with exposed buttocks while lying in bed or after sex; some dialogue referencing sex/sexuality (e.g., “’I will bring myself sexual pleasure later, while thinking about this with great respect’” and “The way your t*ts bounce when I pin your arms and take you on the side of the bed…”). The words “f**k,” “sh*t,” and “a*shole” appear in dialogue.”

Kotaku also points out that potentially contentious games are often edited for release in certain countries; Australia is one example. However, EA has chosen not to do that in this case.

For more on Dragon Age: Inquisition, check out GameSpot’s review and what other critics are saying.

Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com

Powered by WPeMatico

When open-world sandbox game Just Cause 3 is released next year for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC, it will not include a multiplayer mode, developer Avalanche Studios has confirmed. 2010’s Just Cause 2 didn’t ship with multiplayer support, either, although a group of fans–with the blessing of Avalanche and publisher Square Enix–released a multiplayer mod after the game’s release.

In an interview with Game Informer, Avalanche co-founder Christofer Sundberg said he has nothing but love for the Just Cause 2 multiplayer mod, but explained that official multiplayer support for Just Cause 3 would have strained the developer’s focus on making a great sandbox world.

“The mod is absolutely fantastic,” Sundberg said. “We owe those guys a lot. They have actually supported the game and helped it stay alive so many years after it was released. We don’t expect the fans to make the multiplayer for Just Cause 3, but at some point you have to make a choice on where your focus is. Our strength is the sandbox experience, and we want to deliver a great Just Cause 3 experience.”

Though Just Cause 3 won’t ship with official multiplayer support, Sundberg teased that a multiplayer mode could be added to the game post release, in a similar way to how Grand Theft Auto V‘s head-to-head mode was launched in October 2013, following the game’s release a month prior.

“Maybe sometime down the line we’ll take Rico into the modern world of multiplaying,” Sundberg said.

One way Avalanche could introduce multiplayer to Just Cause 3 is through Square Enix’s new cloud gaming initiative, Shinra Technologies. Interestingly, Game Informer reports that some of developers working on that project are set up inside Avalanche’s office in New York City, suggesting that the companies might be working together on something new for Just Cause 3.

Shinra Technologies vice president of business Jacob Novak said one possibility that cloud gaming allows is to “enhance” games after their initial release. One example he provided was to introduce a multiplayer mode to a game that doesn’t have it out of the box, which lines up with Just Cause 3.

Asked directly if Shinra Technologies was working with Avalanche on a multiplayer mode, Novak said, “We’re working on a possible future collaboration with Avalanche Studios.” He added, “I think it does make a lot of sense.”

Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com

Powered by WPeMatico