Author: dpugh007

Game development can “destroy” a person’s social life, according to Super Smash Bros. series director Masahiro Sakurai. In his latest Weekly Famitsu column, Sakurai spells out the personal toll game development can have on a person, at least for a game like Super Smash Bros.

“Making things like this takes its toll,” Sakurai wrote, as translated by Kotaku. “Developing Smash Bros. destroys a lot of one’s private life.”

Sakurai explained that he often considers delegating tasks to other employees more regularly, but this is not always possible. “As a result, I work from mornings to late nights, even on weekends and holidays,” he said. “I hardly have any free time, let alone time to play other games.”

This intense work schedule is not a new thing for Sakurai. He revealed that during the end of development on 2008’s Wii game Super Smash Bros. Brawl, there were times when he would work for 40 straight hours, only taking four hours off to sleep before returning to the office.

“I hardly have any free time, let alone time to play other games” — Masahiro Sakurai

The hours have not been as long for the new Super Smash Bros. game for 3DS and Wii U, he explained. However, due to a long list of new features, as well as his advancing age, development has been no walk in the park, either.

“I’m not young anymore so I can’t push myself like I did then, but I feel that the business due to the sheer amount of features [in the games] was much greater this time around,” he said. “My routine was trying to complete my daily work every day while doing my best to maintain my health day after day.”

Sakurai also explained that the stress of his daily duties sometimes makes him consider what life is really all about. “Sometimes I wind up thinking about life itself. Things like ‘why is it again that people are born?’” Sakurai said. “The work is large enough and difficult enough that it can affect how you look at life.”

If Nintendo moves forward with another Super Smash Bros. game, Sakurai said he’ll need to carefully consider how he approaches development as it relates to maintaining a healthier work/life balance. “I’ve passed my limit long ago,” he said.

Though Sakurai’s comments might lead you to believe he is unhappy with his role and position, he assures fans that the opportunity to work on and shape a beloved franchise such as Super Smash Bros. is not lost on him.

“I believe I should be thankful that I am given such funds to be able to use such iconic characters and content that represent Japanese games with such freedom, and have multitudes of people across the world play with them,” he said.

Sakurai further mentioned that he hopes his story can help people hoping to break into the industry understand the realities of game development. He ended his column, saying: “I’m not depressed and I continue to remain healthy and positive, but developing Smash Bros. is beyond hard.”

In addition to mental pain around the development of Super Smash Bros., last year, Sakurai revealed that he was suffering from calcific tendinitis and muscle ruptures in his right shoulder, which affected mobility of his right arm.

Super Smash Bros. for 3DS was released earlier this year to big sales, while the Wii U version is due to launch on November 21.

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Comedian and late night TV host Conan O’Brien recently got to play an early copy of next week’s Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. While he says he can’t show you gameplay due to legal reasons, he did release a funny teaser trailer for his upcoming review.

In the video below, we see Conan’s reaction to playing Advanced Warfare. Suffice it to say, he’s excited about it. He even goes as far to say, “that was the greatest feeling I’ve ever experienced, and I’ve watched two of my children be born.”

Conan’s review of Advanced Warfare will come next week.

Advanced Warfare launches November 4 for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC. You can get it one day early, however, through the Day Zero edition. The game has a standard single-player campaign, head-to-heard multiplayer, co-op, and maybe even a zombies mode.

For more on Advanced Warfare, check out GameSpot’s previous coverage.

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Do you remember the first time that a video game scared the crap out of you? Chances are, it was a wretched, bloodstained creature that struck fear into your heart, or perhaps an it was an expressionless young girl, which can be equally frightening under the right conditions.

Video games are the perfect canvas for inspiring terror. Once 3D graphics and CD quality audio became the norm, it became easier to buy into the sights and sounds coming out of our TVs. The moans and screams of tortured creatures began to feel authentic, and monsters, man and creature alike, felt alive, even though they’re nothing but pixels on a screen. If you need evidence that developers are getting better at creating scary games, take one look at P.T., the playable sketch for what will eventually become Silent Hills, or Outlast, which takes you on a tour through a demented psychiatric asylum filled with disturbed, malformed lunatics. Both games are terrifying, even for someone who’s seen it all.

In honor of Halloween and gaming’s achievements in the field of horror, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite monsters from the history of gaming. Some are old, some are new, but at one point or another, they’ve all left their mark on someone, and likely, inspired more than a few nightmares.

Resident Evil – Zombie

Resident Evil 2 – Licker

Resident Evil 3: Nemesis – Nemesis

Resident Evil 4 – Regenerator

Silent Hill 2 – Pyramid Head

Silent Hill Homecoming – Sepulcher

P.T. – Lisa

Fatal Frame Series – Akane and Azami Kiryu

Outlast – Chris Walker

Slender – Slender Man

F.E.A.R. – Alma

Dead Space Series – Necromorphs

Dark Souls – Gaping Dragon

Doom 3 – Hell Knight

Catherine

BioShock – Big Daddy

Amnesia: The Dark Descent – Gatherers

Super Metroid – Mother Brain

What did we miss?

These are some of our favorites, but this list only scratches the surface of gaming’s monster hall-of-fame. Did we miss one of the greats? Chime in below and let us know what you think deserves to be nominated as gaming’s greatest monster.

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Ubisoft’s open-world action game Watch Dogs has now shipped more than 9 million copies (up from 8 million in July) since its release in May for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC. The Wii U version of Watch Dogs will be released on November 18.

Two-thirds of total Watch Dogs sales came from the Xbox One, PS4, and PC versions, Ubisoft said.

The French publisher announced the new sales milestone today as part of an earnings report for the six-month period ended September 30. During the period, Ubisoft posted sales of €484.2 million ($611.3 million), up 65.1 percent compared to the €293.3 million ($369.9 million) the company posted in net sales this period last year.

Ubisoft posted a profit of €17.1 million ($21.6 million), a huge improvement over the loss of €62.1 million ($78.4 million) last year.

During the six-month period, Ubisoft saw a 90.4 percent spike in digital revenue, which totaled €134.7 million ($169.8 million), or 27.8 percent of total sales for the term. Success in this area was driven by Ubisoft’s digital distribution, mobile operations, and sales of DLC and other in-game items.

Also contributing to Ubisoft’s bottom line during the period was back catalog sales of €113.7 million ($143.4 million), fueled by Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, South Park: The Stick of Truth, Far Cry 3, and Rayman Legends.

For the three-month quarter ended September 30, Ubisoft posted revenue of €124.1 million ($156.7 million), which is down 42.9 percent compared to €217.7 million ($274.6 million) a year ago.

“The very strong momentum we saw at the beginning of the fiscal year carried on into the second quarter and enabled us to once again exceed our performance expectations,” Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said in a statement. “Ubisoft continued to capitalize on the popularity of new consoles, the successful launch of Watch Dogs, the quality of its back catalog, and the considerable growth of the digital segment. Consequently, our operating income and cash flows improved significantly during the period.”

Ubisoft also confirmed today that 2012’s Far Cry 3 has shipped 10 million units to date, 6 million of which came in the first year. The publisher said it expects Far Cry 4 to sell more than 6 million in the first year. As for racing game, The Crew, Ubisoft said it is expecting it to sell 2 million units.

Looking ahead, Ubisoft has a number of marquee titles for this holiday and beyond, including Assassin’s Creed Unity, Assassin’s Creed Rogue, Far Cry 4, and The Crew. Just last week, the company launched the latest entry in another one of its powerhouse franchises, Just Dance 2015.

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Sony has already laid out their free offering for monthly paying members of their subscription service, and now Xbox has revealed their November free download plans as well. From a post on the Major Nelson blog:

• Xbox One users will get Volgarr the Viking, an indie game that “is a journey back to the days of yore, when times were tougher, and you really only needed a couple buttons to play a game.”
• While not mentioned explicitly in the post, Crimson Dragon will likely continue to be free on Xbox One for subscribers.
• On Xbox 360, from November 1 to November 15, Gold members can download the adorably viscous Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise.
• Starting on November 16 through the end of the month, subscribers will get access to the open-world destruction game Red Faction: Guerrilla.

You still have a couple days to download the current Xbox Live Game with Gold offerings: Darksiders II on Xbox 360 and Chariot for Xbox One. But what do you think about this month’s selections? Let us know in the comments below.

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

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We’ve known about Sony’s upcoming Las Vegas event for a while now, and that big name titles like Uncharted 4 and Bloodborne would be there, but Sony recently revealed even more of the games that will be on hand for the event.

While the wording on Sony’s promotional site only says that attendees will be able to “experience” the games, which could mean anything from full hands-on to just a trailer, here’s what will definitely be at the show:

• Uncharted 4
• The Order: 1886
• Destiny Expansion: The Dark Below
• Bloodborne
• Until Dawn
• Mortal Kombat X
• No Man’s Sky
• Battlefield: Hardline
• Batman: Arkham Knight
• The Witness
• LittleBigPlanet 3
• PlanetSide 2

Sony hasn’t listed out the panels that will be available, but they did also list out all of the participating developers:

Tickets for the event are on sale now, and its set to run across December 6 and 7. Are you going?

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Sony sold 3.3 million PlayStation 4s worldwide during the three months between July and September, bringing its total unit sales to 13.5 million.

Though the summer months are usually slow for game companies, they proved to be the second-best quarter for the PlayStation 4 yet, having surpassed the 2.7 million units it sold between April and June, and the 3 million units between January and March.

The next-gen system’s performance continues to outperform Sony’s internal targets. Game income for the quarter soared to $195 million, and as a result Sony has increased its full-year targets by $89 million.

Sales of PlayStation 4 were so strong that Sony claimed it was a key reason why revenue for the whole business climbed 7.2 per cent.

However, the company-wide problems persist, particularly as it tries to absorb an impairment charge of $1.58 billion.

Meanwhile, PlayStation Vita sales were not reported again. Sony instead merged that number with PlayStation TV and PSP sales, though together this still only reached 700,000 units for quarter.

Overall, the corporation’s lost $806 million during the quarter. This figure was a better outcome than most investors feared.

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Nintendo will release Super Smash Bros. for Wii U one week earlier than expected in the UK and Europe.

Previously the game was set to launch across Britain and mainland Europe on December 5, but Nintendo has pulled that forward a week, with the new release date set as November 28.

That revised date comes just a week after the US launch, which commences on November 21.

Nintendo has also confirmed that it has moved the release date of its custom Smash Bros GameCube controller, and the Amiibo bundle to match the new UK release date.

See below for Super Smash Bros Wii U details–19 Essential Facts, 130 New Images, and 3 Latest Videos

• Characters: The Wii U offers 40 characters, plus Mii Fighters, all from the start.
• Release date: The Super Smash Bros. Wii U launch date is November 21 in the US and November 28 in Europe.
• Eight-Player Mode: Up to eight players are allowed to play at the same time, with the game offering enlarged stages for all to compete on. This is a single-screen, offline multiplayer option.

• Amiibo integration: Once an Amiibo figure (sold separately) makes contact with the Wii U’s NFC-enabled GamePad, the corresponding character will materialize in the game as a “Figure Player,” which technically can be upgraded through experience and become more powerful.
• Online Multiplayer: For the first time, players can team up locally with a friend to compete online with others.
• Online and Official Tournaments: At a later date, players will be able to set up custom tournaments, while Nintendo will also host its own official tournaments.

• Voice Chat: Players can talk to each other via the GamePad, but only before and after battle, on the Fighter Selection and Results screens.
• Build Your Own Stages: Players can use the Wii U GamePad to create their own personal battle arenas.
• Numerous Control Inputs: Players have an entire arsenal of controllers they can choose to play Super Smash Bros for Wii U. That includes Wii Remotes, Pro Controllers, GameCube pads (if players also have the adapter) and synced 3DSes.

• 3DS Importing: Players can import custom Nintendo 3DS fighters (including Mii Fighters) to the Wii U game, along with their customized equipment, costumes, and hats.
• Soundtrack Offer: Those who own both the Nintendo 3DS and the Wii U versions of Super Smash Bros can receive a two-disc soundtrack of the game for a limited time. In order to access the disc, players will need to register each game on Club Nintendo.
• Mewtwo: This rare Pokemon will be part of the first Smash Bros Wii U DLC package, which comes in spring 2015 for those who register both their Wii U and Nintendo 3DS versions of the game on Club Nintendo.

• Smash Tour: A new board game party mode, where players move around the map, gaining fighters and power-ups which can be used in a final battle.
• Master Hand Mode 1: First is Master Orders, where the master hand gives the player a task to overcome, which results in rewards if successful. The harder the challenge, the bigger the reward, but players can only try each order once.
• Master Hand Mode 2: In Crazy Orders, you pay to enter and battles get harder the longer you survive. Players are given the option to cash-out at any point.

• Special Smash Mode: Players can customize battles and play any way they like.
• Masterpieces: This menu unlocks abridged versions of classic games which some of the Smash Bros. cast feature in. Players can play small demos of these, before being prompted to buy them at the eShop.
• Stages: Nintendo promises that the Wii U version offers more stages than any other Smash Bros. game to date. Nintendo writes: “There is now an expanded version of the original Battlefield stage named Big Battlefield. Meanwhile, the Great Cave Offensive, based on the underground labyrinth found in Kirby Super Star, challenges players to avoid potentially lethal danger zones–or throw their opponents into them.” It adds: “The Jungle Hijinxs stage, based on Donkey Kong Country Returns, features dual-plane battles with a foreground and background, and blast barrels that shoot players from front to back and vice versa. After launch, a new Miiverse stage will feature players’ posts from Miiverse, where posts will appear in-game to cheer on the fighters.”
• Ridley: The iconic boss from the Metroid series makes its appearance in Smash Bros for the first time, but only as a non-playable character on the new Pyrosphere stage. As Nintendo puts it: “If one player attacks Ridley enough, Ridley will join that fighter’s side and attack others. Players (including the one on Ridley’s side) can KO Ridley to earn the point for match results.” However, if Ridley consumes the energy that appears on the stage, he will mutate into Meta Ridley, and become far more powerful.

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