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Category: Gamespot

  • Acclaimed Steam Game Blockhood Exits Early Access, Price Increases Soon

    The acclaimed city-building simulation Block’hood has finally been released after a year spent in early access. The full version is out now on PC, although it’s received a slight price increase.

    The serene and beautiful city-builder has received a fairly substantial update alongside its official launch, as well. Its art style has received a moderate overhaul, and the developer has added a story mode. You can check out the game’s gorgeous pixel-art neighborhoods in its launch trailer above.

    In Block’hood, you build neighborhoods out of specialized building blocks, and you must strategically distribute these blocks to make sure that your neighborhood has enough resources to survive. In addition, the game encourages you to be aware of the ecosystems in which you construct your towers, as you must balance resources to prevent the decay of your blocks as well as the environment.

    According to a press release, the game will cost $15 (£11 in the UK) on Steam, up from $10 in early access. However, the bump hasn’t gone into effect yet, and the game is on sale for $7.49 right now. Block’hood won a Games For Change award in 2016 for Best Gameplay, due in large part to its focus on ecological sustainability and awareness.

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  • Four Free Mega Stones In Pokemon Sun And Moon Now Available

    Pokemon Sun and Moon players can now get their hands on four more Mega Stones thanks to a free code on the official Pokemon website.

    The four Mega Stones were previously unavailable in the games and allow Pidgeot, Heracross, Steelix, and Houndoom to Mega Evolve during battle. To receive the items, select the Mystery Gift option from the menu screen and choose to receive your gift with a code. Input the password “AZUL,” and you can pick up the four Mega Stones from the deliveryman inside any of the games’ Pokemon Centers.

    First introduced in Pokemon X and Y, Mega Evolution allows certain Pokemon to transform during battle after being equipped with the proper Mega Stone. Mega Evolved Pokemon gain a number of dramatic enhancements over their base forms, from increased stats, new abilities, and occasionally different elemental typing. The series’ most recent installments, Sun and Moon, largely replaced Mega Evolution with Z-Moves, though players could still acquire certain Mega Stones within the games after clearing the main story. Not every Mega Stone can be obtained in the titles, however, so Nintendo has been distributing the remaining ones at events and through the Mystery Gift feature.

    Sun and Moon players also have a chance to add a special Midnight Form Lycanroc to their teams. Beginning May 15, GameStop stores around the US are distributing a serial code for the Pokemon. As with this batch of Mega Stones, players need to enter the code in the games’ Mystery Gift option to receive their Lycanroc. UK players, meanwhile, can pick up a code for Lycanroc at GAME stores.

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  • Xbox One Backwards Compatibility Sale Begins Soon

    Backwards compatibility has proven to be a popular feature for Xbox One, and whether you’ve been using it already or or not, next week should be a good time to stock up on supported Xbox 360 games.

    Microsoft announced today that a Backwards Compatibility “Super Sale” kicks off next week. Starting on Tuesday, May 16, more than 275 backwards-compatible Xbox 360 games will be discounted by up to 75%.

    Exact pricing and a full list of games has not yet been announced. Four games you can expect to see on sale are Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Red Dead Redemption, Grand Theft Auto IV, and Skate 3.

    An end date for the promotion wasn’t shared. Given that it’s kicking off on a Tuesday, it may simply take the place of the usual weekly Deals With Gold sale, but nothing has been confirmed yet. We’ll report back as more details are announced.

    It’s been a slower-than-usual month so far for new additions to the list of backwards-compatible games. April was far busier, including the addition of Black Ops II, which had been the most-requested game on the Xbox feedback site. The top spot is now occupied by The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

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  • PS4/Xbox One/PC City Builder Surviving Mars Revealed

    Real-world colonization of Mars is still years away (although I’m holding out hope that SpaceX’s Red Dragon will get there in my lifetime), but if you’ve ever wanted to try your hand at colonizing the Red Planet, a new game from developer Haemimont lets you do just that.

    Surviving Mars is a city-building strategy game that tasks you with trying to eke out a living in the harsh environment of Mars. In a press release, publisher Paradox Interactive explained that, although you will be building a civilization, it won’t be like SimCity or Cities: Skylines. It’s much more of a survival game than those other city-builders.

    “Every colonist will be vital to the mission as the colony struggles to gain a foothold where the environment is hostile and resources are scarce,” the press release states. “With each success, however, players will gain the ability to expand further, and even establish a thriving society–and lead a new generation that has never known the Earth.”

    Paradox also published Cities: Skylines, and CEO Fredrik Wester said that since the success of that game, the company has wanted to make more city management games: “Expanding our management-strategy catalog has been something we’ve wanted to do for some time, after the successful launch of Cities: Skylines and building the player community around that genre.”

    Paradox hasn’t specified a release date for Surviving Mars yet, but it’s coming to PS4, Xbox One, and PC. In other news, Cities: Skylines recently launched on Xbox One.

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  • Turn-Based Mech Strategy Game BattleTech Gets Trailer

    Turn-Based Mech Strategy Game BattleTech Gets Trailer

    BattleTech, the upcoming mech turn-based strategy game from Hairbrained Schemes, now has a publisher. Paradox Interactive has announced that it has made a deal with the developer to publish BattleTech when it releases on PC later this year.

    The game was originally funded via a successful Kickstarter campaign in November 2016, and in a press release Paradox stated that it “is providing a full loadout of publishing support in BattleTech’s march to launch.” Paradox and Hairbrained also released a trailer for the game today, which you can see below.

    BattleTech is an established franchise of both tabletop and video games stretching back to 1984, which includes the popular spinoff series MechWarrior. The last BattleTech game came out in 1994 for the Sega Genesis. As a result, the developer claims that the new BattleTech is “the first turn-based tactical Mech PC game in over 20 years.”

    Hairbrained Schemes is best known for developing recent Shadowrun games. BattleTech includes a story campaign as well as competitive multiplayer, and it is currently scheduled for release sometime in 2017. You can check out screenshots from the game below (click for full size).

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  • Destiny Servers Will Be Offline Next Week, Here's When And For How Long

    Destiny Servers Will Be Offline Next Week, Here's When And For How Long

    Destiny‘s servers will be offline for a period of time next week, developer Bungie has announced. The downtime will begin on Wednesday, May 17, starting at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET.

    The maintenance period is expected to end at 2 PM PT / 5 PM ET that day, meaning the downtime should be around four hours if all goes to plan.

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    During the downtime, players won’t be able to sing into Destiny’s servers. On top of that, “some” Bungie.net and Destiny companion app features won’t be online.

    Next up for the Destiny franchise is Destiny 2, which launches in September this year for Xbox One and PlayStation 4, as well as PC. The first gameplay footage will be shown during a livestream event on May 18. Keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest.

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  • Total War: Warhammer 2 Gets First In-Engine Trailer, See It Here

    Following the game’s announcement in March, Sega today released the first in-engine trailer for Total War: Warhammer II.

    The spotlights the Lizardmen, who are described as “ancient, cold-blooded warriors” who fight on the behalf of the Old Ones. The Lizardmen are one of the four playable races in the game, joining the previously announced High Elves and Dark Elves. The fourth will be announced later.

    Sega also confirmed today that Warhammer II will be playable on the E3 show floor in June. For the first time ever, this year’s E3 is open to the public.

    While still promising to offer the classic Total War style of gameplay, Sega and Creative Assembly claim Warhammer II features a “new style of narrative campaign.” Each of the four races is competing to either save or destroy the Great Vortex over Ulthuan, and you’ll have to rush to do so before anyone else can. This “struggle culminat[es] in a cataclysmic endgame.”

    Warhammer II does not yet have a specific release date, but it’s due out sometime before the end of 2017. A third game is also expected in the future, as this series has been announced as a trilogy.

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  • Australia/New Zealand Weekly Weekly Best-Selling Game Charts Revealed

    Australia/New Zealand Weekly Weekly Best-Selling Game Charts Revealed

    The latest weekly sales charts for physical game sales in Australia and New Zealand have arrived. Bethesda’s sci-fi shooter Prey landed in the No. 2 position in Australia, outsold by AFL Evolution. In New Zealand, Prey fared better, coming in on top of the charts overall.

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    You can see a full breakdown of game sales by platform for Australia and New Zealand below.

    The data comes from the Interactive Games & Entertainment Association (IGEA) and covers sales for the week ended May 7. Note that digital sales are not factored in.

    New Zealand (week ended May 7)

    All Platforms

    1. Prey
    2. Mario Kart 8
    3. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
    4. Fallout 4
    5. Doom
    6. Ghost Recon: Wildlands
    7. Horizon: Zero Dawn
    8. Watch Dogs 2
    9. Far Cry Primal
    10. Battlefield 1

    PlayStation 4

    1. Skyrim
    2. Prey
    3. Fallout 4
    4. Horizon: Zero Dawn
    5. Doom
    6. Watch Dogs 2
    7. Ghost Recon: Wildlands
    8. Far Cry Primal
    9. Grand Theft Auto V
    10. Little Nightmares

    Xbox One

    1. Forza Horizon 3
    2. Prey
    3. Halo 5
    4. Skyrim
    5. Ghost Recon: Wildlands
    6. Doom
    7. Fallout 4
    8. Minecraft
    9. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
    10. Forza Motorsport 6

    Wii U

    1. Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
    2. Minecraft
    3. Shovel Knight
    4. Yoshi’s Wooly World
    5. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
    6. Batman: Arkham City
    7. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
    8. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
    9. Guitar Hero Live Just Dance 2014

    PlayStation Vita

    1. World of Final Fantasy
    2. Minecraft
    3. Phineas & Ferb: Day of the Doofenshmirtz
    4. Arcana Heart 3: Love Max
    5. Army Corps of Hell
    6. Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham
    7. Lego Marvel Avengers
    8. Little Big Planet: Marvel Super Heroe Edition
    9. Mortal Kombat 2011

    3DS

    1. Pokemon Sun
    2. Pokemon Moon
    3. Pokemom Omega Ruby
    4. Pokemon X
    5. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
    6. Pokemon Y
    7. Super Mario Maker
    8. Super 3D Land
    9. Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright
    10. Fire Emblem: Awakening

    Nintendo Switch

    1. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
    2. Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
    3. 1-2-Switch
    4. Lego City Undercover
    5. Super Bomberman R

    PC

    1. The Sims 4
    2. Prey
    3. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III
    4. Battlefield 1
    5. Overwatch
    6. Sniper: Ghost Warrior III
    7. The Sims 4: Get Together
    8. The Sims 4: Get To Work
    9. The Sims 4: Spa Day / Perfect Patio Stuff
    10. Ghost Recon: Wildlands

    Australia (week ended May 7)

    All Platforms

    1. AFL Evolution
    2. Prey
    3. Horizon: Zero Dawn
    4. Ghost Recon: Wildlands
    5. Persona 5
    6. Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3
    7. Little Nightmares
    8. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
    9. Grand Theft Auto V
    10. Rainbow Six Siege

    PS4

    1. AFL Evolution
    2. Prey
    3. Horizon: Zero Dawn
    4. Ghost Recon: Wildlands
    5. Persona 5
    6. Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3
    7. Little Nightmares
    8. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
    9. Grand Theft Auto V
    10. Rainbow Six Siege

    Xbox One

    1. AFL Evolution
    2. Prey
    3. Ghost Recon: Wildlands
    4. Sniper: Ghost Warrior III
    5. Fallout 4
    6. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
    7. Forza Horizon 3
    8. Rainbow Six Siege
    9. Grand Theft Auto V
    10. Lego Worlds

    Wii U

    1. Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
    2. Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival
    3. Minecraft
    4. Lego Dimensions
    5. Star Fox Zero
    6. Mario Kart 8
    7. New Super Mario Bros. U + New Super Luigi U
    8. Super Smash Bros.
    9. Pokken Tournament
    10. Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD

    PS Vita

    1. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel
    2. Dead or Alive 5 Plus
    3. Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z
    4. Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization
    5. Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends
    6. Minecraft
    7. One Piece: Burning Blood
    8. Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness
    9. Aegis of Earth: Protonovus Assault
    10. Borderlands 2

    3DS

    1. Pokemon Sun
    2. Monster Hunter: Generations
    3. Pokemon Moon
    4. Mario Kart 7
    5. Pokemon Alpha Sapphire
    6. Pokemon Omega Ruby
    7. Super Mario Maker
    8. Super Smash Bros.
    9. Mario Sports Superstars
    10. Poochy & Yoshi’s Wooly World

    Switch

    1. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
    2. Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
    3. 1-2-Switch
    4. Super Bomberman R
    5. Lego City Undercover
    6. Just Dance 2017
    7. Skylanders Imaginators

    PC

    1. Prey
    2. Rage
    3. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III
    4. The Sims 4
    5. Overwatch
    6. Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3
    7. Ghost Recon: Wildlands
    8. World of Warcraft: Legion
    9. Mass Effect: Andromeda
    10. The Sims 4: City Living

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  • Halo Boss Leaves Team To Work On Microsoft Mixed Reality

    Halo Boss Leaves Team To Work On Microsoft Mixed Reality

    A big staffing change has taken place at Halo series steward 343 Industries. Studio head Dan Ayoub, who worked on entries in the series dating back to 2009’s Halo: Reach, has left the team.

    He’s leaving gaming altogether, but is staying within Microsoft to work on the Mixed Reality team. There, he will work in an effort for the “empowerment of education through technology.”

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    “Although Dan will be staying in the Microsoft family, and won’t be heading too far, our 343 family will miss his wit, wisdom and effort throughout the years,” reads a line from 343’s statement announcing his departure. “But Halo Wars 2 and its forthcoming DLC are in the safe hands of Dan’s team, with some wonderful DLC and other surprises still to come.”

    The statement continues: “Over the years, Dan has helped us work with amazing studios and partners from literally every corner of the globe. They, like us are going to miss him, and Dan wanted us to express his thanks to both those partners, and to all the Halo fans and community who’ve been the fuel and fire that have ignited his passion and ambition, throughout the years.”

    Prior to joining Microsoft, Ayoub worked as a senior producer at Electronic Arts for four years, then was a game director Propaganda Games for two, according to his public LinkedIn profile page. He then spent a year at Ubisoft as an executive producer.

    343’s latest game is Halo Wars 2, which came out in February for Xbox One and PC. As the statement mentions, 343 continues to support the RTS with more post-launch content and updates.

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  • This New PC MMO Looks Like Red Dead Redemption And Sounds Cool

    This New PC MMO Looks Like Red Dead Redemption And Sounds Cool

    You might have seen an image circulating online yesterday that was rumored to be from Red Dead Redemption 2. As it turns out, this was a shot from Wild West Online, a new PC MMO that looks like Rockstar’s celebrated western and is heading to Kickstarter later this month.

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    Red Dead Redemption never came to PC, and Wild West Online aims to fill that void, it seems.

    “There’s an audience for this that just wasn’t being served on PC,” Stephan Bugaj, the creative vice president of publisher DJ2 told PC Gamer. “So we wanted to make this big, open Wild West world with a bit of a twist that, like the best MMOs, is a place where people can really live in.”

    The game is being developed by a new studio, 612 Games, whose staff worked on games like Crysis and League of Legends.

    Wild West Online is a PvP MMO that will apparently go beyond what Red Dead Redemption’s multiplayer had to offer. Players can choose a specialization (gatherer, prospector, farmer) and then put the resources they acquire into an economy system of sorts.

    There is a law system in Wild West Online where those who commit crimes will earn wanted stars, like in Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto. Once enough infamy is built up, a bounty will be put on their head. Unlike Rockstar’s games, however, Wild West Online only has player-versus-player battles; there won’t be NPCs coming after you.

    A Kickstarter campaign for Wild West Online is due to go up later this month (the game’s website says a new reveal is coming May 26), asking for $250,000. The game’s scope will grow if more money comes in; for example, at $1.75 million, 612 Games will introduce train robberies. A server-wide game mode that plays out once a week, train robberies sees a train travelling across the entire map, with one side tasked with defending it and the other with attacking it.

    You can read PC Gamer’s full story on Wild West Online here.

    If all goes to plan, Wild West Online will come out later this year. As for Red Dead Redemption 2, which has been announced for Xbox One and PS4 but not PC, it’s slated to launch later this year as well.

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