Take-Two Interactive, the company that owns Rockstar Games, 2K Games, and 2K Sports, has filed a new trademark application for something called “Ghost Story.”
The existence of a trademark filing does not necessarily mean much, if anything, about a future product or announcement. Take-Two also holds trademarks for “Judas” and “GTA TV” and nothing has ever come from those. Take-Two does not typically comment on trademark filings.
Whether Ghost Story is connected to any existing Take-Two video game series or a new IP–or something else entirely–remains to be seen. Take-Two recently set up a division called Double Take that is dedicated to making comic books and graphic novels. We’ll bring you more details as they’re made available.
In other news about potential upcoming Take-Two announcements, Rockstar Games is teasing something related to Red Dead Redemption, though whether it’s a sequel, a remaster, a PC version, or something else is not yet known.
The studio said the delay gives the team more time to “further polish and optimize” the game. As announced previously, Ghost Warrior 3 is an open-world title, whereas its predecessors were more linear in nature.
“We’re making an ambitious game and unfortunately still need an extra few months to make sure it will stand up to the expectations of the fans,” CI Games CEO Marek Tyminski said in a statement. “Our goal is to ensure Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 runs smoothly on all platforms, and right now we still have some important work left on optimizing the game.
“This is our biggest project we’ve ever worked on and the entire team is pushing really hard to make the entire experience more polished,” he added. “I really hope everyone will understand our decision and will wait the extra time to play something we’re excited about, and that will redefine our IP and the sniping genre as a whole. This is a new beginning for the Sniper: Ghost Warrior series.”
New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. wore cleats featuring the video game character Kirby on Sunday in his game against the Baltimore Ravens.
Beckham had a huge game, picking up 222 receiving yards and two big-time, second-half touchdowns that helped the Giants hold on to a 27-23 win that came down to the wire. 222 receiving yards was a career-best for the NFL standout, who entered the league in the 2014 season.
The cleats, which also feature other Kirby imagery like trees and stars, are probably going to lead to a fine, something Beckham acknowledged in his Instagram post. “Let’s hope the fines ain’t krazyy,” he wrote.
As ESPN reminds us, Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins wore cleats designed by Kanye West in a game and was fined $6,000.
Beckham was on the cover of Madden NFL 16, beating out New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski for the spot. Gronkowski didn’t have to wait too long for his time, however, as he’s the cover star for Madden NFL 17.
Beckham also made one of the greatest catches you will ever see. It’s always impressive.
Every Star Wars movie delivers new aliens and bizarrely named characters, and it looks like the upcoming Rogue One will be no different. The new Topps trading cards for the spinoff film reveal some previously unseen characters, including the curiously dressed inhabitants of the planet Jedha. Check them out below, via Slashfilm:
Last week, a new trailer for Rogue One was released–watch it here. The film is directed by Godzilla‘s Gareth Edwards and stars Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Riz Ahmed, Donnie Yen, Ben Mendelsohn, Forest Whitaker, and Mads Mikkelsen.
“Obviously when you come to the edit, you see the film come together and you think, ‘Actually, we could do this better, and this would make more sense if we did this,’” Jones told The Hollywood Reporter. “I’ve done it so many times. I mean, you wouldn’t just give your first draft on this story, would you?”
Rogue One hits theaters on December 16, 2016.
For more Rogue One coverage on GameSpot, check out:
Playground Games has released a new update for Forza Horizon 3 on Xbox One and PC. In a post on the game’s website, the studio said the update “includes numerous stability and performance improvements for the game across a variety of Windows 10 PC hardware configurations” and also fixes “numerous gameplay issues to improve game stability on PC.”
It continued on to say “performance and stability improvements continue to be a top priority for Playground Games and Turn 10, and will also be a focus of future updates as well.”
In addition to the general performance tweaks, there are some gameplay changes, such as the reduction of XP awarded for banking Skill Chains, and a 30-second cooldown to the Drift Tap skill. Take a look at the full patch notes below.
Stability
Fixed an issue where having a microphone enabled in the game but no speech pack installed would cause the title to crash on Windows 10
Fixed an issue that would cause a game crash for some Windows 10 players when entering Maroondah Road Bucket List event
Fixed an issue that would cause a game crash for some Windows 10 and Xbox One players when joining online Bucket List Blueprint challenges with mismatched DLC
Fixed an issue that would cause a game crash for some Xbox One players when pausing the game
Fixed an issue that would cause a game crash for some players when collecting Loyalty Rewards while in a Convoy
Fixed an issue that would cause a game crash for some players when using the AMD R9 Fury X graphics card on Windows 10
Fixed a TDR for Windows 10 players
Performance
Players running four-core setups on Windows 10 should see CPU improvements
Improved thread layout changes for eight-core setups on Windows 10, resulting in improved performance
Improvement to performance in upgrades and tuning screens on Windows 10
Fixed a stall when driving in Byron Bay on Windows 10
Stall fixed when applying Drivatar liveries while driving on Windows 10
Stall fixed when driving in free roam on Xbox One
Wheel Support
Improvements to force feedback dead zone and FFB performance when driving on tarmac on both Xbox One and Windows 10
Fixed a bug so that wheel button prompts now match the in-game bindings on Windows 10
Actions that must be mapped are now identified in the UI and number of actions that must be mapped has been reduced on Windows 10
General Improvements
Fix for photo mode being blurry for some Windows 10 players
Groove music playback improvements on Xbox One
Upgrade basket UI now supports mouse input for Windows 10
Fix for bug that prevented Windows 10 players from progressing past the Start screen with no internet connection
Added Master Volume option for Windows 10 players
Fix to Advanced Camera functionality in left and top views in Paintshop (Xbox One and Windows)
Fix to enable Rewind when returning from Co-Op to Solo (Xbox One and Windows)
Added option to mute microphones in-game (Xbox One and Windows)
Player can now continue driving when fuel runs out (Xbox One and Windows)
Gameplay Changes
Horizon Edition cars that boost either Skills or XP no longer provide a benefit in Online Adventure
Fixed an issue where the Perk “The XP Bump” worked in Online Adventure. Now it provides no benefit outside of single player racing
Added a 30-second cooldown to the Drift Tap Skill
Reduced the amount of XP awarded for banking Skill Chains
Reduced 3-Star score target on the following Drift Zones: Mountain Scramble, Mountain Foot, Reservoir, and Gold Mine
Previous Horizon Edition cars removed from Wheelspins; new Horizon Edition cars added. The new HE cars are the BAC Mono Horizon Edition , Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Horizon Edition, Lamborghini Countach LP5000 QV Horizon Edition, Mercedes C 63 AMG Coupé Black Series Horizon Edition, MG Metro 6R4 Horizon Edition, MINI Cooper S Horizon Edition, and the Subaru Impreza 22B STi Horizon Edition
Added the name of the current Championship to Car Select in Online Adventure to help players choose a suitable car
Horizon Edition cars display the correct bonus for Wheelspins
Fixed an issue where the Landmarks stat was incorrectly listed as 21 instead of 19, stopping players reaching 100 percent complete
For more on Forza Horizon 3, check out our recent news and features below, and be sure to check back as we update this article with more cars.
After a few modern and futuristic Battlefields, DICE’s first-person shooter series returns to historical theatres of war with Battlefield 1. The newest entry takes place during World War 1 and, based on initial reviews, looks to be the best we’ve had in years.
We’ve gathered up a selection of Battlefield 1 reviews from across the internet and put them in a list below. Take a look and, after seeing the scores and excerpts from the reviews, you’ll have a good feel of how the game is being received by critics. We’ll continue to update this post with more review scores as they become available, so check back regularly.
“With Battlefield 1, EA and DICE have proven the viability of World War 1 as a time period worth revisiting in first-person shooters. It brings into focus countries and nationalities that do not exist today while also shedding light on how the outcome of that war has shaped our lives. As World War II shooters proved many years ago, no game can truly capture the entirety of a global conflict. This is why the focused structure of the War Stories anthology works well. Moreover, Operations succeeds as an effective educational primer on the battles that this gripping adversarial mode are based on. Battlefield 1 is just an introduction to one of the deadliest world events in history, but it is an outstanding, feature-rich package in both its emotional stories and strong multiplayer.” — Miguel Concepcion [Full review]
Polygon — 9.0
“Battlefield 1 marks an impressive, risk-taking reinvention for the series. That the multiplayer is as good and distinctive as it is is less surprising than a campaign that takes a difficult setting and navigates it with skill and invention. The end result is a shooter than succeeded far beyond my expectations, and one that exists as the best, most complete Battlefield package since 2010.” — Arthur Gies [Full review]
The Sixth Axis — 8/10
“Operations mode is the standout addition to the multiplayer, bringing together the behemoths, the destruction, the hellish screams of people charging into the fight. I do wish that the single player had been able to push on and draw more from that excellent opening, but stepping back to the First World War helps to give Battlefield 1 a refreshing and invigorating veneer to the game, and it’s lost none of the series’ explosive gameplay in the process.” — Stefan L [Full review]
Forbes — 8/10
I’ve enjoyed my time with Battlefield 1, but the shooter genre is more competitive than ever, so it’s hard to know if I’ll be playing it over Infinite Warfare, Titanfall 2, Destiny or Overwatch this fall. For every cool moment I have inBattlefield 1, whether it’s bayoneting a soldier or chopping someone in half from horseback, I’ll be blown up by twenty tanks or be headshot by twenty snipers, and often it’s more frustrating than fun. The campaign is mostly great, but again, probably no more than a 6-7 hour experience, and obviously not the worth the price of admission by itself. You will have to love multiplayer to make this game worth it, and if you don’t, well, you’re out of luck.” — Paul Tassi [Full review]
Metro — 8/10
“The complaints you can level against Battlefield 1 are almost solely about what it’s chosen not to do, rather than any problem with what it actually offers. The minor letdown at the lack of historical novelty or major gameplay innovation is countered by the fact that this is still a highly refined and entertaining multiplayer shooter. That in itself only underlines the fact that war, war never changes. Even if when it comes to video games, it would be nice if it actually did.” [Full review]
A new international trailer for the upcoming DC movie Wonder Woman has arrived. It has Russian dialogue, but it does feature some very cool battlefield footage not seen in the first trailer that appeared this summer. Check it out below:
Wonder Woman stars Gal Gadot as the Amazonian princess-turned-superhero, alongside Chris Pine, Robin Wright, and Danny Huston. It is directed by Patty Jenkins.
“There’s a misconception that DC or Warner has made a conscious decision for all our movies to be darker or edgier,” she said. “That’s not the case. Fans of the DC universe know that there are characters, like Batman, who are darker, but there are others like Wonder Woman, who are hopeful, optimistic leaders, and the tone of this film represents that.
“Patty brought a beauty and a sense of lightness or humor, and a little romance to it. It’s a very aspirational movie.”
As part of EA’s “Road to Battlefield 1” livestream event, the company is showing off footage and speaking directly to fans about what they can expect from the World War I shooter. One of the newest streams saw developers play through the “Through Mud and Blood” single-player chapter.
You can watch that mission in the video below. If you want to go into Battlefield 1 with fresh eyes, you may want to avoid this.
Earlier this year, it was announced that veteran video game composer Inon Zur (Fallout 4, Dragon Age: Origins) would write the original soundtrack for Ubisoft’s virtual reality game, Eagle Flight.
The first track from the game, “The Wild Sky,” was released earlier this year and features the voices of singers Aeralie Brighton and Mimi Page. A second track, “Secrets of the Louvre,” has also been released; both can be heard in the videos below.
GameSpot had the opportunity to speak with Zur about the music he wrote for Eagle Flight, which is the first VR game he’s worked on. Our conversation covers things like how he captured the feeling of flying and what kind of instrumentation was used. We also had to ask about the Steve Miller Band. Check out our full interview below.
Eagle Flight launches on October 18 for Oculus Rift before coming to PlayStation VR on November 8 and HTC Vive on December 20. The game was developed by FunHouse, a division of Ubisoft Montreal.
As a majestic eagle, you fly over a version of Paris that has no humans and is overtaken by nature. You can soar across the skies on your own in single-player or go head-to-head with other players in a capture-the-flag variant called Capture the Prey. For more, check out GameSpot’s previous coverage.
Getting this one out of the way first–how many times did you listen to Steve Miller Band’s “Fly Like an Eagle” when preparing for this game? Is the track in the game? Do you think Steve Miller would want it to be?
The flight of an eagle is something to behold that has obviously inspired many creators, artists, and among them many composers as well. We can go back to the beginning of time; even the Native Americans wrote songs about how an eagle flies. The power and gracefulness behind the flight of the eagle is mesmerizing and people try to capture that. By the way, I do like Steve Miller!
On a more serious note, is this your first time writing music for a VR game? If so, what was the process like relative to some of your other projects, like Fallout and Dragon Age?
Yes, it’s the first time I’ve composed for VR and I’m very, very excited about this new medium. I think it gives the composer a great opportunity to work with and support a multi-dimensional experience. Overall, it is more challenging to match with the sound effects since SFX and all that has to do with sound in the game is extremely active, variable, and changing. At the same time, music needs to stay in the same position as far as audio location. So you have to write musical segments that are able to co-exist with and support the level of activity of sound effects in VR, which is challenging but also very exciting.
The score has been described as “soaring and uplifting.” What exactly does that mean?
Overall, the orchestral setup combining with high female voices that are not harsh but very soothing, with very driving percussion (but not heavy percussion) creating this soaring feel in the score. Also the melodic lines are very long-arc shaped; the melodies are not fast and the shape of the music is always wavy and does not jump around all the time. So you feel through the music that you’re flying, rather than walking around on the ground. Writing the melodies and letting the high strings play them also supports this aspect.
The two tracks we heard are incredible–Aeralie Brighton and Mimi Page are wonderful. How did you come to work with them and what was that like?
For the last few years I have been on a constant search for unique vocal performance that could transform some of my music and bring new elements to my music that add originality and create a new sound. I believe that both Aeralie and Mimi each have unique qualities in their voices that support this aspiration. They’re also inspiring me in my writing because when I’m thinking about their voices, it really helps me shape the music to complement their voices. So this combination has proven very effective and I feel very fortunate to collaborate with these two great artists.
Can we expect the rest of the soundtrack to have a similar tone?
Yes and no. The first two tracks–“The Wild Sky” and “Secrets of the Louvre”–showed more of the beauty of the world and nature taking over Paris. There are also dramatic moments and action music for the competitive modes.
What kind of instrumentation will we hear?
Traditional orchestral sound with tribal and ethnic percussion, voices that sound more ethnic than classical, and an assortment of instruments add to the blend.
Flying seems to be a grand, momentous thing. One of the things that I remember most about the Disney movie The Rescuers Down Under is the song that played as they were flying on the eagle’s back. Flying is a majestic, amazing thing–how do you translate that feeling into music?
The combination of orchestration, harmonization, and the melodic style supports the majestic feel of flight and the scenes below.
And in the VR space, the music and sounds are all around the player in a different way than a traditional game. How did that affect the music you wrote?
From a musical point of view, you’re trying to feature less elements because the rest of the sound has so many that the score needs to flourish in a peaceful way with all these elements. VR is very challenging when it comes to sound overall so the music needs to provide emotional support without being overbearing.
As I understand it, the world in Eagle Flight is one where there are no humans; it’s just you and other birds. How did that affect the kind of music you wanted?
The music tends to lean toward more primitive sounds to convey the beauty of nature. The mix of ethnic instruments and soaring vocals enhances the orchestral palette.
Did you play Eagle Flight before writing the music?
Yes, I was invited to Ubisoft Montreal and was one of the first people out-of-house to play the game. The controls are very smooth and the experience (when it comes to speed and height and encountering other birds) is so convincing that I found myself screaming and shouting and the staff had to come and strap me down.
Here is the official description for the Precinct map, as posted by Charlie Intel: “Set in Japan following the invasion of the Settlement Defense Front, Precinct is a medium-sized map that uses grand interiors and the city’s winding backstreets as primary locations for combat. Focusing on easy targets and enemy recognition, the map supports all play styles while driving frontline engagements.”
Already-available maps in the Infinite Warfare beta include Frontier, a circular two-lane map set on a space station near Neptune; Frost, a three-lane research facility set on one of Jupiter’s moons; and Throwback, a three-lane map that’s a throwback to 1950s USA.
Modes already in the beta include Team Deathmatch, Domination, and Defender, which tasks players with grabbing a drone and defending it for as long as possible.
Additionally, you can play as three of the six Combat Rigs available in the full game. Each Rig specializes in a specific type of combat and can be equipped with one Payload and one Trait.
You can read more about everything the beta contains on Activision’s blog.
The first Infinite Warfare beta weekend wraps up on October 17. The next one will be held October 21-24 on PS4 and Xbox One—but not PC.
