Category: Gamespot

According to a new report, Sony will launch “five or more” smartphone games in 2018 as part of its newly formed mobile gaming division, ForwardWorks. Nikkei reports that these games, which could launch in March 2018, will be “targeted” at Japan and other parts of Asia.

Sony could announce them by the end of the year, the report said (via MCV).

As announced previously, these games may pull from Sony’s library of characters and franchises. Interestingly, Nikkei reports that “some older games that cannot be played on the latest hardware will be revived” for smartphone games. Additionally, “games may be linked to consoles as well,” the report said.

The games, whatever they turn out to be, will be made for iOS and Android devices.

“The company will aim to deliver users with opportunity to casually enjoy full-fledged game titles in the new field of the smart device market,” Sony said in March when it announced the new smartphone game division. The company added that it formed ForwardWorks so as to meet the demands of the “ever-expanding smart device market.”

Sony has only announced that its new smartphone games will be released in Japan and Asia, though the company has not ruled out bringing them to the west as well.

The smartphone market is nothing new for Sony, as the company’s PlayStation Mobile division has already launched titles like Run Sackboy Run and Ratchet & Clank: Before the Nexus.

Nintendo also has big plans for the smartphone market. Its first game, Miitomo, came out earlier this year, while Super Mario Run is scheduled to arrive in December. Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing smartphone games are also on the way.

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With Battlefield 1‘s Play First Trial now available on Xbox One and PC, it’s been discovered that one of the single-player campaign chapters lets you play as a pigeon for a brief moment.

This happens in the tank-centric “Through Mud and Blood Mission.” After things go badly, you and your squadmates are pinned down inside your tank. As last ditch effort, your commanding officer instructs you–against the wishes of others–to release a carrier pigeon to call in backup.

What happens next is pretty cool. You become the pigeon and are tasked with delivering the message. You can control the bird, looking down on the bleak scene below. Here’s an image I took during my playthrough:

You can see the sequence in action in this YouTube video from Platform32. The pigeon part starts at around 42 minutes.

Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto V also lets you become a bird, but you have to eat a hallucinogenic peyote plant to do that.

The Battlefield Play First Trial also includes the new “War Pigeons” mode. According to DICE, dogs and pigeons were used to deliver messages during World War I.

“In the War Pigeons game mode the opposing sides compete to use messenger pigeons to call in artillery barrages on the enemy,” reads a line from its official description. “When the game starts, a pigeon coop with a messenger pigeon is placed somewhere on the map. Locate the pigeon before the enemy and carry it to a safe location out in the open. There you prepare a message and send it off, calling for artillery support. Once a message is successfully sent an artillery barrage will strike the enemy.”

Battlefield 1 is playable right now on Xbox One and PC for people who subscribe to EA/Origin Access. The 10-hour trial contains a sampling of the shooter’s single-player and multiplayer modes.

People who buy the $80 Early Enlister edition can start playing on October 18. This package, which also includes DLC, is offered on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.

We also recently learned that Battlefield 1 features one of history’s tiniest guns. Battlefield 1 launches in full on October 21.

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Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare launches on November 4, but you don’t have to wait that long to try out Activision’s newest entry in the juggernaut shooter series.

As announced previously, the first stage of the game’s multiplayer beta kicks off today, October 14, on PlayStation 4. The beta is only available for people who preordered the game on Sony’s system, either at retail or through the PlayStation Store. Pre-loading started earlier this week, while the servers will go live at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET, according to an FAQ on Activision’s website.

The PS4 beta ends on October 17 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. The following weekend’s beta will be held on PS4 and Xbox One, running October 21 to October 24 at the same times. The Infinite Warfare beta will not be offered on PC.

In terms of content, the Infinite Warfare beta includes access to three of the game’s Combat Rigs and a limited selection of modes and maps. A complete outline on what the beta consists of is available here. Check out the video above to see some of the beta’s content in action.

For last year’s Call of Duty: Black Ops III multiplayer beta, Activision eventually opened it up to all users, regardless of preorder status. It remains to be seen if that will be the case for Infinite Warfare.

Infinite Warfare launches on November 4 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Premium versions of the game come with a Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare remaster, which includes the campaign and multiplayer. People who preordered on PS4 can play the Modern Warfare Remastered campaign right now.

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The Xbox One‘s backwards compatibility feature has been a big hit, players collectively spending more than 145 million hours playing Xbox 360 games on Xbox One since the feature landed in November 2015. Part of the reason why the program has been so successful may come down to the fact that Microsoft has steadily added new games to the catalog, including much-requested ones like Red Dead Redemption and Call of Duty: Black Ops.

Now, Xbox boss Phil Spencer has shared a little more insight into his ambitions for the program. Asked on Twitter if Call of Duty: Black Ops II was going to be added to the catalog, Spencer didn’t confirm one way or the other. Instead, he said, “I like the progress on [backwards compatibility],” he said. “We’d like to have all and work on [third-party] games is always a partnership with publisher.”

There is certainly demand for Black Ops II to be added to the catalog. The 2012 shooter from Treyarch is currently the most-requested game for inclusion on the Xbox Feedback site, with more than 193,000 votes. There are no guarantees, however, that Black Ops II or any other community-requested title will ever come to the program. As Spencer said, publishers get to make the call.

Black Ops II wouldn’t be the first Call of Duty title in the Xbox One backwards compatibility catalog, as Call of Duty 2, Call of Duty 3, Call of Duty: Black Ops, and Call of Duty: World at War are already in. You can see all 250-plus backwards compatibility games here.

Just this week, Microsoft added four more games to the Xbox One backwards compatibility catalog, including Jurassic Park: The Game, Battlestations: Midway, Dragon’s Lair, and Tour de France 2011.

What games would you like to see added to the Xbox One backwards compatibility program? Let us know in the comments below.

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It’s a big day for Sony, as the company’s long-awaited and highly anticipated PlayStation VR headset arrives on store shelves today, October 13.

The headset alone is priced at $400, but the device also requires a PlayStation 4 and a PlayStation Camera. Sony also sells a $500 Launch Bundle that comes with the headset, a camera, two Move controllers, and the PlayStation VR Worlds five-game bundle. All PlayStation VR units come with a demo disc that contains trials for 18 different games, including Resident Evil 7.

Before launch, Sony told fans they should expect PlayStation VR shortages. Right now, the device–both the core package and the launch bundle–are in stock and available at Amazon, GameStop, and Best Buy.

There are of course numerous games available for PlayStation VR, including Batman: Arkham VR, Until Dawn: Rush of Blood, and the aforementioned PlayStation Worlds VR. Check out GameSpot’s review roundup to see what critics are saying about those games and others.

GameSpot’s Jimmy Thang reviewed PlayStation VR, saying it’s not a must-buy at the moment.

“As a VR fan, I want PSVR to succeed, but it trips up too many times to wholeheartedly recommend at this point,” he wrote. “Many of the launch titles will make a large percentage of people sick, and it may lead to the false impression that VR has to make you nauseated. If you have a PS4 and are dying to get PSVR, then I’d recommend the $499.99 bundle which includes the PlayStation Camera, two Move controllers, and PlayStation VR Worlds.

“If you have a PS4 and are simply curious about VR, I’d hold out until more titles are released. While there are a handful of fun titles, there’s nothing that I’ve played at launch so far to indicate to me that the PSVR is a must-buy right now. For everyone else, I’d recommend saving up for a better reality.”

Research group Superdata released a report recently that estimated PlayStation VR sales to reach 2.6 million by the end of 2016. The firm said sales will benefit from the large install base of the PS4, which stands at more than 40 million units. However, Superdata also acknowledged that there may not be a “killer app” for PlayStation VR. Additionally, with a $400 PlayStation 4 Pro coming in November, some consumers may opt for that system instead of the VR device.

Are you planning to pick up PlayStation VR this week or soon? Let us know in the comments below.

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A new update is now available for Pokemon Go, the focus of which are the two new features that developer Niantic Labs discussed last week. As announced previously, these features include a new catch bonus system and a tweak to Gym training so that you can bring six Pokemon to battle.

In addition, this update adds egg and incubator screens, which will “periodically” update the distance that you walk without the need to close and then open the screen again. The update also fixes a number of “audio issues,” though these were not specified in the blog post.

Additionally, the new Pokemon Go update decreases the evolution animation time and includes some “minor” fixes. You can see the patch notes and developer commentary below.

As for what features might come next, a multiplayer battle mode has been teased. The CEO of The Pokemon Company said the game launched without this feature in part because Niantic did not want to confuse players with too many features all at once. Niantic has been rolling out new features since the game launched in July, including an appraisal feature and a buddy system, among other things.

Launched in July, Pokemon Go is reportedly still bringing in around $2 million per day from its microtransactions. The game has been downloaded more than 500 million times.

Pokemon Go Update 0.41.2 (Android) and 1.11.2 (iOS):

• Catch Bonus: Trainers can earn a catch bonus for a Pokemon type as they catch more of a specific type.
• Updated Gym Training: Trainers can now bring six Pokemon to battle at friendly Gyms. The CP of the Pokemon you are battling may be temporarily adjusted lower for your training session.
• Egg & Incubator Screens: These will periodically update the distance walked without the Trainer needing to close and reopen the screen.
• Fixed several audio issues.
• Decreased the evolution animation time.
• Minor fixes

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