Category: Gamespot

DICE has revealed the two new characters that will be included in the upcoming Death Star expansion for Star Wars Battlefront. The first is Bossk, the Trandoshan bounty hunter, while the second is everyone’s favourite Wookie, Chewbacca.

The announcement was made during Star Wars Celebration, where a number of developers working on a EA’s various Star Wars titles appeared. Further details on the two characters were not released, but an image of Chewie was. Take a look at it below.

The Death Star expansion will be available to season pass holders in September. It introduces new ground and space maps, weapons, Star Cards, and two heroes. One of these characters is described as “larger-than-life” and someone DICE knows players have been waiting for.

During the panel a very brief trailer showed a number of fighter pilots engaging in combat, the scene was very reminiscent of the Death Star assault from A New Hope.

Another upcoming mode for Star Wars Battlefront is Skirmish, which allows players to have multiplayer battles offline. You can read more about it here.

Star Wars Battlefront has shipped 14 million copies, becoming one of the best-selling Star Wars games of all time. A sequel is on the way, which will be developed by DICE and Motive Studios.

In addition to the Battlefront sequel, a number of other Star Wars games are coming from internal and external studios to be published by EA.

EA Star Wars Games in Development:

• DICE — Collaborating with Motive on new Star Wars Battlefront game, coming in 2017.
• Respawn — Third-person action adventure game (no release date)
• Visceral Games — New action game coming in 2018
• BioWare — Continued development on Star Wars: The Old Republic
• Capital Games — Continued development on Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes
• Motive — A new Star Wars Battlefront game, in collaboration with DICE.
• Criterion — Assisting with development on unspecified Star Wars project

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Following its release at the end of June, 343 Industries has now pushed out an update for Halo 5‘s newest mode, Warzone Firefight. As outlined in this week’s Community Update blog post, 343 laid out all of the changes delivered to the mode through the update this week.

There are changes for Warzone Firefight’s five of six maps, and they involve things like moving objectives to different rounds and reducing the number of target kill assignments. You can see the complete patch notes below.

343 multiplayer designer David Ellis said the amount of data being generated from Warzone Firefight playthroughs has “grown exponentially” since the mode’s beta in April this year. The beta only had one map, Escape from A.R.C, but the full release has six.

“In general, we’re pleased with what we’ve seen regarding the conquering of those pesky AI foes,” Ellis said. “However, that data, alongside feedback gathered from a variety of internet locales and social media, helped us identify a few objectives that were not playing at a difficulty appropriate to the round where they exist.”

Ellis mentioned that, in addition to what’s mentioned in the patch notes, there are some “additional under the hood changes in this release that should improve your in-game experience” as well as help prepare for future updates.

Warzone Firefight Patch Notes:

URBAN

• Moved “Defend the Garage” objective from Round 1 to Round 2
• Moved “Defend the Forerunner Powercore” (Hill) objective to Round 3
• Moved “Eliminate Knight Sublimis and the Phaeton Helmsmen” objective to Round 4
• Moved “Eliminate the Banshee Raiders” objective to Round 4
• Moved “Kill 35 Prometheans” objective to Round 3

MARCH ON STORMBREAK

• Reduced target number for “Kill Soldiers” objective in Round 2 from 50 to 35
• Reduced target number for “Kill Knights” objective in Round 4 from 25 to 20

RAID ON APEX 7

• Moved “Kill 60 Grunts” objective to Round 3
• Moved Solder Bandit boss objective to Round 3
• Moved “Eliminate the Hunter Particulars” objective to round 4
• Moved “Eliminate the Hunter Premiers” objective to round 3
• Moved “Eliminate the Warden Eternal” objective to Round 4
• Moved “Kill 25 Knights” objective to Round 4
• Reduced number of knight waves that come in with Grunt Boss in Round 5

SKIRMISH AT DARKSTAR

• Moved “Defend the Armory” (Promethean) to Round 2
• Moved “Defend the Armory” (Covenant) to Round 1
• Moved “Eliminate the Soldier Commandos” objective to Round 4
• Moved “Eliminate the Phaeton Helmsmen” objective to Round 4
• Moved “Eliminate the Warden Eternal” objective to Round 3

ESCAPE FROM A.R.C.

• Moved “Defend the Garage” objective to round 4
• Moved “Eliminate the Recon Pilots” objective to Round 3

It’s not just Halo 5’s Warzone Firefight that received an update this week. 343 also pushed out a fix for a lighting issue on Forge’s new Tidal canvas.

“Ironically enough, the issue arose in relation to a change we made in how we structure the map internally–a change that we thought would actually optimize the map a bit more,” user-generated content lead Tom French said. “Unfortunately, it actually ended up causing everything in the sky box to re-light bake unnecessarily, resulting in drastically increased bake times. This new hotfix should address these issues and immediately improve players’ Forging experience on Tidal.”

In other news about Forge, 343 released the following image without context:

This could be an image from Halo 5’s upcoming file browser, which will be available on Xbox One as well as Windows 10 PC.

Go to Halo Waypoint to read the full Community Update post.

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While Destiny‘s new Rise of Iron expansion doesn’t arrive until September, Bungie has now announced a new livestream event where it will preview some of the content.

Bungie will host a Twitch livestream next week that it’s calling the Cosmodrome Winter Tour. The developer said, “Before your adventures into new territories begin, you’re invited to join us for an exploration of how the world you know has changed with the passage of time.”

The stream kicks off on Wednesday, July 20, starting at 10 AM PT. You can watch it live on Bungie’s Twitch channel.

Bungie also teased in its weekly blog post that that it will share more details on Rise of Iron’s new Plaguelands social zone in the future.

Rise of Iron is Destiny’s fourth expansion, following The Dark Below, House of Wolves, and The Taken King. It launches on September 20 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One–but not PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It comes with new armor and gear, as well more quests, weapons, and Crucible maps. The expansion also introduces a new raid and increases the maximum light level.

Bungie is also bringing back the famous Gjallarhorn weapon for Rise of Iron.

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Having already informed Destiny players on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 that the end is nigh for new updates, developer Bungie has now confirmed exactly when updates will end: August 16.

Starting that day, the PS3 and Xbox 360 will be considered “legacy consoles” and will no longer receive major Destiny updates or new content releases.

If you’re looking to move forward to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, you can follow the instructions laid out in this Account Import page. Additionally, people who only play on PS4 or Xbox One will also need to perform the Account Import process to keep playing.

From August 16 onward, “progression will no longer be shared between console generations within the same console family,” Bungie said.

While Destiny is staying online for PS3 and Xbox 360, there are some significant-sounding changes on the way to the gameplay experience. For one, players will no longer be able to buy the Silver currency, though people with Silver still in their accounts can use it to buy more items.

Additionally, Trials of Osiris and Iron Banner will no longer be available, while “live events” such as some specific playlists, quests, bounties, and rewards, are going away after August.

Some of Destiny’s previous live events have included holiday-themed events such as Festival of the Lost and Crimson Days, as well as the Sparrow Racing League.

Here is a rundown of the key changes, as detailed by Bungie on its website.

• Legacy Console players will have until 2:00 AM PDT on August 16th, 2016 to receive their Moments of Triumph T-Shirt code on their Year Two Triumphs page on Bungie.net.
  • After this date, Legacy Console players will no longer be able to access Character data on Bungie.net, which includes the completion of the Year Two Moments of Triumph Record Book and T-Shirt code.
  • Players may continue to make progress and earn in-game rewards from their Year Two Moments of Triumph Record Book through September 20th, 2016 on Legacy Consoles.
  • Players who complete their Year Two Moments of Triumph Record Book on Legacy Consoles may still generate a T-shirt code, only if they perform an account import on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One prior to 11:59 PM PDT on October 4th. For more information, follow this link.
  • PLEASE NOTE: The Account Import process is a one-time process that splits progress between console generations. After an account has been imported, this cannot be undone.
• Destiny Events and Activity Availability will be changing for Legacy Consoles on August 16th, 2016.
  • Activities such as Iron Banner and Trials of Osiris will continue to be available to Legacy Console players through the end of August 2016.
  • The ability to purchase Silver will no longer be available on Legacy Consoles starting August 16th, 2016.
  • Players may still purchase items from Eververse Trading co. with Silver that is already present on their account.

Bungie previously said around 90 percent of Destiny players are on PS4 and Xbox One. Additionally, leaving last-gen systems behind allows the developer to introduce “new bells and whistles” that might not be possible on older hardware.

Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto V is taking a similar approach. The game’s multiplayer mode, GTA Online, no longer receives major, content-rich updates for its last-gen versions.

Destiny’s Rise of Iron expansion is skipping last-generation consoles as well. It launches on September 20 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One only.

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Earlier this week, Nintendo unexpectedly announced that its famous NES console is coming back with a mini version due out in November. It comes with 30 games, including some great ones like Super Mario Bros. 1-3, The Legend of Zelda, and Donkey Kong.

Now, Nintendo has confirmed some further details about the device, including that it cannot connect to the Internet and won’t get more games.

Speaking to Kotaku, a Nintendo representative confirmed the miniature NES cannot connect to the internet because it is a “standalone device.” It also doesn’t have any external storage.

Nintendo also shot down the possibility of more games being added to the library over time. The 30 games included with the bundle are the only ones players can expect. Nintendo also talked about why it chose the games it did and said users should be able to find multiple games that appeal to them.

“The game lineup was chosen to provide a diverse mix of popular and recognizable NES games that appeal to a wide variety of players,” Nintendo said. “Everyone should be able to find multiple games to enjoy.”

You might also wonder if the mini-NES is just the first mini console Nintendo plans to come out with. Could there be a mini-SNES or mini-N64 in the future, Kotaku asked.

“We have nothing to announce at this time,” Nintendo said.

Finally, Nintendo confirmed that the mini-NES’ chamber lid does not open and it cannot play old NES cartridges.

The NES Classic Edition launches on November 11, priced at $60. Additional controllers are available for $10.

NES Classic Edition Games:

• Balloon Fight
• Bubble Bobble
• Castlevania
• Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest
• Donkey Kong
• Donkey Kong Jr.
• Double Dragon II: The Revenge
• Dr. Mario
• Excitebike
• Final Fantasy
• Galaga
• Ghosts N Goblins
• Gradius
• Ice Climber
• Kid Icarus
• Kirby’s Adventure
• Mario Bros.
• Mega Man 2
• Metroid
• Ninja Gaiden
• Pac-Man
• Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream
• StarTropics
• Super C
• Super Mario Bros.
• Super Mario Bros. 2
• Super Mario Bros. 3
• Tecmo Bowl
• The Legend of Zelda
• Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

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The Star Wars Celebration event kicked off in London today, and one of Friday’s biggest panels is themed around the Rogue One spinoff. The event kicks off at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET / 4 PM BST.

This will be preceded by a “panel preview” 15 minutes before the start time. You will be able to watch the panel live through the YouTube embed. Director Gareth Edwards and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy will appear on the panel to talk about the film. Some “special guests” will also appear during the event, which Lucasfilm calls a “can’t-miss” event.

In other news about Rogue One, a new trailer is expected to be released later today. For more on Star Wars Celebration, check out this roundup of everything happening at the show.

Rogue One comes out in December, with the next saga movie, Episode VIII, landing in 2017. After that, a standalone movie focusing on young Han Solo will premiere in 2018.

In other news about Rogue One, we recently learned that Darth Vader will appear in it. Additionally, a batch of new images were released, while the names and more details for the cast of characters were also shared.

Reports suggested the film’s reshoots were done to “lighten the mood,” but Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, who is a producer on Rogue One, later said the movie’s tone and story has not changed.

“There’s nothing about the story that’s changing, with a few things that we’re picking up in additional photography,” she explained. “I think that’s the most important thing, to reassure fans that it’s the movie we intended to make.”

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In a surprise announcement today, Nintendo revealed that the NES–which was originally released in the 1980s–is returning to stores. This is not a joke.

The NES Classic Edition will launch on November 11 with 30 bundled games. As you can see in the image below, it’s very, very small. Take a look:

The NES Classic Edition will cost $60. It plugs directly into your TV using an included HDMI cable. As for the games, there are 30 in all, including classics like Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, and Kirby’s Adventure (full list below).

Nintendo also confirmed that each game has multiple suspend points, allowing players to pick up where they left off in they need to step away for any reason.

It also comes with an AC adapter. In the UK, Nintendo warns, “An AC adapter for the USB cable is required to play the system but is not included in the packaging.”

Also included in the package is one NES controller, featuring a design modeled after the original NES pad. Some games support two players, and Nintendo will sell extra controllers for $10. Additionally, Classic Controller and Classic Controller Pro controllers can be used.

What’s more, the NES Classic Controller, when connected to a Wii Remote, can also be used to play Virtual Console NES games on Wii U or Wii.

“We wanted to give fans of all ages the opportunity to revisit Nintendo’s original system and rediscover why they fell in love with Nintendo in the first place,” Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime said in a statement. “

NES Classic Edition Games:

• Balloon Figh
• Bubble Bobble
• Castlevania
• Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest
• Donkey Kong
• Donkey Kong Jr.
• Double Dragon II: The Revenge
• Dr. Mario
• Excitebike
• Final Fantasy
• Galaga
• Ghosts N Goblins
• Gradius
• Ice Climber
• Kid Icarus
• Kirby’s Adventure
• Mario Bros.
• Mega Man 2
• Metroid
• Ninja Gaiden
• Pac-Man
• Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream
• StarTropics
• Super C
• Super Mario Bros.
• Super Mario Bros. 2
• Super Mario Bros. 3
• Tecmo Bowl
• The Legend of Zelda
• Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

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In a surprise announcement today, Nintendo revealed that the NES–which was originally released in the 1980s–is returning to stores. This is not a joke, apparently.

The NES Classic Edition will launch on November 11 with 30 bundled games. As you can see in the image below, it’s very, very small. Take a look:

Developing…

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