Category: Gamespot

The United Kingdom has voted to leave the European Union.

The Brexit referendum closed with 52 percent of the votes in favour of ending membership in the EU and 48 percent in favour of remaining part of it. Following the announcement of the results, the pound fell to its lowest level against the dollar since 1985 and shares on the FTSE 100 Index also dropped by eight percent.

The UK video game industry has responded to the Brexit outcome, with trade body UKIE saying the decision has resulted in some uncertainty for the industry. However, it has provided assurances it will work to ensure the UK “is the best place in the world to make and sell games.”

“Although this decision and the political uncertainty it brings will have an impact on our businesses it is important to remember that we are already a globally successful sector and a leading exporter in digital economy,” said UKIE chief executive Jo Twist.

Prior to the Brexit vote UKIE’s members, which includes a range of developers, publishers, retailers, and Universities, overwhelmingly backed remaining in the European Union.

“UKIE will continue to work hard with colleagues in government to ensure we continue to have the best possible business environment and we will be following developments closely, as well as advising members as they unfold,” Twist added.

Rebellion, the Oxford, England-based studio behind the Sniper Elite series and owner of the 2000 AD property, has said it believes the industry will remain strong.

“The UK video games development sector is an export focused industry that sells content all over the globe,” said chief executive Jason Kingsley. “We have a highly skilled workforce, a creative and growing studio population, and a heritage of 30 years of success.

“While uncertainty is unwelcome for business, the UK video games industry will remain strong, resilient, and competitive.”

TIGA, a non-profit trade association that represents the UK game’s industry, has called for the government to commit to keeping the video game industry remains healthy by ensuring it has “access to finance, a favourable tax environment,” and can “access highly skilled people from outside of the UK.”

“The UK video games industry is a high technology sector that provides high skilled employment for over 30,000 people, including approximately 11,000 development staff and which contributes £1.1 billion to UK GDP,” said TIGA chief executive Richard Wilson.

“It is also export oriented, with at least 95 percent of studios exporting. Following the referendum in favour of Brexit, it will be more vital than ever to strengthen (and avoid harming) those sectors where the UK has a comparative competitive advantage: for example, aerospace, defence, high-value manufacturing and engineering, high technology industries, higher education, low carbon technology and the creative industries, including the video games sector.”

He continued: “For the video games industry, it is particularly important that policy makers ensure games companies have access to sufficient finance, benefit from Video Games Tax Relief and R&D Tax Relief, have clear and stable IP rights, and can access highly skilled people from outside of the UK. Any new points based migration system must not be onerous or complicated, otherwise the industry’s growth could be held back.”

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Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, publisher of the Batman: Arkham series, TT Games’ Lego series, and NetherRealm Entertainment’s Mortal Kombat and Injustice fighting games, has pledged to support Nintendo’s NX.

Speaking to VentureBeat, the publisher’s president, David Haddad, discussed Microsoft’s Project Scorpio and NX, saying the publisher’s support of these platforms is unquestionable.

“We have great relationships with all the console platforms. We believe we play a role in each of them,” he said. “What I saw with the announcements that were made at [E3 2016]–I’m fairly bullish about the console cycle, about gamers spending time on them and finding great content, about publishers being able to find returns on increasing investments in that space.”

He added: “We’re constantly deciding how to navigate that, but supporting them is not a question for us.”

Warner Bros. was a big supporter of the Wii U, releasing titles such as Batman: Arkham City Armoured Edition early in the platform’s life, and continuing its support with games such as Injustice Gods Among Us, and Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.

It maintained its support of the Wii U as sales declined, while many other publishers reduced their focus on Nintendo’s consoles.

Warner Bros. Interactive’s upcoming release slate includes Injustice 2, Batman: Arkham VR, and Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Nintendo has confirmed its next gaming platform, codenamed NX, will be launching globally in March 2017.

Plans for a new console in March 2015. Reports have suggested that software development kits were sent to third-party developers early in 2015.

Microsoft new console, Project Scorpio, was announced officially during E3. The announcement followed months of rumors. It is set to release in 2017, and will feature 8 cores, 320Gb memory bandwidth, and six teraflops, allowing for true fully uncompressed 4K gaming, according to Microsoft.

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Xbox boss Phil Spencer has spoken up to praise two of Nintendo’s biggest products coming out in 2017: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and the NX.

Asked on Twitter for his thoughts on the NX, Spencer said, “When Nintendo launches a new console it’s an exciting time for the industry.”

Without being specifically asked about it, Spencer also mentioned the new Zelda game. He seemed to enjoy it–like so many others.

“And Zelda looked good at E3,” Spencer said.

NX is the codename for Nintendo’s next console, which will go on sale in March 2017. Despite being nine months from release, we don’t know much about it. Rumor has it that the NX is a console/mobile hybrid that uses “industry-leading” technology.

As for Breath of the Wild, the new Zelda game wowed fans at E3, where it was finally discussed and shown off in greater detail. The game is coming out in 2017 for Wii U, and will also be released on NX, though a release date has not been announced.

For more on Breath of the Wild, check out GameSpot’s feature, “Everything We Learned About The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.” You can also visit GameSpot’s Breath of the Wild hub to see all of our news, videos, previews, and more.

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Ubisoft Massive has announced that a new patch for The Division‘s PlayStation 4 version will not launch on Tuesday, June 28, as previously expected. The update, which introduces “significant” weapon balance changes and more, remains on schedule to land on Xbox One and PC on that date.

The developer shared this information as part of its State of the Game broadcast today, June 23. “The PS4 patch isn’t ready to be pushed out on Tuesday. We’ll have more news on that very, very soon,” community developer Hamish Bode said at the start of the stream.

After making the announcement, he referred to himself as the “crusher of dreams.”

Although Bode did not provide a specific date for when The Division’s PS4 patch will arrive, he did stress that it’s not delayed until August 2. That’s not a random date; it’s when The Division’s Underground expansion is scheduled to arrive on PS4. The add-on arrives on June 28 (alongside the 1.3 update) for Xbox One and PC.

Underground is The Division’s first of three paid expansions. The others are Survival, which was discussed briefly at E3 last week, and Last Stand. The game’s add-on content arrives first on Xbox One and PC as part of a timed-exclusivity agreement between Microsoft and Ubisoft.

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It is now less than six months until Rogue One hits screens, and more information is emerging about the hugely-anticipated Star Wars spinoff. Yesterday, it was confirmed that Darth Vader will make an appearance, and now details of the film’s main characters have been revealed.

Entertainment Weekly are running Rogue One coverage all week, and have published a breakdown of who’s who in the new movie. The new characters are:

• Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones)
  A streetwise delinquent who has been on her own since 15, she has fighting skills and a knowledge of the galactic underworld that the Rebel Alliance desperately needs.
• Captain Cassian Andor (Diego Luna)
  Andor is a by-the-book Rebel intelligence officer, brought in to steady the volatile Erso, but he’s no square. He’s committed, steady, and practical, and has seen more than his share of combat.
• Chirrut Imwe (Donnie Yen)
  Pronounced chi-RUT, he’s no Jedi, but he’s devoted to their ways and has used his spirituality to overcome his blindness and become a formidable warrior.
• Baze Malbus (Jiang Wen)
  Heavily armored, Baze prefers a blaster to hokey religions and ancient weapons, but he is devoted to protecting his friend Chirrut at all costs.
• Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed)
  Bodhi is this Rebel squad’s lead pilot. He tends to be hot-headed, but any abrasiveness is overshadowed by his skills in the air–and the void of space.
• K-2SO (Alan Tudyk)
  This towering, powerful security droid is described by Edwards as “the antithesis of C-3PO.” In other words, he’s tough, confident, not especially interested in “human/cyborg relations,” and the complete opposite of a neurotic fussbudget.
• Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen)
  Jyn’s estranged father is like the galactic version of nuclear pioneer J. Robert Oppenheimer, with doomsday knowledge that is sought by both the Empire and the Rebellion.
• Director Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn)
  On the opposing side, this villain is an ambitious Imperial apparatchik who intends to use his squad of Deathtroopers to pulverize the Rebel uprising and ascend into the Emperor’s graces–while hopefully avoiding the wrath of his enforcer, Darth Vader.

An additional protagonist is Saw Gerrera, played by Forest Whitaker. Unlike these other characters, Gerrera isn’t new to the Star Wars universe. He appears in the acclaimed animated series The Clones Wars, and is described by Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy as “a battered veteran who leads a band of Rebel extremists on the fringe of the Rebel Alliance.”

Rogue One is due out on December 16, 2016.

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Here’s something we feel obligated to tell you because it’s technically news, but also kind of not: Sonic Team, the developer of Sonic games, is making a new Sonic game.

In an interview with Famitsu, which has been translated by Sonic fansite Soah City, game director Takashi Iizuka discussed the future of Sega’s iconic speedster.

“We at Sonic Team are developing a completely new game, as well as developing a full movie actively done by Sony Pictures, and animation on Sonic Boom,” he said.

“The most important thing is not the fact that the series survived for 25 years, but how many games [were] developed. Our goal [is to] add something new and overcome any potential hardships.”

2016 marks the 25th anniversary of Sonic the Hedgehog, and it has been speculated a new game in the series would be announced.

Sega has also teased a new Sonic “anniversary” game may be in the works. It could announce the anniversary project or show the new game at its 25th anniversary party in San Diego at Comic-Con this summer, where attendees will get an “exclusive first look at the future of Sonic.

A Sega representative has said fans should “totally come to this party,” as Sega will make a “very special announcement.”

The official Sonic the Hedgehog account, which is definitely run by the Sonic the Hedgehog and not someone in community management or marketing, recently took a jab at Mighty No. 9, which has reviewed poorly.

Given that the last few Sonic games have been mediocre and he’s talking smack online, expectations are going to be high for the new game. Let’s hope it delivers.

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Earlier this week, research group DFC Intelligence put out a report that called Microsoft’s gaming business the “ugly step-child.” It wasn’t a question of if Microsoft would quit the gaming business, but “when and how,” the report said. Now, the man who runs all of Microsoft’s gaming efforts has responded.

Responding to questions about the report on Twitter, Phil Spencer said it is a “strange” assertion to think Microsoft is not committed to gaming. Microsoft announced two new consoles at E3 last week, the Xbox One S and Project Scorpio, which demonstrates the company’s commitment to the gaming sector.

This is not the first time Spencer has responded to the Xbox spinoff rumors. In March 2014, after executive Stephen Elop was reportedly planning to consider selling off the Xbox brand if he was appointed CEO of Microsoft, Spencer spoke out to reaffirm the company’s commitment to gaming.

“In terms of Microsoft’s commitment in the [gaming] space, I know both [Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella] and Stephen Elop, I know them well. I’ve had explicit conversations with them about Microsoft’s commitment to Xbox–they’re extremely committed to Xbox,” he said at the time.

Before that, in November 2013, Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen’s investment group urged Microsoft to consider spinning off the Xbox brand.

MCV reported on the DFC report, which also said Microsoft “effectively killed” the Xbox One S by announcing Project Scorpio. The thinking is, why would you buy that system when you know a more powerful one is coming? DFC noted that Sony was in a similar situation with its more-powerful PS4, codenamed Neo.

The report also said Microsoft faces an uphill battle for console game sales. Under Microsoft’s new Play Anywhere initiative, many of its first-party games will be available on both Xbox One and PC.

“So why invest in a console? Just upgrade your PC,” the report said.”

Spencer did not respond to any of these topics on Twitter, though he did explain at E3 last week why Microsoft announced two new consoles at the show. He said he wanted to be as transparent as possible with consumers and developers alike.

“The reason we announced when we did–one is I wanted to give customers a view into what we were doing,” Spencer said at the show. “If they say I have an Xbox One now, I’m thinking about an Xbox One S, I want to be as transparent as I can be so they know they’re buying with as much information as I can give them. I can’t always give them all the information, but I want to give them this information.

“I want to talk about Scorpio so customers can feel like they have a view into what we were doing so they could make the decision that is right for them.”

The Scorpio system is the most powerful console Microsoft has ever made, boasting six teraflops of performance. This comes out to four and half times as powerful as the existing Xbox One, Spencer said. Scorpio won’t replace the Xbox One, or the Xbox One S, however, as games and peripherals for those systems will work on all Xbox devices.

Spencer also mentioned that it’s not uncommon in the PC gaming world for a company to offer systems with different specs, something Microsoft appears to be following with its new console efforts.

“There’s a logical question of, ‘Hey, Phil, why would you ever announce two consoles at one show?’ Why didn’t you wait [and announce Scorpio later]? Clearly, other people made a decision to wait,” he said, referencing Sony’s decision not to show PlayStation Neo at E3. “Supporting multiple spec is something that the PC world has done for a long time; you’ve got minimum spec, recommended spec, unbounded spec.”

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Universal’s upcoming monster movie series has already attracted some big names, and it might be about to add another. It has been reported that Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is being sought to star in The Wolfman.

According to Deadline, the studio is keen to sign up the actor for a future Wolfman film. It states that there are “persistent rumours” that he is their first choice to play the role.

The first movie in the classic monster universe is The Mummy, which will hit theaters in June 2017. The film is currently in production, with Tom Cruise in the lead role, and Russell Crowe to make an appearance as as Dr Jekyll. Crowe is expected to then reprise the role in a Jeykll and Hyde film.

It has also been reported that that Johnny Depp will star in The Invisible Man. While no release date or director have been announced for that movie, it has been stated that Men in Black writer Ed Solomon is writing the script.

Earlier this month, Johnson confirmed that he would be taking on the role as legendary pulp hero Doc Savage, in a film to be directed by Iron Man 3‘s Shane Black. This is one of several movies that the actor has lined up in the next few years–others include Baywatch, Fast & Furious 8 (and a potential spin-off), San Andreas 2, a Jumanji remake, and an adaptation of classic arcade game Rampage.

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To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Quake, id Software founder and designer John Romero has reached into the archives and pulled out some fascinating historical documents.

One of these is QUAKETALK 95, an FAQ created by Joost Shuur, who used it to “keep people up to date on everything that had been posted about Quake up to that point.”

Shuur, somewhat of a superfan, collected any and all information about the game and its development. The document features everything from interview transcriptions with Romero, to magazine articles written about the game, and a catalogue of unconfirmed rumours.

“This Quake FAQ was created on 10/22/1995 to keep people up to date on everything that had been posted about Quake up to that point,” Romero explained on his blog. “People wanted to know what the game was about and information was spread thin all over the place: magazine articles, IRC logs, even in hint books.

“Joost did a great job scraping this information together,” he continued. “You can see the original design thinking behind Quake while we were making it.

“Just one month after this QUAKETALK 95 FAQ was released was our fateful, big company meeting that determined the final direction of the game into the Quake that was released. It bears little resemblance to the designs discussed here but it lets you see how volatile game design processes can be.”

It’s a fascinating insight into the game’s development path, and what it was before it became the Quake we know and love today. You can download QUAKETALK 95 here.

In addition to this, Romero also re-published the first ever screenshots of Quake. You can see some of these below. The full set is available here.

At E3 2016, Bethesda announced id Software is working on a new entry in the series called Quake Champions. Studio director Tim Willits appeared on stage to reveal the competitive arena-based first-person shooter and said it is designed for newcomers and veterans. You can see and read more about Quake Champions here.

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