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Category: Gamespot

Halo 3: ODST Remastered Release Date Listed

Microsoft has listed the release date for its remastered version of Halo 3: ODST for Xbox One as May 29.

The date, which has yet to be officially confirmed by Microsoft or Halo stewards 343 Industries, appeared on Xbox.com, but has since been removed.

The re-release, which was announced as recompense for significant matchmaking issues in Halo: The Master Chief Collection, will be available for free to those that played Master Chief Collection between its release date (November 11) and December 19.

At the time, head of 343 Industries Bonnie Ross said the developer is giving these items to players for free to thank them for sticking with Halo: The Master Chief Collection during its troubled launch.

“This has been a humbling experience and highlighted how we as a studio can – and need – to do better for Xbox fans around the world,” Ross said. “We are so grateful to our fans who have stood by our side and we appreciate all of your patience as we worked through these issues.”

Previously, 343i said the updated version of Halo 3: ODST’s campaign and a reimagined version of the Halo 2 multiplayer map Relic should be added to Halo: The Master Chief Collection in May, but offered nothing more specific than that window.

For more on The Master Chief Collection, check out GameSpot’s review and previous coverage.

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May 27, 2015
Windows 10 Companion App and Cortana Coming to iPhone and Android

Microsoft previously stated that its plan for Windows 10 was to have it reach 1 billion devices by 2018. Now, it’s becoming clear how Microsoft will do that: by bringing the operating system to non-Windows devices.

The company on Tuesday announced that a Windows 10 companion app will be available for iOS and Android devices alongside the main version for Windows devices.

“A real challenge people face is figuring out how to make everything work together,” Microsoft’s Joe Belfiore wrote on the Windows blog. That’s why we’re announcing a ‘Phone Companion’ app built-in to Windows 10, which will help you connect your Windows PC to whatever phone you own–whether it’s a Windows phone, Android phone, or iPhone.”

Once you sync up your iPhone or Android device, you’ll be able to access your files and content across PC and phone. Check out the full blog post for a detailed breakdown of how this works.

In addition, Microsoft announced today that Windows 10’s Siri-like digital assistant Cortana–named after the Halo character–will also be available for iPhones and Android devices. Cortana can fetch net-based data such as web results and weather reports, among many other things.

However, there will be some limitations.

“Although the functionality will be very helpful, because it’s “just an app” there will be certain things that Cortana does on Windows phones that won’t work on Android devices or iPhones,” Belfiore said. “Some features require access to the system that aren’t currently possible with iOS or Android, so things like toggling settings or opening apps won’t initially be available in the Cortana companions for those platforms. Similarly, the ability to invoke Cortana hands-free by saying ‘Hey Cortana’ requires special integration with the device’s microphone, so that feature will be limited to Windows Phones and PCs.”

Windows 10 launches this summer, first on PC. The new operating system will also be integrated into the Xbox One, but not until “post-summer.”

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May 27, 2015
Xbox One Witcher 3 Patch Will Lock Frame Rate at 30FPS

An upcoming patch for the Xbox One edition of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will lock the game at 30fps. That’s according to CD Projekt Red community lead Marcin Momot, who offered the following statement.

@stay_scialla The lock should be there in the upcoming patch.

— Marcin Momot (@Marcin360) May 26, 2015

A Digital Foundry tech analysis published last week found that the Xbox One edition could, at times, achieve a resolution higher than 30fps. That might sound nice, but the frame rate was also found to be quite unstable. Sometimes it dipped below 30fps, leading to an undesirable stuttery experience.

The Xbox One patch is currently going through Microsoft’s certification process, which means, barring any problems, it should be released soon. A PlayStation 4 patch, which also promises to improve performance, was released earlier today.

Although the console versions of The Witcher 3 are only just now receiving their first patches, the PC edition of the RPG has already been updated on multiple occasions.

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May 27, 2015
Elder Scrolls Online Preorder Bonus Removes a Character Creation Restriction

As with the PC version last year, those who preorder The Elder Scrolls Online for Xbox One or PS4 will receive the Explorer’s Pack, a bonus that provides some in-game content and gives you more flexibility when creating a character.

The Explorer’s Pack, available with digital and physical preorders, consists of three parts: bonus treasure maps, a vanity pet named Warty, and the ability to play as any race, regardless of your alliance.

That last part is arguably the most important. When you choose from the three alliances–Ebonheart Pact, Daggerfall Covenant, and Aldmeri Dominion–it restricts what races you’re allowed to choose from. Of the nine total races, only three are available to each alliance. These races represent not only significant cosmetic differences, but each also has its own unique bonuses.

This can be problematic if you want to join the same alliance as a friend, but you each want to play as races from different alliances. With the Explorer’s Pack, this isn’t a problem–assuming you preorder. If the PC version is any indication, the Explorer’s Pack won’t be sold separately. We’ve asked Bethesda if there will be any way to avoid the race restriction in the future, and will report back with anything we learn.

Following a series of delays and a shift to a new name and subscription-less business model, The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited is set for release on June 9.

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May 27, 2015
Yes, Rise of the Tomb Raider is Still an Xbox Timed Exclusive

Top Xbox boss Phil Spencer has spoken out to clear up confusion regarding the exclusivity status of upcoming adventure game Rise of the Tomb Raider. On Facebook, Xbox Australia updated a post from January 2015 to say that Rise of the Tomb Raider is no longer a timed exclusive, but a full exclusive.

“Not timed exclusive but exclusive,” the message reads.

But that doesn’t seem to be exactly accurate. Asked on Twitter about this very message, Spencer said nothing has changed since he revealed last summer that Rise of the Tomb Raider was only a timed exclusive for Xbox.

“There has been no change to our deal on Tomb Raider,” he said. “Same as before when I answered. Timed.” In another tweet, he said, “We are working with Crystal Dynamics on Tomb Raider to make it great on Xbox this Holiday; that’s our goal and 100 percent of our focus.”

Rise of the Tomb Raider was announced as an “Xbox exclusive” for holiday 2015 during Gamescom last summer. Spencer later clarified, however, that the exclusivity deal with Square Enix was for a certain period of time, not permanently. That leaves open the possibility that Rise of the Tomb Raider could come to PlayStation 4 or PC sometime down the road, though this has not been confirmed.

Microsoft will be heavily involved in the forthcoming release of Rise of the Tomb Raider this year for Xbox One and Xbox 360, as the company will publish Rise of the Tomb Raider and handle marketing and distribution. No release date for the game has been announced, but we expect Microsoft to talk more about the title during its E3 2015 briefing next month.

Rise of the Tomb Raider is a direct sequel to 2013’s Tomb Raider reboot. That game has now sold more than 8.5 million copies, making it the best-selling Tomb Raider game of all time.

What’s your take on Rise of the Tomb Raider’s Xbox exclusivity? Let us know in the comments below.

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May 26, 2015
Xbox One's D4 PC Release Date, DLC Plans Revealed

The PC version of the Xbox One murder-mystery game D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die finally has a release date. The Windows edition will arrive on June 5 for $15, while a variety of downloadable content (see below) will also be available for purchase. Developer Access Games (Deadly Premonition) also said a free demo version would be available soon, though no further details were provided.

D4 will be available on Steam, GOG, the Humble Store, and Playism.

Although D4 is expanding onto a new platform with PC, the game is never coming to PlayStation 4, presumably due to an agreement with Microsoft, which published the Xbox One version.

For lots more on the PC version of D4, including its system requirements and its many changes from the Xbox One edition, check out GameSpot’s previous coverage.

D4 PC DLC:

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May 26, 2015
Street Fighter 5 Devs "Looking Into" PS3 Arcade Stick Support

Capcom has said it is assessing the possibility of including support for PlayStation 3 arcade sticks in Street Fighter V, which is currently in development for PlayStation 4 and PC.

Last week, Sony revealed that the PlayStation 4 version of Ultra Street Fighter IV would feature support for some fighting sticks thanks to the inclusion of drivers developed by Skullgirls studio Lab Zero.

Lab Zero’s drivers allow arcade sticks (specifically those registered as a Generic USB GamePad or Joysticks) to work with the PlayStation 4. MadCatz’s officially licensed line of sticks, which are generally the most popular among players, function this way and so are supported.

When asked by GameSpot if Street Fighter V on PS4 will also include these drivers and support for older arcade sticks, a Capcom representative said it was something the company is currently investigating.

“I can confirm that we are looking into this at the moment,” said Capcom. “[We] will share more information soon.”

The PS4 version of Ultra Street Fighter IV rolled out on Tuesday. This version will include all costume DLC, including the recently released Vacation and Wild costumes, as well as the Omega Mode.

Capcom is partnering with Sony for the development and release of Street Fighter V. The game is currently in development for PS4 and PC only, and will support cross-platform play.

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May 26, 2015
This Week's Xbox One and Xbox 360 Deals With Gold Revealed
Microsoft has announced this week’s Deals With Gold lineup. Now through June 1, 2015, Xbox Live Gold subscribers can save on games like Scream Ride, Alien: Isolation, and various Call of Duty titles.

Check out all the deals, divided by platform, below. Note that all deals require an Xbox Live Gold subscription except Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Gold Edition, which is also available for Silver members.

Are you picking anything up this week? Let us know in the comments below.

Xbox One:
- Alien: Isolation — $24
- Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Digital Pro Edition — $67
- Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Gold Edition — $49.80
- Scream Ride — $26.80
Xbox 360:
- Alien: Isolation — $20
- Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare — $40.19
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare — $10
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 — $15
- Call of Duty: World at War — $10
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May 26, 2015
Witcher 3 Becomes Biggest UK Launch of 2015
Namco Bandai’s The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has taken the top spot UK chart and, according to sales monitor GFK Chart-Track, has had the biggest debut week for a game release in 2015 so far.

The Witcher 3 beat Battlefield Hardline‘s sell-through by 53 percent to attain this record.

The game’s week-one sales were an 608 percent increase over The Witcher 2‘s first week sales. However, it must be noted that the second game in the series initially only launched on PC, and was followed by an Enhanced Edition for Xbox 360 a year later.

Elsewhere on the chart, Farming Simulator enters at No.2, followed by FIFA 15 at No.3 and last week’s top placement, Project Cars, at No.4.

The full top ten follows:
In Gamespots The Witcher 3 review, CD Projekt Red’s latest earned a perfect 10/10 and was described as “this is one of the best role-playing games ever crafted.”

Click to view in full screen

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May 26, 2015
Witcher 3 Dev Treating Xbox One Save Problems "Very Seriously"

The Witcher 3 developer CD Projekt Red has acknowledged an issue affecting the ability to save games on the Xbox One version of its open-world role-playing game.

The issue, as reported by numerous users on the Witcher 3 forum, disables the auto-saving and manual saving function, but doesn’t notify the player this has happened.

This has led to complaints that numerous hours of play have been lost and, obviously, is an issue that can negatively impact the experience of a large open-world RPG.

Responding to one of the forum posts, CD Projekt Red quest designer Philipp Weber confirmed the studio is “aware of the issue and treat it very seriously,” adding that it hopes to “put the fix in a patch as soon as possible.”

On Monday CD Projekt Red released a new patch for the PC version of the game that improved texture rendering quality, introduced the ability to rebind all keys, and more. The full Witcher 3 patch notes can be read here.

A patch for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions, which will address frame rate issues and more, is expected this week at the earliest.

The Witcher 3 launched worldwide on May 19 to rave reviews, including a perfect 10/10 from GameSpot. The game has faced some controversy, with its developer recently speaking out to address “graphics downgrade” concerns.

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May 26, 2015