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Assassin's Creed Movie Release Date Revealed

The upcoming live-action movie based on Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed series starring Oscar-nominated actor Michael Fassbender will hit theatres on December 21, 2016. 20th Century Fox announced the date this week (via The Hollywood Reporter), which is one week after the first Star Wars spinoff from Disney.

Previously, the Assassin’s Creed movie was scheduled to come to theaters in August 2015, but Fox delayed the project in September 2014 due to reported production issues.

Fassbender will play the lead role in the film, which will be directed by Justin Kurzel, who directed Fassbender in upcoming movie Macbeth. No other cast members or plot details have been announced.

Talking about the movie last year, Fassbender said the Assassin’s Creed film will be respectful of the game. At the same time, however, the actor pointed out that “we also want to bring new elements to it and perhaps our own vision of things that already exist in the game.”

Ubisoft has a total of six movies in the pipeline. In addition to Assassin’s Creed, the Paris-based publisher is making movies based on its Far Cry, Rabbids, Watch Dogs, Splinter Cell, and Ghost Recon franchises. In all instances, Ubisoft will retain creative control through its Ubisoft Motion Pictures group.

Though the Assassin’s Creed movie won’t arrive until 2016, fans of the stealth-action series are getting a new game next year in the form of Assassin’s Creed Victory, which is set in Victorian era London, according to a recent leak.

Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com

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January 6, 2015
Nintendo Offers New 3DS Ambassador Edition to Select Fans

Select Club Nintendo customers across Europe are being offered the chance to buy a limited edition New Nintendo 3DS.

This one-off handheld, called the ‘New Nintendo 3DS Ambassador Edition,’ features a custom white cover with Nintendo characters etched into the casing. It comes with a limited edition attachable faceplate, as well as a 4GB memory card and pair of AR Cards.

Those chosen by Nintendo can purchase the bundle for £180, and will find out via email whether they have been selcted. For now this offer is only available to certain Club Nintendo users, and not all of them, while there appears to be no other way to buy the handheld.

When asked by GameSpot how Nintendo selects customers for the chance to buy the Ambassador Edition, the corporation said it was “unable to disclose such business information.”

It added: “However we would like to reassure you that we are continually looking at different promotional offerings we can bring to consumers at various times throughout the year.”

“The terms and conditions for such promotional activities are individual to each promotion, but we will endeavour to bring you more promotional activities in the future, which we hope you will be able to take advantage of.”

The New Nintendo 3DS and 3DS XL launched across Japan in October. A North America and European release is pencilled in for 2015.

It comes with various hardware improvements, such as a small C-Stick next to its face buttons, which effectively works as a second analog stick.

Also featured are two new shoulder buttons–ZL and ZR–along with what Nintendo is calling “Super-Stable 3D,” which will broaden the viewing field of the stereoscopic 3D.

Upgraded hardware will allow the system to run faster, while the in-built NFC technology will enable the use of Nintendo’s Amiibo figurines.

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January 6, 2015
Far Cry 4 Briefly Blocked on Xbox One After Marketplace Error

Some Xbox One owners who bought the digital copy of Far Cry 4 had encountered an unusual problem on Monday, with the game suddenly unwilling to load up.

Users found that, even if they deleted and reinstalled Far Cry 4, their Xbox One would return the error code ‘0X87DE07D1’ when they attempted to boot the game. Their console would then ask whether the game had been purchased.

Curiously, the error appeared to coincide with the game’s surprise, and seemingly accidental, removal from the Xbox One Marketplace. In the early hours of Tuesday morning, Microsoft managed to re-list the game on the Xbox Live Marketplace, and users found that their boot problems had suddenly ceased.

This process would suggest that–in some, but not all, circumstances–playing the digital version of Far Cry 4 can be dependent on some kind of online verification, or automatic gating process, from Microsoft’s side. GameSpot has contacted Microsoft for clarification.

A Far Cry 4 support forum thread managed to chronicle the problem as it emerged, and then was quickly resolved, between Monday and Tuesday.

With regards to this specific error, Microsoft’s Xbox One support page suggests that in some circumstances a connection to Xbox Live is required.

The company writes: “If the game was purchased in digital form and the owner is unable or unwilling to enable sharing, the owner has to be signed in and connected to Xbox Live for that game to be played.”

Microsoft’s original plan for the Xbox One was that the console would require a persistent internet connection, which would enrich the games with online-centric content and features, but also make digital authentication necessary. In May 2013, the Xbox executive Phil Harrison said this authentication process would occur on a daily basis.

However, following consumer upheaval, two months later Microsoft scrapped the policy, meaning the Xbox One can install and boot games with no required internet connection.

But the accidental Far Cry 4 removal from the Xbox One marketplace, and how this is linked to some digital versions becoming inaccessible, suggests that digital verification is still enforced in some cases.

At the time of going to press, the number of reports and complaints on the Ubisoft thread has died down. A community manager recommends that, for those who still are facing the issue, they should attempt to hard reset the console.

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January 6, 2015
Dota 2 Model Turns Shopkeeper Into Gabe Newell

A user has created a workshop item for Dota 2 which transforms the in-game shopkeeper into Valve CEO and co-founder Gabe Newell. Reported via Eurogamer, the item can be viewed on the game’s Steam community workshop and was created by Down_Limit.

According to the user, the model was created “in gratitude to the development team” who worked on Dota 2. Steam members can vote for whether they would like to see the item used in-game. The creator hopes to have it added to the upcoming New Bloom Festival event, for which Valve has put the call out for user-made items themed around Chinese New Year, Chinese history, and Spring.

Would you like to see this item come to Dota 2? On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the model’s resemblance to that of Gabe Newell? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com

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January 6, 2015
PS4 Sales Reach 18.5 Million Units

Sony has now sold more than 18.5 million PlayStation 4 units worldwide, the company announced today in a Japanese press release translated by Reuters. This is up from 13.5 million at the end of October 2014. The new milestone counts consoles sold up to January 4, 2015.

In addition, Sony revealed that it now has 10.9 million PlayStation Plus subscribers, which is up from 7.9 million at the end of October 2014. A PS Plus subscription costs $50 per year.

Sony achieved the new PS4 sales figure despite some strong headwinds in recent months. The rival Xbox One outsold the PS4 in November, while a Christmas Day DDoS attack brought down the PlayStation Network for upwards of 48 hours, causing headaches for millions.

It’s possible PS4 sales could have been even stronger if it weren’t for supply issues in Europe during Christmas, according to PlayStation president Andrew House. The executive also admitted that PS4 sales conditions were “tougher” in November due to the Xbox One price cut.

By comparison, the Xbox One had shipped 10 million units as of November. Microsoft has not provided a new sales tally since. We’ll have that information for you as soon as it becomes available.

Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com

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January 6, 2015
PlayStation Now's All-Access Service Costs $20 Per Month

Sony will launch its PlayStation Now subscription program in North America on January 13, the corporation has announced.

The service gives customers access to an online library of more than 100 PlayStation 3 games, which can be streamed to various Sony devices such as Smart TVs, Sony Xperia smartphones, PS Vita, and consoles.

For now, the subscription service is only available to those with a PlayStation 4, though Sony says access will open to other devices soon.

The cost of the subscription is $20 per month, or $45 per quarter, both of which grant unlimited access to the full library of PlayStation 3 games.

Presently, PlayStation Now users can only rent individual games, paying as much as $5 for four hours of access to titles such as Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Ninety-day subscriptions to individual games, meanwhile, can cost as much as $30.

A trailer, above, showcases some of the PS3 games that will be added to PlayStation Now in January, such as Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune and BioShock Infinite. Additional games available through the service can be found in the image below:

Sony did not reveal when it expects to bring the subscription service to Europe.

To mark the launch in North America, Sony is offering a one-week free trial. Meanwhile, a free PlayStation Now theme will be available in early January. Those who download the theme will be entered into a prize draw offering a free one-year subscription to one lucky entrant.

Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com

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January 5, 2015
Xbox Boss Teases Kinect Director's Next Project

Microsoft and Xbox fans hoping to see what’s next from Kinect creative director Kudo Tsunoda are in for a treat this year, according to Xbox boss Phil Spencer. He says on Twitter that Tsunoda’s next project–whatever it might be–is likely to come out of the shadows later this year.

Tsunoda

Asked on Twitter by a fan for details about Tsunoda’s next project, Spencer confirmed that he is still with the company and teased: “2015 will be a big year for Kudo, he’s stepping back into the limelight.”

Unfortunately, Spencer did not share any further details.

So what might Tsunoda be working on? One possibility is Microsoft’s long-rumored Xbox VR headset, which we recently learned might be officially unveiled at E3 2015 in June. Development is reportedly far along, as Xbox VR development kits were recently sent to unnamed studios.

Fortazela

Another possibility is that Tsunoda is working on Microsoft’s other head-mounted display technology, the Google Glass-like Fortazela project that reportedly blends virtual reality and augmented reality. You can see a Fortazela concept shot at right.

Though Microsoft has yet to outline its official plans for the VR space, the company has been open in saying VR is something it’s been experimenting with for a long time.

Competitor Sony announced its own virtual reality device, Project Morpheus, during GDC in March 2014, though the company hasn’t said when it plans to launch the PlayStation 4 device or what it will cost. Meanwhile, the Facebook-owned Oculus Rift headset is also deep into development for PC.

Microsoft’s mysterious VR project has been in development for years, and the company even gave a demonstration of the tech to Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Grand Theft Auto parent publisher Take-Two Interactive.

What do you think Tsunoda’s next project is? Let us know in the comments below!

Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com

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January 5, 2015
Xbox One Price Returns To $400

Just as planned, Microsoft’s temporary $50 Xbox One price cut, which went into effect in early November 2014, is now a thing of the past. The console now starts at $400 at retailers across the US.

The $50 price cut brought the Xbox One down to $350–a full $50 below the starting price for the rival PlayStation 4. The price cut was also no doubt a major factor in the Xbox One’s success in November 2014, when the console outsold the PS4 in the US and UK.

In addition, PlayStation executive Andrew House has acknowledged that PlayStation 4 sales have been challenged since the Xbox One price drop.

If you act quickly, you may be able to buy an Xbox One for below $400. Online retail giant Amazon, as of 7:37 AM EDT, has 12 Assassin’s Creed Unity bundle units available for $380.

Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com

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January 5, 2015
Far Cry Survey Seeks Ideas on Future Settings, From Vampires to Vietnam

Publisher Ubisoft appears to have issued a survey to some of its customers, asking them what they would like to see in future Far Cry games.

The questionnaire, brought to light by Eurogamer, offers a broad range of scenarios for fans to approve or dismiss. Ideas include “a Far Cry game where you can fight against or join vampires”, as well as “a Mad Max-style post-apocalyptic world”, and even “a Far Cry game set in the modern day on a Jurassic Park-style island with dinosaurs”.

While the survey does not offer solid information on what approach Ubisoft Montreal will take for its next Far Cry game, it does suggest that those in charge of the franchise are keeping an open-mind on where the series could go.

Other possible scenarios in the survey include real-world settings such as Peru and Alaska, as well as moments in history such as the Vietnam War.

Work on Far Cry 4 commenced during the latter stages of the Far Cry 3 project–a common process of tandem game development that, if continued, means that a bulk of work on the next Far Cry project is already completed. That would suggest, though not confirm, that information from this survey would not apply to the next game in the series, but those beyond that.

Far Cry 4 shipped in November on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and last-gen consoles to generally positive critical reception. GameSpot’s Far Cry 4 review suggested the open-world FPS “represents the good, the bad, and ugly of video games all at once.”

“It’s awesome and messy and dumb and fun and annoying and gross and beautiful,” the review concluded.

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January 5, 2015
UK Chart: Advanced Warfare Opens 2015 On Top
The UK games charts for 2015 have opened with the Xmas number one, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, holding its position in first.

Activision’s blockbuster shooter series leads a familiar top ten, with GTA V retaining second and FIFA 15 remaining in third. Assassin’s Creed Unity trades places with Far Cry 4, going up from fifth to fourth.

Other key releases from 2014, such as Destiny and Driveclub, feature in the remainder of the chart. Nintendo’s latest Wii U title, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, enters at 16.

The top ten follows:
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January 5, 2015