Halo’s Pillar of Autumn, a massive UNSC spaceship, has been recreated in Lego form. Fan Lee Jones writes on this Lego fan creation community site that he spent 3.5 years and $7,000 to build the impressive brick ship.
The ship is over six feet long and weighs more than 200 pounds. It’s quite an impressive feat overall, though the most impressive part is probably the epic-looking engines, which you can see in the image at left.
Sony and Square Enix have teamed up for a new PlayStation 4 design to mark the release of upcoming role-playing game Final Fantasy Type-0 HD. The console, which has been announced only for Japan, comes in a red and black design, which also goes for the DualShock 4 controller.
The PS4 bundle also packs in a copy of Final Fantasy Type-0 HD (of course), a Type-0 theme, and a download code for the super-limited Final Fantasy XV demo. Siliconera reports that the console will go on sale march 19, 2015 for ¥46,980, which is about $392.
Buying Final Fantasy Type-0 HD is the only way to get access to the Final Fantasy XV demo, which should offer 3-4 hours of gameplay, according to Square Enix.
In other Type-0 HD news, Square Enix recently revealed a rather-impressive collector’s edition. For more on the Type-0 HD PS4 bundle, check out the image gallery below.
Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com
Rockstar Games made the biggest headlines this week with two pieces of news. First, the developer teased Red Dead Redemption 2, saying “we don’t always rush to make sequels, but that does not mean we won’t get to them eventually.” The developer went on to say it has “so many” games it wants to make, including potentially sequels to Bully and L.A. Noire, but the issue is always “bandwidth and timing.” It certainly sounds like Red Dead Redemption 2 is happening, so when might it be officially announced? Rockstar says “stay tuned” in 2015 for announcements of future Rockstar titles.
The other big Rockstar news this week was the announcement of Grand Theft Auto V’s Christmas-themed update for Grand Theft Auto Online. To celebrate the holidays, Rockstar has put Christmas trees in your apartments, offered free gingerbread masks, and even–inexplicably–made it snow in Los Santos so that you can have snowball fights. Read this post here for everything you need to know about Christmas festivities in GTA V.
The Other Stuff (Stories We Like, But Didn’t Cover With a Standalone Post):
This week’s recap starts off with a bang as Kotaku has discovered that someone loves Nigel Thornberry so much that they created an eerily accurate Dragon Age: Inquisition character modeled after the loveable and meme-fueling Australian adventurer. My goodness, just look at this video and these images. It’s damn near perfect. Well done!
Sony reached another PlayStation 4 sales milestone this week as the console crossed 1 million units sold in France. In reaching that mark, the PS4 becomes the fastest-selling video game console in France’s history, surpassing previous record-holder, the PlayStation 2.
Electronic Arts founder Trip Hawkins has a new job. Mobile eSports company Skillz announced this week that Hawkins will work with the San Francisco-based startup as its “strategic advisor.” In that role, he’ll “help Skillz emerge as a leader in this promising sector of the gaming industry,” Skillz said in a press release.
That’s a beautiful image, right? Someone captured that in a video game; Grand Theft Auto V to be exact. It’s one of the many new, user-submitted images Rockstar Games released this week in a post on its website. You should really check out the others, too.
Charitable video game company Humble Bundle announced this week that it’s reached $50 million in donations since its inception in 2010. $50 million in four years. Right on, gamers! Donations have gone out to more than 50 different organizations, including Doctors Without Borders, Water, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, among others.
Fans of PC simulation-strategy game Tropico 5 received new DLC this week in the form of the Waterborne expansion, available now for $20. It’s the first major expansion for the game, and challenges players to expand their rule into the uncharted waters. You can build floating apartments, construct eco-friendly power sources, or user the ocean as a means to wage war.
Activision’s billion-dollar Skylanders series is doing something it’s never done before. The publisher announced this week two brand-new elements: Light and Dark. The elements come to the game through new Trap Masters, Knight Mare and Knight Light–amazing names, huh? Those toys go on sale across the United States on December 22 through new Light and Dark elemental quest packs, which you can buy for $30 each.
Hazelight Studios, the new developer founded by Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons director Josef Fares (who is also a Swedish filmmaker), announced this week that its first game will run on Epic’s Unreal Engine 4. In a statement, Fares said Unreal Engine 4 is a “natural fit” for Hazelight, going on to praise the engine’s usability for small teams with big ambitions. We still don’t know what Hazelight’s first game is, but EA seems to like the concept, as the Battlefield company has signed on to publish it.
Strategy game Total War: Rome II this week introduced new content in the form of the Wrath of Spartan add-on, which publisher Sega calls a “massive expansion that lets you define the very destiny of ancient Greece.” The expansion introduces new technology trees and lots more–check out the trailer above to see the content in action. You can buy the expansion today on Steam for $14.99 £9.99 / €14.99 on Steam.
Classic rock fans, rejoice, as a series of Jimi Hendrix tracks are now available in Rocksmith 2014. The songs below–definitely a “greatest hits” compilation–are available for free on Xbox One and PS4 through January 31, while Xbox 360, PS3, and PC players can buy them for $3 each, $8 for three, or $30 for all 12. Rock on! m/
Bold As Love
Castles Made Of Sand
Fire
Foxey Lady
Freedom
If 6 Was 9
Little Wing
Manic Depression
Purple Haze
Red House
The Wind Cries Mary
Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
War Thunder, the World War II PC MMO from Russian developer Gaijin Entertainment, continues to expand. The developer announced this week that the game’s latest update, 1.45 (codenamed Steel Generals) has been released. Among other things, it adds new maps, new armored vehicles and aircraft, an improved damage model, a tow cable system, and reworked artillery strikes. You can read more about the changes at the War Thunder website here.
For the second time this year, Pac-Man publisher Bandai Namco has changed its name. The Japanese company started 2014 as Namco Bandai, before changing to Bandai Namco in February. This week, the name changed again to Bandai Namco Entertainment. This change will be reflected in official company materials starting April 1, 2015–this is not an April Fool’s joke.
Does someone on your Christmas shopping list enjoy the music of Devil May Cry? If so, here’s something you may want to consider. Sumthing Else Music Works has announced a licensing arrangement with Capcom to release the Devil may Cry Sound Box, a collection of soundtracks for Devil May Cry, Devil May Cry 2, Devil May Cry 3, and Devil May Cry 4. You can get it today on Amazon for $75.
Christmas and F.E.A.R. Online may go together like a grapefruit and a fork, but that’s not keeping developer Aeria Games from launching a special, holiday-themed game mode for the free-to-play game. The new mode is called Armored Front, and it’s a domination-style mode where players use mechs, turrets, and rocket launchers to kill kill their foes. What’s that got to do with Christmas? Not much, but F.E.A.R. Online has also launched a Twelve Nights of Christmas in-game celebration that rewards players for logging in during the holidays with Christmas-themed skins and gear. Reindeer antlers and a Rudolph nose are two examples.
More DLC for 2K’s Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel was released this week in the form of the Ultimate Vault Hunter Upgrade Pack: The Holodome Onslaught. It’s available now for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC, and includes a new challenge area and more weapons, as well as band new heads and skins, among other things. Sound interesting? You buy it for $10, or it’s yours “free” if you already own the Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel DLC pass, which goes for $30.
Have you ever wondered what celebrities like Benedict Cumberbatch or Anne Hathaway would look like in a video game? Wonder no more, as Black Desert players have done just that. Check out the full gallery of famous celebrities remade in the game over at Kotaku.
Beatles bassist and singer Paul McCartney teamed up with Bungie for Destiny‘s music, and he even created the game’s end-titles song, “Hope for the Future.” Destiny, however, may not be the last game he works on. He said in a new interview with The Guardian that he’s interested in making music for another video game, though nothing has been locked down yet. In the same interview, he said he’s not very good at video games–yep, we already knew that.
Following the release of a new Haunted House horror game last month, publisher Atari this week announced its latest project, a “gamified” fitness app called Atari Fit. Due to launch in early 2015 for mobile devices, Atari Fit aims to motivate users to exercise by offering them a way to unlock classic games such as Pong and Centipede by taking part in various exercises. Atari worked with personal trainer Michael Porter on Atari Fit, and more than 150 exercises will be available. You can read more about Atari Fit at the game’s website.
More DLC is available now for Warner Bros.’ Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham. Players can now download the “Batman Beyond Character Pack” on consoles and PC for $2. Buying the DLC lets you play as Terry McGinnis from the TV show, Batman Beyond. McGinnis has a range of super-abilities, including flight and invisibility, and he can also fire Batarang darts.
Do you want to build a snow man? Disney’s Frozen is now one step closer to total world domination, as a range of Frozen costumes were released this week for LittleBigPlanet, including Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and more. They’re available individually for $1.99. Alternatively, you buy can a $6 bundle that includes the three and the lovable, summer-loving snowman, Olaf.
Next week is Christmas, so Weekly Recap is taking a break. Enjoy the holidays!
Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com
The first game from Panache Digital Games, the new Canadian studio founded by Assassin’s Creed creator Patrice Desilets, will be a third-person AAA “historical-action-survival” game. Desilets opened his new studio in November, but this is the first time we’re hearing anything official about what it’s working on.
“Indeed AAA games, I believe in them,” Desilets said in a press release obtained by Game Informer. “I believe wholeheartedly that this medium we call ‘video games’ can be a positive force for change in our society and that AAA quality gaming experiences have unmatched strength to achieve this.”
That’s not a lot to go on, but it does gives us an overview of what Desilets has in mind.
One expert Destiny player has taken down the game’s toughest task, the new Crota’s End raid, without any teammates. Watch the video above to see “sc Slayerage” impressively defeat the raid, designed to be tackled by a team of six players, all by himself.
He writes in the video’s description: “It’s really no surprise. I mean, who brings a sword to a gun fight. Not a good plan Crota… not a good plan.”
Be sure to watch through to the end–or skip to the end–as the final encounter is truly a sight to behold. We won’t spoil it for you, but you won’t want to miss it.
Crota’s End was added to Destiny earlier this month through the game’s first expansion, The Dark Below. For much more on that DLC, check out GameSpot’s in-depth video below.
Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com
Shigeru Miyamoto has openly stated that Nintendo is actively working on new ideas for its next wave of hardware systems.
Though it is common for a platform holder to begin work on next-generation hardware soon after the release of the current system, it is rare that a company executive will openly discuss those plans.
But Miyamoto told the Associated Press that Nintendo is in the formative stage of designing new hardware, and suggested that preliminary work is underway on more than one system. That does not necessarily mean a new console will be released next year, but it does suggest that potential product roadmaps are being considered.
“We’re focused on providing a robust line-up of Wii U software for next year,” Miyamoto said.
“It seems like we’ve managed to do that this year and people are very happy with what we’ve done on Wii U. For the time being, our focus is on the Wii U hardware, but Nintendo as a whole has groups working on ideas for new hardware systems. While we’re busy working on software for the Wii U, we have production lines that are working on ideas for what the next system might be.”
The comment follows a recent rumor that the electronics firm Sharp will continue its close business relationship with Nintendo, this time supplying a free-form LCD screen that, it is rumored, Nintendo hopes to use to make a doughnut-shaped display. Meanwhile, in October, it was revealed that Nintendo has begun hiring staff to help work on future platforms, including a hardware architect.
Miyamoto also suggested, but did not confirm, that the next major Mario game will be reserved for new hardware.
“Since we first created Mario, people have compared him to Mickey Mouse. I’ve always said Mickey Mouse evolved with each evolution in animation. You saw Mickey Mouse each step of the way,” he said.
“From early on, I wanted Mario to be that character in the digital world, so that with each digital evolution, he was there to usher in the next era. I think that maybe when we release the next hardware system, you can look forward to seeing Mario take on a new role or in a new game.”
For now, this bedside sleep analyser is the only new hardware Nintendo has revealed it is working on.
Elsewhere in his interview, Miyamoto was asked about the rumored partnership with Sony for a Mario movie. Such details were leaked due to a hack on Sony Pictures Entertainment, supposedly from a North Korean in response to the now-cancelled movie The Interview, which depicts an assassination attempt of the North Korea dictator Kim Jong-un.
Miyamoto played down the significance of the Mario movie leak, however, describing it as a common business proposal.
He said: “I heard something about that this morning. What’s interesting is that over the past 20 years, people come to us on a fairly regular basis about creating ‘Mario’ movies. There are times that those ideas end right when they bring them to us, and other times we’ll listen to presentations. It’s not very unusual, and it’s something we’ve been doing for a very long time. I don’t particularly have a vision that the next iteration of ‘Mario’ is going to be in film.”
The Nintendo 3DS, now three years since its release, has sold more than 45 million units into retail.
Nintendo does tend to discuss new consoles far ahead of release. At E3 2004, chief executive Satoru Iwata revealed Nintendo’s plan to work on Project Revolution, which would eventually become the Wii, released some 30 months later.
Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com
Microsoft will reveal its long-rumored Xbox virtual reality headset device during the company’s E3 2015 briefing next summer, according to a new Digitimes report that cites “upstream supply chain” sources. The summer tradeshow is scheduled for June 16-18, 2015.
The site’s sources went on to say that development on the Xbox VR headset, which will presumably work with the Xbox One, will be handled by the same team that runs Microsoft’s Surface tablet line. A name for the device was not mentioned.
Microsoft’s Xbox VR headset is separate from its Google Glass-like “Fortazela” project, which first leaked in June 2012. Digitimes adds that development on this project (pictured, top) is ongoing, though no further details about features or functionality are available.
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.
While Amazon’s 30-minute drone delivery service may still be a distant dream, the online retail giant on Thursday announced a new super-fast shipping option: Prime Now. Available for subscribers based in Manhattan (other cities to follow in 2015), Prime Now offers one-hour delivery on “tens of thousands” of items.
Though Amazon says Prime Now is aimed at helping you secure “essentials” that you might need in a pinch, such as towels, shampoo, and batteries, the service also offers one-hour shipping on a variety of other things, including video games.
“There are times when you can’t make it to the store and other times when you simply don’t want to go. There are so many reasons to skip the trip and now Prime members in Manhattan can get the items they need delivered in an hour or less,” Amazon VP Dave Clark said.
To use Prime Now, you need to download the Prime Now app from iTunes or Google Play and enter your address. From there, just choose the item you want and it will be delivered to you in an hour or less. There is an $8 fee tied to Prime Now, while two-hour delivery is free.
Prime Now is available 6 AM to midnight, seven days a week. The service will roll out to other cities starting in 2015. An Amazon Prime membership costs $100 per year.
Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com
The PlayStation 4 launch game was advertised to render multiplayer in a 1080p resolution, but the final version did not quite achieve this, spurring one customer to sue and seek reimbursement.
In response, Sony’s legal council sought to dismiss the case, based on a number of arguments. But on Tuesday, US District Judge Edward Chen denied all but one of the counter-claims, meaning the lawsuit can still proceed. According to details published by Courthouse News, the complaint against Sony needs to be slightly amended before moving forward.
In March, analysis by Digital Foundry showed that Killzone: Shadow Fall’s multiplayer renders at an upscaled 960×1080 resolution, as opposed to a native 1920×1080 resolution.
The lawsuit’s chief plaintiff, Douglas Ladore, claimed in August that “gamers quickly noticed and complained that Killzone’s multiplayer graphics were blurry to the point of distraction.”
Judge Chen, looking over Sony’s response, rejected the majority of counter-arguments because they “either ignore important factual allegations… or they require this court to construe the complaint in the light most favorable to Sony”.
However, the Judge did uphold one of Sony’s arguments, meaning Ladore now has 30 days to file an amended complaint.
Killzone Shadow Fall shipped on the same day as the PS4’s launch in North America. GameSpot’s Shadow Fall review was somewhat favorable, though had some reservations.
“The basics are perfectly sound, at least,” wrote critic Kevin VanOrd. “Shadow Fall’s sense of weight doesn’t match Killzone 2‘s, but its shooting and movement are exceptionally fluid.”
Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com
A version of this year’s Dark Souls-like role-playing game Lords of the Fallen is coming to mobile devices. This game, possibly a port of the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC game or potentially a spinoff, will be released in 2015, it was announced through the title’s official Twitter account.
No further details regarding the Lords of the Fallen mobile version were shared. We have followed up with the developer, asking if this is a port of the console/PC game, a spinoff, or something else entirely.
In addition to the Lords of the Fallen mobile game, Deck 13 and publisher CI Games are moving forward on a full-on sequel, which is in the early stages of development.
It’s not too surprising to learn that the Lords of the Fallen series will be expanding. After all, the original game’s budget of around 42 million Polish zloty (about $12.4 million) was recouped earlier this year after the game shipped more than 700,000 copies, of which 200,000 were sold through to consumers.
