Category: Gamespot

(Some Of) The Big Stuff:

It finally happened. For the first time since launch last year, the Xbox One outsold the PlayStation 4 in the United States (and Europe, too!) during November 2014. Not only were hardware sales strong, but more Xbox One games were sold during November in the US than any other new-generation consoles. In addition, in November 2014, more gamers logged into Xbox Live across Xbox One and Xbox 360 than any other month in the history of Xbox. Wow!

CD Projekt Red’s ambitious upcoming open-world RPG The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was delayed again this week. The game’s latest pushback sees the exciting-looking game shifted from February 2015 to May 2015, a delay of three months. CDPR says it will use the extra time to fix the game’s remaining bugs. I can wait, can you?

During the PlayStation Experience event, Sony and Capcom announced that upcoming fighting game Street Fighter V will be exclusive to PS4 for its console release. The game is also coming to PC, and will support cross-platform play. The announcement has, as you might expect, ruffled some feathers. Microsoft has spoken out to address the news, saying “business deals happen,” while also promising to make amends.

The Other Stuff (Stories We Like, But Didn’t Cover With a Standalone Post):

What’s next for the Microsoft-owned Splosion Man developer Twisted Pixel Games? It’s beginning to come into focus, as Xbox boss Phil Spencer recently visited the Texas-based studio and teases on Twitter that the game is unlike anything the company has ever made before. Spencer adds that Twisted Pixel’s new game is also looking like the biggest undertaking the company has ever worked on. Phil is such a tease.

Legendary American football player Bo Jackson has never appeared in a Madden football game before, but that’s going to change. EA Sports announced this week that Jackson is coming to Madden NFL 15’s Ultimate Team mode and to mobile game Madden NFL Mobile. To play with Jackson, all you need to do is log into either game between December 22 and January 1 and you’ll receive a Rookie Bo Jackson item.

In other sports game news, it appears 2015’s PlayStation baseball game MLB 15: The Show will be getting an in-game radio show. That’s according to the game’s product description on GameStop.com, which reveals the feature but doesn’t say much more. Are you interested in a feature like that? Let us know in the comments below.

From BuzzFeed’s video team comes this hilarious video that gives shows us the real meaning of Smash Bros. It’s “Mario and Luigi in their greatest battle yet–sibling rivalry.”

Larry Probst, longtime EA chairman and former CEO, is stepping down from active duty at the Battlefield publisher–though he will remain on the company’s board. Probst was named interim CEO after John Riccitiello left EA in 2012 up until the point Andrew Wilson was named top executive at the company.

Video streaming giant Twitch, which itself was acquired earlier this year, this week announced the acquisition of eSports talent agency GoodGame. Twitch says buying GoodGame will allow the streaming site to “harness GoodGame’s unique service package” in an effort to improve the overall platform. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Have a Disney Infinity fan on your Christmas shopping list? If that’s you, you may want to considering heading to GameStop today, December 13. GameStop is holding a “Disney Infinity Day” today at all GameStop stores across the US with various games, toys, and bundles on sale for one day only. See the full list of deals below.

• Receive a free individual figure with the purchase of any starter pack
• $20 off Marvel Starter Packs
• $10 off Disney Original Starter Packs
• $10 off all Play sets
• $2 off all individual game figures
• Buy 2 Power Discs Get 1 FREE

The Twitch app for Xbox One got a huge update this week that introduces, among other things, an advanced filtering system. As detailed in a post on the Xbox Wire, Microsoft explains that the Twitch Xbox One app now uses new Xbox Live functionality to offer filters for player stats, game modes, maps, player skill level, and lots more.

2015’s Rise of the Tomb Raider may be accompanied by a new live-action series, according to a new report. Stephen Lunsford of MTV’s Teen Wolf is reportedly behind the project, according to a since-removed Instagram post. While details are limited at the moment, the series is rumored to be a prequel to the game.

We now know A LOT more about Human Element, the next game from Robert Bowling, the former longtime Call of Duty developer. Following the game’s debut trailer at The Game Awards last week, the Human Element website has been updated with tons of game details. In terms of story, we now know that Human Element is set 35 years after a zombie apocalypse, during a time when the remaining human population has created safe havens scattered around the landscape to secure resources. In terms of gameplay, Human Element will let you shoot guns and drive vehicles in its 5v5 game modes. Read more about Human Element at the game’s website here.

If you’re like me and you love video game art, this one’s for you. Artist Donglu Yu has shared a handful of the concept art he created for Ubisoft’s blockbuster open-world shooter Far Cry 4. You can see all these images at his website. It’s definitely worth a look.

Omni-directional virtual reality treadmill company Virtuix announced this week that it’s raised $2.7 million in venture capital funding as the futuristic-looking technology gets closer to its commercial launch. The $2.7 million is being spent on operational support and will also go towards funding for the acceleration of research and development, among other things. The omni-directional treadmill, called Omni, lets users walk, run, and jump within a 360-degree (virtual environment), which makes for a VR experience like no other, the company says. The final version of the Omni will be on display at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next month.

Sony’s PlayStation 4 FPS Killzone: Shadow Fall received a big update this week that, among other things, makes changes to the way the title’s in-game currency system works. Check out the video above to see a breakdown of what’s new with the “Valor” update.

Mobile game Spider-Man Unlimited received a new update this week that brings storylines and characters from Marvel’s Spider-Verse series to the game. That’s a first for a mobile game, publisher Disney says. Spider-Man Unlimited, a free game, has been downloaded 30 million times so far, the publisher adds. You can read more about the game at Spider-Man Unlimited’s website.

It’s that time of year … Facebook this week announced a ton of Year In Review trends, including the most popular game of the year on the social networking site. The top game was Cookie Jam, followed by Bubble Witch 2 Saga and Candy Crush Soda Saga. The Top Global Topic, unsurprisingly, was The World Cup, while the most-viewed Ice Bucket Challenge video was president George W. Bush’s. Of course. You can see all of Facebook’s 2014 Year In Review lists here.

Are you still playing BioWare’s free-to-play PC MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic? If you are, you’re probably happy to learn that the game’s latest expansion–Shadow of Revan–is now available. It increases the game’s level cap and represents the game’s “most ambitious story-driven expansion yet,” according to BioWare’s Jeff Hickman.

Deep Silver this week published the intro cinematic for upcoming zombie game, Dying Light, which sets up some of the story for the game. Not much else to say here; you can watch the trailer above.

A FreeSpace tabletop game is in the works, but it needs your help to become a reality. Developer Interplay and designer Chris Taylor of Fallout and Starfleet Command fame have launched a Kickstarter campaign to create FreeSpace Tactics, a board game based on the classic strategy series. They’re looking for $75,000 to make the game, and have until January 12 to get there. You can read more about FreeSpace Tactics and pledge at the Kickstarter campaign website.

A UK politician has found himself in hot water after he was caught playing super-addictive mobile game Candy Crush Saga during an official meeting. And he was playing on an iPad paid for with taxpayer money. Whoops! He’s since apologized.

This week, United States president Barack Obama became the first president in US history to write a computer program. It was a very simple program, as it only draws a square on the screen, but according to experts, that’d kind of the point. “All programming starts simple,” Code.org co-founder Hadi Partovi told Wired. “No one starts by creating a complicated game.”

Interested in learning about the fall of once big-time publisher THQ? You’re in luck, as Polygon has written an excellent feature diving into the story surrounding the company’s downfall, as told by the people who were there. Read the story here.

Have a great weekend!

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

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Update: Valve has restored Steam’s Holiday Auction event and posted the following note:

“On Thursday Dec 11th we had an issue with Gems that meant we needed to reset the Auction and start over. We apologize for the interruption. Any placed bids will need to be placed again.

• All Gems created by you have been returned to your Inventory
• All Gem purchases from the Community Market have been reimbursed. View your Store Transactions to see the Wallet Credit to your account.
• All previous Auction bids have been canceled and the Auction has been reset.
• Additionally, anyone who traded away items in exchange for Steam Gems on the first day of bidding will receive a copy of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive in their Inventory.”

The Auction will run from December 15 7:45 a.m. to December 18 10:00 a.m., when Valve confirmed the Steam Holiday Sale will start.

The original story appears below.

Valve has closed its Holiday Auction just hours after the promotion went live, after it quickly emerged that some users were exploiting the system.

Some 100 copies of two thousand Steam games were due to go up for auction from December 15, meaning there were 200,000 games ready to bid on. What made this promotion unique is that users wouldn’t need to bid with money, but instead Steam Gems, which can be acquired by deleting various sundry items such as trading cards and badges.

Those who play games on Steam will have noticed they accrue such items just by buying and playing games, meaning that how many gems each person owns is supposed to reflect their dedication.

However, hours after the auction went live, some users discovered a way of exploiting the system via trading, while other users appear to have found ways to duplicate their own gem currency. One user, for example, was discovered on Reddit to have obtained 1.9 billion gems, which is theoretically enough to win every auction.

Valve has elected to delete that person’s gem inventory, and due to the exploitable nature of the promotion, has suspended it.

“Sorry, but there have been some issues with Gems and the Steam Holiday Auction has been temporarily closed,” the company wrote on its auction website.

“The elves are working frantically to get the issues sorted out, and the auction will start again as soon as they’re done.”

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Amazon just revealed a bunch of great deals on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Wii U, 3DS, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 games.

The best deal of the bunch is on the PS4 version of Wolfenstein: The New Order for $15, which is the cheapest price we’ve seen for the game yet, especially on consoles.

Below you’ll find the rest of of today’s deals on Amazon divided by platform. The sale will last through 11:59pm on Saturday, December 20.

PS4

• Wolfenstein: The New Order — $15
• Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes — $10
• Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag — $20
• Watch Dogs— $25
• DriveClub — $35
• Injustice: Gods Among Us – Ultimate Edition — $13
• NBA 2K15 — $30
• Rocksmith 2014 — $40
• The Evil Within — $25
• The Last of Us Remastered — $30
• The LEGO Movie Videogame — $15

Xbox One

• Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor — $28
• Halo: The Master Chief Collection — $45
• NBA 2K15 — $30

Wii U

• Just Dance 2015 — $20

PS3

• Lego: Marvel Super Heroes — $13
• Just Dance 2015 — $20
• FIFA 15 — $25
• Rocksmith 2014 Edition — $35
• Need for Speed Rivals Complete Edition — $20
• Persona 4 Arena Ultimax — $25

Xbox 360

• Need for Speed Rivals Complete Edition — $20

3DS

• Pokémon White Version 2 — $18
• The LEGO Movie Videogame Standard Edition — $13

Other

1. Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes (2.0 Edition) – Marvel’s The Avengers Play Set — $25

For more great discounts, check out GameSpot’s regular gaming deals posts.

• Wolfenstein: The New Order — $15
• Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes — $10
• Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag — $20
• Watch Dogs— $25
• DriveClub — $35
• Injustice: Gods Among Us – Ultimate Edition — $13
• NBA 2K15 — $30
• Rocksmith 2014 — $40
• The Evil Within — $25
• The Last of Us Remastered — $30
• The LEGO Movie Videogame — $15

Xbox One

• Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor — $28
• Halo: The Master Chief Collection — $45
• NBA 2K15 — $30

Wii U

Just Dance 2015 — $20

PS3

Lego: Marvel Super Heroes — $10

Just Dance 2015 — $20

FIFA 15 — $25

Rocksmith 2014 Edition — $35

Need for Speed Rivals Complete Edition — $20

Persona 4 Arena Ultimax — $25

3DS

Pokémon White Version 2 — $18

The LEGO Movie Videogame Standard Edition — $15

For more great discounts, check out GameSpot’s regular gaming deals posts.

Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on Twitter @emanuelmaiberg.

For all of GameSpot’s news coverage, check out our hub. Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com

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First there was a Samus Aran Amiibo with two arm cannons. Then a Princess Peach with no legs. Now, what appears to be another Amiibo manufacturing error has come to light.

A reader sent us an image of a Marth Amiibo with two swords and no sheath. Marth is only supposed to have one sword and one sheath, as you can see in the official, Nintendo-prepared image below.

We’ve seen multiple images and three videos that seem to suggest that this Marth Amiibo is a bonafide manufacturing blunder, and not someone trying to pull a fast one on us.

We’re also told that the toy remains factory sealed, something we concluded was true after seeing videos that seemed to show the box had not been tampered with.

Of course, this is the Internet, and nothing is ever absolutely 100 percent.

This rumored Amiibo manufacturing error is particularly noteworthy because it’s the first we’ve ever seen of this kind of mistake. As such, it could become a valuable collector’s item, just like the legless Prince Peach Amiibo that sold for over $25,000 earlier this week.

If there’s enough interest around the dual-wielding Marth Amiibo, expect it to show up for sale on eBay, the reader told us.  Marth could end up proving to be a true rarity, as some reports are coming in that the character may have already been discontinued by Nintendo.

Nintendo’s Skylanders-style Amiibo line was released in late November alongside Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. The toys have been top-sellers, shifting some 700,000 units in ten days, and that’s just for the United States. The most popular Amiibo so far is Link, from the Legend of Zelda series.

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

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The trove of emails recently unearthed and leaked to media from the massive Sony hack have revealed that Sony Pictures is working hard to secure the rights to make an animated Super Mario Bros. movie.

BuzzFeed obtained a series of emails that speak to Sony’s deep negotiations with Nintendo over the rights. In an email dated October 23, 2014 with the subject line “Mario,” producer Avi Arad (Spider-Man) explained to Sony Pictures executive Amy Pascal that, “I am the proud father of mario the animated film.”

Arad also sent Pascal images of him standing next to Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata, saying, “Happy ceo, lets get together, it’s the mother load. [sic]”

At this point, it seemed as if Arad’s negotiations with Nintendo for the Super Mario Bros. animated film rights had been finalized. Pascal sent the above email to Tom Rothman of Sony Pictures subsidiary TriStar Pictures, saying, “Avi closed Mario brothers. Animated.”

Arad has since denied that Sony’s deal with Nintendo for a Super Mario Bros. animated movie has actually gone through, telling BuzzFeed that his negotiations with the Japanese game giant are “just the beginning.”

Still, it appears Sony has already spent some time thinking about how it could build out a Mario animated film series. Pascal mentions in a subsequent email that she thinks Genndy Tartakovsky, director of Hotel Transylvania and creator of Dexter’s Laboratory, would be “perfect” for the job of bringing Mario to the big screen for Sony. However, a representative for Tartakovsky said he “is not involved.”

Other emails from Sony Pictures executives say a deal with Nintendo could lead to a “Mario empire” for Sony, which may already have as many as four movie ideas in mind.

Sony and Nintendo are competitors in the console space. However, no emails were discovered that spoke to Sony Pictures feeling anxious or concerned about pursuing the Mario movie deal even though Sony Computer Entertainment (i.e. PlayStation) and Nintendo are rivals.

GameSpot has contacted Nintendo and Sony for comment.

The most recent Mario movie was 1993’s Super Mario Bros., starring Bob Hoskins as Mario and John Leguizamo as Luigi. Hoskins, who died earlier this year, said the Mario movie was the worst project he’d ever been involved with.

The Mario movie, if indeed it’s happening, would become one of many video game movies currently in development. Ubisoft has a total of six films in the pipeline, including movies based on Assassin’s Creed, Watch Dogs, and Splinter Cell. Meanwhile, Sony is making a Last of Us movie, Konami is moving forward on a film based on Metal Gear Solid, Blizzard Entertainment has its Warcraft movie, and an Angry Birds film is scheduled for 2016. Capcom is also working on new Dead Rising and Resident Evil movies.

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

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Assassin’s Creed Unity‘s “Patch 4,” the one that should fix most of the open-world game’s remaining issues, will be released on Monday, December 15 across all platforms, Ubisoft has announced on its website.

As previously explained, this patch will address a long list of issues, and should improve stability, performance, online matchmaking, and connectivity overall. You can read the full Assassin’s Creed Unity Patch 4 update notes through our previous coverage.

Finally, Ubisoft says PC players using AMD video cards should install the latest drivers before applying the update on Monday.

Unity was released in November, though it–like other big-name games this year–suffered through some technical troubles out of the gate. Ubisoft has released a number of patches so far, and is even offering up free DLC and full-games to apologize for the bugs.

Are you still running into bugs and other issues in Unity? Let us know in the comments below!

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