Their first drive could be their last. Focus World has unleashed the trailer for Cop Car, starring Kevin Bacon, a Sundance 2015 Park City at Midnight cult hit that will definitely find an audience when it hits theaters this summer. Cop Car is, as it sounds, about two kids who steal a cop car and go joyriding on rural highways. However, there’s a bigger back story involving Kevin Bacon’s character that makes things much more interesting. This is one of those films that is best seen without knowing anything beforehand, as the trailer shows quite a bit of footage. But if you’re curious to know what the heck this is even about – fire it up. ›››
“We’re at war… It’s a war of perception: the poor kid from Brooklyn against the whole Soviet Empire.” Bleecker Street has debuted a full-length trailer for Ed Zwick’s Pawn Sacrifice, the long-awaited Bobby Fischer movie, starring Tobey Maguire as the chess champion who went crazy. This movie profiles Fischer during the lead up to his 1972 match against Russian rival Boris Spassky, played by Liev Schreiber, in Reykjavik. The cast includes Peter Sarsgaard, Michael Stuhlbarg & Lily Rabe. I saw the film at TIFF last year and wrote in my review: “I was fully engaged in Pawn Sacrifice from start to finish, fascinated by the politics and the sport, but also intrigued by Bobby Fischer and his peculiar mind. The who and why…” ›››
It’s been a long time coming, but EA’s FIFA series is finally putting female players into the game.
FIFA 16 will include 12 of the top women’s international teams–including Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, England, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Sweden, and the USA–and will be playable across multiple modes. Whilst those modes are yet to be confirmed, EA has stated that women’s teams will not be able to be played against men’s teams in order to remain “authentic” to real-world football.
The inclusion isn’t a mere reskinning of existing players, however. According to FIFA 16 producer Nick Shannon, new technology–including animations, body types, and even hair physics–had to be retooled or created from scratch to accommodate the introduction of female players.
We talked to Shannon to find out more details about women’s teams in FIFA 16
How long has this been in the works for?
Nick Shannon: It’s been a while. The most important thing for us when we wanted to add the women’s international teams was that we wanted to do it right. We wanted to do it properly. For us to be able to do that, there were a lot of things that we actually had to change within our game. We wanted to make sure that the body types looked good, so we actually created new body types. We created new body scaling technology that’s actually helped with the men as well, so you’ll now see a bigger differentiation with a tall, skinny player than a bigger, well-built player. That was down to us wanting to make the women’s models look right in the game.
We also wanted to make sure we could get our scanning technology. We sent that out on the road, so we’ve scanned many of the teams to make sure we make the faces look as authentic as possible. We’ve never been able to do hair simulation during game play as the we’ve had problems maintaining 60 frames a second. We managed to be able to do that and maintain 60 as well. We wanted to do it right. We wanted to do it properly. This year was the year that we could do that.
It seemed like there was quite a lot of work to put into this. Can you quantify how much extra development it took?
It’s not really something we’re looking at because ultimately a lot of these things as I said with hair and body types are across the entire game, and it was something we needed to do to make the women’s feature run properly.
Why is now a good time to introduce female players?
It’s the right time because we’re able to get the technology in place to do it properly. It’s as simple as that.
Is this something that you’re looking to expand in future features?
We’ll see. I mean we obviously don’t really talk about the future–we’re still focused on what we’re doing this year. Beyond that we’ll have to wait and see. We’ll again listen to feedback and what people liked and didn’t like about it. Then we’ll go from there. We’re just really excited to be bringing it to players.
Warner Bros. and developer Rocksteady, in conjunction with Sony, have released a new trailer for Batman: Arkham Knight that shows off the game’s range of PlayStation 4-exclusive content.
As previously announced, this content takes the form of Scarecrow Nightmare Missions, as well as various Batman and Batmobile skins.
This content will be exclusive to PS4 through “at least” fall 2015, after which it could be released for Xbox One and PC, though no plans have been announced.
Check out Arkham Knight’s PS4-exclusive content in the video below. Arkham Knight launches June 23 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
It appears Bungie is no longer the only developer working on sci-fi shooter Destiny.
A newly discovered job advertisement at Activision’s High Moon Studios reveals a previously unannounced partnership between the Transformers and Deadpool developer and Bungie.
“We need to add world class talent as we partner with Bungie to support work on their groundbreaking Destiny franchise,” reads a line from a job ad for a mission designer.
An ideal candidate for the position will be “passionately familiar with the Destiny franchise.” Skills that will make a candidate more attractive include experience and familiarity with cooperative mission design and open-world design. These are the hallmarks of Destiny.
We’ve contacted Activision and Bungie to ask for more details regarding the new High Moon-Bungie partnership. We’ll update this post with anything we hear back.
High Moon has a history of playing a supporting role in the development of blockbuster games. Most recently, the studio developed the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 editions of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare.
Although Bungie may be looking for help on Destiny, it doesn’t mean the developer has stopped hiring internally. In fact, the studio currently has a whopping 74 open positions posted to its website.
One of Microsoft’s E3 surprises may have been spoiled. The company’s own Xbox Support website reveals a new version of the Xbox One controller that features a 3.5mm headphone port at its base.
A line from the description explains that this port will “only available on controllers released after June 2015.” This timing would suggest an announcement at Microsoft’s E3 briefing next month, though this has not been confirmed. It’s also unclear if a 3.5mm port is just one of the rumored controller’s new features.
#16 is the new 3.5mm port
As you can see in the image above, the new controller design, in terms of form factor, is identical to the existing controller. We’ve contacted Microsoft, asking for more information.
This would be the first change to the Xbox One controller since launch in November 2013. Controller revisions are somewhat rare in console gaming, though Microsoft does have a history of making tweaks.
Back in 2010, Microsoft announced a new version of its Xbox 360 controller that featured a transforming d-pad. This decision came in response to complaints about the standard d-pad, which players felt yielded insufficiently precise inputs for some games.
Watchdog, a BBC series that investigates accusations of customer service misconduct, is expected to broadcast an episode looking into Playstation Europe’s refund policy for digital content.
The episode, set to air on Thursday, will primarily deal with the case of a customer who was refused a refund for a digital purchase, despite Sony’s internal investigation revealing it was made when the account had been compromised.
Sony has an awkward refund policy for digital content, stating on its PlayStation Store website that a customer’s right to cancel store purchases and claim a refund “depends on the type of product” purchased from the Store.
“Wallet top-ups and purchases of digital content are final,” it said. “This means that we will not credit your wallet, refund any wallet balance or transfer funds or content to another account, unless required to by local law.”
Although this stance is common among other companies that deliver content digitally, it has left some customers to complain about the standards of customer service. In one recent case, John Lappin, a PlayStation 4 owner in the UK, was told that a Sony investigation had concluded that a £39.99 purchase made using his PlayStation Network account had come from a console he didn’t own, and concluded that fraud had been committed on his account.
Despite this, Lappin was not offered a refund for this purchase.
In the recorded phone call below, Lappin talks to a PlayStation customer service representative, and proceeds to read out an email he apparently received from the company.
Citing the email, Lappin said Sony’s response was: “In relation to the transactions you recently flagged, our investigation concluded that the serial number of the console on which these transactions were made does not match the serial number on the console you provided to us.”
He continues: “The next sentence then says, regrettably, you can’t offer any refund for purchases unless they’re defective. So what’s being said there is ‘yes, it probably was someone fraudulently making the purchase, but because it works for them, we can’t refund you,’ which is just ridiculous.”
According to the customer service rep, Sony is unable to provide the refund because it cannot conclusively prove that he didn’t personally allow someone else to purchase the content.
Posting on NeoGAF, Lappin further detailed his dealings with PlayStation customer service, saying he spoke to multiple people and, ultimately, was unable to resolve the situation satisfactorily.
“I phoned and spoke to 4 or 5 different people, all but one were nice enough but all said the same thing and that they couldn’t do anything,” he said.
“The last [conversation], when I asked where the money was now, after all they’d banned the offending console and revoked access to the game, Sony reluctantly admitted [they] had it. When I asked why they couldn’t give it back she explained it was my ‘punishment’ in case I had been trying to trick them.”
Lappin added that he understands the issue is “not that big of a deal,” but said Sony’s attitude towards the issue gave him cause to pursue it.
“Normally I’d let shit like this go and put it down to bad luck, but the attitude of Sony was so appalling it actually made me laugh,” he said. “I genuinely couldn’t believe some of the things they were saying and it was just amusing.
“Ultimately, it’s £40 on a videogame that a 35 year-old bloke lost, who cares? But this has happened to a lot of people, that money adds up. What if some kid gets a PSN card for his birthday and has that money taken?”
Issues pertaining to PlayStation’s customer service have been a topic of discussion on the RLLMUK forum, with the more extreme issues collated on the Tales From Sony Customer Service website. It may be that some of the other stories on this website will be referenced in BBC’s program.
GameSpot has contacted Sony for an official response on the accusations and the Watchdog episode. A spokesperson has said a statement will be issued shortly.
This episode of Watchdog is scheduled to be shown on BBC One at 8pm UK time (12pm Pacific) and will also be available following its airing on BBC iPlayer.
EA’s new Need for Speed reboot will be released on November 3, according to a release date listed on Xbox.com.
The listing has since been removed from the US version of the website but, at the time of writing, can still be accessed from other territories.
EA has not yet officially confirmed a release date, and it must also be noted that Xbox.com has been known to attach placeholder release dates to upcoming games, so it may be that this date is incorrect.
GameSpot has contacted EA for a comment.
Xbox.com’s listing also features new details on the game, teasing “five unique ways to play and win” and “rich authentic customization.”
It reads: “Carve your own unique path, via multiple overlapping stories, gaining reputation on your journey to become the ultimate icon … Build a car that reflects your character through extensive visual and performance customization.
“Need for Speed returns with five unique ways to play: Speed, Style, Build, Crew, and Outlaw, enabling you to earn reputation and ultimately win your way.”
Also mentioned is a new “West Coast Urban” setting: “Discover a nocturnal open world of urban car culture you never knew existed. Ventura Bay is your urban playground; from downtown, the harbour, and the canyons, the city comes alive while you sleep.”
This year’s Need for Speed game has been described as a “full reboot,” and EA previously said it is due to launch this fall for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.
Streaming platform Twitch.tv has announced a policy preventing games rated Adults Only by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board from being streamed on its service.
In a blog post detailing its stance, the company said it would no longer make game-specific decisions on which games can and cannot be broadcasted, as this method is “unsustainable and unclear.”
Instead, in an effort to make its policies more transparent, it will now no longer permit games rated Adults Only in the US by the ESRB on Twitch broadcasts. Equivalent ratings in other territories also apply.
“While the ESRB ratings apply exclusively to US titles, our policy extends to versions of these games in all territories. Generally, if the US version is rated for Adults Only (18+) or has an equivalent rating in your territory, you should not broadcast the game,” the blog explains.
Twitch further clarified that “ESRB rated Mature versions of of Adults Only titles are permitted for streaming, such as Mature versions of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy.”
“Games rated 18+ by other rating systems are fine to stream, so long as they are not rated AO by the ESRB, and they don’t violate the standard language of our [rules of conduct] and [terms of service].”
The current list of Adult Only rated games consists mainly of old and very obscure games that have been given the classification due to strong sexual content, nudity, and blood. However, among them are a few high-profile releases, including Rockstar’s Manhunt 2 and Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude.
[UPDATE] Following the publication of this story, a Capcom representative provided GameSpot with the following statements about the status of Ultra Street Fighter IV.
Regarding the user issues:
“We are aware that some users are experiencing problems with the PS4 version of USFIV, which is published and developed by SCEA’s Third Party Production group. SCEA and Capcom are currently looking into the issues that some users may be experiencing and are working to resolve them as quickly as possible. We will continue to provide updates on our progress.”
Regarding how this affects the Capcom Pro Tour:
“The integrity of the Capcom Pro Tour is a top priority for us and we will continue to work with tournament organizers worldwide to ensure that the highest quality event will be run. Each region will maintain its current hardware standard for the remainder of the 2015 Capcom Pro Tour until otherwise announced. We will keep you updated as to when the PS4 version of USFIV will be integrated into the Pro Tour.”
The original story is below.
The PlayStation 4 edition of fighting game Ultra Street Fighter IV, released this week, isn’t exactly living up to its name. Initial reports are not very positive, with many calling out a variety of issues, including choppy menu screens and strange visual bugs like blurry textures and high saturation for some character models.
This NeoGAF forum post documents some other issues, including sound bugs, missing sound effects, moves not working as they should, and some degree of input lag. For a precision-based fighting game, any amount of input lag can be a major issue.
Kotaku rounded up some of the other issues, including the fact that the main menu screen asks you to “Press Start,” when in fact the DualShock 4 doesn’t have a Start button.
Ultra Street Fighter IV will be one of the featured games at upcoming fighting game tournament Evo 2015 in July. People involved in the tournament aren’t exactly happy.
I am so mad right now. We got ripped off and were forced to buy this as tournament competitors. I don’t see myself playing this unless patch
The good news here? Sony’s Gio Corsi, a director of third-party production and developer relations, says the company is currently exploring patch options. We’ve also followed up with Capcom to see what their plans are in regards to game updates to fix the problems.
Thanks for the feedback on #USFIV everyone, patch investigations are underway, will update you soon.
