Showing posts with label Naughty Dog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Naughty Dog. Show all posts

Saturday, 26 April 2014

Weekly News Round-Up, April 20 - 26: Happy Birthday Gameboy!

Written By: Tyler


Hey you! Welcome. This is the Weekly News Round-Up for April 20 - 26. If you are unfamiliar with what I do here, let me break it down for you. I go around a few different video game websites, steal some of their news, post it here as a "round-up" and then make snarky comments about the news. Though I do ultimately post the news, don't get offended by anything I say here because I make fun of everything... even stuff I love.



Let's Start This Off Right -- Suikoden 2 Coming To PSN?
http://kotaku.com/holy-crap-looks-like-suikoden-ii-is-finally-coming-to-1565978567


The ESRB has rated Suikoden 2, which is a good indication that it will hit the PSN eventually. Not a moment too soon, because last I heard, prices for a legit copy were at least five million dollars and wars have been raged over it.

Hopefully this does mean that people will be able to buy it for a reasonable price yet again.


And Then Let's Second Start This Off Right -- The Gameboy Turned 25 This Week
http://www.destructoid.com/happy-25th-anniversary-game-boy--273570.phtml#ext


On April 21st, the Gameboy became 25. This was before iPhones and Androids (except in Blade Runner), and we had to carry around this pretty bulky piece of brilliance in order to play our games that didn't even have a full palette of colours. Back then, things were simple, and it is that I say... happy belated birthday Gameboy. 


Some Deals On PSN Have Started, And They Go Until April 29
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/playstation-plus-brings-pixeljunk-monsters-to-vita-for-free-this-week/1100-6419112/

On Vita you can get Pixeljunk Monsters for free. Here are some other deals:



Naughty Dog News!


The Last Of Us Lead Artist Quits
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-last-of-us-lead-artist-quits-naughty-dog/1100-6419110/

Nate Wells left Naughty Dog and went to Giant Sparrow, who worked on The Unfinished Swan. Since both studios are based in Santa Monica, Wells walked out the door at Naughty Dog, walked across the street to Giant Sparrow, and now he has grown wings and can fly, fly like a... sparrow.


Uncharted 4 Actor Recast After 
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/uncharted-4-actor-recast-after-following-naughty-dog-writer-to-ea/1100-6419118/

Todd Stashwick's role was recast, and he didn't really know why. What does this all mean? I don't know, who do you think I am, an insider? All I know is that a lot of people come and go, and things seem to change a lot, at Naughty Dog.


Uncharted 4 Gameplay May Be Revealed At E3
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-uncharted-4-gameplay-may-be-revealed-at-e3-what-do-you-hope-to-see/1100-6419126/

It is very possible that Uncharted 4 will be shown off at E3. Tidux tweeted that the game has been in the works for three years and that we will see it at E3. So I'm guessing we're going to see it at E3, but I have a screenshot of it:


Resident Evil 6 For Xbox 360 Dropped To $8.
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/resident-evil-6-for-xbox-360-drops-to-8/1100-6419111/

Sony systems and the ol' PC haven't seen big price drops like this, so if you haven't played Resident Evil, the Xbox 360 version is the way to go at this point.


 Sony Trademarks A Couple Names
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ahead-of-e3-ps4-company-sony-trademarks-kill-strain-and-entwined/1100-6419108

Sony has trademarked two names, Entwined and Kill Strain. There is no information on the games so far, but Kill Strain kinda has a cool name. I think. Or it's just incredibly cheesy, I'll come back later and let you know which it is.


Not To Be Outdone, Microsoft Trademarks... Eden Falls
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-studio-microsoft-trademarks-a-new-game-called-eden-falls/1100-6419109/


Microsoft has trademarked a name as well, Eden Falls. It's a game about Eden falling down the steps. Not really, but nowadays we have a game where a goat ragdolls around town hitting everything so imagine the fun we could have throwing Eden down the steps? And since Eden is both a guy and a girls name, there is no sexism in this joke so nobody can get mad!

Although I went with the gif of the little girl going down the steps... oops.

People Want Grand Theft Auto 5 On PC?
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gta-5-pc-petition-approaching-700-000-signatures-it-s-been-216-days-since-the-console-version-arrived/1100-6419106/



Sega On Sonic Boom, Split-Screen Gameplay And CryEngine 3
http://www.destructoid.com/sega-opens-up-about-cryengine-3-on-wii-u-split-screen-for-sonic-boom-273539.phtml 

Sega has decided on CryEngine 3 for Sonic Boom, the unfortunately named new Sonic game. The Wii U version will in fact have split-screen gameplay, and since this isn't a standard thing with the engine, they are working really close with Crytek to make this happen.


No, Kill Strain Is A Silly Name
http://onthegamely.blogspot.com/2014/04/weekly-news-round-up-april-20-26-happy.html

It has been confirmed.


New Grid Announced, Not Coming To Xbox One Or PS4
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-authentic-grid-announced-here-s-why-it-s-not-coming-to-xbox-one-or-ps4/1100-6419124/

Grid Autosport is a thing now, but it's only coming to PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. Why is that you ask? Well I'll look into my crystal ball and tell you why, because the answer certainly isn't there in the link above.

Basically, they don't want to rush the game to next-gen and they feel like after Grid 2 they have something to prove. They want to give old-gen their all while they work on tech for next-gen. It's not an unreasonable explanation, but I can't wait until old-gen dies so I can finally play games on a system that I paid hundreds of dollars for on day one.


No More Banjo-Kazooie Anytime Soon
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/banjo-kazooie-spiritual-successor-falls-apart/1100-6419122/



Despite a character being drawn up and there being a "demo level type thing," the game has fallen apart because we gain one entry into the world -- Grid Autosport -- but lose another... multi-tasking. But seriously, people had other jobs to do so Banjo-Kazooie probably won't see a new game for a while.

Banjo-Kapooie.


New Fatal Frame For Wii U?
http://www.destructoid.com/new-fatal-frame-materializing-on-wii-u-273595.phtml

There appears to be a new Fatal Frame coming to Wii U. Before you get too excited, if you only speak English, then there is a good chance that they just don't bother localizing it because Nintendo gonna Nintendo. Here's hoping, though, because lord knows the Wii U needs games.


Fireside Gatherings And Leaving Your House
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/blizzard-wants-you-to-leave-your-house-and-hang-out-with-real-people/1100-6419138/

Blizzard has a new initiative for Hearthstone called Fireside Gatherings that encourages you to leave your house and meet other players in exchange for benefits (nah not friends with benefits but I wish). So Blizzard wants me to go... outside?



 Blizzcon Is Happening On November 7 and 8
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/blizzcon-2014-dated-for-november-7-8-get-your-tickets-next-month-for-200/1100-6419139/

On May 7 and 10 you can throw $200 their way and get tickets. If you spend $750 you can have a pre-Blizzcon dinner for the Children's Hospital of Orange County.


Want SNES And GBA Remix To Happen? Demand It!
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/snes-and-gba-remix-could-happen-but-will-require-fan-demand/1100-6419165/

NES Remix 2 came out this week, and there's a possibility that Nintendo will make SNES and GBA Remix, if people demand it enough.

Koiichi Hayshida told IGN, "If we get a big enough cry for that, with a lot of people saying, 'Hey, we'd love to see more of these perhaps for the SNES, Game Boy, or Game Boy Advance,' then it would be something we can take a look at."

Because if there's anything Nintendo does well, it's listen to what the fans want.


Bungie Revamps Their Site For Destiny And Puts A Bunch Of Information About The Game On It Now
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/destiny-website-updated-with-new-information-about-classes-enemies/1100-6419155/

So Bungie revamped the Destiny website, and they put information on it such as introduction videos for the classes, information on the places you'll visit and the enemies you will blast. Make sure to check it out.
Ubisoft Teases A New Prince of Persia?
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ahead-of-e3-ubisoft-teases-new-prince-of-persia-game/1100-6419153/


Drew James tweeted this picture, that clearly teases a new Prince of Persia. But that question mark is mysterious, ain't it? What's the next installment in the series going to be like? I think it's going to be about The Riddler.


The Monetization Of H1Z1
http://www.destructoid.com/soe-talks-early-monetization-plans-for-its-zombie-survival-mmo-h1z1-273688.phtml

Since H1Z1 is free-to-play, they dropped dime on a few possible ways that they're going to make money off of us:
  • Wearables will be sold, but players can "find and craft a lot of stuff." If someone kills and loots another player's gear, they'll be able to wear it for a few deaths. "Station Cash wearables won't degrade at all."
  • Guns, ammo, food, water, and boosts impacting these won't be sold.
  • Extra emotes beyond "the basics," which will be free.
  • Character slots.
  • Crates containing "random cool stuff from the store" can be found in H1Z1. "We're considering letting you see what's in them before you buy a key (ala Dota 2.). This idea isn't fully locked yet."



It's really not a big deal. Free-to-play doesn't have to be a bad thing, and as of right now, there is nothing major here or anything that screams pay-to-win.



Pre-Order Bonuses For The Witcher 3 If You Buy It Off Of GOG? "Fucking Amazing"
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/preorder-bonuses-for-the-witcher-3-at-gog-will-be-f-ing-amazing/1100-6419142/

If When you pre-order The Witcher , get it from GOG. The developers promise that the pre-order bonuses will be, and I quote, "Fucking amazing." They wouldn't go into any more detail than that, but I feel like The Witcher 3 is one of those games where they don't really have to. People love The Witcher.



Borderlands For PS3 Is Going Offline On May 31, So Are Some Other Games
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/borderlands-ps3-going-offline-next-month/1100-6419135/

They're looking into a feasible option to replace Gamespy for Borderlands, but if you only own it on PS3 you won't be able to play it online for a while. Here are the other games affected by the shutdown:

  • Borderlands (PS3)*
  • Civilization Revolution (PS3)*
  • Close Combat First to Fight (PC / Mac)
  • Jetfighter (PC)
  • Jetfighter V: Homeland Protector (PC)
  • Leadfoot (PC)
  • Rune (PC)
  • Stronghold 2 (PC)
  • Stronghold Legends (PC)
  • Top Spin (PS2 / PC)
  • Top Spin 2 (PC / DS)
  • Vietcong (PC)
  • Vietcong Demo (PC)
  • Vietcong Fist Alpha (PC)
  • Vietcong 2 (PC)
  • Vietcong 2 Demo (PC)
  • MLB Fantasy All-Stars (DS)
  • Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution (DS)
  • Major League Baseball 2K9 Fantasy All-Stars (DS)
  • NHL 2K10 (Wii)
  • NBA 2K10 (Wii) (OH GOD NO!)
Anything but NBA 2K10 for the Wii!



Namco Bandai Announced "Rise Of Incarnates"
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/tekken-soulcalibur-creator-reveals-new-pc-fighting-game-rise-of-incarnates/1100-6419131/

The game launches in the second half of 2014, and players will be able to craft their own playstyles, have 2v2 games and fight in places where there are real-world backgrounds. Should be fun, let's do this.


Dragon Age: Inquisition Is Coming October 7
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/dragon-age-inquisition-digital-deluxe-includes-soundtrack-mounts/1100-6419141/


The next installment in Dragon Age comes out October 7, and there is also a deluxe edition that costs $10 more that nabs you the soundtrack and "digital goodies."


Here's A 9 Minute Video Explaining The Watch Dogs Multiplayer
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-multiplayer-explained-in-9-minute-developer-walkthrough-video/1100-6419161/ 

In the link above there is a video that showcases what the multiplayer consists of. It's pretty ambitious and awesome, to say the least. In the video, they explain three different modes. Make sure to check the video out because up until now, Ubisoft hadn't really said anything about the multiplayer.


The Playstation 4 Will Get The Xbox MGS5: Ground Zeroes Mission And Vice Versa
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mgs-5-ground-zeroes-playstation-mission-will-be-coming-to-xbox-xbox-mission-coming-to-playstation/1100-6419174/

Looking for more gameplay from Ground Zeroes? Playstation 4 will be getting the Xbox Ground Zeroes mission and Xbox will be getting the Playstation Ground Zeroes mission... all of this insanity is taking place May 1 and it will be free.

This is great news, now Ground Zeroes will be thirty minutes long.


China Bans Games That Feature Drugs, Violence, Gambling Or Obscenity
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/china-reveals-censorship-rules-for-console-games-nothing-that-promotes-drug-use-or-violence-will-be-allowed/1100-6419151/


China revealed their censorship rules, and it's a doozy. They won't allow any games that have drug usage, violence, gambling or obscenity, which effectively eliminates 98% of all games.


But Don't Worry, Because There Was A Study
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/majority-of-parents-say-video-games-are-a-positive-part-of-their-child-s-life/1100-6419186/

The Entertainment Software Association released the latest installment of "Essential Facts," and people love video games!

Quoted from Gamespot:
Who Is Playing?:
  • 59 percent of Americans play games.
  • 181.3 million Americans play games.
  • Average gamer age is 31.
  • 51 percent of Americans own a dedicated game console, and those that do own an average of two.
  • 52 percent of U.S. gamers are male, and 48 percent are female.
  • Women aged 18 or over make up a much larger percentage of the gamer population (36 percent) than boys 18 or younger (17 percent).
  • The average number of years gamers have been playing video games is 14.
Who Is Buying?:
  • Average age of the most frequent game purchaser is 35.
  • Of the most frequent game purchasers, 50 percent are male and 50 percent are female.
  • 44 percent of gamers said video games give them the most value for their money, compared to DVDs, music, or going out to the movies.
At Play:
  • 88 percent of parents whose children play games believe the ESRB rating system is either very or somewhat helpful in choosing games for their children.
  • 85 percent of parents are aware of the ESRB system.
  • 87 percent of parents believe that the parental controls available in video game consoles are useful. In addition, parents impose time usage limits on video games more than any other form of entertainment. 83 percent for games, 80 percent of Internet usage, 76 percent TV viewing, and 70 percent movie viewing.
  • Of the games rated by the ESRB in 2013, 46 percent were rated E, 19 percent were rated E10+, 23 percent were rated T, and 12 percent were rated M.
  • 91 percent of parents whose children play video games are present when games are purchased or rented.
  • 82 percent of children ask for their parents' permission before purchasing or renting a game.
  • 95 percent of parents say they pay attention to the content of the games their children play.
  • 56 percent of parents say video games are a positive part of their child's life.
Bottom Line:
  • The "action" category was the best-selling console video game genre in 2013, making up 31.9 percent of all games sold last year. The next closest category was the "shooter" category at 20 percent.
  • For PC, strategy games took the lion's share, with 38.4 percent of all sales. The next closest category was "casual" at 28.3 percent.
  • The best-selling console game of 2013 was Grand Theft Auto V, followed by Call of Duty: Ghosts.
  • On PC, StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm was the best-seller, followed by SimCity.
  • In all, gamers spent $21.53 billion on all video game content in 2013.


Minecraft For PS4 And Vita Coming Soon
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/minecraft-ps4-and-vita-expected-by-september/1100-6419199/


Continuing their pursuit to conquer the entire world with awkward, low-res Legos, Mojang have announced that the PS4 and Vita versions of their hit game Minecraft -- maybe you've heard of it? -- will hit between now and September. The PS3 version will be hitting May 16, and when asked about whether you have to pay for the PS4 version if you got the PS3 version, they said, We’re in the process of finalising cross-buy/upgrade/DLC things. More news soon."

You will also be able to use your Xbox 360 saves for the Xbone version.



Bear Simulator Got A Bunch Of Money
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/people-donated-100-571-to-pay-for-a-game-about-being-a-bear/1100-6419158/

Humans are simple beasts, but bears are awesome beasts. People donated $100,571 to the cause and now Bear Simulator will be better. The developer describes it as a mini-Skyrim, but as a bear. Did I mention that you play as a bear?


XCOM: Enemy Unknown Is Now On Android
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xcom-enemy-unknown-arrives-on-android/1100-6419200/

You can pick up the Android version of the excellent game, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, now for $9.99. More reasons not to do anything at work, like you needed any you lazy person, you.


A Wild Newly Registered Domain For Just Cause 3 Has Appeared
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/just-cause-3-news-may-be-incoming-as-new-domain-name-discovered/1100-6419196/

Are you looking forward to a new Just Cause? This doesn't mean that there will be a new one for sure, but a domain name was registered for Just Cause 3. When reached for comment by yours truly about why they did this, the developers of the series simply answered, "Just cause."

Okay they didn't, and that was a terrible joke. Can you believe I get paid to do this?

I don't. I don't get paid.


Here's An Image Of The New TITANFALL Map, War Games
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/titanfall-s-first-dlc-map-shown-off-in-new-images/1100-6419190/

The Expedition DLC is coming next month, and Respawn have shown us an image of the new map, which is described as a "parkour playground." Looks different than any playground I ever played on.


But my question is, where's the next-gen zipline?



 Koch Media Is Publishing A Boxed Version Of Goat Simulator In The UK
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/saints-row-publisher-will-release-goat-simulator-as-a-boxed-product-in-the-uk/1100-6419188/

Koch Media owns Deep Silver, and they will surely own every gamers heart soon because they are publishing the massively entertaining game Goat Simulator in the UK! There are no prices or anything available, but we know there's a box and there's a goat. Somehow I'm not surprised by this news.


There's A Mario Kart 8 Bundle Coming In The UK
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mario-kart-8-wii-u-bundles-confirmed-for-the-uk-but-what-about-the-us/1100-6419181/

It looks like the UK is getting a Mario Kart 8 bundle when it launches May 30. 

There's no talk yet that this will come to North America. Here's what it entails, from Gamespot:
The special bundles will sell for £299.99 ($500) and come in Red Mario and Green Luigi varieties, both of which you can see in the image above. Both bundles include a 32GB system, a racing wheel, GamePad protector, Mario or Luigi hat, Wii Remote Plus, and a Mario Kart 8 game guide.
You won this round UK.


Here Are The Free Playstation Plus Games For May
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/playstation-plus-free-games-of-may-for-ps4-ps3-and-vita-announced/1100-6419159/


PS3:
Puppeteer
Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 (US ONLY)
Skullgirls Encore (US ONLY)
Payday 2 (EU ONLY)

PS Vita:
Limbo (US ONLY)
Surge Deluxe (US ONLY)
Muramasa Rebirth (EU ONLY)
Everybody's Golf (EU ONLY)

PS4:
Stick it to the Man

Nice to see the PS4 getting a high-quality Triple-A title! Thank God we can finally play Limbo 32 years after it was released!

In all seriousness, some of these games are really sweet.


A Book About Eve Online Is Coming
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/read-all-about-eve-online-in-upcoming-book/1100-6419233/

If you're like me, you're interested in Eve Online but you may be too intimidated to actually play it. I enjoy hearing all the stories of war and politics, and now there is going to be a book that discusses the game from the moment it went online to now. It's sad that I'm probably more interested in reading about this fake world than I am the real world. The sadder thing is that you probably are too.

The book is going to be called A History of the Great Empires of Eve Online, and it has already reached its Kickstarter goal, with 29 days to go.



http://www.gamespot.com/articles/twitch-beats-out-espn-wwe-and-mlb-as-largest-live-streaming-site-in-the-us/1100-6419226/



Battlefield 4 Is Still... Not Working
http://www.destructoid.com/dice-just-wanted-to-let-you-know-that-battlefield-4-is-still-broken-273786.phtml 

Seriously EA/DICE, just get this right. The game has been out for months and has seen multiple DLCs and it still doesn't work? I hope it works by the time Battlefield 5 comes out. That would be grand.


Let's End This On A Doozy -- Mad Max Is Delayed Until 2015
http://ca.ign.com/articles/2014/04/25/mad-max-delayed-to-2015?

I'm not sure if anybody actually cares, but I sure don't. Regardless, the game adaption of the classic movie series isn't seeing the light of day until 2015... unless the world ends.



That's this end for another week, guys, gals and Tralfamadorians. Hope this didn't pain you too much, and we will see you next week, unless you'd like to tweet me on that Twitter thing @ArtBathednCrime. Or you know, check out the blog on other days besides Saturdays.


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Saturday, 29 March 2014

Weekly News Round-Up, March 23 - 29: Facebook Buys Oculus Rift! Oh The Horror!

Written By: Tyler


We have seen a lot happen this week. EA happened some more, Minecraft did stuff, and games were played. I know you're busy because you have a life, so I have taken it upon myself to update you with all the most -- or at least some of it -- interesting video game news of the past week.

This week I've decided to make it a Dean Ambrose/Jon Moxley theme, because that guy is weird and I love him. His facial expressions and reactions are great for everything.



Let's Start This Week Off Right -- EA CEO Talks Getting Things "A Little Bit" Wrong
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-ceo-when-we-get-it-a-little-bit-wrong-we-do-our-best-to-fix-it/1100-6418484/

I'll start this bad boy off with a direct quote that's in that link above:

“For whatever reason, whether it was because they were pushing the boundaries of innovation and they pushed a little hard and things didn't go so well," Wilson told Fortune, referring the SimCity offline debacle, endless Battlefield 4 issues, and problems with NBA Live 14. "We won't always get everything right, but my hope is that we're seen as a company that tries to do amazing things. When we get it a little bit wrong, we do our best to fix it."


The internet does not like you, EA.
EA Voted Worst Company In America AGAIN


Speaking Of EA Being A Crappy Company -- They Won't Win "Worst Company In America" A Third Time
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-won-t-be-named-worst-company-in-america-this-year/1100-6418513/

Time Warner Cable narrowly edged out EA so EA won't be able to complete the hat trick.

Denied!
 I haven't trusted Time Warner since they sold World Championship Wrestling anyway.
EA Delays Battlefield 4 DLC Until Whenever Because Of A "Hiccup"
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/battlefield-4-naval-strike-dlc-hiccup-causes-pc-delay/1100-6418518/

Battlefield 4: Naval Strike won't not be released for a bit as they hammer out a problem with the PC version. It still has shown up on consoles, but you're trying to tell me that the PC version of Battlefield 4 has problems?



At this point I'm so glad that the computer I was using before my new one couldn't run Battlefield 4.


EA Planning To Make The Star Wars Games Like The Batman: Arkham Games
http://ca.ign.com/articles/2014/03/25/ea-plans-to-model-star-wars-games-on-batman-arkham-series

EA is taking influence from the Batman: Arkham series in the sense that the Star Wars games aren't going to be tied to any existing Star Wars movies. Taking ideas from other companies concerning their own games? I thought they were too busy innovating.


Origin Isn't Going To Sell Physical Copy Of Games Starting April 4
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-s-origin-service-will-stop-selling-disc-based-games-next-week/1100-6418630/

That's right! Nobody likes Origin but here's a story for you all. It will be a digital-only service come April 4th.


But Wait, You Can Get Dead Space For Free On Origin Now
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/dead-space-free-on-origin-as-the-first-title-in-ea-s-on-the-house-promotion/1100-6418601/

You can now get Dead Space for free on Origin as part of their "On The House" program. Why is EA doing this? Because they feel bad for screwing with gamers all these years Because they are gamers too, stating, "We appreciate you making Origin your gaming home...and besides, who doesn't like free stuff?"

No I'm not making fun of homeless people.


Saint's Row Developer Was Making A Post-Apocalyptic Western Open-World Game
http://www.destructoid.com/volition-was-making-a-post-apocalyptic-western-272402.phtml

And now they aren't because it would have taken too long. Dammit! I feel screwed.


Escape Goat 2 Has Arrived... But Check Out This Awesome Trailer
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/double-fine-introduces-escape-goat-2-with-second-funniest-trailer-of-the-year-so-far/1100-6418515/

In the link above there is a trailer to the new game Escape Goat 2, which you can now buy. Admittedly, the trailer doesn't show a lot of gameplay (but there are other trailers available) and is entertaining because it's just funny.

Escape Goat 2 comes out this year, and then there is Goat Simulator. Could it be that including goats in games is the new trend and making open-world games is out? Only time will tell.

Pick up Escape Goat 2 NOW! I made it! No I didn't...


Marc Whitten May Be Leaving Microsoft, But He Praises The Xbox One Future
http://ca.ign.com/articles/2014/03/25/marc-whitten-promises-xbox-one-is-just-beginning

Even though he's peacing out of Microsoft, he has said that Microsoft is on their way to reaching what they want the Xbox One to be.

Yeah.

The New Mario Kart Still Has The Same Release Date, Even Though There Was Some Confusion
http://ca.ign.com/articles/2014/03/25/nintendo-refutes-mario-kart-8as-early-release-date

Nintendo cleared that stuff up like it was acne. The game is still coming out May 30, not a couple weeks before.


Here's When You Can Start Ignoring Your Family
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/elder-scrolls-online-announces-exact-launch-times/1100-6418485/

You want to know when Elder Scrolls Online officially launches? So does everyone else. Here are the times for the launch:
  • North America (East): 7:00 PM EDT, Thursday, April 3
  • UK/IE: 12:00 AM WEST, Thursday, April 4
  • Central Europe: 1:00 AM CEST, Thursday, April 4
  • Sydney, Australia: 10:00 AM AEDT, Thursday, April 4
  • Singapore: 7:00 AM SGT, Thursday, April 4
Also in that link are the times for the three day early access and five day early access. Somewhere also in that link is a link that takes you to a page made by the uncle of your best friend's mother that tells you the secret of the Universe.


Minecraft On The PS3 And 360 Get A Big Update 
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/minecraft-ps3-xbox-360-versions-getting-major-update/1100-6418483/

Not sick of playing Minecraft on last-gen consoles? Well, they got your back. A big update is rolling out that offers new terrain generation options, new potions, blocks, and even a carrot on a stick special item that allows you to ride pigs.

Yes, this is happening. By the way, that's a carrot on a stick in case you can't tell.

TITANFALL Gets A Balancing Update
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/titanfall-update-fixes-bugs-adjusts-balancing-makes-the-smart-pistol-less-lethal/1100-6418482/

In the link above (god I love just being able to link things... it makes my work so much easier) there is a huge list of the balancing updates that have hit indie game TITANFALL. Most noticeably, the Smart Pistol has been nerfed which makes me go:



Luftrausers Took 2 And A Half Years To Develop, Already Makes A Profit
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/indie-game-luftrausers-took-2-5-years-to-make-becomes-profitable-in-72-hours/1100-6418508/

Luftrausers only took 72 hours to make a profit, which is great news for the indie developers. Take that Minecraft, you gigantic money making bastard!


 Nintendo And Sony Not Going To PAX East
http://www.destructoid.com/microsoft-will-be-at-pax-east-sony-and-nintendo-won-t-272409.phtml

Don't worry, Microsoft will be at PAX East, but Nintendo and Sony won't. In the link above there is a list of the people/companies/groups that will be attending. Some other companies that won't be showing up are "Nintendo, Sony, EA Games, Capcom, Sega, Warner Bros Interactive, Twisted Pixel and Deep Silver." (I'm a real journalist and I stole that from Destructoid so I quote it... how professional)

Those are some big names not showing up. I'm too much of a wrestling fan to not be skeptical though, and I think this is a work. I think they're just plotting something behind the scenes and what we're seeing is the 2014 game version of the:

Or if you wanna be more topical and not stuck in the 90s... the companies are working a CM Punk angle.
Don't worry, they'll be there. They're going to invade PAX East brothers.


Sony Gets Rid Of "Numerous" Employees In Guerilla Cambridge, SCE London And Evolution
http://ca.ign.com/articles/2014/03/25/sony-layoffs-hit-evolution-guerilla-and-sce-london

I never make fun of layoffs in the Weekly News Round-Up because this is always sad to hear.


Microsoft Is Implementing The Major League Gaming App For The Xbox 360
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mlg-app-comes-to-xbox-360-lets-you-watch-live-broadcasts/1100-6418498/

If you have Xbox Live Gold, then you'll also be able to watch Major League Gaming on your 360. Major League Gaming isn't to be confused with Major League Baseball -- if you're like me and you originally just skimmed through the article and thought it said MLB -- because I wouldn't want anybody to confuse a fake sport with a real sport.

Just kidding eSports, you know I love you.


Don't Expect Toki Tori 3
http://www.destructoid.com/don-t-expect-toki-tori-3-anytime-soon-272419.phtml

Apparently there isn't an audience for it, so fans of the series shouldn't expect a third entry any time soon. Don't worry I won't!

Toki Tori is actually a series I've meant to play but haven't yet. So it's my fault guys, sorry.


Remember The Ouya?
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/all-of-ouya-s-games-have-free-trials-but-that-s-going-to-change/1100-6418500/

Yeah, me neither.
The Ouya is going to have slightly different policies. From what I can understand, originally developers had to create a demo for the console which cut into actually making the game. But now, instead of forcing developers to do that, they can now choose to have a free-to-try or paid model. So now, Ouya is getting rid of demos and implementing a system where Ouya will have demos.


Ubisoft Vice President Of Creative Lionel Raynaud Makes A Statement... Gets Bluff Called
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/virtual-reality-devices-need-to-sell-1-million-units-before-ubisoft-gets-interested-update/1100-6418392/

Lionel Raynaud is excited about Virtual Reality systems like Project Morpheus, Oculus Rift or actually going outside and experiencing life... but said that they would need major numbers sold in order for Ubisoft to use the new technology. He said VR would need to sell a million units.

Then, someone else from Ubisoft came out and was basically like, "nah, 1 million isn't actually what it would take dudez." That's a direct quote, obviously.


Blizzard Says Diablo 3 Is In Development For Xbox One
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/diablo-3-in-development-for-xbox-one-but-blizzard-not-sure-if-it-will-ever-launch/1100-6418494/

...but says they don't know if it'll be released, due to contracts and whatnot.

So they're developing a game that they know may not be released?

In unrelated news, I traveled to the future and in a year Blizzard lays off employees.


Rich And Don't Know What To Do With Yourself?
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/white-xbox-ones-appear-on-ebay-can-be-yours-for-1500-and-up/1100-6418493/

The way I see it is that if you're rich you have two options.  You can either send me money or you can buy this white Xbox One for $1500 and up.



Super Mario Bros. 3 Hits The Wii U And 3DS Virtual Console April 17th
http://www.destructoid.com/super-mario-bros-3-is-finally-hitting-the-virtual-console-on-april-17th-272465.phtml

In a shocking turn of events, Nintendo is finally putting a Mario game on one of their systems!

If you want to play arguably the greatest Mario of all time, make sure to pick it up. There are other games coming soon too like Metroid Fusion, Golden Sun and more.


Ubisoft Going Hard On PAX East
http://ca.ign.com/articles/2014/03/26/ubisoft-to-demo-watch-dogs-trials-fusion-and-more-at-pax-east

Ubisoft is going to demo Trials Fusion, Child of Light, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Phantoms, and The Mighty Quest For Epic Loot... along with Watch Dogs. Sounds great, but who's going to watch, uh, play, play the... Watch the Watch Dogs? I give up. This was messed from the beginning. I'm sorry.


Lorne Lanning Has Anger Issues
http://ca.ign.com/articles/2014/03/26/oddworld-creator-lashes-ea-talks-abeas-oddysee-remake 

Lorne Lanning in his Black Metal band.

The Oddworld creator had a little bit to say about EA and Oddworld:

On Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty

“We still see press calling it an HD remake, and it’s not a f--king HD remake."

On EA
“F--k that business. I don’t want to play with that business, because it was a losing business. I just don’t want to go back and play the old [publisher] game. I’d rather not make games than go f--king be a slave for public companies who care more about their shareholders than they do about their customers."

“Why did Battlefield 4 ship? You know that team was crying. You know that team knew that game wasn’t ready to go. You know that team f--king spent a lot of sleepless nights building that s--t out to look as good and play as good, when it was able to be experienced, being played as they were intending it to be played. Someone made a decision that the shareholders are more important than the customer. And we see a lot of that. How do you blow that? How do you take that f--king jewel and ship it with dirt all over it?”

I like this guy. He should write the Weekly News Round-Up.


Guild Wars 2 Is Going To Be Prettier In The April Patch
http://ca.ign.com/articles/2014/03/26/guild-wars-2-features-getting-revamped-and-enhanced-in-april

Guild Wars 2 is going to have a patch, but it's mostly just to enhance the game, rather than add new story.


Peter Molyneux Is Still Jaw Jackin'... Verbally
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/molyneux-the-indie-golden-age-won-t-last/1100-6418524/
 
Peter Molyneux recently said to enjoy this whole indie game thing while it lasts because it goes in cycles. He cited the music business, saying punk is popular for five years, then we get everything being manufactured.

Peter, we've had the same mainstream crap in North America for like 15 years. Or more.



Stop The Presses - Facebook Buys The Oculus Rift
http://kotaku.com/facebook-buys-oculus-rift-for-2-billion-1551487939 


This will probably be the biggest news of the week. Facebook bought the Oculus Rift for 2 billion dollars.

Mark Suckerberg (Oh I'm so edgy) says:

"Now Facebook runs the entire world. We bought the Oculus Rift, we're about to buy North America, and the surely we will conquer everything. We're so popular that God constantly updates his status."

Or he actually said:
"Mobile is the platform of today, and now we're also getting ready for the platforms of tomorrow," Oculus has the chance to create the most social platform ever, and change the way we work, play and communicate."

I'm sure the gaming aspect of the Oculus Rift will not be tampered with, and I'm looking forward to being able to hang out with the people I don't want to talk to in real life in a virtual world.


Oculus Rift Will Eventually Be Redesigned With Facebook Logo And Inferface
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/oculus-rift-will-eventually-be-redesigned-with-facebook-branding-report/1100-6418548/

Geez. Facebook has to slap their logo on everything. Luckily this blog will never see that.

In related news, the Kickstarter backers of the Oculus Rift are pissed. I can't possibly understand why.

Update: Facebook says (because it's a physical person now) it won't redesign shit.


Palmer Luckey Shoots Off About The Oculus Rift And Facebook
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/oculus-rift-creator-we-promise-we-won-t-change-following-facebook-buyout/1100-6418562/

Palmer Luckey did what anybody would do when having to answer questions -- he went to Reddit. In the link above he talks about a bunch of different things concerning the acquisition of the Oculus Rift by the tyrant Facebook. But I'm not posting it here because that will take up a lot of space. What? You actually expected me to? What is this, Communism?

In short though: Things will get better, indie development will increase, it will be more open, they'll have more money for new hardware and better people, and you won't have to log-in to Facebook and see all the annoying posts everyone makes (including myself) in order to use the Rift.


The Deal Only Took 72 Hours! 
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/some-deals-take-months-but-facebook-completed-its-purchase-of-oculus-vr-in-72-hours/1100-6418566/

Facebook moves fast, and sure enough they moved fast again. It only took 72 hours to make the Oculus deal. That's pretty impressive.

In related news, Mark Zuckerberg is actually Sonic.


Michael Abrash Leaves Valve, Joins Oculus
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/oculus-vr-hires-another-valve-virtual-reality-veteran/1100-6418627/

Michael left Valve, and had this to say: "Facebook's acquisition of Oculus means that VR is going to happen in all its glory. The resources and long-term commitment that Facebook brings gives Oculus the runway it needs to solve the hard problems of VR--and some of them are hard indeed. I now fully expect to spend the rest of my career pushing VR as far ahead as I can."

My, what a brash man. Get it? GET IT? Please accept me.

Dat Facebook money.


Oh Yeah, This Is Happening -- Goat Simulator Dead Island Trailer


Do you remember the Dead Island trailer that was so emotional it made the entire universe cry? It was one of the best video game trailers of all time and it made Dead Island look like it was going to hit you right in the heart.

Well the creators of Goat Simulator paid homage/parodied it with this. You should have watched it before you read what I had to say about it, but if you haven't, clicky-clicky that video above because it is so worth it.


Bioshock: Infinite's Final DLC Hit This Week
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/say-goodbye-to-bioshock-infinite-as-its-final-dlc-is-out-today/1100-6418526/

Burial At Sea - Episode 2 hit the week, so if you're a fan of Bioshock: Infinite, make sure to pick up the DLC. And if you understand the ending of the original game, contact me and explain it to me. Thanks!


Microsoft Believes Now Is The Time For Something That Should Have Been There From The Original Plans
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-on-loaning-and-gifting-digital-xbox-one-games-we-totally-believe-in-that-future/1100-6418534/

If you're a gamer you probably remember Microsoft at E3. I shouldn't even have to tell you which one. They came out, said a bunch of things that annoyed everyone and now have reversed their policies. Well, now, they're fine with a loaning and gifting digital game service.


 Did You Cheat In TITANFALL? Welcome To Alcatraz
http://www.destructoid.com/titanfall-cheaters-can-only-play-with-other-cheaters-now-272499.phtml

If you cheated in TITANFALL and got banned, you can still plan... but only with other cheaters.



TITANFALL New Modes Will Be Free... DLC Will Be 10 Bucks
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-titanfall-modes-won-t-be-locked-behind-a-paygate/1100-6418551/

You won't have to pay for the new modes in TITANFALL, but there is DLC in the works that you will have to pay for.


Sony Can't Keep Employees

The Driveclub director has left to be indie.
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-s-ps4-racing-game-driveclub-loses-its-director/1100-6418552/

Don't you know it works in cycles! Molyneux said so! Get out of there Col Rodgers!

But Driveclub is still making good progress and a release date is coming soon.
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-racing-game-driveclub-making-spectacular-progress-release-date-coming-soon/1100-6418567/

Seth Killian has also left the God Of War developer to do his own thing.
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/yet-another-playstation-designer-leaves-sony/1100-6418554/

 I'm sure whatever he chooses to do, he's going to kill it. Get it?



Torchlight Co-Founders Peace Out And Start A New Studio
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/torchlight-co-founders-leave-runic-games-to-start-new-studio/1100-6418577/

Travis Baldree and Erich Schaefer left Runic Games and are now starting up their own studio named Double Damage Games. I for one trust any company named Double Damage.


You Want The Last Of Us On PS4? Nah. Well, Maybe
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-the-last-of-us-coming-to-ps4-as-physical-and-digital-release/1100-6418573/

A Sony representative from Turkey (yum) has said that the Ellen Page game The Last of Us may be coming to PS4. But nobody knows if it's true or not at this point, and since The Last of Us is going to be a Playstation Now (not now, but later) game... it seems a little wonky. 


Here We Go Again -- Video Games Make Kids Violent
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/study-violent-video-games-could-be-linked-to-aggressive-behavior/1100-6418556/


I had hoped that we were past this point, but I guess in my heart I knew that a new study would pop up eventually, just like a new villain will inevitably pop up in Gotham.

There's been a recent study that basically stated that kids who play a lot of video games are more violent than kids that don't. Of course, like any study, there was controversy and someone else basically said that it's a stupid study.

Well said.

 But Hey, Gamers Aren't Loners Either
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamers-are-not-anti-social-basement-dwellers-study-finds/1100-6418624/

A new study has said that gamers aren't the anti-social dickholes that pop culture makes them out to be. In fact, according to this study, loners in the gaming community are the exception to the rule and not the norm. Gamers are actually incredibly social. Unless you're me... in which case you just sit at home by yourself, playing your MMORPGs with just your older brother because you don't want to deal with other people. But I'm not anti-social.


Notch Comes Through The Door Blastin' On Cliffy B
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/minecraft-creator-responds-to-cliff-bleszinski-calling-him-a-pouty-kid/1100-6418609/

Cliffy B called Notch (the maker of Minecraft in case you've been living under a rock or you know, don't give a crap about Minecraft) a "pouty kid" when Notch announced that he was cancelling development for the Oculus Rift once it was acquired by Facebook.

Notch replied by saying, "I'm a man driven by principles, not capitalism, so I guess I'll just have to get used to the occasional name calling." Of course, this was all said on Twitter because real life what?



Am I the only one who finds a beef between two game developers funny? We're not exactly known for being tough guys... but hey, I don't have a study to back that up.

PS4 Getting Over 100 Games In 2014, There's A List Of Them In That Link Below
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-getting-over-100-games-in-2014-here-s-the-full-list/1100-6418569/

Do you want games? We all do! PS4 is supposedly going to have over 100 by the time 2014 ends. And I'm going to play every single one of them.

 

Microsoft Won't Allow PC And Xbox One Crass Platform Play... Well, Maybe A Little
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-won-t-allow-xbox-one-pc-cross-platform-play-says-war-thunder-dev/1100-6418587/ 

 Microsoft said it won't completely allow cross platform play, however, they will work closely with developers when they have to or need it. But they actually will allow it sometimes, so god damn it, this isn't news at all.


 But Microsoft Thinks That There Will Be "An Army Of Huge Franchises" Coming To E3

Phil Spencer says, "If you look at attach rate on the consoles right now, people investing in the great new AAA IP, it's great. I think at this year's E3 between us and EA and Activision, Sony, and Nintendo, you're going to see another army of huge franchises coming."


Well I hope so since E3 is the biggest gaming event of the year.
 

Microsoft Is Releasing Halo: Spartan Assault On Steam April 4th...
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-has-no-plans-to-release-more-halo-games-on-steam/1100-6418613/

...But doesn't have plans for any real Halo games to show up on Steam. So I guess, pick it up or whatever.
Phil Spencer Also Talks About Japan
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/console-gaming-not-dead-in-japan-microsoft-says/1100-6418629/

Oh hey, it's just Phil Spencer talking again. Soon I'm going to have to give him and Peter Molyneux their own "EA Corner" type thing. This time he said, "It's critical for us in the industry that we continue to invest [in Japan] and see great games come out," as he doesn't think that the gaming population has gone down in Japan.


Justin Richmond Says Bye To Naughty Dog, Joins Riot
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/uncharted-4-director-leaves-naughty-dog-for-riot/1100-6418600/

Justin Richmond, the Uncharted 4 director, has left Naughty Dog in order to join the company that we can blame for League of Legends. There are no hard feelings, and Uncharted 4 will not be impacted at all, except for the fact it now takes place in space and involves Nathan Drake mating with aliens. No major changes though.

And seriously, Riot? There's no money in League of Legends.

...


3D Realms Is Still Fighting Gearbox
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-gearbox-3d-realms-legal-battle-over-duke-nukem-is-heating-up/1100-6418586/

3D Realms says that they have the rights to make a new Duke Nukem game, and they also own the trademark still.

Well, that's settled.



Warface Beta Is Open Now For Xbox Live Gold Subscribers On the Xbox 360
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/crysis-developer-s-warface-hits-open-beta-on-xbox-360/1100-6418585/

If you want to torture yourself with a mediocre game, feel free to get in on the Warface beta if you're an owner of the Xbox 360. But I recommend not.


Devil's Third Has A New Logo
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ninja-gaiden-dev-s-action-game-devil-s-third-gets-a-new-logo-2014-reveal-teased/1100-6418583/

Tomonobu Itagaki's new action game has a new logo, and it's new, so check it out while it's new.

Third what?

Is The Newest Deus Ex Game Called Mankind Divided?
http://www.destructoid.com/square-enix-trademarks-deus-ex-mankind-divided-272600.phtml

According to this article it is. Apparently Square Enix trademarked "Deus Ex: Mankind Divided" in the UK so that could possibly be the title of the next Deus Ex.

They could call it Deus Ex: On The Gamely Sucks Hard and I wouldn't even care... I just want another Deus Ex. In fact, do that. Right now.


Wanna Be A Chef In A Post-Apocalyptic World? DayZ's Got You Covered
http://ca.ign.com/articles/2014/03/28/day-z-survival-update-adds-cooking-weapons

When "the moment [they] are confident [they] have a suitable build to release" a new update for DayZ will appear. This will include an improved AKM weapons model, new locations and... cooking! That's right, you can get your Master Chef on in this game whenever the update comes out, because really that's why we go to a game like DayZ to begin with.

"Boy, I hope they're making roast beef in there."
"Hey, got any roast beef in there?"

"Sir I don't see any roast beef anywhere."

I hope you enjoyed this edition of the Weekly News Round-Up. Hate me and my news? Tell me on Twitter @ArtBathednCrime.

Make sure to tune in again next Saturday, and every day because you never know when I'm going to post an article, and I'll leave you with one final Dean Ambrose gif:

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