Microsoft Employee Exclusive White Xbox One Revealed

REDMOND, Wa. August 29 - An image of a Microsoft employee exclusive white Xbox One has been circulating the web. The half white, half gray paint looks rather slick.

Sources familiar to Kotaku have reported that the image is indeed authentic, although when contacted, Microsoft declined to comment.

I'm hoping that this product eventually becomes available to all, because I'd easily choose it over the black coat.

SOURCE: Kotaku

eSports to Become Independent from Athletic Sports in the Future, Says Riot Games eSports Director

SANTA MONICA, Calif. August 29 - Comparisons between eSports and athletic sports will eventually evaporate when the former becomes fully accepted in mainstream society, predicts Riot Games eSports director Whalen Rozelle.

"I think you'll definitely see a more gradual acceptance over time," he said. "I think these things will gradually converge. I think people will naturally start doing so because once it becomes more acceptable and becomes part of everyone life we'll stop hearing those comparisons."

For the mean time, comparisons to athletic sports is healthy for its digital counterpart, according to Rozelle.

"Right now it's important to still hold on to those comparisons because sports is something eSports should aspire to. It's not like we're trying to be professional sports though."

SOURCE: Polygon

Riot Games Opens eSports Content Producing Office in New York

SANTA MONICA, Calif. August 29 - League of Legends developer Riot Games has opened a new office in New York City to handle the eSports side of things, according to a real estate transaction revealed on the New York Times.

According to the report, Riot games has committed to a five-year lease with an annual rent of $240,000. For that quarter million a year, Riot's eSports staff will work in a 12-story 1916 building with an office space just under 6,000 square feet. The address of the building is 49 West 23rd Street.

"We've already got a handful of people in NYC supporting eSports broadcasting and content, and this office is going to be more permanent space for that team to continue to do their eSports thing," the company told GameSpot.

Riot's headquarters is located in Santa Monica. Other Riot offices are located in Saint Louis, Missouri and Sao Paulo, Brazil, as well as international studios in Dublin, Seoul, Istanbul, Moscow, and Sydney.

SOURCE: NY Times, GameSpot

Destiny to Feature Relatable Humanistic Setting

BELLEVUE, Wa. August 29 - Bungie aims for their upcoming RPG/Shooter, Destiny, to have a relatable setting, art director Chris Barrett told Edge in an interview published on Tuesday. Unlike the "monolithic" alien landscapes of the first Halo, which was chosen to accentuate gameplay.

Destiny's backdrop is Earth and its encompassing solar system, much of which is abandoned by humans. Players who explore Destiny's rendition of Earth will find "relevant props, human-scale stuff" that will speak to them.

Surrounding planets that you expect to be barren wastelands may actually be rather lush with vegetation. 

Take Venus for example:

"Finding that right balance between fidelity and what makes a compelling visual space and what’s real and not betraying the idea of Venus with what’s going to be an inviting space," Barrett said. "We pushed it back and forth a number of times and tried to find the right recipe for the historical ideas of Venus, whether it’s all pulp fiction. These jungles on Venus is something that’s in people’s subconscious from things they’ve heard before so playing on that is sort of a natural evolution. But we want Venus to feel alien and not mistake it for earth. So dialling that in [has been a challenge] and we’ve found a good balance."

Destiny is set to launch next year for PS3, Xbox 360 and their next-gen counterparts.

SOURCE: Edge

Square Enix Halts Digital Sales of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Temporarily

TOKYO, Japan. August 28 - Recently launched MMO from Square Enix, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, has received a positive commercial reception, so much so that the publisher has halted digital purchases of the game.

The servers are congested and as a result, players are having to sit through long ques in order to get playing. Cutting newcomers is the company's temporary solution to remedy the issue.

An official announcement on Square Enix's Facebook page reads:

"Due to the overwhelmingly positive response to FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn, we are currently experiencing extremely long wait times for users to be able to log in and play. As a temporary measure, we will halt sales of FINAL FANTASY XIV: A REALM REBORN’s digital download products so we can accommodate all of those wishing to play. We are working to expand our server capacity in the coming days."

Launch issues tend to plague newly released MMOs, that is until the tech is brought up to snuff or player interest falters and they abandon the game shortly after only to revert to the tried and true World of Warcraft. We'll have to wait and see what becomes of A Realm Reborn.

SOURCE: Square Enix

Second Round of Killer Instinct Characters to Arrive in 2014

REDMOND, Wa. August 28 - A second round of Killer Instinct characters will be added to the Xbox One exclusive's roster in 2014, according to creative director Ken Lobb.

These characters, like the launch characters, can be either purchased individually for  $4.99 / £3.99 / €4.99 each, or alternatively purchase the entire character roster for $19.99 / £16.99 / €19.99.

The characters arriving in 2014 will follow the same payment method.

"You can pay $20 again and now you have 16 characters, or you pay $40 again and you'll get the everything version," Lobb said.

If the method and game maintains popularity, Microsoft hopes to make seasonal character releases a normality.

Killer Instinct is a Xbox One launch title.

League of Legends Female Champions too Offensive in Iran's Government's Opinion

TEHRAN, Iran. August 28 - The beautiful seductresses of League of Legends have been barred from an Iranian eSports tournament for being too revealing.

According to Iran's World Cyber Games Facebook page, the female champions were banned to comply to Iranian customs.

The ban list: Ahri, Akali, Ashe, Caitlyn, Cassiopia, Diana, Elise, Evelyn, Fiora, Irelia, Janna, Karma, Katarina, Kayle, Leblanc, Leona, Lissandra, Lulu, Lux, Miss Fortune, Morgana, Nami, Nidalee, Oriana, Quinn, Riven, Sejuani, Shyvana, Sivir, Sona, Soraka, Syndra, Tristana, Vayne, Vi, and Zyra.

Characters that are being considered to be deemed playable include Diana, Fiora, Karma (traditional skin only), Kayle, Leona, Lissandra, Lulu, Lux, Nami, Quinn, Sejuani, Tristana, and Vayne.

The Iranian government warned that if eSports organizers did not comply, limitations would be placed on the tournament, including the possibility of the tournament's cancellation.

The tournament is slated to take place from September 12 to September 16, however event organizer of WCG Iran Reza Babaei explained that they are still in talks with the government to reach an agreement. According to Babaei, WCG has been discussing the event for the past two months now.

SOURCE: WCG Iran

BioShock Infinite Board Game Confirmed for UK Release

LONDON, Uk. August 28 - UK residents can look forward to visiting the beautiful, but disturbing world of Bioshock Infinite's Columbia in board game form as creator Plaid Hat Games' announced their take of the Vox Populi's revolution, titled BioShock Infinite: The Siege of Columbia, is confirmed for a UK release by supplier Esdevium Games. 

Players will play as the leaders of either the Vox Populi, or their opponents, the Founders, as they battle it out to take over Columbia.

Those familiar to the original game will recognize the set-pieces featured in the board game such as Song Bird, who by the looks of some of the pieces fights for the Founders... good luck with that Vox.

SOURCE: IGN

Dead Space 3 a Title to Be Proud of Says EA, Franchise Is Not Out of Rotation

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. August 27 - Despite the poor commercial and questionable critical response Visceral Games' Dead Space 3 received, the title is still one that brings publisher EA much pride. As a result, the franchise is not dead, according to EA labels president Frank Gibeau.

"No, it's not out of rotation," Gibeau told CVG in an interview.

Gibeau was sure to avoid confirming or denying whether or not a Dead Space title is currently in production.

"I mean, I'm not announcing anything right now, but I will say we had a great trilogy of games and we still have faith in that franchise," he stated.

Visceral Games is currently working on a unannounced Star Wars title.

Killer Instinct Is A Generous Demo, Not Free-to-Play

COLOGNE, Germany. August 27 - Xbox One exclusive fighting game Killer Instinct is not a free-to-play, creative director Ken Lobb explained to EuroGamer in an interview published today. Think of the title as "the world's most generous demo".

A pricing system outlined by Microsoft during Gamescom further explained the difference between traditional free-to-play and Killer Instinct's unique monetization structure.

Any Xbox One user can play the character Jago for free, Jago players who haven't spent a penny on the game will be able to encounter and play against anybody, whether or not it be another nonspender or an Ultra Edition purchaser, which brings us to the different packages.

Each fighter beyond Jago will cost £3.99 / €4.99 / $4.99 if they are purchased individually. Other alternatives include a £16.99 / €19.99 / $.19.99 Killer Instinct Combo Breaker pack, which will include six launch characters and early access to two post-launch DLC fighters. The Ultra Edition costs £34.99 / €39.99 / $39.99, includes the same characters as the Combo Breaker pack, accessory packs, extra costumes, and an emulated version of the original Killer Instinct arcade game.

"I just want to get as many people playing as I can," Lobb explained. "Some people are like, 'oh, free-to-play.' No. It's not free-to-play.

"What is free-to-play? It's a thing you really can't ever own at all. Day one, if you want to buy our game, buy it. You own it. There's no grind for little coins that unlock things later. None of that."

Complimenting the level of accessibility on a monetary scale, the Killer Instincts has game mechanics that support the noob, specifically making combo chaining easier. High level play is still there, Lobb assured. 

Top 5 WCS Finals Matches

Despite the rather one-sided results of WCS Season 2’s s finals series (Bomber sweeps over Jaedong 4-0), the Cologne, Germany-based SC2 tournament has been rife with nail biting, heart attack inducing matches, with the most notable ones being during the group stages and quarterfinals.

As the weekend comes to a close, we at GosuGamers can’t help but relive the tournament’s most memorable matches. Check out what we believe to be the top five games of the WCS Finals.

5.) NaNiwa Vs. INnoVation VoD

Why was it good: INnoVation is beatable, this fact has been proven in the past, but to be bested by a foreigner? If there is any foreigner able to best INnoVation, it would be one that practices with the Koreans and it certainly was. NaNiwa’s recent successes have been notable, the young ambitious and emotionally devoted player of the game is proving that he has what it takes to be a world class SC2 player.

4.) aLive Vs. First on Whirlwind 

Why was it good: When’s the last time you saw Tempests in a TvP in a pro match? It’s been awhile I’m sure, the last match I personally recall was during the WCS Season 1 Grand Finals between sOs Vs. INnoVation on Neo Planet S and it didn’t play out very well for sOs.

The match started off relatively slow, with Alive pushing an economic advantage while First pushed for tech. Any drop aggression from both players were denied, First surrounded his base with observers while Alive walled off his perimeter with missile turrets. The real battles only began to brew as both players approached the 200 supply mark, then it became a battle of unit control – feedbacks versus snipes, vikings trying to snipe colossus while avoiding blink stalkers and storms. The two pros traded blow for blow… and then the Tempests came.

A base race scenario launched, which was eventually met by an inevitable collision between both players’ armies. Alive’s viking fleet rained fire on the colossus instead of the Tempest, killing the majority of colossi, but falling to First’s nearly intact Tempest squadron. With nearly no income for both players, First’s superior army made quick work of Alive’s very small Viking count. With feedbacks, storms, and tempests’ sieging prowess, Alive had no choice but to GG a very unusual, very epic, TvP. 

3.) MC Vs. Jaedong on Whirlwind VoD

Why was it good:  The resurgences of tyrants do not come without friction and who better to provide the struggle than Protoss revolutionist, MC.

So often do Protoss two base all-ins result in a brisk anti-climactic finish - either the Zerg successfully defends and crushes the economically inferior Protoss or the Toss’ push proves too formidable and the Zerg crumples to the seemingly endless supply of warp-ins as the mechanical legs of immortals walk over lifeless Zerg carapaces. This match, however, does not develop in any sort of typical fashion.

MC gains an early advantage with a cannon rush that denies Jaedong’s early third, priming the Protoss player for an aggressive two-base window that he, due to two critical errors, misses. The first: powering six gateways with a single pylon, and the second: leaving a gap in his wall allowing Jaedong’s zerglings to rush into MC’s base and kill that single pylon powering MC’s aggression. With no other choice but to pull back his offensive forces, MC readies himself to defend against an economically superior Zerg force. Despite his disadvantageous position, MC manages to hold against all odds with a bastion-like defense in conjunction with hatchery and drone slaying counterattacks that abate Jaedong’s ultralisk/zergling army. The rest of the always entertaining match includes tech switches, psi storms, and a culminating battle between two high-tech armies running off one-base economies.

2.) INnoVation Vs. TaeJa on Newkirk Precinct VoD

Why was it good: The reason is quite simple – INnoVation brings back Hellbats with some of the hottest (pun attended) mech play versus TaeJa’s bio army.

If you’re tired of marine/tank mirrors, please do yourself a favor and watch this match, but grab snacks because you’ll be in it for the long haul. This epic 52 minute game involves Hellbat drops, seeker missiles, and expansions at every possible location. Back and forth, both players edge on the precipice of defeat in multiple instances throughout the match.

1.) Scarlett Vs. Bomber on Whirlwind VoD

Why was it good: It’s hard not to root for Scarlett, the foreigner who invested so much into SC2 eSports, moving away from the comforts of home to South Korea in order to foster her talents. Watching the WCS Finals you’ll find that the results of her sacrifice are evident, even admirable and this match against Brood War veteran, Bomber, adequately exemplifies Scarlett’s progress.

Both players open macro heavy, Scarlett with a three hatch before pool while Bomber opens with a command center first. Things look grim early on for the foreigner as Bomber manages to drive four hellions in Scarlett’s main before she gets speedlings resulting in 15 crispy drones. Scarlett climbs back despite the early economic blow through a near perfect four base ling, baneling, mutalisk defense that abates Bomber’s aggressive 3 base marine/mine shove. A role reversal comes into play after several successful engagements from Scarlett’s end, using her immensely mobile army, lings and mutas in conjunction with some very clutch Overloard creep, she goes on the offensive, constantly denying Bomber’s fourth base with surgical precision. If you weren’t a fan of Scarlett before, this match may sway you to her side.

  

Blizzard Teases Reaper of Souls Port to Consoles

IRVINE, Calif. August 27 - Diablo 3's first expansion, Reaper of Souls, will likely receive console ports, hints game director Josh Mosqueira.

"We've got Diablo 3 on PC, we released it and then a small team splintered off to work on Diablo for the current consoles. Now the team's really focused on Reaper of Souls for PC," Mosqueira told Polygon in an interview. "So if you look at the past, you can probably infer what the future might bring."

Mosqueira noted that Blizzard has nothing to officially announce "at this point".

Reaper of Souls was announced during Gamescom, the story will focus on Malthael, the angel of death, who is shown to be quite villainous in the accompanying cinematic trailer.

SOURCE: Polygon

Blizzard's Casual Focus in World of Warcraft Essential, F2P Sensible for the Future

COLOGNE, Germany. August A free-to-play World of Warcraft would make sense for Blizzard eventually, lead designer Tom Chilton told Polygon during Cologne, Germany's Gamescom.

"For Blizzard it makes sense [to go free-to-play] at some point. But a lot of the risk is in making that transition. You hear stories about developers going free-to-play and getting double the number of players, but you don't always know it works out that way and how long it stays that way. We really don't know what the rate is before people drop off and lose interest."

Free-to-play is part of the casual revolution, one that, in terms of mechanics, World of Warcraft has adopted in its latest expansion, Mists of Pandaria, according to Chilton. The move has been "very successful" for the company, Chilton added.

"We would have been in bad shape had we not done that," Chilton revealed. 

Chilton admitted that "new experiences for the hardcore audience" is the MMO's weakpoint right now, although he also noted that providing that hardcore content will be a focus for World of Warcraft at a later date, likely through future expansion iterations.

SOURCE: Polygon

Online Free-to-Play Games "Playground" for Organized Crime and Cyber Criminals Says Security Expert

LOS ANGELES, Calif. August 22 - Online games are a "playground" for organized crime and cyber criminals, said VP of technology and solutions at Trend Micro, JD Sherry, following the hacking of League of Legends North American accounts.
Since micro-transactions occur frequently in free-to-play titles, hackers are drawn to the platform and are capitalizing on vulnerabilities.

"Game platforms can have millions of users all storing sensitive information or code access for more features," Sherry said. " These are highly sought after in the cyber-crime underground for trading and selling in the black market. These platforms can fall victim to cyber-attacks just like any organization, especially if they have vulnerabilities that go unpatched.

"The most recent attack against League of Legends allowed for exfiltration of sensitive gamer details and financial information," Sherry continued. "Other attacks are done in a watering hole fashion: essentially infecting all or part of a gaming platform to then ultimately distribute malware once innocent victims access the site going forward. These types of attacks have even bigger consequences to the gamers if their systems or devices become infected."

Sherry offered 8 precautioner steps for players to take to ensure the security of their personal information:

1. Keep your gaming PC/device current with operating system and application patches (Java, Windows, Adobe)

2. Change your passwords to your system and the online gaming community with frequency (every 3-6 months)

3. If you notice any suspicious activity, always change your password to your account immediately

4. If possible, don't store any personal sensitive data (social security number, home address, date of birth) that hackers could use for fraud

5. If you have to retain a form of payment to participate, use a credit card (not debit) and one preferably with a virtual account number

6. Run frequent security scans on your own system to ensure no malicious programs have been delivered via the game client

7. Frequent user forums to raise your awareness regarding security issues with the community

8. Use a pre-paid cash card for in-game transactions

SOURCE: Polygon

Hans Zimmer Producing Beyond: Two Souls Soundtrack

COLOGNE, Germany. August 22 - Composer of Nolan's Batman series, Hans Zimmer, is the producer of Beyond: Two Souls soundtrack.. Helming the game's soundtrack is Assassin's Creed 3 composer and frequent collaborator with Zimmer, Lorne Balfe. Beyond creator David Cage confirmed that the game's soundtrack features two hours of full orchestral music.

"We believe that with the addition of Ellen Page, Willem Dafoe, and now Hans Zimmer with the soundtrack - we were really looking for the best, most talented people out there to create the emotion in Beyond, and we have a beautiful soundtrack in the game," Cage said.

SOURCE: Joystiq

Microsoft Studios Corporate VP Phil Spencer Loves the Competition

COLOGNE, Germany. August 22 - The competition between PS4 and Xbox One invigorates Microsoft Studios corporate VP Phil Spencer. According to Spencer, the capitalistic rivalry between the two major console manufacturers is a positive for the industry and gamers overall.

"I love it," Spencer told The Guardian in an interview during Cologne, Germany's Gamescom.

"If you think back a couple of years, there were questions about whether big shows like this were meaningful and about where the business was going. I think about E3 this year as one of the most exciting I've been to, and 300,000 people will come through here! It's good for the industry that there's such high awareness," he added. "And competition is good for gamers. Head to head in the same month? It's going to be exciting."

November will be the month were the two next-gen consoles will duel as Sony recently confirmed during their Gamescom press conference that the PS4 will launch on November 15 later this year.

SOURCE: The Guardian

Xbox One Not the Only Console to Feature Twitch, Streaming Service Announced for the PS4

COLOGNE, Germany. August 21 - The popular gaming streaming website, Twitch.tv, will be available on the PS4 when the console launches this November, Sony confirmed yesterday.

PS4 users will be able to view, comment and stream through the console just like a Xbox One user.

"PlayStation has a long history of delivering some of the best gaming experiences in the industry and we're excited to have Twitch available on a console as heavily anticipated as PS4," Emmett Shear, Twitch CEO, said in a statement. "Through this partnership we are paving the way for every PS4 gamer to become both a broadcaster and an avid spectator of amazing content."

"Social capabilities are an integral part of PS4, so Twitch will play an important role in delivering a compelling connected experience to PlayStation fans," said Shuhei Yoshida, president of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios. "Twitch's gamer-focused community combined with our strong portfolio of innovative PS4 titles, will help define next generation gameplay and community engagement."

The other, less popular video game streaming site, Ustream, will also be featured as announced during PS4's first unveiling.

SOURCE: Twitch.tv

MLG Welcomes Dota 2 to Its Pro Circuit

NEW YORK, August 21 - Seemingly in the wake of the incredibly record breaking viewership of Valve's Dota 2 tournament, The International 3, MLG has announced that the MOBA will be featured for the first time on MLG Pro Circuit in Columbus, Ohio this November, as reported by GameSpot.

Dota 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops II will also be featured at MLG Fall Invitational at video game development college, Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida on October 18 and 19. The winner of the $30,000 prize pool competition will receive an invite to compete in Columbus, confirmed MLG executive VP Adam Apicella.

StarCraft 2 remains absent from the least, an announcement made shortly after MLG split from producing StarCraft II World Championship Series (WCS) content for Blizzard. Riot Games' enormously popular League of Legends has yet to be announced for Columbus either, the MOBA was featured during MLG Anaheim this past summer however.

SOURCE: GameSpot

Command & Conquer to Receive Campaign Update in 2014

LOS ANGELES, Calif. August 21 - Victory Games' reboot of Westwood's classic RTS, Command & Conquer, will feature a campaign mode update in 2014, publisher EA announced yesterday. The inclusion of campaign comes from fan feedback following the removal of C&C's story in 2012.

Command & Conquer is a free-to-play RTS running on EA's proprietary Frostbite 3 engine, whether or not the story missions will be free or purchasable is up in the air.

EA's description of the free-to-play C&C campaign:

"The first Campaign Missions will follow the Asia-Pacific Alliance (APA), as they attempt to stabilize a world that once again teeters on the brink of war. Having sat comfortably as the world's foremost geopolitical power for nearly a decade, the APA finds itself challenged on all fronts. The upstart European Union (EU), a high-tech, single-state entity with an increasingly expansionist agenda continues to flex her muscles, while a series of increasingly bloody uprisings have torn key APA and EU satellite nations asunder. Rumors point to a newly reconstituted Global Liberation Army (GLA) as the instigator, but witnesses have described technology far beyond the reach of any normal terrorist organization. Concerned, the APA dispatches an elite force to infiltrate the latest, most volatile rebellion, one targeting an EU backed dictator. Their mission - learn the truth about the GLA, undermine the EU and restore peace to the globe. "

The game is currently in closed beta, which launched this summer. Those interested in checking out the game early can sign up here, otherwise you'll have to wait till the game's prospective launch date of Fall this year.

Will the cheesy live-action cut scenes be thrown in? Here's to hoping!

SOURCE: Command & Conquer

Dark Souls II PS3 Closed Beta to Launch October 5, Sign Ups Begin September 5

TOKYO, Japan. August 21 - Those who want to see if Dark Souls II is as difficult as promised can do so when Namco Bandai launches the game's closed PS3 beta program on October 5, announced the publisher today, as reported by Joystiq.

Sign ups for the beta will begin on September 5 and interested players can register when that time comes on the gam'es official Facebook page.

Dark Souls 2 will launch for Xbox, PS3 and PC in March 2014.

SOURCE: Joystiq

First Diablo 3 Expansion, Reaper of Souls, Announced

IRVINE, Calif. August 21 - Blizzard announced the first expansion for Diablo III titled, Reaper of Souls and accompanying the announcement came Blizzard's standard reveal CGI trailer that is both beautiful and ghostly.

According to Tyrael's narration, some time has passed since Diablo fell from the heavens after being defeated by the powerful offspring of demons and angels, the Nephalem, but peace, as always, is short-lived since the Lord of Terror's essence remains sustained in the indestructable soulstone.

Tyrael and his loyal Horadrim are shown hiding the soulstone away in the depths of some deep subterranean altar. Shortly after delivering the demonic artifact, death's incarnation Malthael arrives to the scene. Quickly defeating Tyrael and dispatching all the Horadrim except for one, who flees to  inform the Nephalem (the player) of the coming evil under Tyrael's orders, Malthael acquires Diablo's soul and shrugs off Tyrael's warning that the Nephalem will stop him, saying that "no one can stop death".

Reaper of Souls will feature a new level cap of 70, a new Act and a new hero called the Crusader, who is described as a "fierce melee warrior whose command of the battlefield is matched only by his unwavering conviction." The holy warrior is the spiritual successor to Diablo 2's Paladin, and will utilize his "battle magic to strengthen allies and weaken foes"

Diablo 3's original hero classes, the Barbarian, Witch Doctor, Wizard, Demon Hunter, and Monk will receive new spells and abilities. To appease players upset with the lack of end game in Diablo 3, Reaper of Souls will feature two new game modes: Loot Runs and Nephalem Trials.

The Paragon system will be receiving a major upgrade in the expansion and will provide "more end-game character advancement and replaybility".

A new artisan will also be added called the Mystic. He will be able to reroll one of the stats on rare or legendary items as well as give an item a different aesthetic look, much akin to the transmogrify ability in World of Warcraft.

SOURCE: Blizzard

Elder Scrolls Online to Run On Monthly Subcriptions

ROCKVILLE, Md. August 21 - Choosing to defy game industry norms, Elder Scrolls publisher, Bethesda, has decided to charge players a monthly subscription fee to play their upcoming MMO iteration of the franchise.

Confirmed via an interview with GameStar, general manager of Bethesda parent company Zenimax Online Matt Firor stated that the cost will be $15 a month following a 30-day trial period. The reason to forgo the free-to-play model, according to Firor, is because the monetization method so prevalent in modern MMOs have both pros and cons with cons that outweigh the pros.

"The Elder Scrolls games are all about allowing the player to go where they want, be who they want, and do what they want," he said. "We feel that putting pay gates between the player and content at any point in [the] game ruins that feeling of freedom, and just having one small monthly fee for 100 percent access to the game fits the IP and the game much better than a system where you have to pay for features and access as you play."

The only MMO that has been able to succeed through monthly subscription fees in recent times is Blizzard's World of Warcraft, although the studio is looking into possible alternative monetization methods.

SOURCE: GameStar

Microsoft Responds to Sony's "Shifting Message" Comment

REDMOND, Wa. August 21 - Microsoft Studios corporate vice president Phil Spencer responded to Sony executive Andrew House's allusion to Microsoft's "shifting message" which sounded like this: 

"While others have shifted their message and changed their story, we were consistent in maintaining policies and a model that is fair and in tune with consumer desires."

"Other people will do and say what they're going to say. Fine. We're running our program," Spencer told Eurogamer in Microsoft's defense.

And what a program that was. Microsoft has reversed several of its Xbox One's policies since the company's next-gen console was first unveiled in May. Their ability to "shift" is an example of the industry's ability to adapt and evolve based on consumer feedback, according to Spencer.

"The two-way conversation that we have with gamers is critical," Spencer said. "If we weren't able to listen then I don't think we're really creating the ecosystem that means people want to come into the platform."

The Xbox One is slated to launch in November for $500.

SOURCE: EuroGamer

Fez and Borderlands 2 to Receive Vita Port

COLOGNE, Germany. August 21 - Gearbox Software's Borderlands 2 and Polytron's Fez will be heading to the PS Vita, Sony announced during its Gamescom 2013 press conference yesterday.

"For the last year, Gearbox Software, 2K, and Sony have been inundated with emails, tweets, forum posts and more from passionate gamers across the world pleading for a PS Vita version of Borderlands 2," explained Gearbox Software's Adam Fletcher.

The mobile port of Borderlands 2 will be developed by Iron Galaxies, which released indie fighting game Divekick.

The Vita version of Fez will be developed by Barcelona-based Blit Software, which is the studio behind the PS3 and PS Vita versions of Spelunky.

Sony's mobile device has received a price cut to €199 in Europe and $199 in North America. The system's memory cards will also has a "significant reduction" in price.

SOURCE: Sony

Watch Dogs Film Adaptation Planned

COLOGNE, Germany. August 21 - A feature film adaptation of a game that hasn't even released yet, Ubisoft's Watch Dogs, was announced by the publisher during Sony's Gamescom press conference yesterday.

The film is being produced by Ubisoft Motion Pictures, Sony Pictures and New Regency, the last of which is producing the Assassin's Creed and Splinter Cell movie adaptations as well.

"Since both Sony and Ubisoft have movie and video game branches, this deal creates exceptional opportunities for us to merge the realms of the story-based cinematic experience with the interaction of the video game," said Ubisoft Motion Pictures CEO Jean-Julien Baronnet.

"In addition, Sony Pictures and New Regency have deep production expertise and are letting us maintain a strong creative voice in the film's development," he continued. "Together, we're confident we can deliver a movie that builds upon the excitement that the gameis already generating."

Columbia Pictures president of production Hannah Minghella added, "The themes and open gameplay of 'Watch Dogs' lends itself perfectly to the big screen. The game has intense action and adventure, but the story focuses on information and the control of information, which we think will lead to an exciting thriller."

"It has tremendous potential as a motion picture and we're thrilled to have the opportunity to work closely with Ubisoft's internal creative team on the development of the project."

Watch Dogs is set to launch on November 19 in North America and three days later in Europe for the PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U and PC. The title will be available on the PS4 on the console's launch, which as also announced during the press conference is on November 15 in North America and on November 29 in Europe.

SOURCE: Sony

Microsoft to Bundle Free "Major Third-Party Title" for European Xbox One Purchasers

REDMOND, Wa. August 19 - Europeans purchasing a Xbox One will reportedly get a "major third-party title" gifted with their purchase, reports from CVG and MCV state.

The generosity is to lure prospective console purchasers to Microsoft's £429 next-gen console instead of Sony's PS4 £349. According to an anonymous source, the title will be the same as the title Microsoft executive Phil Spencer will be teasing during this weekend's Gamescom 2013. Microsoft will be spending millions to execute the deal, reports CVG.

It is also speculated that a similar promotion will be granted to North American buyers.

MCV reports that Microsoft has signed a deal with EA to bundle copies of FIFA 14 with the Xbox One. Granted FIFA's popularity in Europe, with FIFA 13 selling more than 3m copies in the UK alone.

Xbox One is set to launch in November.

SOURCE: CVG, MCV

Titanfall's Box Art Revealed

LOS ANGELES, August 19 - The box art for Respawn Entertainment's debut game, Titanfall, has been revealed by the studio via Twitter.

The sci-fi shooter was announced back in July's E3 and was then named Best of Show at the E3 Game Critics Awards. The title will also have a showing during Cologne, Germany's video game convention, Gamescom, this upcoming weekend.

Titanfall is slated to launch for Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC in spring 2014.

Source: Twitter

Oculus VR Launches Dev Community Platform, Oculus Share

LOS ANGELES, Calif. August 19 - Gaming virtual reality hardware company, Oculus VR, launched the beta of its content sharing platform called Oculus Share today. Share aims to create a Oculus community, the platform will allow those interested in diving into VR to self-publish, discover, download and play other developer's Oculus-supported games.

Share enhances the discoverability of apps and also grants devs the ability to provide feedback on one another's work.

"One of the main goals in building Share was to help developers on all these fronts by creating a centralized community portal for Oculus content," Oculus VR wrote in a blog post. "And while it's simply a sharing service today, over the coming months we'll work toward making Share an incredible marketplace for Oculus-ready games, experiences and applications."

SOURCE: Oculus Rift

Blizzard Hosting Art Contest, Fans Asked to Submit Blizzard-Inspired Comics

IRVINE, Calif. August 19 - Blizzard is asking for their artistic fans to create some comics based on the studio's Warcraft, Starcraft and Diablo franchises.

According to the announcement on Battle.net, winners will be selected over the next three months, with each month having a single designated victor with different prizes. 

August's winner will receive Risk: Starcraft Collector's Edition. September's winner will receive Diablo 3: Book of Cain, and the October's will receive a hardcover copy of Art of Blizzard Book Standard Edition.

Interested individuals have till the end of their respective months to submit their projects.

More details can be found on Battle.net.

SOURCE: Battle.net

20% of Americans Don't Utilize Internet

NEW YORK, August 19 - Roughly 60m American adults do not use the internet on any device, whether it be computers or phones, according to a New York Times article published today. That equates to around 20% of the country.

As our nation embraces the digital revolution, those unfamiliar with the internet are getting left behind. One such individual is 70 year old retired truck driver from Bessemer, Elmer Griffin.

“The job I’m trying to get now requires me to know how to operate a computer,"Griffin explained. He was previously rejected from an auto-parts store because he was unable to use the computer to check the inventory.

“I wish I knew how, I really do," Griffin lamented. "People don’t even want to talk to you if you don’t know how to use the Internet.”

According to NYT, the 20 percent figure has remained stagnant since President Obama took office in 2009 and initiated a $7B investment in expanding the digital space for the US, building both wired and wireless systems in the nation's net dry places.

Analyst are fearful that these 60M frankly, luddites, will be unable to acquire jobs, government services, health care and education. Such inability to access the most prevalent technology in the world will further extend the social and economic gaps that plague our country.

“As more tasks move online, it hollows out the offline options,” said John B. Horrigan, a senior research fellow at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. “A lot of employers don’t accept offline job applications. It means if you don’t have the Internet, you could be really isolated.”

Internet usage correlates with education, age, income and according to a "Exploring the Digital Nation" report from the Commerce Department, race. A 2011 statistic states that 76 percent of white Americans use the internet, compared to 57 percent of African-American households. Other telling statistics include high internet usage from the college educated and those with an annual income over of $50,000 and up. More than half of Americans 65 and older do not use the internet, while more than three-fourths of Americans younger than 65 do. And Southern states are comparably less likely to use the internet.

“We recognize more work needs to be done to ensure that no Americans are left behind,” said John B. Morris Jr., director of Internet policy at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, part of the Commerce Department. “Increasing the level of broadband adoption is a complex, multifaceted challenge with no simple, one-size-fits-all solution.”

Nations ranked higher in internet adoption than the US include Britain, Canada, South Korea, Germany, France and Australia, as well as nearly every other smaller country in Western Europe.

Seniors tend to feel that the internet is irrevelant and believe that they are not inhibited by their failure to adopt. However, excluding seniors most Americans feel that they can't get access to all the things that they need, according to a senior researcher at Internet at American life research firm, Pew Project.

Some suspect that the recent recession stifled internet growth, pointing at the Great Depression as the morbid time stalled the adoption of home telephone services.

Programs that are demonstrating successful results include the federally funded Smart Communities. The $7M effort in Chicago provides Internet training in English and Spanish for individuals and small businesses. Between the 2008 and 2011, the organization registered a 15 percent increase in Internet use compared to other Chicago community areas.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) along with some Internet providers offer more affordable services for low-income households. Comcast’s two-year-old Internet Essentials program, which offers broadband service for $10 a month to low-income families, has signed up 220,000 households out of 2.6 million eligible homes in Comcast service areas.

Thomas C. Power, the administration's deputy chief technology officer for telecommunications believes that the US is far from accomplishing what they need to.

"I’ve seen enough to know that we’re making good progress," Power stated. “But I also know we need to make more progress.”

SOURCE: NY Times

Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft Closed Beta Launches

IRVINE, Calif. August 16 - The closed beta for Blizzard's entry title to the free-to-play space, Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, went live today for PC.

Beta invites will dished out in waves, Blizzard has already sent beta invites to members of the press, fan sites and beta-sign up registered players lucky enough to win the roll.  

Hearthstone is a digital trading card game based on the popular Warcraft series. The word "Hearthstone" is in reference to the in-game item that brings a player back to their character's respective inn.

Blizzard aims for the game to be easily adopted casually while still offering a level of complex strategy that will appease the hardcore tacticians. Those interested in joining the beta can register here, all you need is a Battle.net account.

The game will launch for PC and Mac first with a port to the iPad at a later date.

SOURCE: Blizzard

New Trailer Reveals Thief's February 25, 2014 Launch Date

MONTREAL, Canada. August 16 - Eidos Montreal's upcoming Thief reboot is slated for a February 25, 2014 release, the studio announced today via the game's latest CGI trailer.

The trailer set the revolutionist tone, pitting the poor against the rich and seemingly positioning protagonist, Garrett the thief, to be a Robin Hood-esque character in a Dishonored-like setting.

"Industry and progress," a voice in the trailer proclaims. The result, a city that is dark and somber where the poor die from sickness and hunger while the rich reap the benefits.

SOURCE: Eidos Montreal

EA Humble Origin Bundle Reaches $1M Milestone in 36 Hours, Total Sales Now Surpass $5

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. August 16 - The EA Humble Origin Bundle reached a $1m milestone in sales within 36 hours post launch, reported Gamespot today. The package became available earlier this week, and has by now surpassed $5m.

Gamers can purchase prominent EA titles including Dead Space 3, Dead Space, Mirror's Edge, Crysis 2: Maximum Edition, Medal of Honor, and Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box for just $1.

Those who pay above the $4.80, the current average, will receive Battlefield 3 and The Sims 3: Starter Pack.

EA will be giving all proceeds to five charity organizations: Human Rights Campaign, Watsi, San Francisco AIDS Foundation, American Cancer Society, and American Red Cross. Purchasers can select which organizations will receive their contribution.

SOURCE: Humble, Gamespot

Female Soldiers to Make Their Debut in Call of Duty: Ghosts

SANTA MONICA, Calif. August 16 - The reason why female soldiers weren't gunning down their male counterparts in previous Call of Duty's is because of technological issues, Infinity Ward producer Mark Rubin told Kotaku in an interview published on Wednesday. 

"A lot of it was the engine," executive producer Mark Rubin told Kotaku in a new interview. "Our previous engine would not handle that. The way memory worked in the previous engine, it never would have been able to do that."

This is no longer an issue, as advances in technology and equal rights will be bringing female character models along with 20,000 possible cosmetic combinations to upcoming Call of Duty: Ghosts.

"When we got a chance to re-tool the engine completely, that gave us the opportunity to make the change that we could have character customization," Rubin said. "That then gave us the opportunity to do female characters."

Great news... the catch? Men and women models will be the same size. The reason being balance.

"Even on the female characters, we can't make them smaller," Rubin said. "They have to have gear on them that makes them the same size as male players. We need to be fair. It has to be fair from a gameplay standpoint. They might look differently, but they'll fill the same area so that your hit-boxes aren't out of whack."

SOURCE: 

Xbox One Auto Adjusts its Temperature When Overheating

REDMOND, Wa. August 16 - The Xbox One is self-aware, or at least enough to take the appropriate countermeasures when the next-gen console gets too hot, Xbox general manager of console development Leo del Castillo told Gizmodo in an interview published yesterday.

“We can’t prevent misuse of the product," del Castillo explained, "but we can certainly anticipate it." 

"The way we designed the box, we don’t actually intend it to ever have to go to maximum speed under normal environmental conditions. But there is overhead. So we’ll allow the fan to go all the way up to its maximum speed and if that solves the condition without the user having to do anything."

The console will lower its power usage in response if it really feels like things are going critical, though likely at the cost of performance... a worthwhile trade if the preventative course of action saves the $500 console.

"One thing that we have more flexibility with," del Castillo added, "With the architecture of the Xbox One, is that we can dial back the power of the box considerably. We had a little less flexibility with the 360. And so basically, if we couldn’t dissipate the heat, there wasn’t a whole lot of leverage we could pull to keep the heat from being generated, so we had a limited amount of time before it just shut down. Xbox One can actually dial it back to a lower power state, so low in fact that it can in a mode that uses virtually no air flow."

Game of Throne's Tywin Lannister to Play The Witcher 3's Nilfgaardian Emperor

WARSAW, Poland. August 15 - Charles Dance, the man who plays the very tall, very regal, Tywin Lannister in HBO's Game of Thrones will be featured in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, developer CD Projekt RED announced, as reported by IGN.

The Witcher 3 lead writer Marcin Blacha commended Dance stating, "Charles Dance is the perfect candidate to play the mighty Nilfgaardian emperor in our upcoming title. It’s a dream come true for the team here at RED to be able to work with such an accomplished actor and magnetic personality."

Like the chief Lannister, the Emperor's forces have raped and pillaged the North during Nilfgaardian's Invasion.

Released yesterday was a really slick CGI trailer titled "Killing Monsters", blending graphic violence and morality.

SOURCE: IGN

Hotline Miami 2 Incites Anger and Criticism With Rape Scene

STOCKHOLM, Sweden. August 15 - The sequel to Hotline Miami, Hotline Miami 2 from Dennaton Games has incited anger and criticism from the video game community, CVG reported today.

In one of the final sequences in the game's preview build, the player inhabited character is encouraged to rape an female character, upon  the words "Finish Her" appear on the screen... Though no actual rape is committed, the scene reveals itself to be a cast of in-game actors in an in-game filming session as the director from the side of the screen yells "Cut, Pig Man, well done, but don't be afraid to be rougher. And you there, blondie - you need to work on your femininity. Act more helpless and scared. You know, more girly."

Naturally, people got mad. Previewer of the game and PC Gamer editor Cara Ellison lamented the truth about how the experience made her feel about sexism in gaming. "This is how they feel when someone points out that games are sexist. ‘This is it,’ I think. ‘I am feeling betrayal. I feel betrayed by something I love. I feel betrayed.’"

Sean Duncan, an assistant professor researching games at Indiana University, wrote on his personal Twitter page: "this game disgusts me".

Editor-in-cheif of Develop and MCV tweeted, "Not surprised one bit that the almost-tasteless Hotline Miami has crossed the line in the sequel".

Even though the female character was not a rape victim, she was still belittled by the fictional director's comments. Granted its context, the director is probably no pleasant character and whether or not the game glorifies sexism is questionable. Hotline Miami is known for its surmountable amount of graphic violence despite its lack of graphical fidelity so perhaps the game is taking an honest stab at women and feminism in general.

SOURCE: CVG, PC Gamer

Creators of StarCraft Universe Seek to Expand Via Kickstarter

ST. LOUIS, Mo. August 15 - The creators of StarCraft II mod and pseudo MMORPG, StarCraft Universe, are looking to expand their pet project to a full-fledged game via crowdfunding.

The studio, titled Upheaval Arts, launched their campaign five days ago and is asking for $80,000. So far Upheaval has managed to raised $27,361 of its goal so far with 26 days remaining for funding.

Blizzard condones the project and the studio is confident that they will run into no legal issues with the original creators of StarCraft. "While Blizzard is not directly affiliated with this project's production, we do communicate with them to submit bug reports and make technical requests," the developer said. "They have given their blessing/permission for us to launch this Kickstarter, and they are supporting our efforts by featuring SCU as an Arcade Highlight."

Upheaval Arts is hoping to ship the first content for the game--an open beta test--in late 2013 or early 2014. To play StarCraft Universe, players just need an internet connection,  a Battle.net account, and a copy of StarCraft II, which can be acquired for free via the game's Starter Edition.

SOURCE: Kickstarter

New Sessions Announced for November's GDC Next from Day[9], NBC Unviversal and Disruptor Beam

LOS ANGELES, Calif. August 15 - New sessions were announced for November's Game Developers Conference Next, including NBC Universal , Disruptor Beam, and SC2 personality Sean "Day[9]" Plott.

GDC Next will be hosted at the Los Angeles Convention Center from November 5-7 later this year. The event will suitably focus on the future of gaming, or what's "next".

On the list for what's on the horizon are story-driven social games (and upcoming mobile) based on popular IPs like Game of Thrones, according to Boston-based studio Disruptor Beam. CEO Jon Radoff and lead designer of the studio's Game of Thrones: Ascent Tim Crosby will discuss how they managed to produce "engaging and steady content with low player acquisition costs for the "high-profile licensed title".

Given the growing popularity of eSports, Day[9] will explain how to design games with spectators in mind. The eSports caster, content producer and notable personality will explain the elements on what makes a game as entertaining to watch as it is to play so that developers can create communities that can stream Esports events.

NBC Universal's director of Universal Games Network Matt Dominianni will examine how Interactive TV second-screen games can change TV content in his talk titled, "2nd Screen Games: innovation from the Broadcast TV Industry?". Included in his discussion will be references to USA Network's Psych: Find the Famous Pineapple and Bravo's Watch What Happens Live: Play Along.

SOURCE: Gamasutra

Crystal Dynamics Lays Off Roughly 12 of its Team Members Unaffiliated With Tomb Raider

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. August 14 - Developer of the Tomb Raider reboot, Crystal Dynamics, has issued a small number of layoffs, reported Kotaku on Monday. Those departing are not working on the next Tomb Raider title, but a new IP.

Parent company Square Enix issued this statement:

"We’ve made some decisions at Crystal Dynamics last week around the second project we’re working on, which has resulted in a small number of roles (roughly 12) becoming redundant as we re-scope the project. This doesn’t affect the Tomb Raider development team, who as confirmed last week are well into production on a next-generation sequel. We’re a close-knit team at Crystal and wouldn’t be making these changes if we didn’t feel it was absolutely necessary. We’ll help those affected as best we can and we want to thank them for their hard work and commitment. If anyone is looking for development talent, please contact:mtrout@crystald.com and we’ll put you in touch direct."

SOURCE: Kotaku

Blizzard Teases Diablo 3 Website "Reaper of Souls"

IRVINE, Calif. August 14 - Blizzard launched a teaser website for Diablo 3 today titled, Reaper of Souls. The site reads only one thing, a quote from the Book of Tyreal that states ominously, "Death, at last, shall spread its wings over all."

Recently Blizzard president and co-founder, Mike Morhaime announced that the studio will be "sharing more Diablo-related news" during Cologne, Germany's Gamescom. The studio's press conference will take place on Wednesday, August 21.

It is known that a Diablo 3 expansion is in development, however all concrete news as of late have been in regards to the action RPGs console rendition.

SOURCE: Blizzard

Candy Crush Developer Drops Five Titles to Focus on the Popular

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. August 13 - King, the social games developer and the creator of wildly popular mobile title, Candy Crush, will be shutting down five of its online games so that it can focus more on its popular titles as well as forthcoming launches.

The five titles include Bubble Saga, Hoop de Loop Saga, Puzzle Saga, Miner Speed and King Gold Games.

"The games affected typically have fewer players and, in some cases, were earlier iterations of the hugely successful Saga model that King has developed over the past two years," a company representative stated.

SOURCE: Gameindustry International