Tag Archives: E3

Train2Game News Sony at E3

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SONY_logoAt its annual E3 Media & Business Summit press conference today, Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC (SCEA) unveiled a line-up of premiere content for the PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system.

The games included Destiny from Bungie & Activision , Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End from Naughty Dog , Far Cry 4 from Ubisoft , Batman: Arkham Knight from Rocksteady & Warner Bros Interactive , The Order: 1886 from Ready at Dawn, the highly anticipated No Man’s Sky by Hello Games, and many more.

SCEA also unveiled an exclusive PS4 Destiny bundle that includes a custom glacier white PS4, provided an update on its original content series “Powers,” introduced PlayStation TV (PS TV) for the North American and European markets, and discussed the rollout of “PlayStation Now” (PS Now) in the United States and Canada.

“With the success of PS4 − the number one next generation platform globally − and the announcements we made tonight around exciting new content, platforms and services, PlayStation is delivering unique and powerful entertainment experiences that speak to the hearts and minds of gamers,” said Shawn Layden, president and CEO of SCEA.

“PlayStation offers something for everyone, whether you want to lose yourself in a massive virtual world with tons of social interaction like Destiny or you’re looking for a more intimate, unique experience offering plenty of challenge like Entwined. Our unwavering commitment to gamers will ensure that PlayStation will always be where the greatest play happens.”

You can view more information on the Sony E3 conference in the link below

Sony at E3

Train2Game News: Microsoft at E3

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XboxMonday, on the eve of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Microsoft Corp. unveiled the future of gaming on Xbox One through a spectacular lineup of games from the world’s most visionary creators.

This holiday season on Xbox One gamers will enjoy the quintessential collection of the most popular game in Xbox history with “Halo: The Master Chief Collection,” as well as highly anticipated exclusives such as “Sunset Overdrive,” “Forza Horizon 2,” “Fable Legends” and “Dance Central Spotlight.”

From start to finish, Microsoft’s annual E3 press briefing featured wall-to-wall games and highlighted the deep passion for gaming that Xbox creators share with their most dedicated fans. Showcasing the power of the cloud and the best multiplayer experience on Xbox Live, Xbox exclusives shared the stage with blockbusters such as “Assassin’s Creed Unity,” “Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare,” “Evolve” and “Rise of the Tomb Raider,” and independent games such as “INSIDE,” adding to a growing library of games on Xbox One. In addition, beginning today, gamers can choose to buy an all-new Xbox One option for $399. Xbox One with Kinect will continue to be available.

“We are committed to delivering amazing experiences that will help define this generation of games and delight the millions of passionate Xbox fans around the world,” said Phil Spencer, head of Xbox. “Xbox will be the only place you can enjoy the most-anticipated blockbusters and new franchises, including exclusives like ‘Sunset Overdrive,’ ‘Halo: The Master Chief Collection,’ ‘Forza Horizon 2,’ and ‘Dance Central Spotlight.’ In addition, on Xbox One gamers will be able to play upcoming hits like ‘Destiny,’ ‘Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare,’ ‘Assassin’s Creed Unity’ and a vibrant catalog of games from independent developers.”

Led by fan feedback, Xbox has delivered new features and updates every month since the launch of Xbox One, setting a new pace for innovation. Only on Xbox One can you instantly switch between your favorite games and entertainment, so you never miss a moment, and easily share your gameplay with others via Upload Studio and Twitch. Xbox Live Gold offers a superior multiplayer experience, with innovative features such as dedicated cloud servers for multiplayer matches, no waiting in lobbies, cloud storage for Game DVR and an advanced reputation system.

Since the launch of Xbox One, the Xbox Live community has spent nearly 1.7 billion hours on games and entertainment, an average of five hours per day per console. The introduction of the new Xbox One console option offers more choice than ever before at a great value.

“Today we’re thrilled to offer our fans more choices to play the games they love and to enjoy all of their entertainment with the new Xbox One option for $399,” said Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice president, Devices and Studios at Microsoft. “With an amazing lineup of exclusive games and more than 225 entertainment apps available around the world by this holiday, powered by our Xbox Live multiplayer service, we’re committed to making Xbox an incredible place to play.”

You van view more details about some of the games and features in the PDF below:

Further information from Microsoft at E3

Train2Game News New Mortal Kombat announced

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Mortal Kombat XWarner Bros. Interactive Entertainment have announced Mortal Kombat X, NetherRealm Studios’ next highly anticipated installment in its legendary, critically acclaimed fighting game franchise that propels the iconic franchise into a new generation.

Mortal Kombat X is scheduled for release in 2015 for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 computer entertainment systems, Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, the Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft and PC. Mortal Kombat X will make its first public appearance at Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2014 in Los Angeles.

“Mortal Kombat is our acclaimed, world-renowned franchise and we are now advancing the fighting genre with Mortal Kombat X,” said Martin Tremblay, President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.  “NetherRealm Studios is best in class at delivering games fans love and they are taking their iconic brand to the next level with Mortal Kombat X.”

“Mortal Kombat has always been about over-the-top, visceral fighting and with  Mortal Kombat X  we wanted to utilise the power of new-gen consoles to give players our most intense game yet,” said Ed Boon, Creative Director, NetherRealm Studios.  “The team has worked hard to make sure  Mortal Kombat X  delivers everything fans expect along with new characters, new game modes and an all new graphics engine.”

Mortal Kombat X combines cinematic presentation with all new gameplay to deliver the most brutal Kombat experience ever, offering a new fully-connected experience that launches players into a persistent online contest where every fight matters in a global battle for supremacy.

For the first time, Mortal Kombat X gives players the ability to choose from multiple variations of each character impacting both strategy and fighting style. Players step into an original story showcasing some of the game’s most prolific characters including Scorpion and Sub-Zero, while introducing new challengers that represent the forces of good and evil and tie the tale together.

You can enjoy the announcement trailer below

YOU MUST BE EIGHTEEN TO VIEW

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ci6lMQNLKZU&oref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DCi6lMQNLKZU&has_verified=1

Train2Game News Ubisoft rewarding fan commitment

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Ubisoft logoUbisoft is rewarding the commitment of its biggest fans by giving them opportunities to take part in E3, the world’s premier show for video games.

Twelve creative and dedicated Uplay members from around the world will be chosen to join Ubisoft in Los Angeles for this year’s show. As “Uplay Ambassadors” they will receive the VIP treatment, including all-expenses paid travel, access to the E3 show floor, a ticket to the Ubisoft press conference and exclusive meetings with Ubisoft’s development teams. Ten ambassadors will be picked from among the most dedicated members of Ubisoft’s games’ communities, and two members will become ambassadors by winning fan contests.

One thousand additional Uplay members will receive an invitation to the Uplay lounge, a pop-up event being held in an impressive location near the Los Angeles Convention Center.  At the Uplay lounge, members will have hands-on time with games from Ubisoft’s E3 lineup as well as time to discuss their favorite titles with Ubisoft’s teams, compete against other fans and win prizes.

Uplay members can win one of two contests to become an ambassador:

The Uplay Fan Art Contest. Uplay members can show their talents by creating fan art based on their favorite Ubisoft titles. The jury for the contest is composed of members of Ubisoft’s Montpellier studio, and the winner will not only become an ambassador but also will have his or her art animated by the Montpellier team. More details are available here.

The Uplay Fan Video Contest. Participants can submit a video in one of three categories: Cosplayer, for creators with amazing costumes talents; Competitor, for the best speed-runners or most skilled players; and, Filmmaker, for fans who want to show off their filmmaking talents. More details are available here.

The 1,000 Uplay members who receive invitations to the Uplay lounge will be chosen from those who pre-register at www.uplaylounge.com.

Anyone who is not chosen or is unable to make it to Los Angeles still will be able to see E3 highlights via exclusive videos, photos and other surprises found at www.uplaylounge.com

Train2game News: Thief modding competition

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Square Enix and Amazon.com Inc., in collaboration with a host of gaming partners including AMD and the team behind The Dark Mod, today announced the ultimate THIEF mod contest in celebration of the upcoming reboot to one of the most renowned stealth franchises in gaming history.

Beginning today, the THIEF and modding communities are challenged to put their imagination to the test. Whether it’s creating a new heist for Garrett or reworking a classic level from the series, Square Enix and Amazon are looking for fans to submit entries in one of two categories; either a short video playthrough of a mod they’ve created, or a pitch for a mod they would like to create.

Once submitted, all entries will be voted on by the community, members of the Thief development team, and members of The Dark Mod team.

One winner from each of the two categories will be chosen and will receive a host of prizes from key partners, including:

o    A high-end gaming rig from AMD which includes an AMD Radeon R9 290X graphics card
o    An all-expenses paid trip to E3 2014 with Square Enix
o    Steam code for all Square Enix Games with the matching Prima Guide
o    A bundle of game development books on Kindle
o    An Amazon Kindle DX

In addition, every entrant to the competition will also receive a free digital version of Thief: Gold (1999) courtesy of Amazon.com.

For more information on how to enter and the full list of categories and prizes, visit www.amazon.com/thiefcontest

For information on how to create a mod, along with all the tools needed, visit TheDarkMod.com

Closing date for entries is April 14, 2014.

Full Terms and Conditions apply

Train2Game News: Oculus Rift gets huge funding

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Oculus RiftOculus VR, maker of the anticipated Oculus Rift VR gaming headset, has secured $16 million in Series A funding.

The round was co-led by Spark Capital and Matrix Partners. Santo Politi, founder and general partner at Spark, and Antonio Rodriguez, serial entrepreneur and general partner at Matrix, have joined the company’s board of directors. Founders Fund as well as Formation 8 also participated in the round.

Oculus plans to use the funds to accelerate the development of its virtual reality hardware, software and services, and ultimately create a virtual reality platform for consumers.

“Oculus began with a single mission: to put players inside the game,” said Palmer Luckey, founder of Oculus VR and inventor of the Oculus Rift.

“This investment allows us to deliver immersive and affordable virtual reality to players everywhere.”

Oculus garnered lots of attention when it debut at last year’s E3. Oculus has since manufactured and shipped the Rift development kits purchased in its Kickstarter campaign, allowing game developers to create Oculus-ready applications and interactive content.

Spark Capital has previous backed other forward-thinking tech ventures, which have subsequently gained massive popularity, including Twitter and Tumblr. Matrix Partners’ achievements include early investments in some of the world’s most successful technology companies, such as Apple, SanDisk and others.

“What better way to mark our first anniversary than to announce our next phase of growth,” said Brendan Iribe, CEO of Oculus VR.

“There are still many challenging problems to solve, but with the support of these great investment partners, and our passionate community, we will continue to hire the brightest minds and stay laser focused on delivering the very best virtual reality platform possible.”

Oculus VR originally raised over $2.4 million through its Kickstarter campaign – almost ten times its fundraising goal.

Development kits are currently doing the rounds, but no commercial release date has been set for the product.

Train2Game News: UK Top 20 Games – 17.06.13

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The Last Of UsThere is a brand new number one this week with the PlayStation exclusive, The Last Of Us which was released on Friday. Animal Crossing: New Leaf came in at number two, unable to beat the popularity of The Last Of Us. Rugby Challenge 2: Lions Tour Edition also came out this week and debuted at number twelve. Finally, with the announcement of the DLC at E3 last week, The Walking Dead by Telltale Games also made a welcome return to the top 20, coming back in at number seventeen.

All formats

Week ending 15 June 2013

POS.  TITLE  PUBLISHER  LAST
WEEK 
1 THE LAST OF US SONY COMPUTER ENT. –
2 ANIMAL CROSSING: NEW LEAF NINTENDO –
3 GRID 2 CODEMASTERS 1
4 TOMB RAIDER SQUARE ENIX 7
5 FIFA 13 EA SPORTS 2
6 INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 11
7 FAR CRY 3 UBISOFT 5
8 THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM – LEGENDARY BETHESDA SOFTWORKS 4
9 LUIGI’S MANSION 2 NINTENDO 8
10 – ASSASSIN’S CREED III XBOX 360 CLASSICS 10
11 DEAD ISLAND: RIPTIDE DEEP SILVER 6
12 RUGBY CHALLENGE 2: LIONS TOUR EDITION ALTERNATIVE –
13 – LEGO BATMAN 2: DC SUPER HEROES WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 13
14 CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS II ACTIVISION 15
15 DONKEY KONG COUNTRY RETURNS NINTENDO 9
16 BIOSHOCK INFINITE 2K GAMES 14
17 THE WALKING DEAD TELLTALE GAMES –
18 GRAND THEFT AUTO IV XBOX 360 CLASSICS 20
19 LEGO THE LORD OF THE RINGS WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 18
20 REMEMBER ME CAPCOM 3
< previous week
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (C)2013 UKIE Ltd

These charts cannot be reproduced either in print or online without obtaining permission from Ukie. If you wish to reproduce the charts in print or online, please contact david.smith@ukie.org.uk for the appropriate license.

Train2Game News: PlayStation 4 at E3

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PS4At the biggest gaming convention in the world, E3, Sony have finally given their first look at the PlayStation 4.

The console was revealed to the world and it reminded me of the hugely popular PlayStation 2. With the same black colouring that all the Sony consoles have had and a parallelogram shape, the machine was more attractive than the Xbox One. This was the first of many “One-Ups” Sony performed over Microsoft.

The second came when it was announced that the PlayStation 4 will not force DRM restriction around used games. The clear message was that there were no changes to the way used games and lending games to your friends will be changed at all.

Sony has confirmed that you’ll need to subscribe to PS Plus in order to play PS4 games online. Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida explained that the PS Plus subscription covers the cost of Sony’s massive server-side investments for PS4. Currently a year’s subscription costs £39.99, though it’s yet to be confirmed how much it’ll cost on PS4. Those who already have a PS Plus subscription will have their subscription carried over and your subscription will cover your PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and your PS Vita.

If you do choose to subscribe to PS Plus not only will you be able to play your games online but Sony are also giving one free PS4 game a month, starting with Evolution Studio’s, Driveclub from launch.

Sony also confirmed that it’s new console will be region-free! So no longer will you have to worry so much about your favourite games, or even the console, being cheaper in America.

Speaking of cheaper I will finish off this round up of the console with the price that was announced.

The Sony PlayStation 4 will cost you £349 in the UK, coming in at £80 cheaper than the Xbox One.

Train2Game News: Xbox at E3

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Xbox OneE3 has begun and the first subject I will report on from the event is the Xbox E3 Conference which was on at 5:30pm GMT, yesterday.

The event began with an incredibly stunning trailer for Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain, featuring the voice of Kiefer Sutherland. The trailer displayed incredibly beautiful graphics using the Xbox One system and they are truly jaw dropping. The game play its self looks big, epic and is open world. This new adventure of snake uses interesting stealth mechanics and action to achieve your goals.

It was a beautiful start to the conference.

The rest of the conference was full of the new stunning games for the Xbox One for all audiences and fans.

There was another old favourite game returning to console market, Killer Instinct, the beat-em-up game published by Rare and Nintendo that was made popular in 1994, released as an Arcade machine, then later ported to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Killer instinct was displayed on stage by Double Helix Games, the creators of the reboot.

Games for the younger audience were also displayed. Minecraft: Xbox One Edition looked beautiful some how. I have no idea how the Xbox One has made simple blocks beautiful but they managed it!

One of the more interesting looking games and mechanics was that of Project Spark. You create the game world using the Kinect Voice Recognition, saying phrases such as “Woodland” and the land would be covered in Woodland. You can then go through and shape the world in a way you see fit and give inanimate objects intelligence to fill many roles. The possibilities are truly endless for the game.

Forza 5 was shown at the event and this was one of the most intelligent features I have ever seen in a game. With their feature known as “Drivatar” as you play the game, it will learn what you do and how you race, with what it learns, when you are not playing the game, your friends and people around the world can use your Drivatar to race against. In a way, there is no AI to race against, instead you race against people matched to your level so there is always a challenge through out the game. It is an incredible idea.

With it being an Xbox conference there was of course a few first person shooters.

Battlefield 4 was shown and looked absolutely beautiful, with incredible action and an exciting pace. They didn’t display any multiplayer game play however.

There was also a teaser trailer for the next Halo game that completely blew me away. As I sat there watching the trailer, trying to work out what I was seeing I was shocked and excited to see the Master Chief unveiled, that was one of the best moments of it for me.

There was several other games mentioned through the conference.

The Xbox it’s self was announced to be very heavily integrated with the Smartglass app. Using it from keeping an eye on other players stats to displaying the user interface.

The price was the biggest downfall of the console however. In the UK the console will be £429. A price many aren’t sure is worth it.

Train2Game News: Snake acquires an A list voice

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MGS VSnake from Metal Gear Solid has been given an updated face and a new voice. Kiefer Sutherland has taken over the role from series stalwart, David Hayter.

Hayter confirmed his departure from the series in April. Plenty of names have been suggested as potential replacements since then – Hideo Kojima has often stated his admiration of Hugh Jackman, and suggested he could be a candidate for a future Metal Gear Solid movie – it’s Sutherland, though, who’ll pick up the mantel for Phantom Pain.

“We’re taking on some very heavy subjects, such as race and revenge,” said Kojima. “This makes the tone much darker. As a result, I wanted Snake to have a more subdued performance, expressed through subtle facial movements and tone of voice rather than words.”

“The game takes place in 1984, when Snake is 49 years old,” Kojima explains. “Therefore, we needed someone who could convey both the facial and vocal qualities of a man in his late forties. It’s different from anything we’ve done before, so I asked a producer friend of mine in Hollywood, Avi Arad, for advice. He’s the one who introduced me to Kiefer Sutherland, and I was like, ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’”

Sutherland has been busy recording motion capture footage for The Phantom Pain over recent months. In the video (shown below), Kojima explains how the nuances of Sutherland’s delivery are important in conveying the emotion of certain situations – both through vocal cues and facial movements. “I felt that he was the perfect fit in terms of age and performance,” says Kojima.

Apart from Sutherland’s thirty-year-long film career, the actor has made fleeting appearances in the likes of Call of Duty: World at War as well as reprising his role as Bauer in 24: The Videogame. While confessing to not being a gamer, Sutherland recognises the importance of the role. “It’s an honour to be able to play this character,” he says. “This character has an unbelievable legacy but there’s a real personal quality to the character that I’ve connected to.”

If you love David Hayter, you’re probably not going to be happy with anyone else but David Hayter doing the job. Sutherland has some hefty acting chops though – and many of his roles have involved gravelly delivery aplenty. I reckon there’s good chance casual fans might not even notice the difference – although the mo-cap stuff looks about as detailed as we’ve seen and could stand to benefit from the likes of Sutherland filling the capture dots.

Here’s the full pre-E3 Konami show – jump in around 10:30 mark for the Metal Gear Solid content:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRvnyT1R8J8&feature=player_embedded