Tag Archives: Xbox One

Train2Game News Rock Band 4

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Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. announced today an agreement with Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. to launch  Rock Band 4, the next generation of the award-winning social and interactive music-gaming platform, later this year for the PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system and Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft.

Mad Catz will develop and manufacture a new generation of wireless  Rock Band 4 music game controllers.  The launch products include:

-Band-in-a-Box Bundle, which includes the  Rock Band 4 game, a Wireless Fender Stratocaster Guitar Controller, a Wireless Drum Kit Controller and a Microphone.

-Guitar Bundle, which includes the  Rock Band 4 game and a Wireless Fender Stratocaster Guitar Controller. 

To celebrate the announcement of  Rock Band 4,  Harmonix are offering a special edition, Wireless Stratocaster Guitar Controller, featuring custom artwork of “Gabe” from the immensely popular Penny Arcade webcomic.  This limited-edition collectible is only available for on-site pre-orders at the Harmonix booth during the PAX East video game festival.

“We are very excited to bring the band back together, and re-team with Harmonix to deliver the next installment of the legendary  Rock Band franchise to a new generation of consoles,” said Darren Richardson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz.  “Harmonix understands music gaming better than anyone, and we are confident that the unrivalled music selection and next generation features will prove incredibly enticing to passionate gamers and music fans alike.”

Daniel Sussman, Product Manager for Harmonix commented, “The creative energy and excitement at the studio right now is at an all-time high. We’re thrilled to have Mad Catz as an important partner as we move the franchise to a new generation of consoles, and we can’t wait to show our fans how we’re evolving the gameplay they love.”

Rock Band 4 brings the critically-acclaimed franchise to a new generation of consoles, focusing on the features and gameplay that people love, and expanding the franchise in innovative ways informed by how fans play and what they want.  In addition to a killer on-disc soundtrack,  Rock Band 4 will support the over 2000 tracks released since the 2007 debut of the original  Rock Band, accounting for more than 500 of rock music’s most legendary artists.

In addition, players who have purchased or downloaded music on last-generation consoles will be able to download and play those tracks on their new platforms at no additional charge.  Hundreds of tracks will be available at launch, with more back catalog music – and new tracks – added regularly after launch.

For more information on  Rock Band and Harmonix Music Systems, visit:  http://www.harmonixmusic.com/games/rock-band/

Train2Game News Elder Scrolls Online subscription free

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Bethesda Softworks, a ZeniMax Media company, today announced that its long awaited, award-winning multiplayer roleplaying game, The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited, will release worldwide on 9th June, 2015 for the PlayStation 4 system and Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft.

For the first time in history, players will explore the legendary world of Tamriel with their friends on console. In the latest and biggest Elder Scrolls game ever made, players will be able to adventure alone, quest with friends, or join an army of hundreds in epic player vs. player battles as they explore and discover the secrets of a persistent Tamriel.

The studio are also pleased to announce that The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited players will no longer be required to pay a monthly game subscription for extended play. Players will make a one-time purchase of the game and can then enjoy hundreds of hours of content without the requirement of a monthly game subscription fee when The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited becomes available on console in June and beginning 17th March for PC/Mac players.

The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited includes all the great gameplay from the original PC/Mac game, plus all the updates and content additions, including the exciting new Justice and Champion systems.  All existing PC/Mac game accounts, open or closed, will be updated to the Tamriel Unlimited edition in March and former players will be invited back to the game at that time to experience all that is new in the world. New players will make a one-time purchase of the game and play, without restrictions, for as long as they like – without game subscription fees. Tamriel Unlimited will be supported with special, optional downloadable content available for purchase and an in-game Crown Store for convenience and customization items. Regular updates and new gameplay will be offered to all players to enjoy free of additional charges.

In addition, Bethesda will offer ESO Plus to players who wish to pay a single monthly charge for  a premium membership service, providing exclusive in-game bonuses, a monthly allotment of crowns to use in the store and access to all DLC game packs while a member. PC/Mac players with active subscriptions on 17th March will be automatically enrolled into ESO Plus and begin enjoying its membership privileges.

“Our fans are our biggest inspiration, and we’ve listened to their feedback on the entertainment experience they want,” said Matt Firor, Game Director of The Elder Scrolls Online. “We know that Elder Scrolls fans want choice when it comes to how they play and how they pay, and that is what they will get. We have made numerous changes to the game over the past year, and are confident this is a game that Elder Scrolls fans will love to play. Players can explore Tamriel with friends, battle creatures, craft, fish, steal, or siege. The choice is theirs. The game offers hundreds of hours of gameplay with unlimited adventures with one single game purchase. We can’t wait for everyone, whether they’ve played before or will be experiencing it for the first time, to begin adventuring in The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited.” 

For more information on the different ways players will be able to experience The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited, you can watch the livestream on twitch.tv/zenimaxonlinestudios today at 5pm GMT or visit: www.elderscrollsonline.com/faq.

Train2Game News Oddworld coming soon

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Following on from the critically acclaimed and much loved PlayStation 4 release of Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty – Oddworld Inhabitants Inc are excited to announce the release dates for Steam, Xbox One and PlayStation 3 versions.  

Oddworld fans will be delighted to learn that Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty will be releasing for Windows PC, Mac and Linux on Steam on February 25th, while the Xbox One and PlayStation 3 versions are planned for release early March.

All versions will take advantage of the post-launch improvements and tweaks made to the PlayStation 4 version, including the fan-requested ‘old school’ control settings, feature the same celebrated QuikSave and QuikLoad functions and of course offer a full rack of achievements and online leaderboards for speedrunners, and cloud saves on Steam.

Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty includes art direction from the original Abe’s Oddysee team, music from series staple Michael Bross and a whole host of tweaks, improvements and brand new areas throughout, whilst remaining true to the game fans have loved since the original PlayStation

New ‘n’ Tasty will be available on Steam for $20 / £15 / €20, with a further 10% discount on pre-purchases.  Further details on the pre-purchase offer, date and specs for the Windows PC, Mac and Linux versions will be available soon.

Train2Game News Xbox One CPU Increase

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Xbox OneAs I am sure you are all well aware some irritating people hacked Xbox Live and PSN however some good has come from it.

Whilst the Xbox One was being hacked a number of development tools to be used by game studios were revealed, including Microsoft’s generous gift to developers – the use of an extra CPU core.

There are eight in total within the Xbox One’s case, two of which have so far been reserved for running the background operating system. Now Microsoft has opened up the use of 50 to 80% of the seventh CPU, meaning that games will run faster and smoother.

The use of this seventh CPU will necessitate the ditching of Kinect – custom, game-specific voice commands, the infrared and depth sensors won’t work. Even worse, basic console commands – “Xbox Go Home”, “Xbox Go To…” will snatch back 50% of the CPU usage.

Microsoft have recognised the flaws and limitations of their seventh CPU in the documentation that goes alongside the development tools, and they are aiming to fix it at some point in the future.

Train2Game News OlliOlli being ported

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Notorious street thugs Curve Digital and the pushers of intense digital experiences over at Roll7 are pleased to announce a collaboration that sends finger-skate-em-up OlliOlli kick-flipping over gamers’ couches and grinding all up on their Xbox One, Nintendo Wii U and Nintendo 3DS consoles in early 2015!

For the seriously out-of-touch, OlliOlli is a 2D side-scrolling skateboard game crafted by Roll7 from a solid block of pure raditude. This ain’t your grandpa’s skating game  – OlliOlli throws you feet first into high-risk, high-reward skate lines where ‘just one more trick’ can mean the difference between pulling off a gnarly combo and becoming just a smear on the concrete.

Fresh from its critically acclaimed debut on the PC and PlayStation consoles, players will be tearing up over 250 challenges across 100 levels, utilizing the 120+ tricks at their disposal as they compete for the highest score amongst their peers and other skater strangers.

All of the wild features return in full for the new versions, such as all four game modes, including the nails-hard RAD mode and the Daily Grind, which sees players worldwide competing on the same line for the highest score possible.

The game’s release is scheduled for early 2015, when you can finally pop shove-it into your console of preference.

Train2Game News Telltale Game of Thrones Trailer

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Game of ThronesTelltale Games has announced the first Look at the Six-Part Episodic Game Series Based on the Emmy Award-Winning Television Series, Game of Thrones.

Based on the award-winning HBO television drama series,  Game of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series tells the story of House Forrester. Caught up in the events of The War of the Five Kings, they are placed in a precarious position where members of the household must do everything they can to prevent the house from meeting its doom.

Today we can announce that some cast members of the series will reprise their roles in the game. While players will control five members of House Forrester in their story, the series will have them interacting with fan favorite characters throughout the season, including Tyrion Lannister performed by Peter Dinklage, Cersei Lannister performed by Lena Heady, Margaery Tyrell performed by Natalie Dormer, and Ramsay Snow performed by Iwan Rheon. Additional cast members will appear in later episodes.

The game series is based on the world, characters and events seen in HBO’s TV show, which in turn is based on George R. R. Martin’s books (A Song of Ice and Fire). The events in the game series begin towards the end of Season Three of the series, and end right before the beginning of Season Five. Players will visit familiar locations such as King’s Landing and The Wall, as well as unfamiliar locations such as Ironrath, the home of House Forrester.

House Forrester is a noble house from the Wolfswood in the north of Westeros. Bannermen to House Glover, they have always offered unswerving loyalty to the ruling great house of the North – the Starks. The Forresters are seated at Ironrath, an imposing stronghold surrounded by towering ironwood trees. Built over fifteen hundred years ago by Cedric Forrester and his triplet sons, Ironrath is a testament to the strength and endurance of Ironwood. The Forrester house words are ‘Iron from Ice’, which echoes their belief that – like the ironwood itself – the adverse conditions and unforgiving landscape of the North only makes them stronger.

The game will be played from five different points of view. Each is a member of House Forrester; either a direct family member, or a person in service to the House. Scattered across Westeros and Essos, each will play their part in seeking to save House Forrester from destruction.

Playing as five characters not only reflects the epic scope of Game of Thrones, but is also something that the player needs to be mindful of. This is because the actions of one character can ripple out to affect the rest of House Forrester. Multiply the actions of one character by five, and you’re truly playing the Game of Thrones… where you win, or you die.

Additional details on the series and its upcoming premiere episode, ‘Iron From Ice’ are forthcoming. Stay tuned to the Telltale Games Blog, twitter, and Facebook pages for more information as the premiere approaches, the first of six episodes, which will be arriving for download soon on PC/Mac, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and iOS, with additional platforms to be announced.

You can view the trailer by following the link below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q1vt9BX4Eg&feature=youtu.be

Train2Game News Tales of the Borderlands

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Tales from the BorderlandsTelltale Games welcomes you back to Pandora with the very first look at Tales from the Borderlands.

Announced less than a year ago, and shown behind closed doors at E3 and PAX Prime, today is the FIRST time the studio are sharing a look at the game to fans across the world.

The final casting details have also been revealed. The season will feature Troy Baker as Rhys,  Laura Bailey as Fiona,  Chris Hardwick as Vaughn,  Erin Yvette as Sasha, Patrick Warburton as Vasquez, Nolan North as August, and  Dameon Clarke as Handsome Jack. Additional casting details from the season are yet to be announced.

Set on the unforgiving world of Pandora after the events seen in Borderlands 2, Tales from the Borderlands is a five part episodic game series full of Borderlands’ trademark humor, following two adventurers on their quest for greatness.

You’ll play as Rhys, a Hyperion ‘suit’ with dreams of being the next Handsome Jack, and Fiona, a Pandoran con artist looking to score her biggest ever swindle. Thrown together as unwilling partners in an adventure to recover cash they both think is theirs, their journey will take you on a wild ride where gangsters, bandit lords, and Vault Hunters are just some of the obstacles you’ll encounter, in this new take on the award-winning universe created by Gearbox Software.

The season premiere episode of  Tales from the Borderlands, titled  ‘Zer0 Sum,’ will soon be available for digital download worldwide across multiple platforms. Stay tuned to Telltale Games on  Twitter and  Facebook for the latest details on release dates.

Each episode will be available via PlayStation Network for  PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 for US$4.99 or equivalent. Alternatively, consumers can purchase a Season Pass for US$19.99 or equivalent, which entitles players to all five episodes in the season as they become available.

The season will also be available on Xbox Games Store for  Xbox One and  Xbox 360 for just US$4.99 or equivalent per episode. Players will also be able to purchase a Season Pass upgrade for US$14.99, which entitles players to Episodes 2-5 as they release.

The series will also be available for  PC/Mac via the Telltale Online Store, Steam, and other online digital distribution outlets as a Season Pass for US$24.99 or equivalent that includes entitlement to all five episodes as they release.

The series will also be coming to compatible  iOS devices via the App Store and to Android-based devices before the end of 2014.

You can view the trailer for the game by heading to YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOPmNBM3Yew&feature=youtu.be

Train2Game News eSports app on Xbox One

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ESL, the world’s largest independent eSports brand, today announced the release of its ESL app on Xbox One, which enables competitive console players – initially from Europe and North America – to connect directly through Xbox Live.

Launching on Oct. 21, the application will allow gamers to compete across an expansive list of game titles in a variety of ESL cups and tournaments. With matchmaking acting as the core feature, the ESL app on Xbox One eliminates the need for extra devices and browser windows, thereby streamlining the gaming experience for users.

“ESL stands for the best eSports experience in the world and our goal is to deliver that experience on all platforms. By launching our own app, we want to bring that unique experience to the Xbox One and its lineup of multiplayer games. The app will allow players of all skill levels to easily participate in our tournaments. This is just the start for us – we are working hard to bring major eSports tournaments to consoles and integrate them flawlessly into our app so everyone can get involved.” said Marcel Menge, Managing Director at Turtle eSports Technology.

“At Xbox, we’re dedicated to providing gamers with the experiences they ask for and we know competitive gaming is a growing category,” said Larry Hyrb, Xbox Live’s Major Nelson. “With the addition of the ESL app on Xbox One, we can deliver a wide range of tournaments for some of the best games on the platform all with the functionality our community craves.” The main feature of the application is to enable users to find, sign up and submit results for ESL cups and matches on Xbox itself. An extension of this allows the gamer to stay on top of the competition and track his/her progress within both past and present ESL competitions. Additionally, opponents can be found, viewed and challenged (via gamertags) with the latest eSports news available from eslgaming.com.

For more information click here.

Train2Game News Update CoD to Next Gen

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Call of Duty Advanced WarfighterAs fans around the world prepare for a new era of Call of Duty this November with the release of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Activision Publishing, Inc., just delivered a smooth transition for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system fans interested in playing Sledgehammer Games’ new title on next gen.

Through Activision’s program to ease the transition between console generations, gamers who purchase a copy of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare digitally for the Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft by 31st March can download the version for Xbox One, all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft for free. The same goes for PlayStation fans, those who purchase the game digitally on “PS3,” can also download the PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system version for free.

This offer for full-game free upgrade within console family is limited to purchases of Xbox 360 and PS3 digital versions made by 31st March, 2015, and does not apply to physical game copies. Additionally, all multiplayer stats transfer. Plus, all DLC purchased for in-game use, including Season Pass transfers too for free, as long as players’ Xbox Gamertag or PSN ID, remains the same.

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare launches worldwide 4th November. Anyone who purchases a physical or digital Day Zero version of the game, for the first time ever, can start playing as much as a day early, on Day Zero, Monday, 3rd November. Beyond the special early access to the game, the Day Zero Edition also comes with two custom weapons: the AK-12G Assault Rifle and Crossbow-B2, as well as Double XP on 3rd November. Additional offers may be available at retailer partners worldwide. Check with local retail outlets for further information.

Xbox One digital copies will be available for pre-order starting soon, and PlayStation digital copies are available for pre-order now. Additionally the Season Pass is available for purchase on all platforms.

For further information on the Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Free Upgrade to Next Gen Plan, Season Pass, Pre-Download, Day Zero Edition and more please visit http://www.callofduty.com

Train2Game News GreenShoots Funding

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CE_Primary_RGB_OBCreative England and Microsoft have announced that our highly popular Greenshoots programme is set to run for a second year and it’s bigger and better than ever before.

Speaking at EGX Creative England’s Head of Games & Digital Jaspal Sohal announced that the next round of the programme is now open, which offers £250k (up to £25k each) to 10 indie studios across England.

In a change to the first iteration of Greenshoots, investors and publishers are now involved from day one which means the supported studios have the potential to receive additional investment from the start of their project. Applicants can now also apply to develop for Xbox One with the programme no longer limited to tablet and mobile development.

The games from Greenshoots Round 1 ranged from underwater shoot ‘em ups and robot-infested puzzle games, to futuristic galaxy battles and crazy golf. All of the games, now released2, were showcased back in July to a crowd of industry experts and investors.

Jaspal Sohal, Head of Games & Digital at Creative England, said:

“Round 1 of Greenshoots proved to be a phenomenal success, helping 9 new indie studios to launch some amazing titles.

“This year the programme is an even better opportunity for burgeoning games studios; we have potential investors involved from the very start and Microsoft have extended the programme to include PC and Xbox One titles. Greenshoots Round 2 is a fantastic opportunity for any indie studio looking to develop their first IP.”

Andrew Webber, UK Microsoft Marketing Lead, said:

“At Microsoft we believe that a game developer’s success is our success. With the brilliant results from last year’s Greenshoots and the impact it has made on the participating studios, we are delighted to partner, once again, with Creative England. What’s particularly exciting this year is that Greenshoots has evolved to put the participants in front of more investors and publishers than ever before from day one.”

Paul Norris, of Greenshoots Round 1 support studio Mad Fellows, said:

“Applying to Greenshoots has been the single most important and productive decision we’ve made since founding Mad Fellows. Creative England and Microsoft have raised our profile as developers, given us access to funding and follow-on funding, introduced us to invaluable contacts, provided master classes and offered numerous opportunities to speak and present our game at high profile events.

“The Greenshoots programme has been pivotal in ensuring we made it through our first year as a company and has set us on a path for continued success in the future.”

The Greenshoots programme helps developers to kick-start development of new intellectual property (IP) and reach a global audience, plus they’ll receive support, mentorship and expertise from Microsoft and industry partners. While developing their title, Greenshoots encourages developers to push their game out across all platforms. The programme is designed to inject the business with funds for development and marketing and studios only pay back the investment when they’re making money from the game.

Applications close 9am on October 20th, 2014. To download a full set of guidelines click here and to apply Click Here.