GAMING TREND » Breanna Goodman

Nintendo nabs exclusive Sega partnership for Sonic games

Breanna Goodman — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:26:57 +0000

During today’s Nintendo Direct, Nintendo Global President Satoru Iwata announced that a new partnership between Nintendo and Sega means that the next entry in the Sonic the Hedgehog series will be exclusive to the Wii U and 3DS. More details about the new game, called Sonic Lost World, will be revealed sometime ahead of E3 2013. This is a rare highlight amidst a string of bad news for Nintendo, as EA confirms that it has no games in development for the Wii U and continued poor sales figures mean that the Wii U is being outsold by its predecessor. From the announcement:

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EA does away with Online Pass system

Breanna Goodman — Thu, 16 May 2013 16:04:31 +0000

If you’ve purchased an EA title recently, you’re probably familiar with their very unpopular Online Pass system. Players require an Online Pass to access certain game features, like online multiplayer. That’s fine if you purchase a new copy of the game (which includes a pass), but if you purchase a secondhand copy or borrow the game from a friend, you’re forced to buy a new pass before you can play online. Gamers obviously weren’t happy with this arrangement, with many viewing it as a way for EA to still profit from used game sales. Well, EA has listened and according to VentureBeat, they are nixing the Online Pass system:

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Six Weeks Later – Insurgency Revisited

Breanna Goodman — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:54:06 +0000

Last month, I got to take a look at New World Interactive’s Insurgency, a reboot of the popular Half Life 2 mod of the same name. Two weeks ago the game received official “Early Access” status on Steam, allowing gamers to pre-purchase the game and get access to the beta version ahead of its official release. I enjoyed the early version of Insurgency that I got to play with, so this news prompted me to boot up the game again for a second look to see just how much progress the Insurgency team has made in the past six weeks.

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New Watch_Dogs video reveals six minutes of gameplay

Breanna Goodman — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:31:39 +0000

It’s no secret that Watch_Dogs is one of our most anticipated games of the year here at Gaming Trend. We got an official release date two weeks ago, and the screenshots released last week made us wish time would move a little faster. This weekend we got something even better; a video showing six minutes of Watch_Dogs gameplay. The game is running on a PC “with the power of next-gen consoles” and being played with an Xbox 360 controller. Check it out after the break.

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EA skips the Wii U for upcoming Frostbite 3 titles

Breanna Goodman — Wed, 08 May 2013 20:18:45 +0000

Citing compatibility issues, DICE’s tech director Johan Andersson revealed on Twitter that Frostbite Engine 3 games won’t be coming to the Wii U. Apparently tests with Frostbite 2 on Nintendo’s troubled console were “not too promising” and the developers have decided not to bring Frostbite 3 to the Wii U as a result. This means that Wii U owners will be missing out on a long list of games currently in development, including:

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Game Dev Tycoon fights pirates with pirates

Breanna Goodman — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:18:52 +0000

Piracy has become ubiquitous in the world of PC gaming, even as developers and publishers play around with DRM (to varying degrees of success) in an attempt to stop it. So when Patrick and Daniel Klug, the two-man team behind Greenheart Games, released Game Dev Tycoon to to the world yesterday, they were proactive. Minutes after making the game available for purchase, the developers uploaded their own cracked copy to a file sharing website and waited for the inevitable. That was yesterday; today, more than 9 out of 10 people playing Game Dev Tycoon are playing a pirated copy. But how do the pirates like it when the tables are turned?

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Sniper Elite 3 website goes live

Breanna Goodman — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 01:05:29 +0000

The follow up to Rebellion’s 2012 tactical shooter Sniper Elite V2 is in development, and now there’s an official website for gamers to track its progress. There isn’t much to see yet, considering the game isn’t expected to be released until some time next year, but a tweet from from the official Sniper Elite Twitter hints that there may be more news “soon”. Sniper Elite 3 will be set during World War Two like its predecessor, but this time gameplay will focus on the oft neglected African theater of war. Earlier, Rebellion CEO Jason Kingsley had this to say about the upcoming game:

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Tower Defense goes futuristic – Sanctum 2 Preview

Breanna Goodman — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:50:58 +0000

Enemies are coming. Kill them.

Those five words form the core experience of any tower defense game. The enemies, settings, and weapons may vary, but in the end the goal is simple; defend a given object or area from the waves of enemies trying to push their way through by building towers to impede and attack them. Sanctum, released in 2011 to mostly positive reviews, added some first-person shooter elements into the mix by allowing the player to directly attack enemies with weapons. Coffee Stain Studios is the independent developer behind that game, and its sequel Sanctum 2 which is due to be released this year. I got a chance to play around with an early version of Sanctum 2, and what I saw definitely shows promise.

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Bethesda announces The Evil Within, new survival horror

Breanna Goodman — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 14:04:07 +0000

Bethesda got the internet rumormill all abuzz with a series of “clues” posted on the video sharing app Vine. Gamers quickly deduced that the clues were related to a work in progress codenamed “Project Zwei”, but what exactly Project Zwei would be was still a subject of speculation. Some thought it might be the next Fallout or Wolfenstein game, but with an official announcement today on IGN we learned the truth: Project Zwei is a new survival horror IP called The Evil Within from Bethseda and Tango Gameworks. Tango was founded in 2010 by Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami, and they hope The Evil Within will have the same sort of popularity with survival horror fans.

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Portion of Indie Gala proceeds funding political campaign

Breanna Goodman — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 21:44:25 +0000

Indie bundle deals have become almost ubiquitous in the world of PC gaming now, so when a new one pops up we generally know what to expect; a selection of game downloads offered for a “pay what you want” price, with the proceeds being spilt between the game developers, charities, and the group offering the bundle. The latest Indie Gala bundle, however, has some of its funds going towards an unexpected cause: the campaign of an aspiring politician from Vancouver. From the Indie Gala page:

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New Deadpool screenshots released, pre-order bonuses revealed

Breanna Goodman — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 20:08:14 +0000

If Injustice didn’t satisfy your desire for superhero/supervillian action (or if you just prefer Marvel over DC), the release of Deadpool is only a couple of months away. Developed by High Moon Studios and published by Activision, Deadpool is a third-person action game scripted by former Deadpool comic writer Daniel Way. Fans of the infamous anti-hero will be happy to know that Activision has released a handful of new screenshots from the game, along with detailing the pre-order bonuses from GameStop and Amazon. The bonuses, as told by Deadpool himself:

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Game Developer Magazine to end print and digital publication

Breanna Goodman — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 19:24:26 +0000

In a message to subscribers today, Game Developer magazine has announced that they will end print and digital publication after their June/July 2013 issue. The magazine has been an industry staple for almost 20 years, so the announcement may come as a surprise to some. Luckily the news isn’t all bad; Game Developer has plans to transition to a new section on Gamasutra, where they will reprint their best work and hopefully continue to post new material. Digital versions of past issues will also be made available from GDC Vault later this year. The full announcement:

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Potential Next Xbox pricing details, full reveal coming May 21

Breanna Goodman — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 16:08:39 +0000

The past few months have been full of speculation about what the next generation of consoles will bring, and the rumors will only intensify as E3 draws nearer. A report from The Verge suggests that Microsoft’s response to Sony’s PS4 reveal will come at an event on May 21st, about a month later than the April reveal expected by many. Hopefully we’ll get some confirmation of the rumors currently circulating (like the potential early November release suggested by Paul Thurrot) and a final word on the “always on” functionailty, which led to some Twitter drama when Microsoft Studios creative director Adam Orth told critics of the internet connection requirement to #dealwithit.

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Go Beserk! Torchlight II Gets Mod Tools and New Content

Breanna Goodman — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 22:56:05 +0000

Torchlight II is one of those titles that had been on my radar for a while, but I never actually got around to playing it until a couple months ago. I’m glad I found the time for it; I was instantly hooked, and have put dozens of hours into the game since. If, like me, you’re a fan of Runic’s brilliant ARPG, you’ll be happy to know that Torchlight II now sports full Steam Workshop integration. GUTS, the official Torchlight II editor, has been released to the public and can now be downloaded via Steam. Mods developed using the editor can be uploaded directly to Steam Workshop for all to enjoy. From the Torchlight II blog:

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Kickin’ It Special Edition – The Susan Wilson Saga

Breanna Goodman — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 20:17:57 +0000

Hello, and welcome to another Kickin’ It! Normally, Kickin’ It would draw your attention to a handful of Kickstarter projects worth your attention, but this week is a little different. Instead of looking at four different Kickstarter campaigns, I’ll focus on one in particular that has caused quite a bit of controversy since it first gained media attention: Susan Wilson’s campaign to raise $829 to send her 9-year old daughter MacKenzie to RPG camp, which has now raised more than $22,000 from backers. This story seems to have divided observers, with some questioning the true motivations behind the campaign and others ardently defending its merits. This week’s Kickin’ It will delve into the various arguments on each side, and try to shed some light on where the truth really lies.

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Modern Infantry Combat returns in Insurgency – Hands-on Preview

Breanna Goodman — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 13:00:03 +0000

Think of your last experience playing a first-person shooter. Was is a little lacking? Perhaps you got stuck with selfish teammates who ignored the objectives or maybe the lack of realism (like surviving dozens of direct hits thanks to quickly regenerating health) made things a little too easy. New World Interactive is looking to create a shooter without these problems with Insurgency, their first release. Insurgency has its roots in a self-published Half-Life 2 mod from 2007 called Insurgency: Modern Infantry Combat. Using Valve’s Source engine, the Insurgency team created a multiplayer tactical modern shooter that focused on realism, encouraged teamwork, and earned the title of Mod of the Year in the process. Now it’s a few years later, and New World Interactive hopes to repeat the success. Insurgency is due out this summer, but I got a chance to play with the alpha version ahead of the official release. Can it live up to the expectations set by its predecessor?

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Ubisoft releases new Watch_Dogs video

Breanna Goodman — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 20:19:39 +0000

Since it was revealed at last year’s E3, Watch_Dogs has been my most anticipated title of 2013. Not only is it set in my hometown of Chicago, but it also looks great both visually and in terms of gameplay. Don’t believe me? Ubisoft released a video today showing the Central Operating System, or ctOS, at work. The ctOS is the means by which almost all activity in the city is surveilled and controlled, and Watch_Dogs allows players to manipulate their surrounding and obtain information by hacking into the system. From the video’s description:

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Kickin’ It – Kickstarter Update for March 25, 2013

Breanna Goodman — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 00:07:04 +0000

If April showers bring May flowers, then what does March snow bring? Well, here’s another edition of Kickin’ It for starters. Kickin’ It showcases games or gaming-related projects on Kickstarter that deserve special recognition in four distinct categories: Up and coming, a promising project on its way to funding, Underrated, a project with lots of potential but little funding, Updated, a previously funded Kickstarter with a recent progress update, and Unusual, a strange, interesting, or quirky project. The projects in this week’s Kickin’ It are Battle Worlds: Kronos, Planet Explorers, Story War, and The Big Blue.

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Irrational Games releases video on the making of Bioshock Infinite’s Elizabeth

Breanna Goodman — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 17:51:21 +0000

The world of gaming is one where strong female characters are relatively rare. That’s why I take notice when a game tries to move beyond simple stereotypes to create a female character with depth. Bioshock Infinite is hoping to be one of those games with the character of Elizabeth. A video released today shows the process the developers went through to create and humanize Elizabeth’s character. Titled “Creating Elizabeth: The Women That Brought Her To Life”, the video covers the people who worked to develop Elizabeth’s personality and appearance in the game. From the description:

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[RUMOR] Next Xbox “always on, always connected”, runs games from hard drive

Breanna Goodman — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 13:24:14 +0000

New Durango leaks seem to lend credibility to previous rumors about the next Xbox console blocking used games and requiring an internet connection to play games. VGleaks has posted screenshots from Durango’s development kit, revealing that the console will feature a hard drive with room enough to “hold a large number of games”. Why so much space? Apparently, installing games to the hard drive will be mandatory and playing from the disc “will not be supported”. This may be part of a move to block pre-owned games, as has been expected of the next Xbox.

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