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Archived News:
Things move fast in the world of Battlefield Hardline, as DICE's new Battlefield
shooter was announced less than two
months ago, has already finished one round of closed beta testing, and today
announces its first delay, as
The
Battlefield Blog has word that it is now expected in 2015, rather than later
this year. Here's an outline of their reasoning: We decided that the
right thing to do was to take more time to ensure Hardline is the best, most
innovative Battlefield experience we can give to you, our fans.
Here are a few of the things the new timing will allow us to accomplish:
1. Multiplayer Innovation: Coming out of our E3 beta, internal focus tests, and
work with our community, we have received a lot of great Multiplayer thinking.
We’re going to be adding some new feature ideas direct from the community that
will evolve the cops and criminals fantasy into a truly unique Battlefield
Multiplayer experience.
2. Single Player Story Depth: In order to ensure our Single Player experience
delivers on player expectations, we’re spending more time polishing our core
features, as well as adding a few new ones that will support a deeper “crime
revenge” story experience.
3. Stability: This has been a focus for our team since day one and we’re going
to be using the extra time to continue to optimize the game for a stable launch.
We have learned a lot from Battlefield 4, are continuing to learn from our
Community Test Environment and will learn more from another Hardline beta. More
time allows us to surface issues that the team can attempt to fix prior to
launch.
We are doing all of this for one reason. Because we want Battlefield Hardline to
be the best game it can be, and so that we can create the best environment for a
smooth launch for our players.
Also noted in the EA financials below is a delay to Dragon Age Inquisition.
The
Dragon Age: Inquisition website tells us the action/RPG sequel is now due on
November 18th in North America and November 21st in Europe, with executive
producer Mark Darrah saying: "while this extra few weeks may not seem like a
lot, I know the game you’ll play will be all the better for it." Here's more on
the thinking behind the delay: Since we began working on Dragon Age:
Inquisition almost four years ago, our goal was to create the best Dragon Age
experience ever. It was that goal that motivated many of our decisions: moving
to Frostbite, bringing race choice and customization back, improving tactical
camera, building a team of characters whose relationships evolve based on your
actions, and most importantly, crafting an epic, nation-spanning story that both
draws upon past games and takes you to many new places in the realm of Thedas.
I’m privileged to be a part of a team that has been working very hard to surpass
every measure they’ve set for themselves. That has meant completing huge amounts
of game content, fixing bugs both big and small, and improving the overall
experience. This last bit of time is about polishing the experience we want you
to see. Ensuring that our open spaces are as engaging as possible. Strengthening
the emotional impact of the Hero's choices. And ensuring the experience you get
is the best it can be in the platform you choose to play on.
Electronic Arts Reports Q1 FY15 Financial Results. Word is: "For the
quarter, non-GAAP net revenue of $775 million was above our guidance of $700
million. Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.19 was above our guidance of
($0.05)." Numbers aside, here are some highlights of what this means to gamers:
- In EA’s fiscal Q1, gamers played more than 13.6
billion online sessions of EA games, totaling nearly 2.4 billion hours
played across console, mobile and PC.
EA received more than 40 E3 awards: Dragon AgeTM Inquisition won more than
20 awards at E3, including Best RPG, and NHL®15 took home Best Sports Game
from the E3 Game Critics.
- Monthly active players for EA MobileTM titles
reached more than 140 million in Q1.
- Calendar year-to-date, EA continues to be the #1
publisher on PlayStation®4 and Xbox One consoles in the Western World led by
FIFA 14, TitanfallTM, Battlefield 4TM, and EA SPORTSTM UFC®.
- More than 53 million matches were played in FIFA
Ultimate Team World Cup mode in the quarter, equivalent to playing over
800,000 FIFA World Cup tournaments.
- Revenue for EA’s Ultimate Team services continued
to grow in fiscal Q1, with NHL Hockey Ultimate Team growing 50%*, FIFA
Ultimate Team growing nearly 80%* and Madden Ultimate Team growing over
350%* year-over-year.
- Operating cash flow for the quarter improved $252
million versus the same period last year and hit a Company record high of
$964 million on a trailing twelve month basis.
- EA repurchased 1.4 million shares in Q1 for $50
million pursuant to the $750 million Share Repurchase Program initiated in
May 2014.
- EA reaffirmed fiscal 2015 guidance of $4.1 billion
in net revenue* and $1.85 in EPS*, which reflects the launch date changes
for Battlefield™ Hardline and Dragon Age Inquisition announced today.
Blizzard announces first wing of the Curse of Naxxramas expansion for
Hearthstone is now available, noting this is free for a limited time.
Here's how this works: The first wing of Curse of Naxxramas™: A
Hearthstone™ Adventure has opened! Players can now put their decks to the test
against the malevolent undead who roam Azeroth’s most infamous floating
necropolis—without spending a single coin. The Arachnid Quarter, the first of
the Adventure’s five sinister wings, is now available—free for a limited time—to
all Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft™ players who step into the necropolis during
the Curse of Naxxramas launch event, taking place now through early September.
“Curse of Naxxramas introduces a whole new way to play Hearthstone”
Curse of Naxxramas pits solo Hearthstone players against a series of iconic,
necrotic bosses, each with its own unique powers and cards to command. Heroes
will need to draw on all of their wits and deck-building prowess to prevail over
Naxxramas’s horrors, earning a total of 30 new cards along the way that can be
used in regular play—including a new Legendary card for completing each wing.
“Curse of Naxxramas introduces a whole new way to play Hearthstone,” said Mike
Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “Players of all skill
levels will find plenty to challenge them within Naxxramas’s haunted
corridors—and plenty of new options for their decks with the new cards we’re
adding.”
A new wing of Naxxramas will open each week, and access to these four additional
wings may be purchased for 700 gold per wing or $6.99 per wing. Players can earn
the in-game gold needed to unlock the next wing by completing various quests or
emerging victorious from the game’s Arena mode—or they can choose to unlock the
next available Naxxramas wing using real money.
The WildStar
website announces Sabotage, the next content update for WildStar,
Carbine's MMORPG, though they do not specify when to expect it to launch. Listen
all of y'all it's a sabotage: The latest WildStar drop from Carbine Studios is made for PvP
players, and provides intense multiplayer action never before seen in the game.
Featuring mounts, airstrikes and a ridiculous amount of explosives, Sabotage is
a new game mode that players can access starting at level 30 and takes place in
a massive new 15 vs. 15 Battleground, Daggerstone Pass. The goal of the arena is
to capture and maintain hold points, which will do damage to the enemy’s base.
The “Sabotage” comes into play through bombs that are randomly spawned near a
base. Once picked up by a player, the bombs begin ticking down to detonation and
can be used for various strategies.
For instance bombs can be used to blow up distracted enemies, with bonus damage
for blowing up bombs near the enemy’s base core; the fun is explosive!
Everything blown up adds points to the respective team’s total, and the team
with the most points when the timer hits zero will be declared the winner. It’s
even possible to blow up the enemy’s fusion core for an immediate team victory.
Sabotage highlights Carbine Studios’ drive to not only add new content, but
evolve existing gameplay mechanics to provide new and exciting experiences to
fans. The next content drop will be dedicated to PvE players.
CapCom Unity announces preorders are underway for Dead Rising 3 for
Windows, saying this has been redubbed the Dead Rising 3 Apocalypse Edition
in honor of the DLC it will include as a bonus. Here's the deal: We are
excited today to announce that the upcoming Dead Rising 3 on PC will henceforth
be known as Dead Rising 3 Apocalypse Edition, and will include all four of the
“Untold Stories of Los Perdidos” downloadable add-on packs previously released
on the Xbox One, making this the definitive Dead Rising 3 experience. Never
fear! If you already pre-ordered the game, you are entitled to the add-on
content.
Each add-on chapter focuses on a different protagonist and gives players
access to crazy new weapons and vehicles that carry over to the main game.
Remember, you can also get the game for 10% off if you pre-order it ($49.99
→$44.99), which you can do
right here.
Note: In Europe the title will launch at €49.99 / £39.99.
Meanwhile, you can tune into our Twitch channel every Wednesday afternoon
(except during Comic Con next week!) at 4pm PT to see the game in action before
it launches. Catch up on our past streams below.
FromSoftware now offers new Crown of the Sunken King DLC for Dark
Souls II, the first chapter in three-installment series for the hardcore
action/RPG sequel. The Windows edition is available through Steam, and A
Steam Community update has the pertinent details: As if the regular
obstacles, enemies, and bosses presented in Dark Souls™ II were not enough to
cause gamers to cry for their mommies; FromSoftware today unleashes Crown of the
Sunken King the first chapter in it’s The Lost Crowns DLC trilogy for DARK SOULS
II. Each chapter is specifically designed to enhance, challenge, and bring
players to their knees as they experience the peril that is awaiting them in the
DARK SOULS II The Lost Crowns trilogy.
Players that are brave enough to take on this arduous journey will find new
environments, enemies, traps, and bosses to conquer as they embark on a journey
to reclaim the crowns that Drangleic’s King Vendrick once owned. Crown of the
Sunken King features an entirely different world within the DARK SOULS II
universe, where stepped pyramids span a vast underground cavern and death lays
in wait around every corner.
DARK SOULS II’s Crown of the Sunken King DLC is available today for STEAM®. The
STEAM season pass encompassing all three chapters of The Lost Crowns trilogy is
also available from now on!
Olly olly oxen free! Publisher Devolver Digital and developer Roll7 announce
the release of OlliOlli for Windows, OS X, and Linux, following the success of
their skateboarding game for the PS Vita. Those with an aptitude for the game
will be interested in a Daily Grind competition running for the next week to
reward the top skater on the leaderboard every day with a Devolver Digital prize
pack. Here's a PC launch
trailer to celebrate the news, and here's word: With more than 120
different tricks and grinds to master and combo in amazing and ridiculous ways,
there's no shortage of combos and flips to try. OlliOlli also includes more than
250 challenges, and a RAD mode that unlocks only after you've mastered all other
challenges. For more information about OlliOlli, visit
www.roll7.co.uk.
Continue here to read the full story.
Trendy Entertainment announces the release of
Dungeon Defenders Eternity,
an updated edition of their action/RPG and tower defense game for Windows, OS X,
and Linux. This enhances the original game with new content, including unlocks
for the upcoming Dungeon Defenders II. Here's the deal: "Dungeon
Defenders Eternity has been rebuilt from the ground up. Players can still slice,
shoot and pulverize their enemies – or build defenses to do the dirty work for
them – alone or with up to three friends. The new title rebalances the game’s
heroes, redesigns the loot system and gives players even more tools to survive
against the Old One’s army. Moreover, Eternity runs entirely through dedicated
servers using playverse, creating a level playing field secure from cheating and
hacking." Update:
Kotaku notes that the game originally boasted a single-player mode which it
does not offer, and that the
Steam reviews page
for the game is filled with complaints about that, the game's online DRM, and
gameplay issues, noting they were not able to run the game themselves (thanks
nin). They have the following statement on the situation from Trendy saying the
game will be updated soon to include single-player functionality: We've
made it clear in the past that Trendy Entertainment listens intently to the
feedback we receive from our passionate fans, and today those fans did not
hesitate to share their thoughts with us over our latest release, Dungeon
Defenders Eternity.
Many of our loyalist fans have wondered where single player and private sessions
went in today's release. In order to minimize hacking and cheats in the game,
Eternity is now hosted on our own servers. Turning these features off in our
initial release of Eternity was related to our fear that the server costs would
be exponential, and cause us to lose significant money. We realize that
jeopardizing the loyalty of fans far outweighs the risk of profit - and it was a
mistake. We're deeply committed to maintaining that relationship with our
players, and to that end, we will be re-releasing the game within the next few
hours with single-player functionality fully integrated.
Beyond that immediate change, we're paying close attention to the other concerns
being raised by the community and will keep everyone updated with further
developments as soon as they're available.
BetaDwarf announces FORCED 2: The Rush, a multiplayer Roguelike-like game coming
to Steam in 2015. Here's
the explanation of how this will work: Independent video game development
studio, BetaDwarf, today announced FORCED 2: The Rush, a Rogue-like sequel to
the popular tactical arena co-op title, FORCED, which launched last year on
Steam. Featuring randomly generated, and ever-changing death courses, FORCED 2:
The Rush is a Rogue-like game that pits a group of gladiators against deadly
traps and violent creatures until only half of them are left and can be claimed
survivors! FORCED 2, The Rush will be shown to the public for the first time at
Gamescom in Cologne, Germany in August.
A new experience
trailer #1 from Assassin's Creed Unity takes a narrated look at the next
installment in the stealth action series. Here's the explanation of what this
clip is about: "Assassin’s Creed Unity Creative Director Alex Amancio walks us
through the features of the all new Anvil engine and highlights some of the
technology he and the rest of the development team used to make Assassin’s Creed
Unity a true next gen experience. You’ll learn about everything from character
movement to lighting to the AI and animations that make the massive crowds
possible in the streets of Paris." Continue here to read the full story.
Here's a new trailer
called "The Dragon's Reach: Part 1," from Guild Wars 2, showing off the upcoming
Season 2 Episode 3 update coming to ArenaNet's MMORPG sequel. Here is the deal:
"As the adventure of Season 2 continues, the whole of Tyria is threatened by the
peril of the Elder Dragon Mordremoth. Attacks by its minions have stretched
ever-farther afield, from the arid Maguuma wastes to the Timberline Falls and
the heart of Kryta. All of Tyria must come to understand this dire threat."
Continue here to read the full story.
Producer Devolver Digital and developer Deconstructeam announce Gods Will Be
Watching will be released on Thursday through digital distribution. The news is
accompanied by this launch
trailer carrying the following description: "Gods Will Be Watching is a
point and click thriller about hard decisions and moral dilemmas in order to
survive. A series of dramatic puzzles where both the narrative outcome and the
ethical approach to the problem matter as you progress through your adventure.
There's no good or evil, just decisions, with only you as the judge of your
actions. Is eating your friends the best way to stay alive, or just the easier?"
Continue here to read the full story.
The Areal
Kickstarter page now shows that funding is suspended for Areal, West
Games' proposed first-person shooter that has attracted intense controversy
since its announcement. There is no explanation of why, but
questions about their late funding surge have recently come up to accompany
the accusations of exaggerated promises and overstated claims of the game's
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. pedigree that have dogged this project since it debuted.
Mohawk Games
now offers an early access prototype of Offworld Trading Company, the
upcoming economics-based RTS game from Stardock that's the brainchild of
Civilization IV and III designer Soren Johnson (thanks
Rock, Paper, Shotgun). This is offered to those who purchase the Founder's
Elite Edition of the game from the official
website, a deluxe version which runs $79.99, or double the discounted price
of the Founder's Edition (though this edition also includes two game keys). Here's the skinny: When we announced our
pre-order program back in May, we promised that purchasers of our Elite Edition
(and their friends) would be “the first to play our prototype this Fall.” We
would like to announce that Fall has arrived early this year, apparently in
mid-July! In fact, members of the Elite group have already been playing the game
for a couple weeks and discussing it on our private forums. As everything seems
to be working well (or rather, well enough for a playable prototype), we are
announcing publicly that the Elite Edition now gives buyers immediate access to
the prototype. (Some disclaimers: prototype access requires an electronic NDA,
and the Steam keys are distributed manually once per week.)
We have been inspired and encouraged by all those who have pre-ordered
Offworld without any screenshots, videos, or evidence of a working game. Now, at
last, we can offer the game. Would love to hear your thoughts on our private
forum!
CCP announces today is the launch day for a new Crius update for
EVE Online, saying this brings
"universe-spanning changes" to their ruthless sci-fi MMORPG.
This page offers
details on the Crius update, a
recent developer blog outlines how this changes the game's industry system,
and this trailer from
last week reports on the update from CCP's Reykjavik office. Here's
word: Sophisticated industrial operations underpin the famous player wars
that rage across EVE’s thousands of star systems at the same time as smaller,
individual efforts generate wealth, meaning and power for personal ambition.
Crius allows player-influenced shifts in the industrial landscape to redefine
the “sandbox” by adding assembly cost scaling and a market for work teams to
supplement construction. Newer players will find an easier path into industry as
manufacturing slots open up and the user interface is reimagined to be more
intuitive and informative.
“Crius opens up EVE’s sprawling economy to a whole new generation of
industrialists, as it has never been more intuitive, dynamic and interesting to
build things for yourself or other players.” said Andie Nordgren, Senior
Producer for EVE Online. “We’re eagerly awaiting to see how our players use one
of the most sophisticated crafting and market systems in gaming now that it is
live.”
From atmospheric audio to more wormholes in known space and more, Crius offers
other changes in CCP’s ongoing commitment to improve EVE Online year after
year.
The
Hearthstone website reveals that Blizzard's card-based strategy game is
currently down for maintenance, and is expected to come back online at 11:00 am
EDT (give or take eight hours, judging by history). Though the Curse of
Naxxramas expansion is expected to go live today, another post clarifies that
this maintenance will not conclude with the launch of the add-on, which will
follow at some point later today. To keep players occupied in the meantime, the
Hearthstone Facebook page shows off the cards in Curse of Naxxramas.
Pixel Maverick Games now
offers an updated demo for Candlelight, their upcoming Windows
adventure/platformer. The game is still in the alpha stage, so here's word on
what the new web-based demo includes: "Candlelight is back with its latest
teaser demo! A single, small level with all new animations, textures, and
gameplay. The level is small in order to keep the download file size small. The
non web version of the game will include much bigger levels and around 4 to 6
hours of gameplay." Here's
a gameplay trailer from last month with a recent look at the game. Continue here to read the full story.
A new
Elite: Dangerous Newsletter is online, with the latest on Frontier
Developments' upcoming space combat revival (thanks
Ten Ton Hammer). There's a note that they closed the Premium Beta program
yesterday, and they are now
selling access to the "regular" beta, which is $75.00 (down from $150.00 for
the premium version). Word is this new beta phase begins one week from today on
July 29th. Here's the rundown of what's up from the newsletter: In this
issue we talk about what we plan to do after the initial launch of Elite:
Dangerous. This becomes very relevant for holders of the Lifetime Expansion pack
as we give an insight into the features that the pass will be entitle you to.
We also have more GalNet news and look at the many 4k screenshots being posted
and we announce the winner of our 4K competition.
A
video interview on GameInformer.com talks with Gearbox about what they are
up to, focusing on Battleborn, their upcoming not-MOBA. They also talk
about the enormous success of the Borderlands franchise, and what's planned for
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, while also discussing why they are not making this
part of the Borderlands franchise and why they are not just making Borderlands
3. In covering that last topic, they discuss what would go into a next
installment in the series, admitting this scares them, but also offer
reassurances that Borderlands 3 will definitely come some day, barring an
asteroid strike.
Had another go at PAYDAY 2 for our Monday co-op gaming session. We are a truly
terrible gang, incapable of executing a simple snatch-and-grab job without
having to shoot our way out like it's the Alamo. We're trying to figure out if
our problem is just not being good at the game yet, or if there's an error in
our approach, as we're only playing together, so at this point we're all level
four, so the problem may be that we don't have enough skills to do things
correctly. Either way, things have not progressed past "ugly" at this point, and
I'm not sure this isn't going to lead to us all going straight.
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