Grand Theft Auto 4 has been host to many excellent mods in the past, such as one in which R2-D2 destroys Liberty City. In this case, YouTube user taltigolt recently showed off a video that showcaes improvements made to a complete GTA 4 mod that places Iron Man in the heat of the action.
Not only does the video show Iron Man flying around the city and
smashing into buildings, but he destroys police cars with ease by
raising his arms. The modding crew also uploaded an album with Tony
Stark in the game to their Facebook page. Unfortunately, the video features no sound at the request of another GTA 4 modder. Just imagine various crunch and explosion sound effects while you watch it.
Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg has confirmed that the Xbox One version of Call of Duty: Ghosts will have some form of Kinect voice commands. Speaking to VentureBeat,
Hirshberg said, "I made a passing comment that you're going to see
voice integration, voice commands via Kinect, which is something that we
haven't done in the past with Call of Duty." He added that the
improvements made to Kinect for Xbox One "really excite" the publisher.
Hirshberg also reassured fans that Kinect support won't be careless.
"We've always made sure that we don't just use new technology for
novelty's sake, he said. "We always make sure that it makes the gameplay
better. In this case, we think it will."
He didn't elaborate on what the voice commands might be, but we imagine
they will be something along the lines of, "Come here! Who's a good boy?
Are you a good boy? Yes, you are. Yes, you are!"
It’s been an exciting week to be a video game revhead, with Gran Turismo 6, Forza Motorsport 5 and now Need for Speed Rivals all being announced within the last seven days or so.
Based on the west coast of Sweden, Ghost Games (formerly EA
Gothenburg) has some work to do to follow Criterion’s well-received work
on both 2010’s Hot Pursuit and 2012’s Most Wanted – but the studio is
getting all the help it needs from the House that Burnout Built.
“We put together a new team to try to find some new energy and get
some new thinking into it,” explains DICE and Battlefield veteran Marcus
Nilsson, now heading up Ghost Games. “But Rivals is very much a product
between Criterion and Ghost, which means that a lot of the details, a
lot of the thinking, about how you create a racing game are going to be
there.”
“When you start a new studio and you have Criterion as your sister
studio, you’d be pretty foolish if you don’t take all the best parts and
the thinking from those people.
“The first people we hired to Ghost were low level physics
programmers because, as you know, how the car feels is where it starts
and ends. If the car is not really awesome to drive, don’t bother doing
the rest. The heritage here from Criterion is hugely helpful. In my
opinion, Criterion has the best arcade handling cars, and especially the
best cameras connected to those cars.”
But when it comes to what differentiates
Rivals from the last pair of Criterion cops ’n racers games, Nilsson
describes Rivals’ new AllDrive feature.
“We bring a feature called AllDrive, which is fundamentally a way for
us to destroy the line between single-player, co-op and multiplayer,”
he says.
“You can be in Australia, you boot it up, you’re playing the game
alone, you’re going through the single-player progression, playing
through the premise, and then I join the game. We’re friends, you and
me, so I’ll automatically be put into your world. I can still be playing
my single-player progression, through my premise, but at any time – obviously, we’re in same world – our worlds can meet.
“I can be a cop, you’re a racer; you’re in a race, I’m in a pursuit.
If we happen to be on the same road, I can start going after you.
There’s obviously point bonuses and stuff involved in that, in the
details, but the idea with this is that you seamlessly, through player
action, go from a single-player experience to [a multiplayer one.]”
There’s been a real migration to connectivity in racing games; it’s
been a long generation and there was quite a bit of discussion about
where racing games could go during these final few years and beyond. Is
something like AllDrive the next logical step?
“I’m obviously from Battlefield, worked on most of the Battlefield
games, the last one being Battlefield 3, and, as you know, that has a
real multiplayer focus,” says Nilsson. “It has a really connected focus
with the Battlelog stuff and those are obviously things that I bring
with me.”
“Need for Speed, traditionally, is played by people that play through
the single-player part; they play alone. This game is going to be as
rewarding, or even more rewarding, as the previous Need for Speed if
you’re playing through alone, but with the layer of playing with others I
believe we can take it to a Need for Speed experience they’ve never
experienced before.”
Nilsson feels it’s a natural step. There are no lobbies with AllDrive.
“Rather I show up in your world and the game is presenting new
options for us to play the game rather than playing it alone,” he says.
Like many games arriving at the end of the year, Need for Speed Rivals
is straddling two generations. AllDrive will feature across both
current gen and next gen versions but, regarding the latter, what
specifically does all this extra power allow Ghost Games to do that
wasn’t possible before? Nilsson explains.
“Next generation to me is much more about a mindset; how you think
about games,” he says. “How you think about games being connected. How
you think about games being convenient.”
“Visuals is going to be the starting point; triple A games will look
fantastic. You can do that with all that with this extra power,
especially power focused on getting great stuff on screen. But I think
we need to pick where we do it.
“I think from a visual standpoint we will be able to make worlds that
are far more alive than before; the sterile look of racing games is
probably something of the past. I’m not talking about having pedestrians
in Need for Speed games; I’m talking about a world that feels a lot
more alive, with things moving, using weather and really create a world
that, quite honestly, could not be delivered on current gen.
“It also comes back to feel. With extra CPU power you can actually
have a lot more surfaces that the car can react to – not something that
we’re going to go ‘sim’ on for that matter, but it is something that we
now can differentiate a little bit more.
“But as I said, this is about a mindset; it’s about how you play
games differently and how we can get you, in a smart way, to stay
connected to the game – whether you’re inside a game or outside a game.
Even getting into your game once you’re back; there’s a big extension to
Autolog that I’m not going to talk about today but that is definitely a
big part of what is making Need for Speed next generation this time
around. How it’s evolved from simply a sofa experience with the
controller in your hand to something bigger.”
From a development standpoint, Nilsson describes the step from this
generation to the next has been similarly tough, but the challenges
haven’t been the same.
“Thinking back to the old transition, we certainly had a lot of
problems,” he says. “Xbox and PlayStation were not similar at that point
in time. What we’re finding now is that both architectures are more
alike.”
“But it was more complicated this time around, I think. It’s more
than just a box. It’s about layers, it’s about clouds. It’s about data
being transferred and matchmaked, not locally in your room but somewhere
else.
“The technology is easier to work with; there are better tools,
absolutely. Obviously we have Frostbite 3 engine which has gone through a
few iterations now and truly, truly is powerful and really next gen
ready.
“It is hard. Probably as hard as last time, but it’s just that the problems are a little different.”
On the topic of this year’s schedule of heavy-hitting first-party racing juggernauts, however, Nilsson is positive.
“I know for a fact that in transition years, racing games are
important,” he says. “They were used last generation to show off the
graphical fidelity of what the boxes could do, similar to now.”
“I think more racing games is good. I think that we can benefit from having more racing games. I think we need great
racing games. We need innovation in racing games. And it cannot only be
about details of car seats and seams and similar features; they need to
be about gameplay. We need to change the enjoyment of playing games
alone and together with others.”
Rockstar has unveiled the Special and Collector's Editions of Grand Theft Auto V.
A post on the Rockstar Newswire explains just what each one contains, as well as details pre-order bonuses for the game.
First up, the Special Edition of the game will come with a steelbook featuring new artwork of the game's three leads, a blueprint map of Los Santos, a boost to your characters' in-game special ability bars, additional Stunt Plane challenges in the game, as well as bonus outfits and weapons. Finally, additional weapons will be available for free: the Pistol .50, Bullpup Shotgun, and melee Hammer.
Special Edition
The Collector's Edition, meanwhile, comes with all of the Special
Edition's content along with a 10.75" x 8.5" security deposit bag, a New
Era 9FIFTY snapback cap with embroidered Los Santos, Rockstar and V
logos on, and the ability to use classic Grand Theft Auto characters
when playing Grand Theft Auto Online. Additionally, you'll also get the
1930’s style Hotknife hotrod and the CarbonRS sports bike for use in
single player, and the Khamelion electric car for use online.
Collector's Edition
Finally, anyone who pre-orders any version of the game, whether it's the
Special Edition, Collector's Edition or just normal retail, will be
able to pilot the Atomic Blimp vehicle in-game.
So there you have it! Be sure to let us know what items tickle your fancy in the comments below.
Confirming rumors, Activision has revealed the next game in its billion-dollar shooter franchise, titled Call of Duty: Ghosts.
The military-based FPS will arrive on the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3
on November 5, and on "next-generation platforms" on an unspecified
date. No Wii U version was announced.
A press release reveals the next-gen version of Ghosts will
sport an all-new engine "from the developer that started it all,
Infinity Ward." The series has been using the same engine, with numerous
annual modifications, since 2005.
Saying it would have been "safe" for Infinity Ward to develop a fourth
entry in the Modern Warfare series, Mark Rubin, executive producer of
developer Infinity Ward, noted his team saw the next generation of
consoles as the "perfect opportunity" to start a new chapter for the
franchise. "So we're building a new sub-brand, a new engine, and a lot
of new ideas and experiences for our players," he added.
Activision will debut the next-gen version of Call of Duty: Ghosts – and revealing its new engine to the world – during Microsoft's upcoming Xbox 'Next Generation' event on May 21. Ghosts features an "all-new gameplay experience built on an
entirely new story, setting and cast of characters," the press release
further detailed.
An onslaught of additional info and explosion-filled marketing is expected closer to E3 2013. Update: The website theghostsarereal.com
– designed to look like an official Activision site – lists Wii U as a
platform for the next Call of Duty title. Activision tells Joystiq the
website is not owned or operated by the publisher. No Wii U version has
been announced.
Batman: Arkham Origins’ creative director Eric Holmes doesn’t believe
“the Arkham franchise is a lot of stuff done 'okay.' It’s about certain
things done to a great level of quality.” As such, Holmes’ team at
Warner Bros. Montreal isn’t phoning in their Arkham Asylum prequel. “We
went through a bunch of ideas,” he tells IGN, “and we picked a small
number of the best ones that we felt would give the game its own
identity, give it a meaning to exist.”
To that end, tweaks to Batman’s personal progression and combat
systems were not made lightly – and anything that didn’t make Warner’s
demanding grade was cut without prejudice.
Batman: Arkham Origins’ creative director Eric Holmes doesn’t believe
“the Arkham franchise is a lot of stuff done 'okay.' It’s about certain
things done to a great level of quality.” As such, Holmes’ team at
Warner Bros. Montreal isn’t phoning in their Arkham Asylum prequel. “We
went through a bunch of ideas,” he tells IGN, “and we picked a small
number of the best ones that we felt would give the game its own
identity, give it a meaning to exist.”
To that end, tweaks to Batman’s personal progression and combat
systems were not made lightly – and anything that didn’t make Warner’s
demanding grade was cut without prejudice.
“We had a weather system that was dynamic in the city,” says Holmes.
Gotham City’s snowy Christmas Eve isn’t the aggressive visual obstacle
it once was. Breezy weather could escalate into low-visibility, leaving
marksmen completely vulnerable to Batman’s stealth. “That’s something we
tried and we didn’t go ahead with because it didn’t seem up to Arkham
quality when we executed on it,” Holmes says. “We didn’t think that we
would be able to pull it off with great quality in the time we had for
it. So the best thing to do, rather than ship a half-done feature, is to
pull it.”
On the other hand, Warner’s adjusted combat system, influenced by
previous games’ challenge rooms, is an example of a new idea that’s
paying dividends. As Holmes explains it, brawls end with ratings that
dictate the experience points you earn, while the moment-to-moment
action constantly explains how you achieved your given grade with visual
feedback. “Did you use a gadget? Did you do a takedown? Did you do a
big combo? Did you not get hit?” are all factors in helping players gain
“that sense of mastery” over Arkham Origins’ familiar free-flow combat.
This XP system – which rewards skilled fighters without punishing
poorer ones – feeds into Batman’s personal progression, naturally. “It’s
more of a Borderlands tree-type structure,” Holmes says of Origins. “If
you want to be really good at one thing, you can tunnel your way
through the upgrade system and get to that. If you want to ignore one
area, you don’t have to go there. It’s got a bit more of a hierarchy and
building towards that mastery.”
Completionists as well as
perfectionists will find themselves earning huge – taking down the “Most
Wanted” DC villains unlocks improvements, too, but Holmes isn’t
specifying what, precisely, Batman earns for putting Anarky on ice.
The other major change in Arkham Origins is its open-world, now
larger and taller than either Asylum or City. “In Origins, one thing
you’ll notice is that the south island, [New Gotham], has much taller
structures” than the northern Gotham island. “It has catwalks between
the buildings, and pipes and cables…The city looks a lot more vertical,”
Holmes explains. What excites him most is that the
grapple-glide-grapple-glide rhythm of exploration gives players “a new
way to express themselves in that space…It’s a very organic experience,
to try and figure out what size that should be.” Holmes makes no
apologies to those who miss the smaller scale of Arkham Asylum – Origins
is absolutely bigger and broader than Arkham City.
Holmes and Warner still aren't speaking much about Arkham Origins' multiplayer, but it'll be interesting to see how the cut-the-fat philosophy applies to the competitive side of Batman's new beginnings.
It's another familiar week of UK cha-... oh wait, it isn't.
After Dead Island: Riptide sliced through its competition for three weeks, this time it's dethroned by another follow-up in the form of Metro: Last Light. By debuting in top spot, it does what Metro 2033 failed to do when it placed fifth in 2010.
Chart-Track says Metro 2033 sold stronger than Last Light in its launch week. Back then, Metro 2033 was fighting March megatons like Final Fantasy 13, God of War 3, and Battlefield Bad Company 2. In contrast, May 2013 has been dead quiet - emphasis on dead.
Having said that, this week sees another new release in the top ten via Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity. The spinoff charts fourth this week. We expect the next 3DS Poke-game to do slightly better.
In other movers and shakers, Last Light only nudged Riptide into second place, making this week a 1-2 for Deep Silver and Koch Media. Tomb Raider drops out of the top five for the first time in its 11th week, slipping down to sixth. Meanwhile, Injustice: Gods Among Us and The Walking Dead (packaged retail edition) shuffle into eighth and seventh.
Top 10 UK Software Sales (All Formats); week ending May 18:
A brand new cinematic trailer
has been unveiled to the world. It's full of non-stop action as the
Dark Knight and Deathstroke battle it out in a container yard before
being interrupted mid fight. I strongly suggest you take five minutes
out of your day to watch this trailer and see for yourself how truly
amazing it is.
At the end of the video they also point out that as a pre-order bonus
when Batman Arkham Origins launches this October that players will be
able to play as Deathstroke. Not much is known about how Deathstroke
will be featured as a playable character whether it’s as a skin for
batman or as his own standalone mini campaign but I’m sure as we get
closer to release more info will be unveiled. Until then we'll just
have to enjoy the video and sit tight.
The FIFA franchise will have a next-gen something to show off during Microsoft's Xbox reveal event tomorrow, according to the series' new Facebook cover image and event.
"RSVP if you're ready to hear about the next generation of FIFA," the event description reads. "Tune in to hear news on FIFA 14 during the worldwide livestream of Xbox: A New Generation Revealed." FIFA 14 comes out on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC – and not Wii U
– this fall. Microsoft is gearing up for a large next-gen Xbox event
tomorrow, May 21, at 10 a.m. PT. We'll have live coverage from the event
in Redmond, Washington, and we'll also be reporting remotely – here's
hoping things don't get too Messi.
