Watch the PlayStation Experience keynote right here!
PlayStation Experience kicks off today in Anaheim, California, offering a weekend of gaming, Capcom and Call of Duty eSports tournaments, and plenty of news for fans of Sony’s wares. The keynote starts at 10AM PT / 1PM ET and it’s poised to feature a handful of game announcements and information about the PlayStation 4, PS4 Pro and PS VR as we head into 2017. Catch it all live right here, regardless of your proximity to Anaheim. Sometimes, the internet truly is incredible.
We’re live at PlayStation Experience this weekend, so stay tuned for developer interviews and hands-on impressions of some of the coolest games at the show. Plus, follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see pictures and videos straight from the Anaheim Convention Center.
‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ gets the Telltale Games treatment
Telltale Games is taking its episodic style out into the galaxy. The Guardians of the Galaxy, that is. Details are scant at the moment, but in a statement, the developer’s Kevin Bruner says that, “In Marvel’s Guardian’s of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series, players will take on multiple roles within the ragtag band of heroes, and take the pilot’s seat in directing their escapades around the universe.” So there’s that. Want more? Like the studio’s take on Batman, Guardians will be available at retail in physical form. Meaning, the first episode will be on the disc in 2017 and the subsequent four will be title updates. The future!
Source: Telltale Games (YouTube)
‘Bulletstorm’ is back, baby
Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition takes the blood, brutality and bone-shattering moves from the original 2011 shooter and beefs it all up on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC, due to land on April 7th, 2017. The remastered game features high-resolution textures, remastered audio and smoother frame rates, and it’ll run in up to 4K resolution on the PS4 Pro and PC. Full Clip Edition also comes with every piece of Bulletstorm DLC in existence, plus some new content.
Bulletstorm is, essentially, a symphony of violence. It’s a first-person shooter set on a resort planet overrun with mutant humans, plants and animals — players earn bonuses for killing these monsters in creative (meaning, grotesque and ridiculous) ways, dubbed “Skillshots.” New content for the Full Clip Edition includes six new maps for the competitive Echo mode and an “Overkill” campaign option that starts players off with unrestricted weapons and Skillshots.
On top of the new and pre-existing content, a Full Clip Edition pre-order bonus lets fans play as Duke Nukem instead of series star Grayson Hunt.
The Duke tie-in isn’t completely random: The Full Clip Edition comes from the publishing arm of Borderlands and Duke Nukem studio Gearbox, in partnership with original Bulletstorm developer People Can Fly. Plus, someone named “Nukem” definitely fits in a world where players murder enemies using moves called “Ding Dong,” “Man-Toast,” “Assplosion,” “Double Penetration” and “Dino-Sore.”
‘Ark: Survival Evolved’ stomps its way onto PS4 next week
After a lengthy wait, PS4 owners will finally be able to play Ark: Survival Evolved this week, with the game launching on December 6th. Since the game became a runaway success on Steam in 2015, PS4 owners have been waiting patiently to play the Early Access survival hit and now they will be able to purchase not only the latest build of Ark but also the recently released Scorched Earth expansion. To make up for the delay, buying Ark: Survival Evolved on PS4 will also net you two PlayStation exclusive items: the Bionic Giganotosaurus skin and a Manticore armor set. Developer Wildcard has also promised that PS4 players will receive the same updates as the Steam Early Access and Xbox One versions and at ” a similar tempo”.
For the uninitiated, Ark: Survival Evolved is a prehistoric survival game that sees you aiming to hold your own in a dangerous online world. Tasked with crafting food and weapons, players can build their own dwellings and defend them against terrifying creatures and worse still, other players.
The game’s release comes a surprise, largely due to Sony’s policy on Early Access releases. Games in Steam Early Access are unfinished, allowing players to purchase them for a discounted price and play them as they’re being developed. Due to its incomplete nature,previously Sony stated that the game would need to be finished before it would appear on PS4. It appears that Sony was happy enough with the state of Ark however, as PS4 owners will now be playing long before the game’s full release in Spring 2017. It still hasn’t been announced whether PlayStation gamers will be getting the same mode support as PC and Xbox One players, however.
Christmas is a time of bringing a bit of magic into people’s lives, and there’re very few things quite as magical as riding a Velociraptor while firing a machine gun.
Source: Studio Wildcard
Movie studio Annapurna Pictures now makes games
Annapurna Pictures, the production company behind blockbuster films like Her and Zero Dark Thirty, announced today that it will publish and produce games as Annapurna Interactive. It’s no secret that video games are big money and now it seems that, once again, the movie industry wants a piece of gaming’s lucrative pie.
Run by a team responsible for games like Mortal Kombat, Journey and God of War, Annapurna Interactive aims to publish interactive experiences that are “personal, emotional and push boundaries”.
The first two games the company will publish are Giant Sparrow’s PS4 exclusive, What Remains of Edith Finch and a mobile puzzle game called Gorogoa. What Remains of Edith Finch features a collection of intriguing first-person stories revolving around a cursed family and will be the developer’s second game after indie hit The Unfinished Swan. Gorogoa, on the other hand, is the debut title from lone developer Jason Roberts and promises a “unique” panel-moving mechanic.
As well as publishing other people’s games, the studio will also be producing its own titles. Annapurna Interactive is working on a few projects with big names attached to them, including a game from the lead designer of Monument Valley, Ken Wong. The studio has also revealed it’s releasing a game from creator of the beloved Katamari Damacy franchise, Keita Takahashi, as well as publishing a new game from Luna creators Funomena.
With Steam becoming increasingly flooded with titles, it’s now harder than ever for developers to get consumers to even notice their game, let alone purchase it. With a big-name studio like Annapurna coming along to champion more arty and ambitious projects, it could prove to be a winning move for both indie devs and consumers alike.
Yet this isn’t the first time a movie studio has created a games division. Movie companies like Lucasarts were responsible for gaming classics throughout the 90s and early 2000s, but even their behemoth brands weren’t enough to keep them afloat. Universal Studios also spent a decade flirting with video games, seeing great success with the like of Crash Bandicoot and Spyro The Dragon before losing interest and selling its game studios.
Warner Brothers is one of few movie publishers with a game division still standing, single-handedly redeeming the movie tie-in field with the Batman: Arkham series. Disney had less luck, however, recently announcing the demise of its once-successful toys-to-life series Disney: Infinity. Since Annapurna is focusing on smaller indie titles, though, the relatively low cost of funding the games could prove to be a fruitful investment.
Source: Annapurna Interactive
‘Red Dead Redemption’ is coming to PlayStation 4 December 6th
Red Dead Redemption 2 may not arrive until next fall, but next week you’ll be able to play both its predecessor and Undead Nightmare on PlayStation 4 and PC. Thanks to PlayStation Now streaming, you can get reacquainted with the PS3 classic on December 6th. Of course, Xbox One owners have been able to gather their posses for action since this summer. PS4 players did get Red Dead Revolver last month, but Redemption is the title a lot of fans were waiting for.
Unfortunately, PlayStation Now is only available in North America, the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands. If you happen to live in one of those areas, expect to pay $20 for a month of game streaming or $45 for three months worth of access. Handing over those funds will allow you to play over 450 titles though, in addition to the aforementioned frontier adventures that are scheduled to arrive next week.
Red Dead Redemption and Undead Nightmare Coming December 6th to @PlayStation Now: https://t.co/96AY7OZgDO pic.twitter.com/T8HnJVVvqH
— Rockstar Games (@RockstarGames) November 30, 2016
Source: Rockstar Games
Farming sim ‘Stardew Valley’ is coming to Nintendo Switch
Ever looked out of your window, longing for the chance to yield the greatest crops known to man? Well, Stardew Valley might just be the game for you. After becoming a runaway success on Steam earlier this year, the indie farm-em-up is coming to PS4 and Xbox One, launching on December 13th and 14th respectively.
While a Wii U version was also in the works, developer Chucklefish Games has opted to cancel that port and release the game on the upcoming Nintendo Switch instead. With the misunderstood console’s user base drying up and a shiny new Nintendo console only a few months away, the change in platform is a pretty understandable one.
Stardew Valley sees players inheriting a farm after the death of the protagonist’s grandfather, and tasks them with cultivating it. Aside from the farming elements the game also has a strong focus on building relationships with people in the town, creating an addictive mix of gameplay that saw the game rake in huge sales and earn it a devoted following.
Taking inspiration from the classic RPG series Harvest Moon, many fans will be happy to see the genre returning to a Nintendo handheld. While the Nintendo Switch’s launch lineup still remains a closely guarded secret, after a recent leak suggested it would be getting a fully fledged Pokemon game, Stardew Valley is another promising addition to the Switch’s library.
Source: Stardew Valley Blog
Fly over Paris with all your VR friends in ‘Eagle Flight’
While Microsoft and Sony sort out why one person playing Rocket League on a PlayStation 4 can’t compete against someone on an Xbox One, VR developers are bringing everyone together regardless of which headset they own. The folks behind Eve: Valkyrie started it and now Ubisoft is on board as well with Eagle Flight.
As of today, whether you’re playing on an HTC Vive, Oculus Rift or PlayStation VR, you’ll be able to join up with other eagles from around the world for multiplayer shenanigans. In the case of Eagle Flight that means more people to race against over the stylized, reclaimed-by-nature Parisian streets.
Ubisoft writes that Werewolves Within and the recently delayed Star Trek: Bridge Crew will support cross-platform play out of the box as well. There is one thing to note: Ubisoft is connecting the PS4 to PC players, something that’s already been done with Street Fighter V. So, this groundwork has been laid out previously and (presumably) differs from connecting two closed online infrastructures like PlayStation Network and Xbox Live. Maybe that future is closer than we expect, though.
Source: Ubiblog
‘No Man’s Sky’ files hint at upcoming ground vehicles
When Hello Games said that its No Man’s Sky Foundation Update was laying the groundwork for things to come, it definitely wasn’t kidding. Reddit user eegandj has discovered multiple files that hint at the addition of a buggy to the open-ended space game. There’s an incomplete 3D model of the ground vehicle, icons, textures and even a folder conspicuously marked “buggy” — wonder what that’s for? He even managed to bring the unfinished model into the game to see what it looks like in practice.
There are no guarantees that you’ll be driving across alien planets in a buggy any time soon, or at all. It’s not uncommon for software developers to leave unused assets in updates, even if it’s just due to expediency — it can be easier to keep stray files and code than tidy things up. If this is a sign of what’s to come, though, it’s good news for players who don’t like walking for minutes on end just to collect resources or discover a new base.
Via: Polygon
Source: Reddit (1), (2)
Major ‘No Man’s Sky’ update arrives with surprises
That promised Foundation Update for No Man’s Sky? It’s already here for both PC and PS4… and it includes much, much more than Hello Games hinted at just a couple of days ago. The centerpiece remains base building, which turns out to be simple but helpful. If you find an uninhabited base, you can use modular structures to make it your own — including automated resource farming and storage so you don’t have to traipse across the planet harvesting items. You can also hire aliens to research technology, and teleport to and from space stations. And did we mention that you can buy freighters, which serve as spaceborne bases that you can summon anywhere in the galaxy? If you hated the forced mineral-gathering marches that you experienced on launch, you might be happy with this alone. Thankfully, there’s more.
The update also introduces Creative and Survival modes, in case you want to either remove restrictions or add an extra challenge on hostile worlds. You’ll see new biomes and star-specific resources, along with new equipment to collect rare goods. The interface has received a healthy makeover, too. There’s a smart quick access menu that helps you quickly switch to and interact with items (say, charging your mining beam). You can stack more items in a given inventory slot, get a clearer view of which minerals are nearby, quickly view your objectives and get a heads-up when pirates are nearby.
Visuals are also getting a boost: there’s both motion blur and temporal antialiasing options (at least on PCs), and lower-end PCs can enable texture streaming to lighten the burden on their systems. On the PS4, there’s a photo mode to preserve scenic views for posterity.
It’s too soon to say if the Foundation Update will please all the players upset that they didn’t get the game they expected. Base building and the Creative mode should eliminate some of the drudgery, but will they be enough? This is just the first of a string of promised upgrades, however, and it’s important enough that historically quiet company chief Sean Murray has stressed that it’s extremely “meaningful” for the team. If nothing else, it shows that Hello Games hasn’t been deaf to complaints — it just wanted to have an answer ready before it spoke up.
Via: Polygon
Source: Hello Games, Sean Murray (Twitter)
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