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  • No Tomb Raider online pass, demo

    January 18, 2013 5:35AM PST

    Crystal Dynamics confirms upcoming action game will not force second-hand players to pay for online access; no pre-release demo to avoid spoiling story.

    Crystal Dynamics global brand director Karl Stewart has confirmed the upcoming Tomb Raider reboot will not feature a Season Pass or an Online Pass.

    Season Pass initiatives, whereby players pay up front for expansion content to be released over the course of months, have become commonplace of late. Prices for season passes range from Halo 4’s $25 War Games pass to Call of Duty: Black Ops II’s $50 Season Pass.

    Online Passes, like those included with Uncharted 3 and Homefront, force second-hand players to pay a fee–typically $10–for access to the game’s online component.

    In addition, Stewart announced that the company has no plans to release a demo for Tomb Raider. “We don’t want to spoil the story,” he said.

    Tomb Raider is due out March 5, 2013 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It is the first entry in the series to feature a multiplayer component. For more, check out GameSpot’s previous coverage.

  • Trials franchise hits 4 million sales

    January 17, 2013 11:28AM PST

    Ubisoft’s downloadable racing series hits new sales milestone; “Gold Edition” for PC due March 21.

    Ubisoft’s Trials franchise has raced to a new sales milestone. The company today announced the series has sold over 4 million units since the original Trials HD launched in summer 2009.

    The Trials franchise expanded in 2012 with a sequel, Trials Evolution, which set an Xbox Live Arcade launch-day record.

    A specific title-by-title sales breakdown was not provided.

    In addition, Ubisoft announced today that Trials: Evolution Gold Edition will be released March 21 for the PC. The game includes the complete Trials Evolution game, as well as every track from Trials HD. It was developed by Ubisoft Shanghai under the supervision of series creator RedLynx.

    For more on the Trials series, check out GameSpot’s reviews of Trials HD and Trials Evolution.

  • Tencent Games, Namco Bandai team up to develop Naruto MMORPG for China

    January 17, 2013 7:02PM PST

    Game companies to partner up with Japanese manga publisher Shueisha to create online game for web browsers.

    Anime and manga fans can expect an online MMORPG based on the Naruto series to pop up soon.

    According to Game Spark (via SGCafe), China-based online gaming company Tencent Games made a deal with Japanese manga publisher Shueisha and video game publisher Namco Bandai for the rights of the upcoming game’s development and distribution. The upcoming title will be playable on web browsers and is developed by More Fun Studio, Namco Bandai, and CyberConnect2 (Asura’s Wrath, Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm series).

    The game is scheduled for a 2013 release and will be available on Tencent’s gaming portal. The publishers did not announce on whether the game will be published outside of the Chinese market. For more news on CyberConnect2’s upcoming Naruto title, check out GameSpot’s recent coverage.

  • Resident Evil 6 to receive second game-altering update next week

    Capcom has announced a second title update for Resident Evil 6, further tweaking the game’s options and adding additional features to last year’s often-criticised take on the survival horror series.

    The free update will go live on January 22 and offer a handful of changes, reports Capcom Unity, notably allowing the QTE Assist feature to be used across all difficulty levels, which should make the lives of anyone attempting a run-through on Professional a lot more bearable. Some unspecified levels have also had their difficulty tweaked.

    There’s also the option to replay specific levels from the game’s lengthy chapters, which should make the serpent emblems a lot easier to collect.

    Finally, the game’s Agent Hunt multiplayer mode will now be available to all players from the beginning. Previously, gamers were required to complete one of the game’s campaigns to access the mode.

    Capcom addressed some of the game’s complaints–such as the close-up camera angles and the locked-off Ada Wong campaign–in its last title update, which was released in December.

    Resident Evil 6 received a 4.5 in its GameSpot critique, with the review stating that “this long, poor sequel is the ultimate test of patience for even the most dedicated.”

  • Star Wars: 1313 launching this year?

    [UPDATE] Following the publication of this story, the post on the Sony German PlayStation Facebook account was removed. In addition, LucasArts provided a statement to Kotaku saying, “No, that was an inaccurate post. We have not confirmed any platforms yet for 1313 and do not have any announcements to make at this time.”

    The original story follows below

    Star Wars: 1313 could be on store shelves as early as this year. A Facebook post from Sony’s German PlayStation account states LucasArts’ new action game is slated for release in 2013.

    LucasArts has made no mention of a release date or platform availability for Star Wars: 1313 since it announced the game in May 2012.

    Star Wars: 1313 was first announced in May 2012. The internally developed third-person action adventure game will see players take on the role of a bounty hunter navigating a subterranean metropolis, Level 1313, beneath the surface of the planet Coruscant.

    The game is being developed with the help of artists across the Lucasfilm organization, including LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic, Lucasfilm Animation Ltd, and Skywalker Sound. The game will be based on the Unreal engine and feature full-body performance capture.

    Star Wars: 1313 may not be the only new Star Wars game on the horizon. A listing for an Xbox Live Arcade game Star Wars: First Assault appeared last year. This project has not been formally announced.

  • Crytek opens Istanbul office

    Crytek has expanded its operations. The Crysis company today announced the opening of Crytek Istanbul, the developer’s eighth outfit worldwide.

    Crytek also has offices in Frankfurt, Germany; Kiev, Ukraine; Budapest, Hungary; Sofia, Bulgaria; Seoul, South Korea; Nottingham, United Kingdom; and Shanghai, China.

    Crytek Istanbul will support the growth of Crytek’s free-to-play initiatives and will focus on the Warface and Gface brands. In addition, the new company will oversee the expansion of the CryEngine business in Turkey and in the Middle East and North Africa regions.

    The new Crytek office in Istanbul currently does not have any job openings posted to its careers page.

    Crytek’s expansion into Istanbul is a homecoming of sorts for the company, as founders and brothers Avni, Cevat, and Faruk Yerli are from Turkey.

  • Valve investigating R18+ options for Left 4 Dead 2 in Australia

    Valve has responded to user questions on the Steam forums surrounding the release of an unedited version of Left 4 Dead 2 in Australia, following the introduction of an R18+ classification for video games.

    Posting on the official Steam forums, Valve’s Chet Faliszek told users the publisher has been exploring its options and investigating the legalities of what would be involved in releasing Left 4 Dead 2 in Australia with an adult rating.

    “No need to flood us with emails,” Faliszek wrote. “We have been exploring the options here and what we can legally do. We will have more information on this when we understand the issues fully and how we are moving forward but don’t worry any cost associated with it doesn’t worry us, this is something we want to do.”

    Left 4 Dead 2 was initially banned by the Australian Classification Board in September 2009 for “realistic, frenetic and unrelenting violence”. Valve responded by re-submitting two versions of the game to the Board: the original, unaltered version and one with some modifications.

    A modified version of Left 4 Dead 2 was later released in Australia. This version of the game removed decapitation and limb dismemberment.

    Earlier this month, the Classification Board confirmed that the first title to receive the new R18+ rating in Australia will be Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge for the Wii U. The game will be published by Nintendo, but currently has no release date in Australia.

  • Diablo III, Pro Evo Soccer 2013 tops Asian sales charts

    The best-selling games in Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan in 2012 have been announced, according to market research agency GFK group.

    In Hong Kong, soccer title Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 was the best-selling game for last year, selling 50,500 units. This was followed by Kinect Adventures, One Piece: Pirate Warriors, Resident Evil 6, and Sleeping Dogs.

    Over at South Korea and Taiwan, Diablo III was the consumer’s choice. Diablo 3 raked in 364,200 copies in South Korea while the Taiwan managed to sell 132,900 copies of the PC title.

    In related news, GFK group also revealed sales numbers for home (PS3, Xbox 360) and portable (3DS, PSP, PS Vita) consoles. For Hong Kong, sales units for home and portable systems were 161,100 and 138,800 respectively. South Korea’s numbers were 245,700 home console units and 152,400 portable consoles, while Taiwan’s numbers were 137,500 home consoles and 111,800 portable consoles.

    The full top five software list for each of the regions are below from the month of January 2012 until December 2012 :

    Hong Kong

    Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 – 50,500
    Kinect Adventures – 47,000
    One Piece: Pirate Warriors – 44,800
    Resident Evil 6 – 43,200
    Sleeping Dogs – 29,600

    South Korea

    Diablo III – 364,200
    Wii Sports Resort – 90,000
    Just Dance 2 – 76,300
    Kirby Mass Attack – 56,100

    Taiwan

    Diablo III – 132,900
    One Piece: Pirate Warriors – 40,900
    Kinect Sports: Season Two – 25,600
    Resident Evil 6 – 24,300
    Final Fantasy XIII-2

  • Killer is Dead out this summer in Japan

    January 17, 2013 12:28AM PST

    Story, character, and gameplay details about upcoming Xbox 360 and PS3 action game from Suda 51 revealed.

    Grasshopper Manufacture has announced a release window for its upcoming action game Killer is Dead.

    According to the latest issue and online preview from Famitsu, the game will be out in Japan this summer for Xbox 360 and PS3. The game’s story takes place in a future where both traveling to the moon and human cybernetic implants are possible.

    Players control an agent called Mondo Zappa who is given the task of executing criminal targets for the Execution Office. Aiding him are his female boss, Vivian Squall, his assistant Mika Takekawa, and the head office chief cyborg Brian Roses. The main antagonist is a cyborg named Victor who can manipulate human emotions with the use of sound.

    The game is billed as an action title where the highlight is melee combat with swords. Mondo’s left arm can transform into a gun or a drill; options for upgrading it further are available in the game. Striking enemies will allow players to absorb their blood, which is used to charge up Mondo’s Adrenalin Burst that can clear the screen full of enemies. Killing enemies with the special move unleashes dark matter; there is no word on what this energy will be used as.

    There is currently no word on whether the game will be out in English.

  • Valve talking virtual reality at GDC

    January 16, 2013 11:27AM PST

    Developer to discuss virtual reality port of Team Fortress 2 and why the technology could become more mainstream at event in March.

    Half-Life and Portal developer Valve will discuss its virtual reality plans this March at the 2013 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, California. Event organizers have announced the addition of two talks from the company, the first of which involves the task of porting Team Fortress 2 to virtual reality.

    Valve programmer Joe Ludwig will present “What We Learned Porting Team Fortress 2 to Virtual Reality,” which will detail the company’s efforts to get the free-to-play game running in virtual reality goggles.

    Additionally, Valve’s Michael Abrash will speak more generally about virtual reality in a discussion titled “Why Virtual Reality is Hard (And Where it Might be Going).” This talk will touch on why virtual reality technologies could become more mainstream in the near future.

    GDC 2013 takes place March 25-29 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.