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  • Crysis 3 gets open multiplayer beta on January 29

    January 23, 2013 9:28AM PST

    Two-week beta to be available to all on 360, PS3 and PC.

    EA has announced an open beta for Crytek-developed shooter Crysis 3 for all platforms on January 29.

    Crysis 3’s open beta will run for two weeks and includes two modes playable on two maps. Both maps, Airport and Museum, are set in Crysis 3’s rainforest-themed take on New York City.

    The first mode on offer, Crash Site, is the familiar King of the Hill gametype – two teams battle it out to secure a rotating set of locations on the map. The other available mode is called Hunter, and is a spin on the Infection gametype seen in games like Halo; two people spawn as stealthy Nanosuit hunters and must work to take down the remaining 10 (14 on PC) regular players. Knocking off any one of the competition will see them respawn as a Nanosuit hunter.

    Players will also be able to sample New York Feed, Crysis 3’s take on DICE’s Battlefield social tracker Battlelog.

    Crysis 3 — which allegedly “maxes out” the 360 and PS3 — will be released for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC on February 19 in North America and February 21 in Europe.

  • Pakistan bans Black Ops II, Medal of Honor: Warfighter

    Military shooters Call of Duty: Black Ops II and Medal of Honor: Warfighter have been ordered removed from shops in Pakistan, following store owners raising concerns that both games depict the country as a training ground for terrorism. Fox News reports today that the games were removed across the country after the All Pakistan CD, DVD, Audio Cassette Traders and Manufacturers Association (APCDACTM) released a memo to boycott the games.

    Written in Urdu (Pakistan’s national language) and translated by Fox News, the statement indicates the group has always taken a stance against such games. It further notes that store owners found in possession of these games will face unspecified consequences.

    “The Association has always boycotted these types of films and games. These (games) have been developed against the country’s national unity and sanctity. The games (Medal of Honor: Warfighter and Call of Duty: Black Ops II) have been developed against Pakistan, and the association has completely banned their sales. Shopkeepers are warned and will be responsible for the consequences if found purchasing or selling these games.”

    According to the report, APCDACTM president Saleem Memon decided to issue the ban on Black Ops II and Warfighter after receiving dozens of complaints about their content. Both games feature sequences set in Pakistan.

    Speaking under the condition of anonymity, a Pakistani security official told the site that the games are in fact psychological warfare. “These games are an effort to malign the minds of youth against Pakistan,” this person said. This official further claimed that the games are American attempts to convince Pakistanis that they should accept Pakistan as a failed country and one that is home to terrorists.

    An Electronic Arts representative declined to comment, while Activision had not responded.

  • Capcom offering Dante’s original outfit as DmC DLC

    Ninja Theory’s Dante will be going back to his roots in DmC: Devil May Cry via DLC, with the upcoming Costume Pack offering a ‘classic’ skin based on Dante’s appearance in Devil May Cry 3.

    Two other skins will be included in the pack alongside Dante’s iconic red leather coat, white hair and bare chest: Dark Dante and Neo Dante, with the former offering a sleek blue coat and the latter Converse sneakers, a ragged t-shirt and a belt that covers his entire stomach.

    Capcom confirmed to GameSpot that the DmC Costume Pack DLC will be released on January 29 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in North America, with European PS3 owners having to wait an additional day. The new threads will cost 320 Microsoft points or $4.00/£3.19/”3.99.

    The DmC costume pack is also being offered to anyone who pre-purchases the game on Steam ahead of its PC release on January 25, though a release date for the PC version of the DLC has not been specified.

    DmC will also be receiving the free Bloody Palace DLC and the paid-for Vergil’s Downfall DLC, which Capcom dubs an expansion, at the end of February.

    DmC: Devil May Cry received an 8.0 in its GameSpot review, though Ninja Theory’s design decisions are proving controversial with series fans despite the warm reception.

  • Black Ops II, Minecraft top Xbox Live 2012 activity

    Microsoft has announced the top Xbox Live games of 2012, revealing Call of Duty: Black Ops II to be the most-played game through the service during the past year. Black Ops II was also the best-selling game in the United States during 2012. It has generated over $1 billion in revenue.

    Rounding out the top five Xbox 360 titles, based on number of unique users per day, were Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Halo 4, Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition, and the original Call of Duty: Black Ops. The chart was dominated by shooters, sports, and driving games, which made up 75 percent of all top games for 2012.

    The top Xbox Live Arcade game for 2012, based on full versions purchased, was Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition. Microsoft did not share specific sales data for the game, though developer Mojang announced this month that it sold just over 5 million units during the year.

    The top five best-selling XBLA games for 2012 were Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition, followed by Trials Evolution, The Walking Dead, Pinball FX2, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

    Full lists of top Xbox 360 and XBLA games for 2012 are below.

    Top Xbox 360 games for 2012 (based on unique users per day)

    Call of Duty: Black Ops II
    Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
    Halo 4
    Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition
    Call of Duty: Black Ops
    FIFA Soccer 13
    FIFA Soccer 12
    Battlefield 3
    Halo: Reach
    Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
    Borderlands 2
    Assassin’s Creed III
    Skyrim
    Madden NFL 13
    Gears of War 3
    NBA 2K13
    NBA 2K12
    Far Cry 3 Grand Theft Auto IV
    Forza Motorsport 4

    Top XBLA games for 2012 (based on full versions purchased)

    Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition
    Trials Evolution
    The Walking Dead
    Pinball FX2
    Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
    Castle Crashers
    Gotham City Impostors
    I Am Alive
    Fruit Ninja Kinect
    Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD
    Trials HD
    Magic 2013
    Fez
    Dungeon Defenders
    Alan Wake’s American Nightmare
    Peggle
    The Simpsons Arcade Game
    Real Steel
    Toy Soldiers: Cold War
    Full House Poker

  • Activision giving next-gen tech talk at GDC

    Call of Duty publisher Activision Blizzard will showcase what next-generation game assets could look like in March during the 2013 Game Developers Conference. Activision Blizzard real-time graphics researcher Jorge Jimenez will lead a talk titled Photorealistic Eyes Rendering and Deformation at the conference, which will focus on the publisher’s next-gen pursuits.

    More specifically, Jimenez will show off next-gen shading technology running on a “plausible game rig.” In addition, he will detail how Activision plans to overcome the “uncanny valley,” a hypothesis that claims viewers may be turned off by visuals that are too lifelike.

    Next-generation platforms have not been announced, though Call of Duty developers Treyarch and Infinity Ward are rumored to be working on series entries running on future systems.

    GDC organizers have also announced that Pixar Animation Studios’ Matthew Luhn (Toy Story series, Monsters Inc., Up) will present a lecture titled The 5 Key Plot Points to Creating a Great Story. Luhn will explain how best to go about creating compelling characters and stories for animation, live-action, and games.

    Lastly, it was announced that Creative Assembly’s lead designer James Russell will hold a lecture during GDC concerning development dilemmas faced during the production of Total War. His talk is titled Designing Grand Strategy: Making the Mechanics of Total War.

    Bungie Studios will also be on-hand at GDC 2013, with creative leads Joe Staten and Christopher Barrett discussing the company’s new world, rumored to be titled Destiny.

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

  • Minecraft series sales hit 20 million

    January 22, 2013 6:59AM PST

    Fueled by 9 million life-to-date copies of PC/Mac version, total franchise sales reach new milestone.

    Minecraft for PC and Mac has now sold 9 million copies, per sales data published on the official Minecraft website. According to a tweet from Mojang’s Jens Bergensten, total franchise sales now sit around 20 million copies. This is up from 17.5 million in the middle of December.

    New sales data for Minecraft: Pocket Edition and Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition was not divulged.

    Mojang announced earlier this month that it sold more than 15 million Minecraft games in 2012, with the Pocket Edition outpacing all the rest, selling 5.9 million copies during the year.

    A version of Minecraft for the Raspberry Pi credit-card-sized computer is also in development.

  • Microsoft seeking ‘Gunpowder’ trademark

    January 22, 2013 9:32AM PST

    Xbox maker’s mark to be used for “entertainment services, namely, providing online video games.”

    Microsoft has filed a trademark application with the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) for a new project called “Gunpowder.”

    The trademark description sheds little light, noting only that the mark will be used for “entertainment services, namely, providing online video games.”

    The trademark application was filed January 15. A Microsoft representative was not immediately available to comment.

    The USPTO in November denied Microsoft’s trademark application for Killer Instinct, citing possible confusion with Fox’s since-ended TV series of the same name.

  • South Park attempts to block THQ auction of The Stick of Truth

    As THQ prepares to auction off its IP today at 14:00 Eastern Time, South Park Digital Studios is attempting to block the sale of upcoming Obsidian-developed RPG South Park: The Stick of Truth, which is currently scheduled for release on March 5.

    In a filing at the United States Bankruptcy Court in Delaware, spotted on NeoGAF, the South Park owners have submitted their objection to THQ’s proposed sale today. THQ, on the other hand, claims it has every right to auction off the title.

    The gist of the original eight-page legal document (and THQ’s seven-page rebuttal) is that South Park Digital Studios believes that THQ doesn’t have the right to auction off publishing rights for The Stick of Truth, and that it should be allowed to buy back the rights to the game and shop them about for a publisher independently of THQ.

    South Park Digital Studios argues that its original contract with THQ, which was signed in June 2011, allows it to acquire “all elements of the game and related products” at THQ’s cost in the event of the downtrodden publisher breaching the contract.

    South Park Studios claims that, under section 365(c)(1) of the Bankruptcy Code, THQ can’t sell the rights to The Stick of Truth to another publisher.

    THQ, on the other hand, disagrees, and cites a specific clause in its original contract that has been redacted from the public documentation.

    What this means for the future of South Park: The Stick of Truth is unclear. However, THQ’s legal team says it “will continue to work toward a consensual resolution of the Objection prior to the Sale Hearing.”

    For more information on South Park: The Stick of Truth, check out GameSpot’s previous coverage.

  • Mass Effect 3 owners unlock N7 armour in Dead Space 3

    January 22, 2013 5:04AM PST

    EA’s latest cross-promotion gives iconic threads, but gamers will need a save file on the same platform to get N7 armour for both Isaac and Carver.

    Dead Space 3 will give Isaac Clarke the chance to don his own suit of N7 armour, provided players have a Mass Effect 3 save file sitting on their hard drive.

    Commander Shepard’s iconic armour has been modified slightly to allow for Clarke’s headgear, and at present it’s not know what in-game benefits the armour has – in previous Dead Space games each different suit of armour has offered various degrees of protection from Necromorph enemies.

    There’s no way to unlock the armour between platforms, so if gamers intend to play Dead Space 3 on Xbox 360, they’ll need an Xbox 360 Mass Effect 3 save.

    Isaac’s co-op buddy John Carver also gets his own N7 kit with a red tint.

    EA is no stranger to cross-promotion, offering a similar Mass Effect costume incentive for last year’s Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning as well as Isaac Clarke himself in Skate 3.

    Dead Space 3 will be released on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC on February 5 in the US and February 8 in Europe. Check out GameSpot’s previous Dead Space 3 coverage for more information.

  • Dead Space 3 has microtransactions

    Dead Space 3 will be the first entry in the franchise to include microtransactions. Eurogamer reports today that the action game will allow players to use real-world money to purchase various resources like materials and scrap parts. This is entirely optional, Dead Space 3 associate producer Yara Khoury explained.

    “You can buy resources with real money, but scavenger bots can also give you the currency that you can use on the marketplace, so you don’t have to spend [real-world] dollars,” Khoury said.

    It was not revealed how much the microtransactions would cost, though Khoury said players will have several currency bundle options to choose from.

    Though players will be able to buy items in Dead Space 3, Khoury explained that gamers will not be able to obtain high-level weapons right away. “There are a lot of weapon parts that are only available to buy later in the game. Unless you’re playing through it again [on New Game Plus],” Khoury said.

    Dead Space 3 comes to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC on February 5 in the United States and February 8 in Europe. For more, check out GameSpot’s previous Dead Space 3 coverage.