Rock Band 4 Coming to Xbox One and PS4 this year

Chris Hare
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Rock Band 4 Coming to Xbox One and PS4 this year

Rock Band 4 has been officially announced by Harmonix. It’s coming to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One later in 2015.

The good news? It will support old peripherals, although Mad Catz is creating new ones too.

Even better, you’ll be able to import all of your previously purchased content from PS3 and Xbox 360 into Rock Band 4.

Mad Catz will develop and manufacture a new generation of wireless  Rock Band 4 music game controllers.  The launch products include:

  • Band-in-a-Box Bundle, which includes the Rock Band 4 game, a Wireless Fender Stratocaster Guitar Controller, a Wireless Drum Kit Controller and a Microphone.
  • Guitar Bundle, which includes the  Rock Band 4 game and a Wireless Fender Stratocaster Guitar Controller.

To celebrate the announcement of  Rock Band 4,  Harmonix are offering a special edition, Wireless Stratocaster Guitar Controller, featuring custom artwork of “Gabe” from the immensely popular Penny Arcade webcomic.  This limited-edition collectible is only available for on-site pre-orders at the Harmonix booth during the PAX East video game festival.

“We are very excited to bring the band back together, and re-team with Harmonix to deliver the next installment of the legendary  Rock Band franchise to a new generation of consoles,” said Darren Richardson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz.  “Harmonix understands music gaming better than anyone, and we are confident that the unrivalled music selection and next generation features will prove incredibly enticing to passionate gamers and music fans alike.”

Daniel Sussman, Product Manager for Harmonix commented, “The creative energy and excitement at the studio right now is at an all-time high. We’re thrilled to have Mad Catz as an important partner as we move the franchise to a new generation of consoles, and we can’t wait to show our fans how we’re evolving the gameplay they love.”

Rock Band 4 brings the critically-acclaimed franchise to a new generation of consoles, focusing on the features and gameplay that people love, and expanding the franchise in innovative ways informed by how fans play and what they want.  In addition to a killer on-disc soundtrack,  Rock Band 4 will support the over 2000 tracks released since the 2007 debut of the original  Rock Band, accounting for more than 500 of rock music’s most legendary artists.

In addition, players who have purchased or downloaded music on last-generation consoles will be able to download and play those tracks on their new platforms at no additional charge*.  Hundreds of tracks will be available at launch, with more back catalog music – and new tracks – added regularly after launch.

Watch the British Academy Games Awards via twitch

Chris Hare
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Watch the British Academy Games Awards via twitch

If you are unable to attend the British Academy Games Awards on the 12th March will be able to watch the action unfold from the comfort of their own home via a Twitch stream that evening. Across 17 categories there are a total of 51 games that are nominated including Alien Isolation with 6 nominations, Far Cry with 5, 80 days, Destiny, Mario Kart and Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor with 4 each. Streaming kicks off at 5:30pm GMT with all the pre-show events including interviews on the red carpet followed by the ceremony presented by actor and comedian Rufus Hound at 7pm GMT on Thursday, 12th March.

Watch live video from BAFTA on www.twitch.tv;

In the mean time before the British Academy Games Awards on the 12th March why not listen to the interview with Rufus Hound we did recently with him.

 

Wasteland 2 coming to PS4 and Xbox One

Chris Hare
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Wasteland 2 coming to PS4 and Xbox One

inXile entertainment announced that the PC game, Wasteland 2 that is currently in development for Xbox One, via the ID@Xbox self-publishing program and PlayStation 4, slated for release late summer.

 wasteland 2

Currently available for PC fans (http://store.steampowered.com/app/240760/), Wasteland 2 is one of the most successful crowdfunded games of all-time. Total Biscuit, who commented that this “really does feel like Fallout 4, if Fallout were to go back to its CRPG roots,” awarded Wasteland 2 as the “Best Thing to Come out of Crowdfunding”. Wasteland 2 also won game of the year from PC World for 2014. The game features 70+ hours of highly re-playable gameplay in which no two people can have the same experience.

 

“Ever since Wasteland 2 debuted on PC, we’ve had RPG fans asking us to bring it to console. Thanks to Unity 5 and some extra time, we’re able to overhaul the game with really fantastic visual effects, upgraded environment art, physically based shading, add all new character models, a new Quirks and Perks systems, Precision Strikes (aimed shots) and new voice over work for some of the key characters,” said Brian Fargo of inXile Entertainment. “And if you are backer of Wasteland 2 or have already purchased it on PC, fear not. We will announce great news for you later.”

Elite: Dangerous coming first to Xbox One

Chris Hare
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Elite: Dangerous coming first to Xbox One

Just now at GDC 2015, that Xbox head Phil Spencer announced that Elite: Dangerous is coming first to Xbox One console. Elite: Dangerous for Xbox One is planned to released this summer.

Elite: Dangerous on Xbox One will include everything added to the PC version through March’s Wings update, including last month’s Community Goals update.

Watch trailer 3 of Avengers – Age of Ultron

Chris Hare
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Watch trailer 3 of Avengers – Age of Ultron

Watch the new trailer for Avengers – Age of Ultron, from Marvel the film is due out on 23rd April in the UK and 1st May in the US.

Wolfenstein: The Old Blood coming out 5th May

Chris Hare
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Wolfenstein: The Old Blood coming out 5th May

Bethesda, today announced Wolfenstein: The Old Blood, the standalone prequel to the critically-acclaimed first-person action-adventure shooter, Wolfenstein: The New Order. In development at MachineGames, Wolfenstein: The Old Blood will be available digitally and in retail for £14.99 / €19.99 / AUD$39.95 from 5th May for the PlayStation 4 and PC, and digital only for the Xbox One.

Wolfenstein - The Old Blood

The year is 1946 and the Nazis are on the brink of winning World War II. In an effort to turn the tide in the Allies’ favour, B.J. Blazkowicz must embark on an epic, two-part mission deep within Bavaria. Part one of Wolfenstein: The Old Blood – Rudi Jäger and the Den of Wolves, pits BJ Blazkowicz against a maniacal prison warden as he breaks into Castle Wolfenstein in an attempt to steal the coordinates to General Deathshead’s compound.  In part two – The Dark Secrets of Helga Von Schabbs, our hero’s search for the coordinates leads him to the city of Wulfburg where an obsessed Nazi archaeologist is exhuming mysterious artefacts that threaten to unleash a dark and ancient power.

ROW_Sniper

“Diving back into the world of Wolfenstein has really been fun for us,” said Jerk Gustafsson, executive producer at MachineGames. “We’ve enjoyed exploring the events leading up to The New Order. We think fans will really enjoy the story, all the action and, of course, jumping back into the combat with new weapons.”

Wolfenstein: The New Order, released in May 2014, enjoyed worldwide critical and commercial success with over 75 Game of the Year awards, and was hailed by The New York Times as “one of the very best releases of the year.”

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain Gets Release Date

Chris Hare
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Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain Gets Release Date

Today Konami officially announced the date for Metal Gear Solid V : The Phantom Pain as the date of 1st September. The game will most certainly be seeing a release on September 1st on consoles, with the Steam version seeing a release two weeks later on Sep 15th. Fans can also look forward to some special editions, which were revealed alongside the release date news. MGS V: TPP will not only see a day one edition, but for those gamers who like a little something extra you can also look forward to a collectors edition. Below are all the details from both versions, including price.

Additionally, METAL GEAR ONLINE – the game’s dedicated competitive multiplayer mode – will go live at the launch of METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN. The online element represents the third iteration of the popular multiplayer game, newly redesigned with the familiar gameplay and aesthetic styling of its companion single-player campaign. METAL GEAR ONLINE features a “class system” that more uniquely defines the strengths and abilities of player characters on the battlefield. Key characters from the series including Venom Snake and Ocelot will also make appearances in the anticipated multiplayer feature.

The September window will see a number of product options available to passionate fans of the series, with METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN releasing both a special ‘Day 1 Edition’ and a limited ‘Collector’s Edition’.

MGSVTPP_Xbox-One_Prelim

‘ Day 1 Edition ’ Content:
·         MAP (Physical Version Only)

DLC items
·         Adam-ska Special Handgun
·         Personal Ballistic Shield (Silver)
·         Cardboard Box (Wetland)
·         Fatigues (Blue Urban Snake Costume)
·         METAL GEAR ONLINE XP BOOST
*Steam version will include the above DLC content at launch

3_MGS_Hero Shot C_AGNOSTIC_US_ 03-03-15_1920

‘Collector’s Edition’ Content:
·         Half Scale Replica of Snake’s Bionic Arm
·         Collectible SteelBook
·         Behind the Scenes Documentary & Trailers Blu-ray Disc
·         MAP
·         Exclusive Packaging

DLC items
WEAPON & SHIELD PACK
·         Windurger S333 Combat Special Revolver
·         Adam-ska Special Handgun
·         Maschinen aktische Pistole 5 Weiss Special Handgun
·         Rasp Short-Barreled Shotgun Gold
·         Personal Ballistic Shield　(Olive Drab)
·         Personal Ballistic Shield　(Silver)
·         Personal Ballistic Shield　(White)
·         Personal Ballistic Shield　(Gold)

CARDBOARD BOXES
·         Cardboard Box (Rocky Terrain)
·         Cardboard Box (All-Purpose Dryland)
·         Cardboard Box (Wetland)

SNAKE COSTUMES
·         Fatigues (Black Ocelot)
·         Fatigues (Gray Urban)
·         Fatigues (Blue Urban)
·         Fatigues (All-Purpose Dryland)

Other
·         ‘VENOM SNAKE’ Emblem

MGO BOOST
·         METAL GEAR ONLINE XP BOOST

MGO Items
·         Metal Gear Rex Helmet
·         AM MRS-4 GOLD Assault Rifle
·         WU S. PITSOL GOLD

METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN including METAL GEAR ONLINE, will retail with an SRP of £59.99 for the PlayStation 4, the Xbox One, and Steam and £49.99 for the PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. SRP of ‘Collector’s Edition’ will be £99.99 for the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One.

The Steam version of METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN will be released on 15th September.

Newest update for Halo: The Master Chief Collection

Chris Hare
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Newest update for Halo: The Master Chief Collection

Today 343 Industries has started to rolled out the latest Content Update for Halo: The Master Chief Collection.

The game has problems since launch, so fans will be hoping that this latest update helps iron out the remaining issues.

Halo

Here’s the details.MATCHMAKING


– Made a variety of updates to improve matchmaking performance and success rates
– Improved matchmaking search times/time to match
– Improved stability throughout the matchmaking process across all titles
PARTIES
– Improved party stability
HALO 2
– Made improvements to multiplayer shot registration
– Improved campaign stability across a variety of levels
– Addressed stability issues for matchmaking and custom games
– Fixed issues around resuming H2A Campaign from “remastered” mode
– Improved medal display consistency

HALO: CE
– Fixed issues regarding aim assist which resulted in the reticle being pushed away from an enemy
– Improved shot registration consistency between host / client in peer-to-peer custom game matches
– Resolved a variety of UI inconsistencies, including team colour randomization, medals, and in-game scoreboard display
– Work on the next update is already under way.

Dying Light – Ultimate Survivor Bundle DLC launch date

Chris Hare
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Dying Light – Ultimate Survivor Bundle DLC launch date

Today Techland announced that the second content drop of the Season Pass for Dying Light will launch on 10th March. The Ultimate Survivor Bundle brings a collection of unique items to the quarantine zone, including blueprints for four one-of-a-kind weapons: The Constable, the Night Club, Lacerator, and Buzz Killer. On top of that, the bundle comes with three distinctive character outfits: the Ninja, Urban Explorer, and Special Agent. The Ultimate Survivor Bundle will be available across all platforms as a part of the Season Pass offer or separately at $4,99/ €4,99 / £3.99.

Also on 10th March, a new free update for Dying Light will be released. Along with various improvements to the game’s performance, gameplay balance, online functions, and visual fidelity, patch 1.4 will introduce a specially designed Hard Mode allowing players to add extra challenge and realism to their game. Furthermore, the update adds an additional tier to weapon rarity level, extra rewards for completing the game, more character outfits, and dozens of new weapons. All content of patch 1.4 will be available for free on all supported platforms.

Red Bedlam coming to Xbox One via ID@Xbox

Chris Hare
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Red Bedlam coming to Xbox One via ID@Xbox

Red Bedlam in association with Standfast Interactive announce the release of their genre hopping FPS, Bedlam for Xbox One, via the ID@Xbox self-publishing program.

redbedlam_logo

In Bedlam, players will take on the role of Heather Quinn (aka Athena), a programmer at medical scanning developer Neurosphere who finds herself transported into the world of Starfire: a nineties FPS she remembers from her teen years. Searching for an explanation and a way home, she ventures beyond Starfire to discover a vast realm of interconnected game worlds documenting the evolution of the FPS genre and of video games in general.

Bedlam is adapted from the novel by Christopher Brookmyre, but diverges from the original in this change of protagonist. The novel’s hero, Ross Baker, does feature prominently in the game, but the switch to a female lead – who is a gamer and sci-fi fan – offered a fresh and bitingly humorous new perspective upon the “gameverse” that the player will explore.

The game is part of the ID@Xbox showcase at GDC in San Francisco and will also be shown at EGX Rezzed event in London on the 12th March. The Xbox One version of the game will be available as a digital download on the Xbox Live from Microsoft in Q2 2015.

Resident Evil Revelations 2 out today in europe

Chris Hare
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Resident Evil Revelations 2 out today in europe

The next chilling instalment of Capcom Resident Evil Revelations 2 is available today with the release of episode two – Contemplation.

Claire_Episode2_005_1425382875

Picking up from where we left the four protagonists at the end of the season premiere, Contemplation sees Barry Burton still reeling from the news that the radio message from his daughter, Claire, that drew him to the island is six months old, but leaves him now even more determined to track her down, while Natalia has an encounter with a figure from her past that leaves her…

Barry_Episode2_007_1425382855

Claire and Moira’s focus is to escape the penitentiary, but they’ll need to overcome more than just a rusty lock.

Nvidia announced New Shield Entertainment Console

Chris Hare
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Nvidia announced New Shield Entertainment Console

Built on Android TV, SHIELD can play top-quality 4K video content, includes one-click access to Google Voice Search and provides the richness of Android’s app ecosystem.

SHIELD is a sleek device that comes loaded with cutting-edge NVIDIA technologies, including the recently launched NVIDIA Tegra X1 processor.

SHIELD is also the gateway to the NVIDIA GRID game-streaming service. Powered by GeForce GTX supercomputers in the cloud, GRID delivers an on-demand “Netflix for games” experience at up to 1080p resolution at 60 frames per second.

“SHIELD will change the way we enjoy digital entertainment at home,” said Jen-Hsun Huang, president and CEO of NVIDIA. “It’s an incredibly powerful, efficient and advanced living room entertainment device. It’s the best Android TV experience. And it can transform into a serious gaming machine. It’s made to game.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9Yu3u8yl9I

 

Made to Game

SHIELD – sold with the SHIELD controller made for serious gaming – is a single platform with access to a wealth of great games.

First, 50+ Android titles optimized for SHIELD will be available for download, including AAA titles like Crysis 3, Doom 3: BFG Edition and Borderlands: TPS. These can be played at blistering speed, thanks to SHIELD’s Tegra X1 processor, with its 256-core Maxwell™ architecture GPU and 64-bit CPU.

Second, favorite AAA titles, including console games, can be streamed using the GRID on-demand game-streaming service. GRID will include with its subscription price access to 50 titles, such as Batman: Arkham Origins, GRID 2 and Metro: Last Light Redux, with additional titles added each week.

Third, the GRID service can be used to purchase and stream new release AAA titles – including Batman: Arkham Knight and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt coming later this year.

Specifications

Processor NVIDIA Tegra X1 processor with 256-core Maxwell GPU with 3GB RAM
Video Features 4K Ultra-HD Ready with 4K playback and capture up to 60 fps (VP9, H265, H264)
Audio Features 7.1 and 5.1 surround sound pass through over HDMI
  High-resolution audio playback up to 24-bit/192kHz over HDMI and USB
  High-resolution audio upsample to 24-bit/192hHz over USB
Storage1 16GB
Wireless 802.11ac 2×2 MIMO 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi
  Bluetooth 4.1/BLE
Interfaces Gigabit Ethernet
  HDMI 2.0
  Two USB 3.0 (Type A)2
  Micro-USB 2.0
  MicroSD slot (supports 128GB cards)
  IR Receiver (compatible with Logitech Harmony)
Gaming Features NVIDIA GRID streaming service
  NVIDIA GameStream
Weight and Size Weight: 23oz / 654g
  Height: 5.1in / 130mm
  Width: 8.3in / 210mm
  Depth: 1.0in / 25mm
1 Portion of storage occupied by system software. 2 Supports NTFS, HFS+ and exFAT for USB drives.

Broad Developer Support

Some of the world’s leading game developers and publishers have embraced SHIELD and the GRID service.

“The incredible processing power of Tegra X1 enables us to bring Doom 3: BFG to Android and we’re excited by the possibilities that GRID is bringing to gaming.”

– Tim Willits, studio director, id Software

“Tegra X1’s enormous processing capabilities running on Android TV gives us access to a much broader audience, and we’re delighted to partner with NVIDIA to explore a variety of exciting possibilities for SHIELD, including the remastering of the survival horror classic, Resident Evil 5.”

– Jun Takeuchi, managing corporate officer, CAPCOM

“SHIELD is definitely made to game and thanks to Tegra X1 we have The Witcher: Battle Arena playing natively on SHIELD. With GRID, we’ll be able to bring new hit games to fans immediately.”

– Benjamin Lee, The Witcher: Battle Arena lead producer, CDPROJEKT

Pricing and Availability

SHIELD will be available in May, starting at $199 with a controller. Optional accessories include additional controllers, a remote control and a stand enabling the device to stand vertically.

SHIELD is the central member of the SHIELD family of devices, complementing the SHIELD tablet, the ultimate tablet for gamers; and the SHIELD portable, the ultimate portable gaming device. More information is available at http://shield.nvidia.com.

New Information on Project Morpheus via GDC 2015

Chris Hare
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New Information on Project Morpheus via GDC 2015

Yesterday Sony announced new information at the new version of Sony’s virtual reality headset Project Morpheus with a release date in the first half of 2016, the company has announced.

Further details on the headset were revealed at GDC last night, where Sony revealed that it had upgraded the unit’s built-in screen to a 5.7″ 1080p OLED display. The unit was previously expected to ship with a 5″ LCD display.

 project_morpheus

Sony has upgraded the screen and this will reportedly allow Sony to reduce motion blur and expand the field of view while doubling the refresh rate from 60hz to 120hz.

Other improvements have been made to the device since last year’s reveal, too, including more accurate tracking, reduced latency and modifications to the design, making the unit lighter and shifting its weight to the top of the user’s head.

“We’ve made the Morpheus VR headset easier to put on and take off, with a single band design and quick release button,” said Sony. “The headband supports the weight of the unit on the top of your head, so there is no pressure on your face. Other components have also been adjusted and configured to make the headset lighter, so that players do not find the headset cumbersome or uncomfortable to use.”

Sony warns that the unit is still being prototyped, however, and that its design and specification are still subject to change.

A price for Project Morpheus has yet to be announced, but don’t expect it to come cheap. OLED screens are typically more expensive to produce than standard LCD/LED displays.
Key changes:

  • OLED display – In exchange for the 5 inch LCD, the new Morpheus VR headset is equipped with a 5.7 inch 1920 X RGB X 1080 resolution OLED display. This new screen expands the field of view and enables low persistence, removing motion blur.
  • 120hz refresh rate – The previous refresh rate spec has been doubled for this new prototype, which means games for Morpheus can be rendered at 120fps. When combined with the OLED display’s high refresh rate and the power of PS4, Morpheus is able to output amazingly smooth visuals.
  • Super low latency – We know how critical low latency is to delivering a great VR experience, and we’ve reduced latency to less than 18ms, about half of what the first Morpheus prototype had. Low latency is critical to deliver a sense of presence, at the same time making the VR experience comfortable to players.
  • More accurate tracking– To make positional tracking more precise, we’ve added three LEDs to the headset – one on the front and two on the side – for a total of nine LEDs to support robust 360 degree tracking.
  • User-friendly design – We’ve made the Morpheus VR headset easier to put on and take off, with a single band design and quick release button. The headband supports the weight of the unit on the top of your head, so there is no pressure on your face. Other components have also been adjusted and configured to make the headset lighter, so that players do not find the headset cumbersome or uncomfortable to use.

The 2016 date also means that Morpheus will debut after Valve’s VR headset, the HTC Vive. Built in conjunction with HTC, the Vive is scheduled for a commercial launch at the end of the year.

Source: blog.eu.playstation.com

David Braben to be honoured with BAFTA Fellowship

Chris Hare
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David Braben to be honoured with BAFTA Fellowship

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has today announced that pioneering game developer and computing advocate David Braben OBE will be presented with the Fellowship at the British Academy Games Awards ceremony at the Tobacco Dock, London, on Thursday 12th March.

bafta-video-games

Awarded annually, the Fellowship is the highest accolade bestowed by BAFTA in recognition of an outstanding and exceptional contribution to film, television or games.

Fellowships previously bestowed for groundbreaking work in games include Rockstar Games, Gabe Newell, Peter Molyneux, Shigeru Miyamoto and Will Wright.

As founder of Frontier Developments, David Braben’s work in games began in 1982 when he co-authored the seminal Elite and since rose to become one of the most prominent British programmers in the world, whose portfolio of titles includes games based on the Wallace & Gromit franchise, Thrillville and Rollercoaster Tycoon. Braben is a trustee of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, a charity that promotes the study of basic computer science in schools and is responsible for developing the Raspberry Pi.

David Braben said: “I am absolutely delighted to be receiving a BAFTA Fellowship; it is an incredible honour. I have a truly great team behind me at Frontier, and without them I would not be receiving this, so the honour is effectively for all of us.”

Harvey Elliott, Chairman of BAFTA’s Games Committee, said: “As Elite nears its 20th anniversary this September, David Braben’s enthusiasm for the medium remains as undiminished today as it was back then. David is a genuine pioneer, not just in terms of game design or cultural significance but also in the field of computing, having championed the Raspberry Pi that recently became the most successful British computer of all time. The Academy Fellowship could not be more appropriate.”

The British Academy Games Awards takes place on Thursday 12 March at the Tobacco Dock, London, and will be hosted by actor Rufus Hound for the first time.

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