Battlefield 4: hidden ‘Phantom Prospect’ assignment appears, this video explains what it is
Battlefield 4: China Rising adds a new, hidden assignment into the mix that leads players to a strange boot-up screen for something called the Phantom Prospect. The internet has dug up a wealth of clues on the matter already, those clever people.
Hearthstone’s latest update tweaks gold, ranked play, gold cards & more
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft developer Blizzard Entertainment has issued a new patch that tweaks many areas of the card battler.
Wasteland 2 beta: serving up ‘odd’ until the very end – interview
Wasteland 2 is gearing up for beta. VG247′s Dave Cook speaks with inXile CEO Brian Fargo about what the test involves, how final development is going and why the game could kill you in its first five seconds.
YouTube Content ID barrage discussed, game publishers not the source
YouTubers across the world are reporting a torrent of YouTube Content ID warnings landing in their inboxes today, in what appears to be the start of a crackdown on monetised Let’s Plays and other home-grown content. One source has stepped forward to tell us what they think is going on.
Teslagrad hits Steam, GOG for Linux, Mac and PC next week so here’s a new trailer
Teslagrad lands on Steam for Linux, Mac and PC, Rain Games December 13 and upon that day, you can purchase the game through Teslagrad.com, GOG and Desura. To herald next week’s release, the launch trailer is posted below, introducing the viewer to the Tesla Tower where it’s revealed to the main character of the game that he is the last of his kind, a Teslamancer. Teslagrad will run you $9.99 in North America and €8.99/£6.99 in Europe. Console versions are on the way, with Wii U and PlayStation 3 versions available in 2014.
The Elder Scrolls Online launches on PC and Mac in April 2014, PS4 and Xbox One in June
The Elder Scrolls Online will launch on PC and Mac worldwide on April 4, 2014 and will be released on PS4 and Xbox One in June. A new trailer is below. Titled “War in Cyrodiil” it highlights the MMORPG’s PvP system, which allows “hundreds of players to fight together and against one another,” in a quest to claim the Ruby Throne.
Arma 3′s free AAF Reinforcements Pack is now available
Bohemia Interactive has released the free AAF Reinforcements Pack for Arma 3 via an automatic update on Steam. The pack includes new sandbox content and three new vehicles: the FV-720 Mora IFV, the MBT-52 Kuma tank, and the Wy-55 Hellcat helicopter. The free content was promised last week, alongside a January release date for the second campaign episode Adapt. The AAF Reinforcements Pack also includes the LRPS sniper scope, infra-red grenades, and black versions of the MX rifle family. The complete changelog can be found on Arma 3’s official website.
Twitch support added to EVE Online, players raise $190,890 for Philippines typhoon relief
EVE Online players can now use Twitch to stream their gameplay sessions. The streaming service has been integrated into the Neocom panel and proper overlay support and the ability to delay the stream is being looking into, providing the initial launch proves popular. Meanwhile, the EVE Online community has raised $190,890 in PLEX donations for Philippines typhoon relief, after an eight hour livecast featuring members of the EVE development doing odd things such as shaving each other and getting inked. One of CCP’s developers even promised to be shot by a paintball for every $2,000 raised. Ouch. Hit up the links for more information. Thanks: D’toidand Eurogamer.
Borderlands 2: How Marcus Saved Mercenary Day headhunter pack arrives next week
The third Headhunter add-on for Borderlands 2, How Marcus Saved Mercenary Day, will be hitting Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Steam and Mac on December 17 for $2.99/£2.39/€2.99. How Marcus Saved Mercenary Day tasks the player with saving Marcus’ shipment of guns from the terrifying Abominable Mister Tinder Snowflake. Screenshots are below and you can find extra details on the content through a blog post from 2K Games.
Valve to ship Steam Machines and Steam Controller to testers on December 13
Valve will start shipping its Steam Machines and Steam Controller to testers on December 13.
Crimes & Punishments video demonstrates player choice and consequences
Crimes & Punishments, the latest Sherlock Holmes investigation game, has a new video available demonstrating the freedom of action players will experience when conducting investigations. Players will be able to pursue various lines of enquiry and make real moral choices once they’ve solved the case. The clues uncovered and the avenue pursued – or not – in each of the seven cases in the game will point to 10 suspects in a single case. Still, you could put an innocent victim behind bars if you overlook certain clues or trails so once a perpetrator is established, the player must then bear the responsibility of deciding what to do with this information. Crimes & Punishment is scheduled for release on PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in Q2 2014.
DC Universe Online’s next update War of the Light Part I releasing early next year
DC Universe Online’s next update, War of the Light Part I, will introduce a brand-new storyline as well as the Blue Lantern Corps and a new power set, Rage, which can be used by both heroes and villains.
Fallout 4 casting call documents confirm Boston setting – rumour
Fallout 4′s setting, plot and general existence have been harvested from a set of allegedly leaked documents.
Daily Royale announced by Indie Royale
The Indie Royale team have launched a new sale site dubbed Daily Royale. Each Daily Royale sale will deliver a discount on a single game from AAA titles to indies. Each sale will last a limited period and usually have a limited stock of keys. The first Daily Royale deal is Strike Suit Zero from Born Ready Games. As of press timne, there are 643 Steam keys left for the PC, Mac and Linux title. It is 75% off. Hurry and click the link to save.
World of Darkness project sheds more staff, no update on MMO
EVE Online and DUST 514 developer CCP has confirmed 15 job cuts, all from the World of Darkness development team.
EA being investigated by law firm over whether it “deliberately misled its investors” regarding Battlefield 4
A US aw firm is investigating whether Electronic Arts deliberately misled its investors regarding Battlefield 4 development and sales.
Gears of War creator keen on arena shooter for PC
Cliff Bleszinski is cooking up ideas for a first-person arena shooter on PC.
Road Not Taken gameplay shows off rogue-like puzzle gameplay
Road Not Taken looks like a headache waiting to happen, but stress migraines have never been so attractive.
Modding the King: Duke Nukem 3D gets Steam Workshop integration
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Mods can give a game something akin to immortality, where new content keeps being churned out years after the title's been released, even after the original developers stop supporting it with patches and updates. I was once swallowed up by the vastness of Neverwinter Nights' range of mods and even went on to co-develop a persistent world (which were basically community run MMOs) where I spent more time DMing and building that I have spent playing probably any other game, and even now there's a community continuing this.
Given that, it's really not all that strange to see Duke Nukem 3D, which is significantly older than NWN, getting Steam Workshop support. Duke Nukem 3D was a modder's paradise once upon a time, and with the release of the Megaton Edition earlier in the year, life has sprung from it once more. While it used to be a great game where infant modders could take their first steps, with Workshop integration now you can actually get the word out that you've put together a new map for a game that's old enough to leave home and get married.
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls might be dropping in March
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So we might have a release date for Diablo III's Reaper of Souls expansion, courtesy Blizzard's Russian forums. Redditor skyline185 posted a screencap from the forums with a blue post giving the date 25/03/14. Of course, this isn't official and no doubt the author will be facing a slap on the wrist.
Coincidentally, as someone else on Reddit noted, this is the same date that Gamespot has for the Reaper of Souls strategy guide. Or maybe it's not a coincidence at all.
Gaming might become classified as an anti-social addiction like alcohol in South Korea
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A bill that seeks to classify gaming as addictive behaviour like gambling and drugs is being considered in the South Korean parliament, supported by doctors, parents and religious groups, reports The Guardian. The legislation would limit advertising and a second bill would take 1 percent of the industry's revenue and spend it on curbing addiction.
While advocates of the bill cite extreme situations where irresponsible individuals have allowed babies to starve while they played games or claim that it has a negative impact on education (contrary to numerous studies that show the positive impact of gaming on development), members of the industry have obviously taken exception to it. "The 100,000 people employed in the game industry are not drugmakers," the Korea and Digital Entertainment Asssociation responded.
Battle.ost: Blizzard pack StarCraft 1 and Brood War soundtracks into StarCraft II
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Look at your F10 key. Unostentatious. Unimpressive. Certainly doesn’t look like a direct portal straight to the ‘90s.
Yet if you press it in the StarCraft II test client, and navigate to the ‘Soundtrack’ option in a clickity extra step that somewhat ruins the mystique, you’ll be taken straight there via the OSTs of StarCraft 1 and Brood War.
Battle Worlds: Kronos – Update 1.1 & Demo Now Available
King Art Games has released its first major update to Battle Worlds: Kronos, the company’s Kickstarter funded turn-based strategy game. Released in November, the title made good on the company’s promise to provide hours of repeatable entertainment in a DRM free package. In addition, the developer has released a demo that you can download from here. Continue reading
New Screenshots For The Evil Within & Wolfenstein: The New Order
Bethesda has released today some new screenshots for The Evil Within and Wolfenstein: The New Order. The Evil Within is a survival horror game developed at Tango Gameworks under the direction of renowned game designer and studio head, Shinji Mikami, while Wolfenstein: The New Order is a reimagining of this franchise – offering players a gripping and dramatic experience – that is developed by MachineGames and powered by ID Tech 5. Both of these titles are coming in 2014. Enjoy! Continue reading
Divinity: Original Sin – 40 Minutes Of Gameplay Footage
Larian Studios has released a new video, featuring 40 whole minutes of gameplay footage from the alpha version of Divinity: Original Sin. In this video, Larian Studios’ Swen plays through the first part of the game to see if the alpha is ready to be released to all Kickstarter backers. Enjoy! Continue reading
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