All Articles: Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands

The Switch continues to soar as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was the best-selling game in April 2017

Nintendo continues to dominate the retail charts with another strong showing in April for their Switch console. According to The NPD Group, Nintendo added another 280,000 Switch consoles to its tally last month, and the newly-launched Mario Kart 8 Deluxe sold more than 459,000 copies (in just two days) to take the top spot on the list of best-selling games. The company’s success also seems to be great for the industry as a whole, as the industry generated $636 million in sales in April 2017, a 10% increase over the year before.

The other big news in April is that Persona 5 pushed the franchise and gave the RPG the #2 spot on the best-seller list, just below Mario Kart 8.

“Persona 5 experienced the strongest debut month for any title in Persona franchise history, with packaged dollar sales five times that of the previous best-selling debut, Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4,” NPD Analyst Mat Piscatella told GamesIndustry.biz.

Additional new releases were thin on the ground in last month’s Top 20, but Lego Undercover‘s re-release on the PC and current-generation consoles helped it secure a spot (#13). And as expected, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild continued to sell well, landing in the #3 position for the month. But the big retail winners in April all came from the backlist, including Grand Theft Auto V (#6), Overwatch (#9), Call of Duty: Black Ops II (#10), and Minecraft (#20).

The NPD Group’s complete list of best-selling games for April 2017 can be found after the break. (more…)

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Nintendo smashed sales records in March 2017… but Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands was the top-selling game

Nintendo told us all about their record-setting sales month last week, but the NPD Group made it official today when they revealed their retail report on the video game industry for March 2017.

NPD analyst Sam Naji told GamesIndustry.biz: “March 2017 will go down in history books as the month Nintendo broke records.The Nintendo Switch had the biggest hardware launch for a Nintendo platform and the second biggest launch for any video game platform since 1995, the time NPD began tracking this category.”

However, even though The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild managed to sell more than 900,000 copies, it wasn’t able to secure the #1 spot. Instead, Ubisoft’s Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands was the best-selling game last month, likely due to Nintendo’s unwillingness to share their digital sales figures with the NPD Group. Other strong sellers on the Switch included 1-2 Switch (#13) and Super Bomberman R (#17).

Big debuts weren’t limited to Nintendo’s Switch, and it was a banner month for several new releases last month, as Mass Effect: Andromeda (#3), Horizon: Zero Dawn (#4), and Nier: Automata (#9) also smashed expectations. Combined with impressive Switch hardware sales, these games helped the industry record more than $1.36 billion in total sales for the month, a 24% year-on-year increase over March 2016.

The complete list of best-selling games from March 2017 can be found after the break. (more…)

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Xbox Store Today: Ghost Recon Wildlands, Marvel Vs Capcom 3, Lego Worlds, more

After a five-year hiatus, Ubisoft brought back the Ghost Recon series this week, and in today’s Xbox Games Store update, Xbox One owners will now be able to download Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands. Leaving behind the futuristic setting of the Advanced Warfighter/Future Soldier games, Wildlands follows a team of Ghosts into Bolivia as they attempt to take down the Santa Blanca cartel.

Also available to download for the Xbox One today is Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3, a re-release of the fan-favorite fighting game that all comes packed with 1080p graphics, all the previously-released DLC characters, and a digital recreation of Marvel Vs Capcom: Official Complete Works.

Finally today, Xbox One owners will be able to download Lego Worlds, a new game that let’s you create Lego models in a procedurally-generated world.

More information about these three games (and a few other new releases) can be found after the break. (more…)

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Nier: Automata, Ghost Recon: Wildlands, Lego Worlds, more added to PS Store

Big guns and big worlds lead the way in this week’s PlayStation Store update…

First up is Nier: Automata, an action RPG from Square Enix that was developed by Platinum Games. Available to download now for the PS4, Nier: Automata is a sequel to 2010’s Nier, and features a squad of androids attempting to take back Earth from an alien invaders.

Also available this week is Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands, which follows the titular special forces squad into Bolivia for a fight against the Santa Blanca cartel. Giving players the option to undertake any mission at any time, the PS4 shooter will offer a huge open world to go along with a series of visually-impressive gunfights.

And speaking of open world games, WB Games and TT Games have teamed up again to bring the huge toybox of Lego Worlds to the PS4. Players will be able to create anything they desire in Lego Worlds thanks to the game’s procedurally-generated universe that’s made entirely of Lego Bricks.

Finally this week, Koei Tecmo and Gust continue the Atelier series of RPGs on the PS4 and Vita with Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey. Like many RPGs, Atelier Firis follows a pair of sisters who are in search of crystals that are both mysterious and magical.

You can learn more about all of these games (and a few other new releases) after the break. (more…)

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New Retail Releases: Nier Automata, Ghost Recon Wildlands, Lego Worlds, More

It’s official… Nintendo’s Switch definitely sparked a stampede on retail stores last week. There’s nothing quite so dramatic happening in this week’s New Retail Releases report, but we do hry a new action RPG from Square Enix/Platinum, a new shooter from Ubisoft, an open-world Lego game, and the latest RPG in Koei Tecmo’s Atelier series.

Square Enix and Platinum Games named up for Nier: Automata, a followup to 2010’s Nier. Available exclusively for the PS4, the action RPG follows a team of Androids who’ve been sent to Earth to repel an alien invasion.

Also set to be released this week is Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands, which will be available for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Players will join a team of Ghosts that are waging war against the Santa Blanca drug cartel. Promising players that “[they] decide how to play” and “every decision affects the world around you,” Ghost Recon: Wildlands promises to be a unique new entry in the universe of open-world shooters.

WB’s Lego Worlds is a tad more family-friendly, but it too offers a wide-open world for players to explore on the PS4 and Xbox One. Taking a cue from Minecraft, Lego Worlds features a prodcedurally-generated game world that’s made up entirely of Lego Bricks. Players can build unique creations brick-by-brick, but those with bigger visions will be able to drop in pre-built models to remake the entire landscape.

Finally this week, Koei Tecmo and Gust will release Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey for the PS4. The RPG is the 18th entry in the long-running Atelier series and serves as a direct followup to last year’s Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book.

That’s all for now, but we’ll be back throughout the week with a look at all the latest additions to the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop.

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The biggest Beta in Ubisoft’s history belongs to Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands

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Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands just made history for Ubisoft, as it recently hosted the largest Beta phase in the company’s history. According to the UbiBlog, over 6.8 million players joined in on the fun during the Closed and Open Betas for Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands, marking the largest player engagement that Ubisoft has ever seen during a beta phase.

Ubisoft compiled several other staggering statistical records in the infographic embedded to your right. Beta participants played more than two billion minutes of Wildlands, and over 60% of players teamed up with their friends to test out four-player co-op for the first time in the Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon franchise.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands takes place in a future narco-state version of Bolivia, overrun by the Santa Blanca drug cartel. Players must eliminate the drug cartel using deadly force and a combination of playstyles, including four-player co-op or solo play… both of which were playable during the Beta phase. However, Beta participants only scratched the surface of the game, as the Closed and Open Beta allowed players to only explore two of the 21 provinces in the game (Itacua and Montuyoc).

Participants of the Closed Beta, Open Beta, and Technical Test will all be treated to the Unidad Conspiracy Pack. The Unidad Conspiracy Pack will feature three exclusive missions, which will be located in the Media Luna region. Players will also receive one of the Unidad Strongholds. The Unidad Conspiracy Pack will be available for download post launch.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands goes on sale on March 7, 2017 for the PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

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Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands Open Beta begins on February 23

Players itching to try out Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands will get their chance beginning next week, as Ubisoft has confirmed an Open Beta for the game will be available on the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. The Open Beta will begin on Thursday, February 23, and players will get all weekend to battle the cartels:

Learning how to use all of the tools in your arsenal is key for taking on the Santa Blanca. First and foremost, use your fellow Ghosts. Whether you’re playing in co-op with up to three other players or going solo with cooperative AI, the other Ghosts can provide valuable distractions and cover fire when things start to heat up. And don’t forget transportation – jeeps, helicopters, APCs, and a large assortment of other vehicles can all become part of your strategy when infiltrating a Santa Blanca base (or escaping from it).

Your environment can also be used to your advantage in Ghost Recon: Wildlands. Itacua is a lush region with plenty of vegetation to hide you from enemy view when scouting for enemies. Meanwhile, the cover of night or a strong storm may be what keeps you from being spotted around Montuyoc’s lakes and sparse terrain.

If you’re concerned your PC won’t be able to handle Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands, then you should head over to the UbiBlog and have a look at the game’s Recommended and Minimum System Requirements.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands will be released on March 7. (more…)

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“We Are Ghosts” trailer reintroduces us to the stars of Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands

You might not remember, but Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands made its debut a little over a year ago at E3 2015. With the 2016 edition of gaming’s premiere showcase just a few weeks away, Ubisoft has decided to reintroduce the world to the next game in the Ghost Recon franchise with a new trailer, “We Are Ghosts.”

The publisher has promised to reveal more information about Wildlands at this year’s E3 Expo, though a post on the UbiBlog sheds a little light on the Bolivian locales that players will visit as they work to take down the fictional Santa Blanca drug cartel:

From deserts and mountains to salt flats and jungle, each of these ecosystems presents different challenges that ultimately affect the way you might approach a mission. For example, the thick vegetation of the jungle will conceal your approach to a target, making it possible to sneak up and get the jump on them. Conversely, traversing arid mountains can leave you vulnerable to enemy attack, so an aerial insertion might be the best way to approach the situation. It’s not just Bolivia’s terrain that provokes strategic thinking. Different weather conditions like rain or fog can affect your visibility, potentially making it harder to spot enemies from a distance. In any case, the development team’s priority at Ubisoft Paris has been to make sure that the in-game Bolivia properly reflects the real-world Bolivia’s most extreme conditions.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands is expected to be released in late 2016/early 2017 and is in development for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Though most of the game is still shrouded in mystery, Ubisoft did reveal a few details about its special editions.

All players who pre-order Ghost Recon: Wildlands will receive “The Peruvian Connection,” a bonus mission that “puts the Ghosts in the mountains of Bolivia to take on not only the Santa Blanca, but also their Peruvian counterparts.” The Deluxe Edition will add a variety of in-game items, such as the Huntsman Rifle and Motorbike, three Emblems, three Weapon Camo Skins, three Character Customization Items, and an XP Booster. Meanwhile, the Gold Edition bumps up the Deluxe Edition with a Season Pass for post-launch access to two major Expansions, Equipment Packs, and exclusive vehicles and weapons. Finally, the Collector’s Edition will feature a Santa Muerte figurine and posters designed by illustrator Ken Taylor.

For a deeper dive into the world of Wildlands, a “Pop-Up Video” version of the “We Are Ghosts” trailer, offering additional information on Bolivia and the Ghosts, can be found after the break. (more…)

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