Most Recent: Xbox One

Kickstart This! Ara of the Wanderers

Posted on November 10, 2017 by Andrew Rainnie

After a trip to Amsterdam and an absence due to tonsillitis, Kickstart This is back with a bang…

OK, so I wrote this on Guy Fawkes Night, and that opener might just be funny to me. I blame the medication. I’ll shut up now…

Due to games being cancelled, there have been a few stalled attempts to write a new installment, and the one I finally chose has not even reached the 10% mark yet, but I’m hoping we can change that. So let’s go meet Ara of the Wanderers. (more…)

Posted in Features, PC, PS4, Top Story, Xbox One |

EA Sports might discontinue yearly releases of Madden and FIFA

Posted on November 9, 2017 by John Scalzo

EA Sports has a particular way of doing things, and sticking to an annual release schedule for their games lineup is a big one. For decades, a new Madden appears on store shelves every August. It’s followed by updated NHL and FIFA games a month later, and the latest NBA Live (when it’s not on the bench) typically launches in October. But things might be changing for the venerable publisher.

Speaking to Bloomberg, CEO Andrew Wilson said that EA Sports might discontinue yearly releases and switch to offering downloadable expansions or subscriptions instead:

“There’s a few different things that have got to happen first. We do a lot in a FIFA game every year, and a lot in a Madden game. There’s a lot of code that we make available as part of the new iteration. But when we look at what we do in Korea or China, we don’t do it that way. There, every four years we release a new big code drop, and we offer incremental change over time.”

Wilson didn’t lay out a road map for how this change might be implemented, but I’m sure many sports fans would be interested in purchasing a full-priced game once and adding to it with roster updates and Story Mode expansions in future seasons.

Posted in News, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One | Tagged , , ,

Sonic Forces, Super Lucky’s Tale, Guardians of the Galaxy Ep 5, more added to Xbox Store

Posted on November 8, 2017 by John Scalzo

It’s Wednesday, and Micorsoft has revved up another update to the Xbox Games Store.

Beginning today, Xbox One owners can now download Sega’s speedy platformer, Sonic Forces, as well as Microsoft’s throwback platformer, Super Lucky’s Tale. Telltale Games also threw their hat into the ring today with new chapters for Guardians of the Galaxy (Episode 5: Don’t Stop Believin’) and Minecraft: Story Mode Season 2 (Episode 4: Below the Bedrock).

You can learn more about all of today’s additions to the Xbox Games Store after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, PC, Xbox One | Tagged , ,

Take-Two ships 85 million copies of GTA5 and has a “highly-anticipated new title” from 2K on tap for 2018

Posted on November 8, 2017 by John Scalzo

Take-Two Interactive’s CEO, Strauss Zelnick, had a few interesting things to say during the company’s quarterly financial report yesterday.

First, Zelnick announced that Rockstar Games has shipped more than 85 million copies of Grand Theft Auto V throughout the world on the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. That massive number, and its perennial popularity, has actually pushed Grand Theft Auto V past Nintendo’s Wii Sports to become the best-selling game in the United States. However, it still trails Minecraft (122 million) for the worldwide title.

Looking to the future, Zelnick also said that 2K Games will publish a “highly-anticipated new title” from its stable of franchises sometime in Take-Two’s 2019 fiscal year (April 1, 2018 through March 31, 2019):

And looking ahead, fiscal 2019 promises to be one of our best years ever led by the launches of Rockstar Games’ Red Dead Redemption 2 and a highly-anticipated new title from one of 2K’s biggest franchises.

For all their success, 2K Games doesn’t actually have all that many major franchises in its catalog. So there’s a very real chance that the previously-announced Borderlands 3 or the assumed-to-be-in-development BioShock 4 will materialize next year.

Posted in News, PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged

Microsoft is increasing first-party development in the aftermath of Xbox One X launch

Posted on November 8, 2017 by John Scalzo

Unlike in previous years, Microsoft is only pushing a handful of exclusive titles for the Xbox One this Fall (most notably Forza Motorsport 7, Cuphead, and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds). But it looks like that’ll change in future years, as Microsoft’s Phil Spencer has confirmed the consolemaker plans to ramp up game production by acquiring or adding several new first-party developers to its Microsoft Studios stable.

Spencer recently discussed the change in policy with Bloomberg in light of the Xbox One X’s recent launch:

“We need to grow, and I look forward to doing that,” Spencer said. “Our ability to go create content has to be one of our strengths. We haven’t always invested at the same level. We’ve gone through ups and downs in the investment.”

Unfortunately, Spencer didn’t say when fans might be able to enjoy the fruits of these new studios, so we’re all playing the waiting game right now. Microsoft currently operates five internal studios: 343 Industries, The Coalition, Mojang, Rare, and Turn 10 Studios.

Posted in News, PC, Xbox One |

New Retail Releases: Xbox One X, Sonic Forces, Need For Speed Payback, More

Posted on November 6, 2017 by John Scalzo

Microsoft will launch their massively-powerful Xbox One X console this week, and Sony will counter with a brand new hardware bundle of their own with the PlayStation VR + Gran Turismo Sport Bundle.

But this week truly belongs to Nintendo, as Doom, Farming Simulator: Nintendo Switch Edition, and a new boxed edition of Snipperclips Plus: Cut It Out Together! will all make their retail debut this week. The consolemaker will shine a spotlight on the 3DS with the release of Mario Party: The Top 100 and a boxed edition of Minecraft: New 3DS Edition.

Elsewhere on store shelves this week, Sega will release Sonic Forces for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One, while Electronic Arts will also put the pedal to the metal in Need For Speed Payback on the PS4 and Xbox One.

Finally, Microsoft will usher their new console with Super Lucky’s Tale, a throwback platformer for players of all ages.

A complete rundown of this week’s new releases can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One | Tagged , , , , ,

EA officially unveils February 2 release date and first trailer for EA Sports UFC 3

Posted on November 3, 2017 by John Scalzo

EA Sports fully unveiled EA Sports UFC 3 today after first teasing the game back in February. Conor McGregor will once again appear on the game’s cover, and it’ll be released for the PS4 and Xbox One on February 2.

“Two belts, two covers… EA Sports got it right again,” McGregor said. “It’s an honor to be on the cover and I can’t wait to play the game.”

For their third mixed martial arts game, EA Sports will revamp the franchise’s animations and deliver a brand new Career Mode:

Real Player Motion (RPM) Tech is a revolutionary new EA Sports animation technology that sets a new bar for motion and responsiveness in the best-looking – and now the best-feeling – EA Sports UFC game ever. With over 5,000 new animations captured and rebuilt from the ground up, players can now move, strike, and create seamless combinations in-game with the world’s best mixed martial arts athletes. Every punch, kick, block, and counter has been recaptured and rebuilt on cutting-edge animation tech to look and feel life-like and responsive, delivering the most strategic, competitive fighting experience in franchise history.

EA Sports UFC 3 also introduces the new G.O.A.T. Career Mode where – for the first time – the choices made throughout your career impact your path to greatness. Outside of fights, players will make promotional choices to build hype, gain fans, earn more cash through big contracts and capture the world’s attention. A new in-game social media system allows players to create heated rivalries with other UFC athletes, providing the freedom to take on any type of persona, between cool-headed contender or infamous trash-talker.

EA Sports UFC 3 will also include a new set of multiplayer modes, with an emphasis on getting players into a match quickly:

Those looking for a quick social experience can jump into Stand & Bang mode, Submission Showdown mode, or opt to customize their match with unlimited stamina or extra strike damage in Fight Now Custom. The all-new Tournament Mode offers ultimate bragging rights as players attempt to take on as many opponents as possible in bracket-style elimination rounds with continuous damage and fatigue.

Fans who opt to purchase the Champions Edition of EA Sports UFC 3 will be able to start playing three days early (on January 30), and also receive 20 Premium Packs in Ultimate Team and choose an unlockable champion in Ultimate Team (Anderson Silva, Georges St. Pierre, Conor McGregor, Demetrious Johnson, or Joanna Jedrzejczyk).

Posted in News, PS4, Xbox One | Tagged

Blizzard adding new character Moira and “Blizzard World” map to Overwatch

Posted on November 3, 2017 by John Scalzo

Blizzard blew the ceiling off BlizzCon today with the unveiling of another new character for Overwatch… a cybernetically-enhanced sinister scientist known as Moira. According to the game’s official website, Moira is a “Support Plus” character who will be able to provide healing and deliver damage in the middle of a fight:

Role: Support Plus
Moira’s biotic abilities enable her to contribute healing or damage in any crisis. While Biotic Grasp gives Moira short-range options, her Biotic Orbs contribute longer-range, hands-off damage and healing; she can also Fade to escape groups or remain close to allies in need of support. Once she’s charged Coalescence, Moira can save multiple allies from elimination at once or finish off weakened enemies.

Ability: Biotic Grasp
Using her left hand, Moira expends biotic energy to heal allies in front of her. Her right hand fires a long-range beam weapon that saps enemies’ health, healing Moira and replenishing her biotic energy.

Ability: Biotic Orb
Moira launches a rebounding biotic sphere; she can choose between a regeneration effect that heals the allies it passes through, or a decay effect that deals damage to enemies.

Ability: Fade
Moira quickly teleports a short distance.

Ability: Coalescence
Moira channels a long-range beam that both heals allies and bypasses barriers to damage her enemies.

In addition to a new character, Blizzard is also planning to add a new map to Overwatch in the near future. “Blizzard World” is a theme park built around Blizzard’s award-winning stable and players will soon be able to battle it amongst the attractions including the Hearthstone Tavern, the Heroes Arcade, Flight to Duskwood, and more.

You can get a closer look at Moira and “Blizzard World” after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One | Tagged