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Tom Clancy’s The Division VGX 2013 Teaser

by Louis Thompson

December 5, 2013 12:03 pm in News

Ubisoft has revealed a teaser for a new look at Tom Clancy’s The Division that we’ll be getting at the upcoming VGX 2013 video games award show that is set to air this Saturday December 7th at 6ET/3PT.

Here is the teaser, courtesy of GamersPrey:

[youtube id=”bXcuuYPgkm0″ width=”618″ height=”378″]

As the trailer indicates, the studio behind The Division will be showcasing the “Snowdrop Engine” that will be powering the game.

Interestingly, the scene shown off in the trailer looks eerily similar to the level showcased in the debut Rainbow 6: Patriots trailer. Perhaps, a chunk of development work already done for Patriots is moving over to The Division?

Tags: PC PS4 The Division VGX Xbox One

Louis Thompson

Louis Thompson is a Senior Video Editor at Multiplayer First, in charge of handling all media related content on YouTube and other social platforms.

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Call of Duty: Ghosts Multiplayer Designer Walks You Through Operations Tips

by David Veselka

December 4, 2013 4:24 pm in News

Call of Duty: Ghosts multiplayer designer David Mickner walks you through some tips and tricks for one of the more puzzling aspects of Ghosts’ multiplayer; Operations.

As he demonstrates in the video below, there’s a bit more to Operations than simply unlocking your favorite customization options. It’s important to also select Operations that better fit your currently preferred play style to help you rank up even faster.

Here’s how the feature work:

[youtube id=”w2vxQyHouc4″ width=”618″ height=”378″]

Have you been utilizing the Operations feature to its full potential? Anything new you learned from the video?

Tags: Call of Duty: Ghosts PC PS3 PS4 Xbox 360 Xbox One

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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Call of Duty: Ghosts Hot Fix Removes Hacks Like “Invisibility” and “God Mode”, Xbox One Update Incoming

by David Veselka

3:10 pm in News

In a quick hot fix that went live across all platforms earlier today, Call of Duty: Ghosts developers Infinity Ward are attempting to stop a number of ongoing game exploits in their tracks.

Players have been sending in reports of invisible, or even invincible players, that take no damage from weapon fire, explosives, or melee attacks. Today’s update, which will have been applied without the need for any sort of download, claims to present a “Fix for various hacks including ‘invisibility’ and ‘god mode.'”

Exploiters, begone!

Additionally, patch notes for an Xbox One update are also incoming. You can expect similar fixes found in the Xbox 360 update that went live a few days ago.

Update

Check out the official patch notes for the latest Xbox One Call of Duty: Ghosts game update.

Performance

Improved performance issues caused by spamming.

Stability

Fixed issues that would occur after resuming from suspension.
Improved backend multiplayer stability.
Fixed rare crash that could occur when using a guest account.
Fixed issue with calling trinity rocket at exact same moment as an enemy’s jammer left the player in laptop view.

Additional fixes

Fixed a variety of map specific spawn issues.
Fixed Blitz freecam bug which caused Ghosts portals to always be blue and Federation orange.
Fixed a freecam bug where the friendly team on the minmap could change color between rounds.
Fixed not showing attachments and weapon camo for players while in private match lobby.
Fixed dog’s extended kill not showing properly in final killcam.
Fixed lobby migration closing the create a class screen.
Improved controller pairing functionality.
Added a lock in multiplayer round start/end to prevent game from ending incorrectly.
Added hardcore option for Domination leaderboards.
Fixed overlap bug with the spectated playcard and the spectator map.
Fix to set a default reticle when switching a weapon’s sights.
Fixed an FFA specific issue where players didn’t spawn into the correct version of Strikezone.

Tags: Call of Duty: Ghosts Patches PC PS3 PS4 Xbox 360 Xbox One

David Veselka

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DICE “Not Moving Onto Future Projects or Expansions” Until Battlefield 4 Issues Are Resolved

by David Veselka

2:11 pm in News

It seems Battlefield 4 developers DICE can’t quite figure out which way is up when it comes to digging themselves out of the ditch they currently find themselves in.

Despite a number of patching attempts, and even yesterday’s offering of the game’s first Premium-wide DLC, China Rising, many users are still unable to enjoy the full Battlefield 4 experience thanks to continuing crashes and a handful of gameplay and technical bugs.

Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation3 and PlayStation 4 users still wait patiently for an incoming game update meant to address the severe “one-hit kill bug”, as well as constant sound drop-outs in a few Conquest maps, though we learned yesterday that the issue may not have been entirely solved as DICE continues to look for ways to smooth out networking factors.

Yesterdays’ launch of China Rising would have done well to calm tensions between the developer/publisher and consumer, but as EA support has recently pointed out, “Some PC players of Battlefield 4 China Rising have found themselves getting kicked from servers within seconds of joining,” while “Some Xbox 360 Battlefield 4 China Rising players have been unable to join China Rising servers after installing their downloadable content.” In a positive light, “DICE have identified the issue and is implementing a solution to the problem. This fix will take some time to be fully completed, but players should be noticing normal gameplay behavior soon.”

It’s with all this in mind that developers DICE have decided to discontinue work on future projects in an effort to make things right.

“First, we want to thank the fans out there that are playing and supporting us with Battlefield 4,” a spokesperson write in a statement issued to Polygon. “We know we still have a ways to go with fixing the game — it is absolutely our No. 1 priority. The team at DICE is working non-stop to update the game. Since Battlefield 4 China Rising expansion pack was already in the final stages of development by the time issues began with Battlefield 4, we decided to fulfill our promise to deliver it this week, but we’re not moving onto future projects or expansions until we sort out all the issues with Battlefield 4. We know many of our players are frustrated, and we feel their pain. We will not stop until this is right.”

IGN, asking how the shift in focus may affect upcoming titles like Star Wars: Battlefront, received a similar statement saying, “We haven’t announced a ship date for Battlefront but right now the team is focused on fixing Battlefield 4.”

There may be a light at the end of this tunnel after all, and with the additional manpower behind DICE and EA’s flagship shooter, we’ll heopefully get there sooner, rather than later.

What has your experience with Battlefield 4 been like in the past few days? If you are a Premium member, are you able to enjoy China Rising?

Tags: Battlefield 4 PC PS3 PS4 Xbox 360 Xbox One

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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New Destiny Details Emerge In Latest Issue of GameInformer

by David Veselka

1:32 pm in News

As you may have heard, January’s edition of GameInformer holds a ton of details on Bungie’s upcoming, shared-world, sci-fi shooter, Destiny, including a look at character customization, gameplay, mission types, locations, and more.

If you haven’t been able to get your hands on an issue, you’ll be happy to know that Reddit user USplendid has got you covered. Compiling details from various Destiny forum posts, USplendid has composed a hefty list of Destiny knowledge that answers a lot of questions many of us have about the game.

You can read up on some of the important details below, but be sure to visit USplendid’s post for the full scoop.

Character Customization

Race and gender are merely cosmetic. Players will be able to choose among the Humans, Awoken, or Exo’s. Luckily, players will have access to multiple character slots, so you can play around with different combinations of races and classes. You can customize your face, which will be seen in non-combative areas. The three player classes; Titan, Warlock, or Hunter, will all be able to wield the same weapons, but their armor sets will differ as they will be tuned for each class.

Players will also be able to pick a “Focus” to further customize their character and fill a more specific role. Building your “Focus” involves working through a set of tiered upgrades, ranking from 1 to 20, which includes passive bonuses, weapon specialization bonuses, new grenade types, movement upgrades like double jump and teleport, or melee bonuses.

Armor and weapons, which also have their own upgrade trees, along with Focuses are meant to be synergistic, meaning you’ll want to select equipment and abilities that compliment each other for maximum effectiveness. There will be four tiers of weapons and armor; Basic (white), Common (green), Superior (purple), and Gold (exotic).

Gameplay

Like most MMO’s, all players will be dropped into one massive world, but will be linked with smaller groups at appropriate times and locations. You’ll gain XP as you complete challenged and kill enemies, some of which you’ll be unable to engage at earlier levels and which you’ll have to revisit at a higher level. Side missions will also present mini-challenges that can appear at any moment which players may or may not choose to complete.

You’ll be able to travel the world in your own personal “Sparrow” vehicle, which you can customize to your liking. That even extends to your own space ship which other players will be able to see as your drop in and out of activities. This ship is what will allow you to fast travel to locations that can be brought up in your in-game map. You’ll also be able to steal enemy vehicles, but not keep them.

Each player, with their own unique focuses, will have different movement abilities initiated by double tapping the jump button, different grenade types thrown by pressing the left bumper button, and different melee attacks. Special abilities are activated by pressing both bumpers at the same time.

“Strikes” are relatively quick co-op missions that can be accomplished in smaller groups, while “Raids” will offer highly challenging story missions that you’ll be able to take on with larger teams. Competitive Matchmaking is also available between the different Guardian Factions found within the game.

Environments are highly interactive with areas that can only be reached through special movement abilities and other dynamic events.

Locations and Enemies

“The Tower” will act as your non-combative hub where you can interact with other players and buy and sell goods. There are even designates areas for specific classes. Among other locations, players will also be able to visit areas like Old Russia, seen in the E3 demo, the Moon, Venus, and Mars.

Your enemies will consists of races like the Fallen, the Cabal, the Vex, and the Hive. Each race will be built up from a number of different enemy classes to keep you on your toes.

At last, its nice to have some solid details on Bungie’s upcoming project. Destiny sounds like it’s shaping up to be one of the more interesting titles of this coming generation of games. Again, be sure to read the original post for full details.

The Destiny beta hits the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 first in Spring, 2014.

Thanks, OXM, Via VG247.

Tags: Bungie Destiny PS3 PS4 Xbox 360 Xbox One

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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Killzone: Shadow Fall Developers Talk About The Next Update And Top 15 Feedback Items

by James Lara

12:23 pm in News

Guerrilla Games took to their blog today to let everyone know that they are listening to their players’ feedback, and in fact have started developing some of the requested features that was received these past few weeks.

The team held a live Q&A on TwitchTV, in which they addresses many concerns, including the lack of in-game voice chat along with what they have in store for future updates. For those who don’t want to watch the whole video, the main points are listed right below.

[youtube id=”kYlslCn60Q4″ width=”618″ height=”378″]

In game voice chat [in development]

In game voice chat is currently in development. While the game was setup to allow users to speak with the parties they created and people they trust, you have indicated this does make teamwork among strangers more difficult. As team based gameplay is our main focus, we are currently working on this feature as a top priority. We are targeting the December update to have this functionality. It will automatically enable you to talk to your faction and will allow you to mute players (to retain that classic Killzone Shadow Fall feel.

Killzone 2 style proximity chat [not at the moment]

We feel that the in game voice chat and Multiplayer battle chatter (both in development) are the first set of in game voice improvements we want. We should revisit this feature if the community still wants it after they have been listening to the new voice enhancements.

Ranking system [in design]

Instead of an XP system, we currently add skill-based ranks based on the challenges you have completed. As the community has indicated it really would like to see a ranking system that also would show their progress as a player, we are currently designing a ranking system that celebrates this challenge progress and assigns players with rank names and accompanying icons.

Clan system [in design]

We are in the process of designing the clan system and it will be deployed in phases. It will be better suited for Shadow Fall’s team oriented, objectives based gameplay. We expect the first deployment to be early 2014.

Player scorecard split into teams [under consideration]

We are actively looking into ways to put this information in the most logical way possible for Shadow Fall’s gameplay. No final decision on an implementation has been made yet.

Customized Multiplayer Announcements [not yet, but…]

Adding customized multiplayer announcements is certainly an option, but we don’t want the game to get too noisy and distracting. As we will soon be releasing a new feature that lets you customize your Multiplayer battle chatter (“reviving”, “shield activated…” etc.), we will review this feature again after that customization of MP chatter is in the game, which is targeted to be part of the December update.

Hip firing [under investigation]

We are considering this and are currently gathering and studying our gameplay data on hip firing accuracy and whether it is working/not working as intended. We need to be very careful about tweaking the accuracy, as this could inadvertently unbalance the game in another direction. No final decision has been made yet.

Overpowered drones [under investigation]

Again, we are looking into the gameplay data for Air Support drones and turrets. No final decision yet.

In game party system [under consideration]

We rely on the PSN party system which works across all games. We are considering creating our own party-system to accommodate more ad hoc squad based play.

Sniper friendly map [coming soon]

As part of our free DLC, one of the first few maps being prepped for release has some long engagement distances that might help snipers suppress enemies and support their team. Of course, it is designed to have alternate routes that can help Supports and Assaults break the flank as well. Stay tuned for more news on our next map drop.

Ammo supply boxes showing up on the mini map [coming soon]

We’re not planning to have fixed ammo locations in the map, as the support class can place them anywhere in the map. However, we are working on ways to make these locations much more obvious on the radar.

Official Classic 24 player warzone [currently live]

We’ve created the warzone and it is live.

Display K/D ratio for everyone [not at the moment]

We do not think worrying about your deaths is the way to play Shadow Fall, and a lot of the community members actually enjoy our renewed focus on objectives and team based gameplay. That being said, all players have the ability to create Warzones with Kills and Deaths as Primary and Secondary sorting on the leaderboards.

Co-op mode to have playable Helghast [not at the moment]

Our team is currently working on the design of the co-op mode, and fine tuning the gameplay. Stay tuned for news on playable characters – we can’t confirm which characters you will play with at this time, but we can confirm you will not be playing as a Helghast.

Being able to identify my party members [in design]

We are designing ways for you to identify your team members and party members. One of the things we have done is print names of party members in blue on the scoreboard and in game. We’ll keep a close eye on this to see if this adds more clarity to players.

It’s great to see such a dedicated team taking into account of player feedback. For those who want to submit their own feedback, make sure to visit their official feedback page. Keep those suggestions coming.

Tags: Guerrilla Games Killzone: Shadow Fall PS4

James Lara

A gamer at heart, James has been working for MP1st for the last decade to do exactly what he loves, writing about video games and having fun doing it. Growing up in the 90's gaming has been in his DNA since the days of NES. One day he hopes to develop his own game.

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Next Call of Duty: Ghosts Clan War Begins Tomorrow, December 4

by David Veselka

December 3, 2013 7:17 pm in News

Yesterday, December 2 marked the end of Call of Duty: Ghosts‘ first bout of Clan Wars, a competitive multiplayer mini-game, so to speak, where Call of Duty Clans battle it out for XP and unique customization options.

With no rest for the weary, Call of Duty App developers Beachhead Studio have announced the second week of Clan Wars beginning tomorrow, December 4 at 12pm PST.

How did you and your clan fare in last’s weeks War? Will you be rallying up for yet another campaign this week?

Read here to lean more about Call of Duty: Ghosts Clan Wars.

Tags: Call of Duty: Ghosts Ghosts PC PS3 PS4 Xbox 360 Xbox One

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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Did The Latest Battlefield 4 Patch Fix the “One-Hit Kill Bug”? “Yes and No,” Says DICE Developer

by David Veselka

7:03 pm in News

In the patch notes of the latest Battlefield 4 game update that hit the PC early morning and is on course to hit all other platforms in the coming days, you may have noticed the line, “Fixed the ‘one-hit kill bug’ where occasionally damage from a single bullet was applied multiple times.”

First, if you’re not entirely sure what this “one-hit kill bug” is all about, check out JackFrag’s video below. He does a great job of clearly demonstrating what it is and how it has been affecting you more than you might know.

[youtube id=”3vDOC1V6GM8″ width=”618″ height=”378″]

So, with the latest update applied to the PC version of Battlefield 4, did it really fix the bug? Reddit user “Hyroglyph” asked this question earlier today, to which DICE Lead Technical Scripter “sliced_lime” answered, “Yes and no.”

“There were two issues,” he elaborated. “One was an actual OHK (you shoot someone, they die from one bullet). That one was fixed.”

“The other is an issue with how deaths are communicated from server to client, which means you can sometimes appear to die instantly, but whoever shot you still actually shot the appropriate amount of bullets. The fix for this is a server-side fix, and we are looking at getting it out as soon as possible.”

So, while the really nasty bug might have been squished in the latest update, it doesn’t mean your completely Scott free of one-hit deaths all together. At least you can rest easier knowing it is being looked in to.

Interestingly, as some users insisted on shifting blame for Battlefield 4’s woes on to publisher EA for “rushing” the product, the DICE developer commented, “To be completely fair, there’s really no one else to blame than us. Our game, our responsibility.”

PC Battlefielders, have you noticed any improvements since the latest patch?

Tags: Battlefield 4 BF4 PC PS3 PS4 Xbox 360 Xbox One

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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Report – DICE Quietly Increases Battlefield 4 Level Cap To 110 With Release of China Rising

by Joel Santana

3:09 pm in News

Amidst of the launch of Battlefield 4’s ‘first’ expansion pack, China Rising, and the currently ongoing player appreciation double XP week, it appears that developers DICE have added a special treat for those who’ve already reached the level cap in Battlefield 4.

As some of you may have already noticed, it would seem that the level cap of 100 has been increased all the way up to 110. According to a post on EA’s forums, this is the case, even though no official or public mention was made by either EA or DICE.

Interestingly enough, once you reach level 101 and above, DICE made sure that you will stick out like a sore thumb on the scoreboard, as the boring white text for your rank will now be replaced by a pink/magenta color which is sure to cause an eyesore if stared at for too long. Check it out below:

Note: The gamertags of the individuals in the picture above have been censored to protect their identity

This is, of course, good news for those who already have reached the previous level cap of 100, as they now have something new to look forward too.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see the trend continue with the release of future expansions. Have you ranked up to either 100 or 110 already?

Tags: Battlefield 4 PC Premium PS3 PS4 Xbox 360 Xbox One

Joel Santana

Gamer for the past 20 years who loves anything ranging from RPGs, Fighters and of course FPS games. Author

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Be Who You Want to Be in The Elder Scrolls Online, New Trailer

by David Veselka

11:49 am in News

Learn all about levelling up and customizing your character in The Elder Scrolls Online in a brand new video presentation from developers Zenimax.

In this upcoming MMO-twist on the popular Elder Scroll RPG series, you’ll be able to pick from an assortment of stat and ability options to tweak and tune your avatar to play the way you want to play. Levelling up will earn you a point to spend in each of the two categories.

Stats will allow you to tune your strengths in either Health, Magicka, or Stamina, while players will also be able to spend their ability points in a number of different Skill Lines to customize their hero even further. Abilities, both active and passive, can also Morph to further branch out into different, more specific roles while Ultimate Abilities earned at the end of a Skill Line will give you access to some of the more deadly attacks the game has to offer.

Though Skill Lines are defined by Race and Class, they can be tuned to fill almost any role and there is also a wide range of General Skills to master that are available to all Races and Classes, including armor and weapon skills.

Check out the details in the video below!

[youtube id=”s6sXpUguukw” width=”618″ height=”378″]

The Elder Scrolls Online is currently in beta and launches on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC and Mac next year.

Tags: PC PS4 TES Online The Elder Scrolls Online Xbox One

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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PSA – Battlefield 4 PlayStation 4 Patch Rescheduled For “Additional Testing”

by David Veselka

9:43 am in News

PlayStation 4 users eagerly awaiting Battlefield 4‘s latest game update may have to hold on a little longer.

As a quick public service announcement, the PlayStation 4 Battlefield 4 game update that was originally announced to launch today has been delayed as it undergoes “some additional testing.”

“The PS4 game update that was originally meant to go live Dec 3 is undergoing some additional testing and will be rescheduled for a later date,” writes DICE developer “Trydling” in a recent Battlelog update. “We will get back with final details as soon as we have verification that the update is good to go.”

The update was meant to fix the “one-hit kill bug” as well as prevent crashes from playing with large groups of friends and enabled audio in PS4 video captures. No revised release date was mentioned, though the same update on all other platforms is expected to drop before the end of this week at the very earliest. Perhaps the delayed PS4 update will make it for a similar time frame.

Premium members still waiting on the China Rising DLC will also have to wait until the PSN store updates, which is expected to take place at between 2pm PST to 6pm PST today. For now, catch up on some of the latest footage, including the brand new launch trailer, right here!

Tags: Battlefield 4 Patches PS4 PSA

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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Battlefield 4 China Rising Now Available To All Premium Subscribers, New Footage & Trailer Hits YouTube

by David Veselka

9:01 am in News

Battlefield 4’s first Premium membership-wide multiplayer expansion China Rising is now available on the Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 (pending store update) and PC. It introduces four entirely new maps along with brand new weapons, gadgets, vehicles, assignments, and achievements/trophies. The expansion also reintroduces the Air Superiority game mode that was first seen in Battlefield 3’s End Game DLC.

At the time of writing, EA has lifted an embargo on a handful of China Rising Xbox One footage captured by a number of Battlefield YouTube personalities throughout various community events. We’ve compiled a batch of them below, including the official launch trailer, for your viewing pleasure. So, if you aren’t yet a Premium subscriber, or are maybe just bored at work and waiting to get home to download, check them out and let us know in the comments what China Rising maps, weapons, gadgets or features you are most excited about!

Battlefield 4 China Rising will be available to non-Premium subscribers and Limited Edition owners two weeks later, on December 17.

Trailer

[youtube id=”nQCkBINxMEw” width=”618″ height=”378″]

DLC Overview with DICE lead designer Niklas Fegraus

[youtube id=”VyoCq5pWi4c” width=”618″ height=”378″]

All Maps

[youtube id=”Q1ZjXmzj52Q” width=”618″ height=”378″]

[youtube id=”uq4RjEBxsXU” width=”618″ height=”378″]

[youtube id=”_qTZO05yBjU” width=”618″ height=”378″]

Altai Range

[youtube id=”Kn0NrMlGLRE” width=”618″ height=”378″]

[youtube id=”Mb453uadjjk” width=”618″ height=”378″]

Dragon Pass

[youtube id=”TkW_B42Xckw” width=”618″ height=”378″]

[youtube id=”XcuNysz4ExQ” width=”618″ height=”378″]

Guilin Peaks

[youtube id=”dfWa48V-ias” width=”618″ height=”378″]

[youtube id=”6yb7hO5Y0SA” width=”618″ height=”378″]

[youtube id=”6NhJBsn4nZ4″ width=”618″ height=”378″]

Silk Road

[youtube id=”Pgm6C-tda_A” width=”618″ height=”378″]

[youtube id=”Y48ZLj9Vu08″ width=”618″ height=”378″]

[youtube id=”A0sOOvwgicU” width=”618″ height=”378″]

Tags: Battlefield 4 BF4 China Rising DLC PC PS3 PS4 Xbox 360 Xbox One

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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BF4 PC and PS4 Game Updates Out December 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PS3 “End of This Week at the Earliest”

by David Veselka

December 2, 2013 1:17 pm in News

Upcoming Battlefield 4 patch dates are being narrowed down as we now have a solid launch time frame for both the PC and PlayStation 4 game updates due out very quickly.

According to DICE developer “Trydling“, the PC and PlayStation 4 versions of Battlefield 4 will be receiving downloadable game updates tomorrow, December 3. Their primary focus is to alleviate issues surrounding the EMP blur effect, the “one-shot kill bug”, and audio bugs prevalent on maps like Golmud Railway and Lancing Dam.

The updates will start to roll out at around 1am PST/10am UTC Dec 3, with the China Rising content for Premium members unlocking shortly after at around 2am PST/11am UTC. (Thanks, Mechcell.)

He added that the studio is “also finalizing the next game updates for X360, PS3, and Xbox One, but [they] don’t have set dates for those just yet. It is looking likely that some of those will be ready at the end of this week at the earliest.”

Here’s what we got so far:

Release Dates

PC – December 3
PlayStation 4 – December 3
PlayStati0n 3 – “End of this week at the earliest.”
Xbox One – “End of this week at the earliest.”
Xbox 360 – “End of this week at the earliest.”

PC Game Update Notes

Removed the blur effect on soldiers that appeared when Commanders were using EMP attacks
Fixed the audio bug where audio sometimes randomly dropped out while playing on certain multiplayer maps (typically Golmud Railway and Hainan Resort)
Fixed the “one-hit kill bug” where occasionally damage from a single bullet was applied multiple times
Fixed a common crash that would occur when exiting from the Single Player Campaign to Main Menu
Tweaked the network and computer performance screen to show proper values. Players can now test their computer and network connection and get recommendations if they need to adjust something to improve their gameplay experience.

PlayStation 4 Game Update Notes

Fixed the “one-hit kill” bug where bullets were sometimes applying their damage multiple times to a character. This could lead to firefights where normal rifles sometimes dealt one-shot kills, which is not as designed.
Fixed a crash that could occur when having a very large amounts of Friends
Enabled audio in PS4 video captures

Tags: Battlefield 4 BF4 Patch Notes PC PS3 PS4 Xbox 360 Xbox One

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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DICE CEO Wants To See Local Time and Weather Reflected in Battlefield 4 Multiplayer Maps

by David Veselka

December 1, 2013 11:01 pm in News

Video game development is all about ideas – big, small, brilliant, or dumb – and how they might make the consumer’s gaming experience a better one than the last.

“I sit the floor above the Battlefield development team and there is no lack of ideas down there,” says Digital Illusions CE CEO Patrick Söderlund, speaking to The Guardian in a recent interview. “It’s just a matter of, how many of them are feasible and how many can we do.”

Söderlund, studio head at the Stockholm-based development house responsible for one of this year’s biggest FPS hits, Battlefield 4, has – or had – some ideas of his own that didn’t quite sneak their way into the game this Fall, but are pretty cool nonetheless.

“One of the things I think is cool in Battlefield 4 is the geo-leaderboard – you can find out who in your neighbourhood is, say, the best best assault player,” he continued. “That’s cool. And so let’s take that a step further and say, what if we had servers where it pulls in just things as simple as weather and day time from the local area. If the server is in Stockholm and it’s sunny, what if the map is sunny, too? What if it’s snowing and dark in Moscow? Okay, let’s have the servers there playing snowy and dark maps. You look at the possibilities and realise you can do so many more things in the cloud-enabled world than we couldn’t do before. That’s frankly one dumb idea from me, but it’s kind of cool!”

Maybe in Battlefield 5?

Tell us in the comments, how cool do you think Battlefield servers that reflect your local time of day and weather would be?

Tags: Battlefield 4 BF4 PC PS3 PS4 Xbox 360 Xbox One

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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Call of Duty: Ghosts, Forza 5, and Other Xbox One Games Discounted in Amazon Cyber Monday Sale

by David Veselka

10:29 pm in News

At 12:01 PST this Monday morning, December 2, online retailer Amazon will be offering a number of popular titles at a discounted price in celebration of Cyber Monday.

At the time of writing, the promotion’s info page doesn’t reveal exactly how heavily discounted you might find some of these titles, but the list of titles that are discounted is a rather notable one. Not only will you find PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC deals for games like Battlefield 4, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Grand Theft Auto 5, FIFA 14 or Need for Speed: Rivals, but you can also look forward to a handful of discounted Xbox One titles, including Forza 5 and even Call of Duty: Ghosts.

Update

In related news, as “Mr. Thuggins” Points out in the comments, the Xbox One Complete Bundle is now in stock at the official Microsoft Store for $699.95 ($50 off). “Get the new Xbox One console, Microsoft Complete, 12 months of Xbox Live, and your choice of 2 games.”

Below is a full list of games that you’ll find at a discounted price very shortly, but be sure to head on over to Amazon to see the deals for yourself.

Amazon Cyber Monday Deals

MADDEN 25

PlayStation 3
Xbox 360

FIFA 14

PlayStation 3

Battlefield 4

PlayStation 3
Xbox 360
PC

NCAA FOOTBALL 14

PlayStation 3
Xbox 360

Need for Speed: Rivals

PlayStation 3
Xbox 360
PC

Call of Duty: Ghosts

PlayStation 3
Xbox 360
Xbox One
PC
WiiU

Grand Theft Auto V

PlayStation 3
Xbox 360

Ryse: Son of Rome

Xbox One

Forza Motorsport 5

Xbox One

Dead Rising 3

Xbox One

Saints Row 4

PlayStation 3
Xbox 360

Kingdom Hears HD

PlayStation 3

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn

PlayStation 3

The Elder Scrolls Anthology

Thanks, Polygon.

Tags: Battlefield 4 Call of Duty: Ghosts FIFA 14 Forza 5 grand theft auto 5 Need for Speed: Rivals PC PS3 Xbox 360 Xbox One

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > Features

Should You Build a Gaming PC Instead of Buying a Next-Gen Console?

by BOSS JEDIZOHAN

November 30, 2013 9:08 pm in Features

Let’s face it, it’s the holiday season, there are new consoles out, and you’re probably itching to get your hands on something new and shiny to play the latest games with. Thankfully, you have more options than ever before.

Console or PC?

It used to be that if you wanted a high-quality gaming experience, you had two choices; build a very expensive PC or buy a comparatively inexpensive game console. These days, that’s not nearly as true as you might think. Yes, if you want a gaming PC that will last, providing you with at least a year before you need to consider upgrades, you’re probably going to spend around $800, but there’s a world of options at the $500 price point that offer plenty of horsepower, provided you’re willing to cut corners on ports, form factor, multitasking, and in some cases, resolution.

Essentially, what you game on shouldn’t just be a hardware or software debate, you need to consider what you want as an experience. If you want to do everything a computer can do and play games and don’t mind having to use a keyboard and mouse to install your content, then a PC is probably a good choice for you. If you want to just play games and maybe watch some netflix, then a console is where you’ll find a great bang for your buck experience.

Xbox One or PS4 (or WiiU)?

The WiiU is probably one of the best consoles ever made. It has a negative stigma, but between it’s massive library of retro/indie titles, fantastic first-party exclusives, and value-focused price point, the WiiU should be something every gamer seriously considers this holiday season. Unfortunately, it isn’t the every-gamer device it has the potential to be, mostly thanks to Nintendo royally screwing up the marketing for the WiiU and not making it an attractive piece of hardware for developers. While third-party titles on the WiiU might be fantastic, they are sparse and not as well supported as their competitions’ versions.

The Xbox One has had it’s fair share of troubles this year. Between an awful marketing strategy on Microsoft’s part and a focus on media over gaming, the “Xbone” is a tough sell to anyone that’s been following the console race this year. Thankfully, I think it offers something very attractive that neither Sony or a PC without heavy user interaction, can offer. The Xbox One is probably the most powerful media hub on the market right now. While it’s not going to wow anyone who’s into home theatre solutions, for the everyday consumer it offers everything and anything you could possibly want in a media device.

Sony’s approach to the PlayStation 4 has been radically different than we’ve ever seen them take. Between the lower price point, cheaper hardware production costs (than even the actual unit itself), and a “for all gamers” marketing approach, the PS4 screams value for any gamer looking to get a next-gen experience. But therein lies the PS4’s biggest flaw, it’s not the gaming console and fantastic media device that the Xbox One is. What it lacks in the Xbox One’s media integration, it makes up for in being cheaper, marginally more powerful, boasting a larger library of launch titles, and amazing exclusives from the likes of Naughty Dog. While the Xbox One is busy doing a fantastic job of pleasing everyone, the PS4 is hard at work making sure gamers are getting the most for their money.

Personally, as someone that pursues and demands the best experiences gaming software and hardware can offer, I recommend the PS4. I’d rather save $100 and get to play the “better” version of all the multi-platform titles and arguably better exclusives than pay for something that offers media services and integration that I really don’t have much use for. On the other hand, if you’re someone who already owns a high-end PC that satisfies all your gaming needs, you might consider enhancing your living room experience with an Xbox One, rather than investing in a piece of hardware that focuses on what your PC already does better.

How to PC, like a Boss

It goes without saying that the best way to get a PC gaming experience is to build your own PC. It’s easier and cheaper than it’s ever been before and has limitless potential. So without further ado, here’s my budget gaming PC parts list:

PCPartPicker part list
Price breakdown by merchant
Benchmarks

CPU: AMD A10-5800K 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor ($94.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: MSI FM2-A75MA-E35 Micro ATX FM2 Motherboard ($59.91 @ Amazon)
Memory: PNY XLR8 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5″ 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 270X 2GB Video Card ($199.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Silverstone PS08B (Black) MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Cooler Master GX 450W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($49.05 @ OutletPC)
Total: $488.92

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-30 06:07 EST-0500)

For under $500 you’re getting a comparable gaming experience to both the PS4 and Xbox One, while still leaving some room for upgrades. Some downsides of this build are it being a small form factor (micro ATX), limited amount of storage and RAM, and lack of peripherals like a mouse and keyboard, monitor, and OS. But all things considered, chances are you have a keyboard and mouse in a closet somewhere, your TV will do just fine, and aside from Linux, getting a free or very cheap Microsoft OS like 7 or 8.1 is nearly pain-free these days. More to the point though is that for roughly the cost of an Xbox One or PS4 with PS+, you’re getting something that outperforms both in areas not just limited to gaming. There’s not much more to say except that if you are willing to try something new and put a little bit of effort into it, a gaming PC might surprise you at how easy and cheap owning one can be.

What should you get?

For me, what hardware I buy comes down to two things, performance and value. If it’s not running games in 1080p without costing me an arm and a leg, it’s not for me. With that in mind, if you weigh all the options, you’re really left with two solid gaming options this holiday season; the PS4 and building your own PC. Now that’s not to say that the Xbox One or WiiU aren’t solid consoles. They really are. But for gaming, the PS4 just offers more performance at a better value. By all means, if you want a very robust media machine and gaming console, go get yourself an Xbox One. I doubt you’ll be disappointed, especially if you were a fan of the Xbox 360.

As for PS4 vs PC, it all boils down to one thing; value. With a PS4, not only are you going to save some time by not having to build or install anything, but you’re also getting a great value in the PSN without having to pay for a premium membership unless you want to play multiplayer titles aside from the F2P options available on the PS4. Value, however, is where PC gaming really shines. While it’s uncommon to see games in the console world for cheaper than $50 at launch, most PC titles go from anywhere between $15 and $60, with a plethora of sales and deals flying around every day, even on major AAA titles. That’s where the real value of PC gaming shines for me. It’s not about graphics or exclusives for me, it’s about getting the most for my money.

At the end of the day, I really can’t recommend building your own PC enough. Even Sony and Microsoft have done it this generation as they’ve almost totally abandoned niche/proprietary hardware and gone with essentially off-the-shelf PC parts.

If you’re looking for a strictly adequate gaming experience that will probably last you a good 3-5 years, the PS4 is a great choice. But if you’re willing to return what you save in spending on games in a new GPU or more RAM in a year or two, a gaming PC is just as attractive with the added bonus of a world of software and features no console can offer.

If you’ve yet to make the jump, what is your “next-gen” weapon of choice? Would you consider building a gaming PC?

Tags: Featured PC PS4 Xbox One

BOSS JEDIZOHAN

I've been a gamer since before most gamers were born. Now a full-fledged member of the PC Master Race, I'm enjoying all the best games from both AAA and Indie developers in glorious 1440p. Praise Gaben and may the Steam deals be ever syphoning funds from your life savings. Subscriber

Home > News

Leaked GTA Online Content Creator Details

by David Veselka

4:59 pm in News

GTA Online‘s Content Creator that was promised back during the game’s debut multiplayer trailer is still forthcoming, but thanks to the same YouTuber who discovered hints of incoming gameplay updates like Casinos, Pink Slip Races and Spying, we’ve also gotten a small peak at this anticipate feature.

The user who was able to get at the Content Creator via tampering with a few of the game’s files has a few videos you can check out on his channel, but we presume they will be taken down at some point in the near future. He does mention that the version he was playing around with is a different file size from the updated version, meaning the actual, official Content Creator, when it launches, will most likely be a tad different or will include more/different options. Meanwhile we’ve gathered some details you can read up on right here.

The Creator menu includes options like Create a Deathmatch, Create a Race, Load, GTA Online and Grand Theft Auto V. The feature won’t work underground or inside buildings and items can be placed via the overview camera or while on foot. Here are some of the more detailed menu options we mapped out while watching the videos.

It goes without saying that the menu map is most likely not final. Also, some options that are available in the Deathmatch Creator might not be in the Race Creator and vice versa.

Deathmatch Details
Race Details
- Title
- Description
- Photo
- Search Tags
- Maximum Players
- Race Type
- Route Type
- Number of Laps
- Starting Grid Size
- Available Vehicles
- Default Class
- Time of Day
- Traffic
- Wanted Levels
- Radio
Creator
- Place Trigger
  - Place Trigger Location
- Lobby Camera
  - Place
  - Preview
- Checkpoints
  - Add Checkpoint
  - Cycle Between Checkpoints
- Spawn Points
  - Add Spawn Points
  - Cycle Items
- Weapons
  - Type
  - Cycle Items
- Vehicles
  - Category
  - Type
  - Color
  - Cycle Items
- Props
  - Category
  - Type
  - Cycle Items
- Stunt Jumps
  - Place
- Randomize
  - Radius
  - Spawn Points Weapons
- Toggle Radar
- Delete Options
Radio
Test
Save
Publish
Exit

Those are just a few of the details we were able to gather for now. There’ll most likely be a lot more to explore once the official Content Creator hits GTA Online sometime in the near future.

Tags: grand theft auto 5 GTA Online PS3 Xbox 360

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Robot Zombies Coming to Call of Duty: Online, New Trailer

by David Veselka

1:22 pm in News

Check out the latest gameplay trailer Call of Duty: Online that says “scr*w you” to Zombies and Aliens and introduces you to something way more sinister; Robot Zombies.

According to the trailer, which you can check out below, the free-to-play, online-only Call of Duty title aimed at Chinese markets that mixes and matches elements from Infinity Ward’s Modern Warfare series and Treyarch’s Black Ops will be getting its own horde/survival mode. But why Zombies or Aliens when you can have Robot Zombies, right? To be totally honest, they’re pretty freaky looking.

Like Black Ops’ Zombies mini-game, this Robot Zombies game mode will feature its own cast of unique characters that you and three other co-op buddies will be able to step into the shoes of.

[youtube id=”FlZeyXILW2A” width=”618″ height=”378″]

With rumors of Call of Duty: Online possibly coming to Western audiences, how would you like to take a crack at Robot Zombie survival?

Tags: Call of Duty: Online PC Robot Zombies

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > Features

Call of Duty: Ghosts Multiplayer Review – Next-Gen Update

by David Veselka

November 29, 2013 11:45 pm in Features

Having based my initial Call of Duty: Ghosts multiplayer review primarily on the Xbox 360 version of the game, I can tell you right now that I will certainly be bumping up the score for Call of Duty: Ghosts on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. But what exactly is different about an upgraded version of Ghosts sitting next to its previous-generation predecessor?

Comparing the two side by side, it should be noted that both versions pack nearly identical content, including the same, buttery smooth frame rate of 60 FPS and similar player counts, save for one game mode in particular, which we’ll get into later. It says something when players across both generations can enjoy almost the exact same Call of Duty experience, though the upgraded game does clearly boast a few shiny next-gen improvements.

In my initial review, I critiqued Ghosts for stumbling backwards after every step forward that it took. I felt that developers Infinity Ward focused their efforts on shaking things up merely for the sake of change, rather than making significant improvements to the Call of Duty formula and pushing things forward. After sinking my teeth into Ghosts on the Xbox One, it becomes apparent, however, that where the bulk of improvements lie are within the game’s engine. Whether you want to call it an entirely new engine, or a heavily improved one, booting up Ghosts on next-gen shines a brighter light on the type of work Infinity Ward put into their project.

I found that the boost in image quality had a direct impact in the way Ghosts plays. With a much clearer picture, it’s easier to make out enemies and distinguish between objects. The more realistic lighting and shadows give each map more depth, which, in turn, actually makes them easier to navigate. I do find, however, that brightly lit areas and objects tend to glow a little bit too much, which takes away from their details. While Call of Duty ran fantastically smooth on previous generation hardware, I always found its visuals to be “cardboard-y”, if I may use that word. Maps felt static and, at times, objects seemed to blend into a single, almost two-dimensional backdrop. With the sort of visual improvements made here, each area feels more alive and much more three-dimensional. Textures remain as sharp as ever while environments are detailed and filled with movement like rustling foliage or dirt and dust that is picked up by the wind. I did find a small dip in frame rate when aiming down any optic that causes the engine to dual render two images, however.

Simply put, Ghosts is much nicer to look at on next-gen, though because both versions of Ghosts run at a 60 FPS frame rate, your first impression won’t be as startling. While the visual improvements are very much appreciated, the difference in graphics between generations isn’t as drastic as one might anticipate. It looks fantastic, but I can’t help wonder, could Infinity Ward have pushed the visuals even further using next-gen hardware?

Call of Duty: Ghosts’ map design and uniquely different play style from previous entries has grown on me over the past few weeks, but I still have a hard time getting over how fast you die, on top of a small number of other gameplay design choices that I don’t feel particularly ‘fit’ Call of Duty. I am, however, spending much more of my time in the Ground War playlist which, unsurprisingly, leads to more satisfying and fulfilling play sessions on Ghosts’s larger maps and sort of “fixes” a few of the personal issues I had with Ghosts on the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. 9 vs 9 player combat is definitely something the previous generation Ghosts is missing sorely, so booting up Ground War for the first time on my Xbox One was a sigh of relief.

Speaking of Xbox One, Ghosts is a blast to play on Microsoft’s new controller. I’m really digging the smaller, stickier thumb sticks while the triggers feel very nice and “springy”. Best of all, the controller’s shape has improved significantly and fits my hands wonderfully. I’ve not had nearly the same amount of hands-on time with the PlayStation 4’s DualShock 4, but I’ve heard very positive things from colleagues about it as well.

3.5 / 5

In closing, three weeks after the game’s initial release, I’m boosting the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 score up a star to three and a half stars out of five to better reflect Call of Duty: Ghosts’ superior stature on next-gen hardware.

Be sure to read up on my initial review of Call of Duty: Ghosts multiplayer and don’t forget to leave your thoughts in the comments telling me what you think about Call of Duty: Ghosts on next-gen!

Call of Duty: Ghosts Multiplayer Review – A Step Forward Here, A Stumble Backward There

Tags: Call of Duty: Ghosts Featured PS4 Xbox One

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Borderlands 2 – “How Marcus Saved Mercenary Day” Skins And Heads Leaked

by Joel Santana

10:12 pm in News

With the release of the third Borderlands 2 Head Hunter pack, “How Marcus Saved Mercenary Day”, just a month away, in time for the holiday, a new video has recently surfaced which showcases all the new Christmas-themed customization items that your favorite vault hunter will be able to use once unlocked.

[youtube id=”ozmEnQzb9tI” width=”618″ height=”378″]

Just like the previous two Head Hunter packs, you can expect this upcoming add-on to be priced at $2.99 USD and be available before Christmas.

Additionally, PSN Plus members can look forward to downloading Borderlands 2 for free sometime during the month December as a part of December’s Instant Game Collection, according to the Playstation blog.

Tags: Borderlands 2 How Marcus Saved Mercenary Day Mac PC PS3 Xbox 360

Joel Santana

Gamer for the past 20 years who loves anything ranging from RPGs, Fighters and of course FPS games. Author