Home > News

List of Current Xbox One and PlayStation 4 Launch Titles, Exclusive and Multi-Platform

Enjoy what’s left of the Summer while you still can. Fall is coming and, with it, the next generation of console gaming. Not only are the big boys like Microsoft and Sony debuting their brand new home consoles, but some of the year’s biggest titles from franchises like Call of Duty, Battlefield and Assassin’s Creed will be tugging on your shirt for your attention and hard-earned dollars.

It’s easy to get caught up in the current flood of next-generation news, rumors, and hype surrounding features, policies, tech specs, and whatnot, but we all know that at the core of our excitement are the games. So, what exactly can we look forward to this fall when it comes to launch-titles?

A contributor over at Forbes recently rounded up the current line-up of launch titles, both exclusive and multi-platform, that we can expect to get our gamer hands on when the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 drop later this year. Let’s take a look at what’s currently on the table, keeping in mind that more launch-titles may be announced during Gamescom later next month in August.

Xbox One

Microsoft is launching the Xbox One this November with a line-up of Kinect-heavy titles, including games in the zombie, racing, fighting and action-adventure genres. It’s a little sad to see an Xbox launch without the presence of Master Chief (Halo), or any noteworthy first-person shooter, for that matter, but that doesn’t mean gamers won’t be getting their FPS fill this October/November. What excites me the most is to see how/if “The Cloud” and “Kinect 2.0” will enhance my gaming experience in games like Forza Motorsport 5 or Killer Instinct, as well as to see the capability of the CryENGINE 3 on the Xbox One in Ryse: Son of Rome. The Xbox One’s launch-titles are:

  • Dead Rising 3 \ Capcom
  • Forza Motorsport 5 \ Turn 10
  • LocoCycle \ Twisted Pixel
  • Killer Instinct \ Double Helix
  • Ryse: Son of Rome \ Crytek

PlayStation 4

Sony’s line-up of launch titles features a heavier focus on free-to-play with titles like DC Universe Online and Warframe (which reports suggest may now be coming to the Xbox One as well). However, both aforementioned titles are also available on the PC, leaving only three true launch-exclusives on the PlayStation 4. Unlike the Xbox One, the PS4 is arriving with it’s very own flagship FPS, Killzone: Shadowfall. Also, Knack appears to be an eye-catching action-adventure title that will be showing off the Unreal Engine 4 for the first time on a console. The PlayStation 4’s holiday season launch line-up includes:

  • DC Universe Online \ Sony Online Entertainment
  • DriveClub \ Evolution Studios
  • Killzone: Shadow Fall \ Guerrilla Games
  • Knack \ SCE Japan Studio
  • Warframe \ Digital Extremes

Multi-Platform

If you find both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4’s launch-title line-ups a tad underwhelming, there are some big-hitters in the multi-platform department that are sure to grab your attention. Needless to say, we’re super pumped for Battlefield 4 and Call of Duty: Ghosts, but Ubisoft has got some impressive projects in the works with Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag and Watch_Dogs as well. Sports fans also have four Major titles to look forward to with FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25, NBA 2K14 and NBA Live 14. Check out the current list of multi-platform launch titles:

  • Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag \ Ubisoft
  • Battlefield 4 \ DICE
  • Call of Duty: Ghosts \ Infinity Ward
  • FIFA 14 \ EA Sports
  • Just Dance 2014 \ Ubisoft
  • LEGO Marvel Super Heroes \ TT Games
  • Madden NFL 25 \ EA Sports
  • NBA 2K14 \ Visual Concepts
  • NBA Live 14 \ EA Sports
  • Skylanders: Swap Force \ Vicarious Visions
  • Watch Dogs \ Ubisoft Montreal

What games will you be throwing into your shopping cart day one of the Xbox One or PlayStation 4’s release? Remember to check back next month when we’ll have more details on any new announcements from Gamescom.

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Xbox One and PlayStation 4 Controllers Now Available for Pre-Order

Controllers for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 are now up for pre-order if you fancy securing some extra next-generation gamepads before the new consoles drop.

The Microsoft Store has the new Xbox One controller available for pre-order for $59.99 USD. You can also grab a Play and Charge kit for $24.99 USD, or a bundled version with the Xbox One controller for $74.99 USD. Of course, there’s also the Xbox One headset for $24.99 USD as well. Links to the products below:

Over at Amazon, you can also pre-order the PlayStation 4’s DualShock 4 controller for $59.99 as well. Same price goes for the Xbox One controller. We don’t recommend taking the site’s release dates seriously though, as they are most likely placeholders.

Thanks, Joystiq.

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

New Borderlands Skins Coming To Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition Soon

Can’t get enough Borderlands in your life? If so, the folks over at Gearbox Software and 4jStudios are once again teaming up to bring you more Borderlands goodness into the Xbox 360 edition of Minecraft later this month.

They’ve teamed up to bring you another skin pack (skin pack 5), which will bring you the option to dress up as more Borderlands characters such as Axton, Handsome Jack, Maya, Roland and Salvador.

you can check out the screens below, to see these new skins in action:

4822860c781fd195be6d5e293bd37fae659a0ead_600x338

958cb800d1183502d15f3c522a2b8048f47dcf3b_600x338

 

Axton and the rest of the crew from skin pack 5 join the other Borderlands favorites such as Brick, Claptrap, Lilith and Mordecai from a previous skin pack.

Those interested in purchasing skin pack 5 for Minecraft: Xbox 360 edition will be able to do so on July 30 for 160 Microsoft Points.

Joel Santana

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

Home > News

Digital Extremes Say They’d “Silly Not to Consider Warframe for Xbox One Now”

With Microsoft’s recent change of policies surrounding independent developers and their ability to self publish on the Xbox One, Warframe developers Digital Extremes are giving second thought to the idea of bringing their free-to-play, third-person shooter/action title to Microsoft’s next-generation platform.

Only a few days ago, the company’s stance towards the Xbox One was a much different one. Digital Extremes vice-president of publishing Meridith Braun said earlier that “the ball is in Microsoft’s court with regards to allowing titles on their system that come from an independent developer and not an established publisher.”

Currently, Warframe is on course to publish on the PlayStation 4 as a launch title later this year and is already available for download on the PC. However, post-reversal of Xbox One’s policies, Braun admits that it wouldn’t make sense to not consider bringing Warframe to the Xbox One.

Speaking to OXM, Braun said, “We’re happy to see Microsoft shift its attitude on independent development for their new system. We’d be silly not to consider Warframe for Xbox One now. The system itself will be awesome and now the landscape of games that it supports has just become limitless. Exciting times.”

We’re definitely excited to see Warframe potentially make it to the Xbox One. How about you?

Thanks, Pixel Enemy.

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

41 Hilarious Battlefield 3 Voice-Over Lines You Didn’t Know Existed

Almost two years after its launch, it appears that Battlefield 3 still holds a number secrets you never knew existed.

Not too long ago, YouTube personality pointed out an illusive easter egg, hinted at months back by ex-voice-over producer Thomas Danko, that was finally discovered through some in-depth detective work. We recommend you check that out right here.

Digging through more of the game’s audio files, YouTuber TheAustrianToast found some hilarious voice-over lines that appear to have never made it into the final build of the game – 41 of them, to be exact. All of the lines are audio cues shouted out by soldiers which you would have heard through various in-game actions like spotting, had they made it into the game.

Luckily, TheAustrianGamer has compiled them all into this 3-minute video for your viewing and listening pleasure, but beware, the dialogue contains heavy usage of foul language. Just how we like it, right? Still, we’re deeming this one NOT SAFE FOR WORK.

[youtube id=”eDauDMppn6c” width=”618″ height=”378″]

Any favorites?

Thanks, Saradoss TheAustrianGamer, for Tweeting this one our way.

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Battlefield 4 After-Match Report Now Shows Next Map in Rotation, [Update: Vehicle Decals Spotted]

At last! Battlefield 4 players will be able to see the next map on their server’s rotation during the end-of-match report.

Originally spotted by “JumboNess” in the recent Battlefield 4 Battlelog trailer, you can see in the screen capture below that the next map is clearly indicated when finishing up a previous match.

nextmapscreen1

While it is a real nit-pick, it has been a heavily requested feature since the launch of Battlefield 3 in 2011. Currently, players are unaware as to what map they will be entering into upon ending a match in Battlefield 3 – that is unless, of course, you have the entire map rotation memorized.

Pretty cool! What are some other missing Battlefield 3 features that you hope make it into Battlefield 4?

If you missed it, we caught a few other nifty surprises from the Battlelog trailer, including a new snow-covered map and how joining a match as a spectator works. Check it out here!

Thanks, JoyPad.

Update

Taken from the Battlefield 4 Alpha Trial, the screen below shows off not only customizable vehicle camoflauge patterns, but also the ability to display clan emblems or decals somewhere on the exterior.

We’ve already confirmed that soldier and weapon camos will be a part of Battlefield 4, but it appears that we might have even more customization options to look forward to with regards to vehicles.

0UM1vde

What do you guys think? Cool, or gimmicky. Keep in mind that the image is from the Alpha trial, meaning what you see might not be anywhere near final.

Thanks, BF4Central.

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Battlefield 4 Will Let You Use Your Second Monitor or Laptop as a Mini-Map

According to developers DICE, the new and improved Battlelog being introduced in Battlefield 4 won’t only support dual-screen usage on tablets or other hand-held devices, but your second monitor and laptop as well.

Answering questions on a recent Reddit thread dedicated to the recently released Battlefield 4 Battlelog trailer, Battlelog Producers “TheBikingViking” and “DarkLord7854” have confirmed that those who utilize two or more monitors, or even a secondary laptop, will be able throw up Battlefield 4’s “Battlescreen” on display to enhance their online multiplayer experience.

Screen Shot 2013-07-25 at 3.14.24 PM

Screen Shot 2013-07-25 at 3.13.38 PM

Because the Battlelog is browser-based, it technically means that any device that can access the Battlelog can be used as a second screen to work some of the service’s fancy new features like swapping loadouts in-game, queuing up servers, or using the Battlescreen.

Screen Shot 2013-07-25 at 3.18.40 PM

“TheBikingViking” also reconfirms that the new Battlelog will support an invisible mode for those who wish to appear offline as they play.

Screen Shot 2013-07-25 at 3.20.32 PM

Sounds pretty cool! How are you going to use the new Battlelog – on your mobile device, or a second monitor or laptop?

Source: Reddit. Thanks, Yash, for the tip.

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Battlefield 4 Players Unable To Transfer Progress Between Current- and Next-Gen Versions [Updated]

Update

In an interesting turn of events, developers DICE have tweeted that they’ve “heard reports that players would like their stats and progression to transfer from current to next-gen in #BF4,” and that they are “investigating.”

Screen Shot 2013-07-25 at 5.30.40 PM

Thanks, Justin.

Original Story

During E3 this year, DICE VP and GM Karl Magnus Troedsson told us that the ability to carry stats and unlocks between current- and next-gen version of Battlefield 4 was “being discussed.”

As discovered by VideoGamer earlier today, it appears that it might not be the case, after all. Player progress will be restricted to each respective version of the game, meaning that rank, stats, and unlocks acquired through play time on the PlayStation 3, for example, will not continue into your play time on the PlayStation 4.

“Each platform is treated like a separate career, similar to how it works in Battlefield 3,” wrote the official Battlefield 3 Twitter recently.

Needless to say, this also applies to the relationship between current versions of Battlefield 3 and any version of Battlefield 4.

While the news may come as a disappointment to many, we expect a more than tolerable wait between Battelfield 4’s release on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, or PC and Battlefield 4’s release on the Xbox One or PlayStation 4.

Despite this, EA did announce earlier this week that gamers would be able to transfer their Ultimate Team progress between current- and next-gen versions of FIFA 14. It’s too bad the same technology didn’t make it into Battlefield 4.

Are you disappointed in the news, or are you sticking to only one version of Battlefield 4 anyways?

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Sandbox FPS Guncraft Launches on Steam August 9

Indie developer Exato Game Studios has announced today that their voxel-based shooter Guncraft will be launching on Steam this August 9.

Melding the competitive FPS with the block building sandbox experience, Guncraft “challenges players to build maps, characters, and weapons on the fly, then decimate them all to take down enemies across nine different game modes such as Team Deathmatch, Lava Survival and Meteor Survival.”

[youtube id=”0yLUyKHRL6M” width=”618″ height=”378″]

Guncraft will launch on Steam with the following new features:

  • Racing Mode: Race alone or with a friend, co-op double dash style, to see who can be number one, including community created tracks and levels
  • Steam Achievements
  • Steam Leaderboards
  • Steam Trading Cards! Join the Guncraft community in creating the final two trading cards HERE.

Some of the game’s key features include:

  • Create custom levels, weapons and characters – you are only limited by your imagination!
  • 8+ outlandish game modes for up to 16 players (Online/LAN), including:
    • “Lava Survival” mode where magma slowly rises as players build upward to avoid the instant orange death. It’s a new variation of “Last Man Standing”
    • “Onslaught” mode, where four players band together to fight off endless waves of deadly robot spiders, soldiers, drones, and aircraft
    • “Spleef” mode, players drill and destroy blocks on the platform near or under their opponents in order to cause them to fall to their deaths, while fervently moving to also avoid suffering that fate
  • Player-controlled vehicles, perks, killstreaks, class load-outs, clan system, and ranks
  • HUGE DLC Roadmap driven by the community, for the community, ranging from new modes to expansions to Gunsmithing and new content features

Guncraft will be available on Steam August 9, for $14.99.

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Borderlands 2 Developers Have No Plans For a Second Season Pass

While you may be looking forward to Borderlands 2‘s recently announced Ultimate Vault Hunter Pack 2 add-on, don’t expect it to show up as content included in the game’s Season Pass.

“That season has ended, Gearbox recently told Polygon. They say that they’ve “been clear from the beginning” that the Borderlands 2 Season Pass would only include four add-on campaigns. They added that there are no current plans for a second season pass.

“In April we celebrated the success of Borderlands 2 by thanking our most passionate fans, the Season Pass holders, by including the first Ultimate Vault Hunter Upgrade Pack in the Season Pass,” the company said. “We were excited to give Season Pass holders $45 of value instead of the original promise of $40. Through the course of our grand experiment, we’ve also learned that fans are happy with an a la cart menu for DLC because they can pick and choose the content that they most want to buy and really customize their Borderlands 2 experience.”

Gearbox has promised additional content after the upcoming Vault Hunter Upgrade which you can learn more about here.

“They’re voting with their wallets — and we are grateful that there are enough of them asking that we can justify the cost of developing the content,” Gearbox said in closing.

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Battlefield 4 Battlelog Image Reveals Linear 5-Flag Snow-Covered Conquest Map

An image snapped from the latest Battlefield 4 Battlelog trailer reveals a previously unseen Battlefield 4 map covered in snow, sporting a fairly linear layout with 5 Conquest flags.

L18MijS

The image is taken from a short scene showing off the new Battlelog’s second-screen functionality, allowing gamers to interact with their game via a hand-held tablet.

The design itself seems to harken back to maps like Davamand Peak of Battlefield 3, tasking players with pushing through enemy forces in a straight line to their objective through five different capture poitns. Naturally, the battlefield pictured above would make a promising RUSH map.

What do you guys think? What is your take on linear maps like Davamand Peak or Operation Metro?

Update

A second image reveals how players will be able to enter Battlefield 4 matches using the game’s new spectator mode.

FeCuVaQ

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Fear-To-Play F.E.A.R. Online Announced, Closed Beta Sign-Ups Available

You see what I did there, right? Yeah, lame joke. I know. But anyway, today a new F.E.A.R. title developed by Korea Inplay Interactive and published by Aeria Games was announced, promising a return of the heart pounding tense action that the series is known for.

[youtube id=”ol8v0jG2OrA” width=”618″ height=”378″]

“We are thrilled to present the next entry in one of the most popular horror franchises of the last decade,” Tom Nichols, VP of PC Games at Aeria, said in the official PR release. “F.E.A.R. Online will bring back the tense, heart-pounding action that the series is known for and make it accessible to a huge online community of competitive players.”

The game will feature a wide variety of co-op mission, along with the competitive multiplayer that’ll stretch across 10 different maps with a variety of game modes.

They will be starting closed Beta testing, which you can sign up for right here.

Avatar photo

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.

Home > News

Call of Duty: Ghosts Confirmed For The Wii U, Launches November 5

Today, Activision has announced that the next entry in the Call of Duty series in development at Infinity Ward studios, Call of Duty: Ghosts, will be making its way to the Wii U along side the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 this November 5.

It will include Wii Remote and second-screen Wii U GamePad support “and more,” according to the announcement.

[youtube id=”Zxnx3W-HA18″ width=”618″ height=”378″]

Update

In an official confirmation on Twitter, Treyarch will be the studio responsible for bringing Call of Duty: Ghosts to the Wii U.

Screen Shot 2013-07-25 at 11.33.39 AM

Call of Duty: Ghosts is also on track to release on the Xbox One and PlayStation 3 around the launch of the new consoles.

Wii U Template

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Battlelog Is Getting a Big Update For Battlefield 4, New Trailer

In preparation for Battlefield 4, a brand new update for Battlelog was previewed by DICE today and, for the most part, it looks like they took Battlelog 1.0, addressed what players have been saying about it, and made it much more useful, instead of just an annoying layer of abstraction between you and the game.

Check out some of the new features like the Battlescreen, missions, real-time loadout swapping, and geo leaderboards in the recently released trailer.

[youtube id=”MBpKo5eWs3s” width=”618″ height=”378″]

I’m excited to see DICE actually developing Battlelog as a service AND a product.

The biggest update, and something I think will make the new Battlelog actually useful, is realtime second-screen functionality.  Part of what makes the WiiU cool (yes, I know it doesn’t seem like there’s a lot) is that it’s controller has a tablet-like screen.  This opens up a whole new level of UI design, as in ZombieU where your inventory is displayed via the controller rather than onscreen, greatly increasing the level of immersion as zombies can still attack you when organizing your backpack.

Being able to glance down at my tablet/smartphone to look at my minimap and customize my loadouts in realtime is a pretty interesting feature, especially considering the limited room on-screen for HUD elements while playing FPS games.  Though I wish Batlefield 4 had a multi-monitor mode to display a full map and loadout editor on PC, I’ll take what I can get.

Overall, I hope Battlelog continues to improve away from the mistakes it’s current iteration is known for.  Despite it’s current shortcomings, it’s a good idea and has a lot of potential for future applications. What do you think of the new look and new functions?

Stay tuned to MP1st for more on Battlefield 4 and Battlelog as new information is revealed. For now, check out some new screens.

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

New Halo 4 Champions Bundle Armor Screens

The Champions Bundle is coming to Halo 4 this August 20 and along with some new game modes, maps, and weapon skins, gamers will get their hands on three brand new armor sets to show off in War Games.

Players will be able to acquire the Prefect and ODST armor sets from the Infinity Armor Pack while the Ricochet armor set will be available in the Bullseye Pack.

Courtesy of developers 343 Industries, you can get an eye-full of the new armor sets below in three new screens shot on the new map, Vertigo.

Also, be sure to check out some of the sweet new weapons skins and armor right here.

h4 champions bundle_on the move_1080p
Prefect Armor – Infinity Armor Pack
h4 champions bundle_drop shock_1080p
ODST Armor – Infinity Armor Pack
h4 champions bundle_caves_1080p
Ricochet Armor – Bullseye Pack

Which new Halo 4 Champions Bundle armor set catches your eye?

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Microsoft To Allow Indie-Devs To Self-Publish, Confirms That “Every Xbox One Can Be Used for Development”

In yet another drastic alteration of their policies, Microsoft wants to give all developers the opportunity to self-publish on the Xbox One and to also allow developers to use the platforms itself to create games.

“Our vision is that every person can be a creator. That every Xbox One can be used for development,” wrote Xbox chief product officer Marc Whitten in a statement. “That every game and experience can take advantage of all of the features of Xbox One and Xbox LIVE. This means self-publishing. This means Kinect, the cloud, achievements. This means great discoverability on Xbox LIVE.”

To learn more, he added, “We’ll have more details on the program and the timeline at gamescom in August.”

Speaking to GameInformer, Whitten detailed Microsoft’s commitment to independent developers. He states that restrictions on the type or scope won’t be limited. “Our goal is to give them access to the power of Xbox One, the power of Xbox Live, the cloud, Kinect, Smartglass,” he said. “That’s what we think will actually generate a bunch of creativity on the system.”

He also mentioned that when it comest revenue splitting with developers, it will fall in line “generally like we think about Marketplace today,” which means an approximate 50-50 split, according to GameInformer

Whitten also touched on improvements made to Microsoft’s certification process. “My goal has always been to reduce the amount of time it takes to make a certification pass,” he explained. “It’s good for all reasons, and it’s a function of how to you build the automation. My goals will always be to take the amount of time in certification down.”

In closing, Whitten mentioned that devkit functionality will not be ready at launch, however, and that while enabling retail units to function as devkits and play non-final code might be problematic, he said, “This is the type of thing that you can only do at the start of a generation. You make a set of assumptions, and those assumptions get baked in at the beginning. When you ask questions like that [about security], you’re looking through the lens of how Xbox 360 works, and based on how we developed a lot of these things in 2004 and 2005.”

What are your thoughts on Microsoft’s change-of-heart?

Thanks, Clayton.

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Latest Borderlands 2 Hot Fix Buffs Assault Rifles And More

Borderlands 2 players on the Mac, PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 platforms can expect a new hotfix to be made available as of today which will buff assault rifles and address other small issues.

Since this is a hotfix and not a regular patch, you must be connected to the internet every time you’re in the main menu in-order to be connected to the Shift server which is responsible for rolling out these new hot fixes. For the full list of what this hotfix addresses, feel free to check out the notes below:

July 24 Hotfix Notes

  • Corrected an issue with certain assault rifles not receiving the proper damage bonus from their barrel.
  • Flynt now has a chance to drop the Tinderbox and other unique items.
  • Addressed an issue where BNK-3R could get stuck and not be defeated.
  • Corrected the alignment of holographic pistol sights.
  • (Mr. Torgue DLC) Badassasarus now takes proper explosion damage from the Tunguska rocket launcher.
  • (Tiny Tina DLC) Players that have accepted but not completed “Roll Insight” can now properly interact with Murderlin.
  • (Tina Tiny DLC) Repositioned the boundary turrets in Unassuming Docks to prevent players from missing a critical area.
  • Addressed a rare issue where players who did not complete the optional “Collect Slag Samples” objective would not properly spawn back into the Natural Selection Annex.
  • (PC Only) Fixed an issue where the visual effect tied to Krieg’s “Hellfire Halitosis” skill could last longer than intended.

Although the assault rifles may have been given a damage buff, it appears that it’s only applied to a selective few guns. You can check out the full list of guns that received these buffs here, courtesy of Gearbox community member, Bahroo.

Additionally, Chris F., the community manager over at Gearbox, will be bringing awareness to the Gearbox team regarding a few of Maya’s skills, such as Helios and Blight Phoenix, that didn’t scale correctly for Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode.

He said, “I can’t promise any major re-balancing or tweaks there, but if there are any significant bugs affecting things / scaling there’s a good chance we’ll try to get them resolved.”

Since Captain Flynt’s unique drops have been addressed and will now drop in TVHM and UVHM, which other bosses would you love to see loot drops tweaked by Gearbox?

Joel Santana

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

Home > News

Xbox One’s Cloud-Powered Achievements Will ‘Evolve’ and ‘Grow’ With Games

With the Xbox One’s release this November, Microsoft intends to revamp their Achievement system, which has been a part of gaming on the Xbox platform for over eight years now.

With games as big as The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim that are played for months, and sometimes years, beyond their initial release, or games that constantly evolve through DLC and updates, it’s clear that the Xbox One’s game-enhancing systems need to catch up with the times.

“We’ve found a pattern where a user will buy a game, they’ll play the game, they’ll max out the Achievements within three to four weeks, and they’re still playing the game six months later,” Xbox Live’s principle group program manager Chad Gibson recently told OXM. “We really wanted to make all our Achievement systems fully embrace cloud power. Which is why in this generation it’s all cloud Achievements.”

“So, the general guidance we give to Achievements on how they’re utilised – conceptually, that’s the same, but the big decoupling we did is that on Xbox 360, your Achievement is actually a bunch of client code you write in your game, and that’s still largely true on Xbox One, but the client code is instrumentation,” he explains. “So you instrument your game with all these events and then you go to a web tool and say, ‘oh OK, I want a new Achievement when this event crosses this threshold’. You can add an achievement without ever updating your game client.”

“We want game developers to be able to offer Achievements and interesting opportunities throughout the life-cycle of a game,” Gibson added. “So, you know, 14 months after the game’s shipped, you’re still offering interesting Achievement opportunities, because users are still playing the game and the game is still evolving and growing.”

With no formal cap on the amount of Gamerscore one could earn on a single, well-supported title, hardcore achievement hunters might find it concerning – constantly fighting an uphill battle against an ever-increasing 100% Gamerscore completion rate. To combat this, Microsoft will take action if it finds its systems are being abused by developers and publishers.

“We’re mindful of it,” said Gibson. “We’re mindful of it, and the corollary is that with a lot of games today, three updates later it’s a nice evolution of that game – it’s a different game that’s been modified and adjusted, based on what people are enjoying and having fun with. And we think that Achievements should match that.”

Looks like you achievement hunters have your work cut out for you. Are you digging Microsoft’s new approach to Achievements with the Xbox One? Let us know!

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Rumor – Xbox One Bundle To Feature An Kinect-less Console, Set To Release Summer 2014 [Updated]

Update

Microsoft has told Kotaku they “have no plans to introduce an Xbox One without Kinect,” adding that, “we believe in Kinect and the value it brings to both games and entertainment, and believe $499 is a great value for what consumers receive with their Xbox One.”

Thanks, Jonathan.

Original Story

It looks like Microsoft’s next-generation platform, the Xbox One, may or may not feature a Kinect-less bundle that’s set to release in the future, according to a report that recently surfaced.

First spotted over at InsideGamingDaily, they go on to say that an anonymous source has revealed that Microsoft will be rolling out a few new bundles for the Xbox One, slated for a Summer 2014 release.

Allegedly, we can expect one of these new bundles, being billed as a ‘budget’ bundle, to feature a smaller HDD that will carry a lower price point then the PlayStation 4 and to retail at $400 USD when it releases this holiday season.

A bundle that does not contain the Kinect – which, according to Microsoft, is an integral part of the Xbox One and without it, won’t function – will also allegedly be made available, dubbed the ‘normal’ bundle.

This Kinect-less Xbox One bundle seems a little far-fetched, however, since an Xbox One requires a Kinect to operate and it is possible for Xbox One’s Kinect to be disabled at any given time, if the user wishes too, anyways.

Also, those thinking about purchasing a Kinect-less bundle for the Xbox One probably won’t be able to utilize the full functions of the console, such as being able to use the Skype video chat, nor the ability to use any of the Kinect features that developers may include in their titles.

What do you guys think? Would you purchase a Kinect-less Xbox One bundle if the reports prove true, or would you see it as a bad move on Microsoft’s part?

Xbox One will be released this November, carrying a hefty price tag of $500 USD.

Joel Santana

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

Home > News

Splinter Cell: Blacklist Achievements Revealed and New Trailer Released

With less than a month until Splinter Cell: Blacklist is released for the PC, PlayStation 3, Wii U and Xbox 360, fans of the tactical action-adventure series can now take a peak at what achievements/trophies they can add to their collection once the game launches.

The game will feature 47 achievements in total – 11 of them being secret achievements, which unfortunately we can’t cover due to little to no information being known about them. Check out the full list of achievements below, courtesy of the folks over at Xbox 360 Achievements.

Most of the story-related achievements are secret achievements, so you shouldn’t find any major many spoilers here.

Splinter Cell: Blacklist Achievements

 

4th Echelon Status Confirmed

30 
Stopped the Blacklist

4th Echelon Commendation

60 
Completed every single player mission on Realistic difficulty

4th Echelon Officer

100 
Completed every single player mission on Perfectionist difficulty

HVTs Secured

10 
Captured 20 High-Value Targets

Intel Acquired

10 
Collected 24 Dead Drop flash drives

Data Security

10 
Hacked 23 Blacklist Laptops  

Upgraded Gear Accessed

10 
Fully upgraded one gun

C&C Optimized

20 
Paladin fully upgraded

Tactical Style: Ghost

25 
Mastered Ghost playstyle

Tactical Style: Panther

25 
Mastered Panther playstyle  

Tactical Style: Assault

25 
Mastered Assault playstyle

Evidence Concealed

10 
Hid 5 bodies in containers

No Kill Option Engaged

50 
Completed the single player campaign without killing anyone as Sam Fisher  

Distraction Tactician

10 
Stealthily took down an enemy who’d been lured by sound

Tri-Rotor Functionality

10 
Used the Tri-Rotor to disable a security device

Enhanced Lethality Demonstrated

10 
Mastered Mark & Execute

Hostile Shield Secured

10 
Snuck up & stole the shield from a Shielded Infantryman

Hostages Secured

10 
Saved the hostages in the Transit Yards

Mission Footprint Zero

10 
Completed a single player mission undetected

Combined Op Successful

10 
Completed a COOP mission with a teammate

Infiltration Operator

30 
Completed all of Anna Grímsdóttir’s 4th Echelon Missions  

Extraction Operator

30 
Completed all of Charlie Cole’s 4th Echelon Missions

Combined Operator

30 
Completed all of Isaac Briggs ‘s 4th Echelon Missions

Elite Killing Team

15 
Dual Executed a helmeted enemy

Lead Interrogator

10 
Won the COOP interrogation in VORON Station

ShadowNet Online

Logged into ShadowNet for the first time

Officer of the Day

15 
Completed a Daily Challenge

Seven Day Duty Shift

30 
Completed a Spies vs Mercs Weekly Challenge

Support Ops

15 
Assisted teammates in 10 Spies vs Mercs objectives

Lethal Versatility

100 
Won a match in every Spies vs Mercs game mode  

Firearm Accessed

15 
Unlocked a Merc’s Light Machine Gun

Personal Kit

15 
Unlocked a custom loadout slot for Spy or Merc
Trusted Agent 50 
Achieved Rank 10 in Spies vs Mercs  

Rated Hacker

25 
Hacked a terminal in a Spies vs Mercs SvM Blacklist or SvM Classic match

Rated Intel Courier

15 
Carried home the intel in a Spies vs Mercs Extraction match

Rated Aggressor

15 
Captured a control point in a Spies vs Mercs Uplink Control match
Secret Achievements

Secret Achievement

10 
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.

Secret Achievement

10 
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.

Secret Achievement

10 
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.

Secret Achievement

10 
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.

Secret Achievement

10 
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.

Secret Achievement

10 
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.

Secret Achievement

10 
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.

Secret Achievement

10 
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.

Secret Achievement

10 
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.

Secret Achievement

10 
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.

Secret Achievement

30 
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.

 

Additionally, Ubisoft has released a new trailer for Splinter Cell: Blacklist showcasing some of the different playstyles for Sam Fisher. Check out the video below:

[youtube id=”GgJ9R_wVVJE” width=”618″ height=”378″]

Splinter Cell: Blacklist is slated for an August 20 release for the PC, PS3, Wii U and Xbox 360 platforms.

Do you think you will be able to acquire all of the achievements/trophies of Splinter Cell: Blacklist? Let us know in the comment section below.

Joel Santana

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