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‘Hardest’ Battlefield 3 Easter Egg Finally Discovered By YouTube Personality

Back in April, last year, we reported on an a near-impossible-to-find Battlefield 3 easter egg that was hinted at by now ex-DICE voice-over designer, Thomas Danko.

Despite the handful of clues that Danko included in his tweets, which you can read in the previously linked article above, no Battlefield 3 player has successfully discovered the easter egg, or has at least successfully documented it, as of yet.

Leaving no mystery unsolved, YouTube personality JackFrags recently did a bit of detective work in order to get to the bottom of things and to find out what exactly lies hidden within Battlefield 3’s deepest, darkest secrets. We’ll leave it to him to explains the steps he took to solve the case and to finally reveal the enigmatic Battlefield 3 easter egg in his video below:

[youtube id=”kU0G62Osgyk” width=”618″ height=”378″]

Pretty cool, right? Was it what you expected?

Thanks for sending this one our way, JackFrags.

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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New Black Ops 2 Personalization Packs Available Next Week on Xbox Live

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 players can look forward to some more downloadable goodies next week.

According to Xbox Live’s Larry “Major Nelson” Hyrb’s lates blog update, six new downloadable add-ons will be available for Black Ops 2 on Tuesday, July 23.

Game Add-ons Release Date MS Points
Call of Duty: Black Ops II Aqua Pack 23-Jul 160
Call of Duty: Black Ops II Pack-A-Punch Pack 23-Jul 160
Call of Duty: Black Ops II Rouge Pack 23-Jul 160
Call of Duty: Black Ops II Breach Pack 23-Jul 160
Call of Duty: Black Ops II Desert Coyote Pack 23-Jul 160
Call of Duty: Black Ops II Glam Pack 23-Jul 160

 

As before, these new personalization packs will include new weapon skins, player card backgrounds and weapon reticles.

Check out the packs below, courtesy of Activision’s Dan Amrich, with descriptions from the Treyarch team.

Aqua Pack

Inspired by sea and sand, the Call of Duty®: Black Ops II Aqua Personalization Pack comes loaded with a surf-themed weapon skin, three uniquely-shaped reticles, and an all-new Calling Card. (NOTICE: Reticles only available on select scopes)

blackops2_camo_aqua

Pack-A-Punch Pack

Inspired by the elaborate markings that adorn upgraded Zombies weapons, the Call of Duty®: Black Ops II Pack-A-Punch Personalization Pack comes loaded with an intricately engraved weapon skin, three uniquely-shaped reticles, and an all-new Calling Card. (NOTICE: Reticles only available on select scopes)

blackops2_camo_pap

Rogue Pack

A new take on a classic Black Ops weapon camo, the Call of Duty®: Black Ops II Rogue Personalization Pack comes loaded with a geometrically patterned weapon skin, three uniquely-shaped reticles, and an all-new Calling Card. (NOTICE: Reticles only available on select scopes)

blackops2_camo_rogue

 

Breach Pack

Inspired by the corrosion of a post-apocalyptic industrial wasteland, the Call of Duty®: Black Ops II Breach Personalization Pack comes loaded with a distressed weapon skin, three uniquely-shaped reticles, and an all-new Calling Card. (NOTICE: Reticles only available on select scopes)

blackops2_camo_breach

Desert Coyote Pack

Inspired by the arid terrain of the American Southwest, the Call of Duty®: Black Ops II Desert Coyote Personalization Pack comes loaded with a desert-themed weapon skin, three uniquely-shaped reticles, and an all-new Calling Card. (NOTICE: Reticles only available on select scopes)

blackops2_camo_coyote

Glam Pack

Inspired by the famed fashion-lined street of Beverly Hills, the Call of Duty®: Black Ops II Rodeo Drive Personalization Pack comes loaded with a couture-themed weapon skin, three uniquely-shaped reticles, and an all-new Calling Card. (NOTICE: Reticles only available on select scopes)

blackops2_camo_glam

As with all Black Ops 2 DLC, these same personalization packs can be expected on the PlayStation 3 and PC one month later.

Any new camo patterns that strike your fancy?

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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New Battlefield 4 Merchandise Incoming This Holiday Season

A handful of brand new Battlefield 4 merchandise will be making it’s way to the market and into gamers’ hands this holiday season, according to the latest news from publisher, Electronic Arts.

The line up includes a “novel written by esteemed author Peter Grimsdale that provides backstory about the game’s heroic squad, a high-end art book that dives deeper into the imagery of Battlefield 4 and a range of Battlefield 4 gaming peripherals to help you feel the intensity of the battlefield.”

The full line up includes:

  1. Orion Publishing Group Battlefield 4 novel written by Peter Grimsdale
  2. Titan Books Battlefield 4 art book in Standard and Limited Editions
  3. Razer performance PC gaming peripherals and accessories, including mice, keyboards, headsets, messengers bags, and iPhone® cases
  4. PDP performance Xbox 360 and PS3 controllers
  5. Qpad premium PC mouse mats
  6. Jinx clothing apparel and accessories including t-shirts, hoodies, hats, key chains and dog tags
  7. Prima Games Standard and Collection Edition strategy guides
  8. Cook & Becker Battlefield 4 artwork
  9. Walls360 Battlefield 4 wall graphics
  10. BigBen Interactive mobile device and tablet cases

Sounds pretty cool! Anything of interest to you? Let us know in the comments.

Battlefield 4 launches on the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 this October 29, later on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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Halo 4 Matchmaking Update Debuts Legendary Slayer, Global Championship Kicks Off With Week 1

This week, 343 Industries is introducing a brand new game mode to Halo 4 that was first announced during PAX East last March.

Now available in Halo 4 matchmaking, Legendary Slayer offers a Slayer variant with a more competitive focus, and an emphasis on more classic Halo multiplayer settings. All players will start with default weapons, but the mode allow on-map weapon pickups and will include an enabled tracker.

Here are the key settings, as per the latest Halo Waypoint Blog update.

  • 4 vs. 4 Slayer
  • Default starting weapon (Assault Rifle)
  • No Armor Abilities
  • Motion Tracker enabled
  • All weapons and grenades located on map (no initial, random or personal ordnance)

The singular loadout is:

  • Starting weapon: Assault Rifle
  • Secondary weapon: None
  • Armor Ability: None
  • Grenades: Frag x2
  • Support upgrade: Explosives
  • Tactical package: Resupply

The playlist has launched on the following maps, custom-created specifically for Legendary Slayer:

  • Haven
  • Solace
  • Adrift
  • Abandon
  • Landfall
  • Monolith
  • Skyline
  • Shutout

The latest blog also offers more details on the Halo 4 Global Championship, which also debuted this Monday, July 15. You can check out the online qualifier scoring system, as well as the weekly featured game modes and settings right here.

Are you excited to dip your toes in Legendary Slayer this week?

Featured image by Zippyraaw.

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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Killzone: Mercenary Closed Multiplayer Beta Sign-Ups Now Open

Sony and Guerilla Games are finally getting ready to show of the multiplayer for the much-anticipated, handheld Vita title, Killzone: Mercenary. Starting today, you’ll be able to sign-up for the Closed beta event, but be quick as sign-ups close this Wednesday, July 17th.

Note that a sign-up does not guarantee a spot in the beta. Details about the Beta are very light, but it seems that we’ll be able to customize our character load-outs along with their cosmetic gear that will affect character’s performances.

Mercenary’s multiplayer suite will provide players with a diverse range of weapons, grenades, armor, and special VAN-Guard devices enabling the player to customize their multiplayer load-out slots. This customization supports the tactical element of the game; will you armor yourself up and go in like a tank, or take a more precise approach and assassinate enemies stealthily?

This was featured on the US PS Blog, while for those in the European region, you’ll be able to sign-up through here. Also, for those who got their beta code from the PS Home E3 event, keep holding on to those as they will not work for this beta, meaning if you want to participate you’ll need to sign-up still.

The Beta keys that were sent out from PlayStation Home will not work with this closed beta. In order to get in the closed beta be sure to sign up through the provided link in the blog post.

As for the Beta keys provided by PlayStation Home, hold on to those. More details will be coming soon.

Senior Producer over at Guerilla Games stated.

[youtube id=”PM-A8eN7PU4″ width=”618″ height=”378″]

So, what are you guys hoping for? Could Mercenary finally be the first-person-shooter that we have all been waiting for on handhelds?

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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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Crucial Xbox One Features May Return In Reaction To Consumer Feedback

Microsoft, who recently reveresed a few key DRM policies after the Xbox One’s initial reveal, may reinstate a few features, “If it’s something that people are really excited about and want,” says chief product officer Marc Whitten.

Speaking to IGN, Whitten said that a feature like Xbox One’s family sharing plan, which would allow up to 10 people access to your gaming library, could return. “If it’s something that people are really excited about and want, we’re going to make sure that we find the right way to bring it back,” he stated.

According to a recent petition, there are a number of gamers who are encouraging Microsoft to yet again reverse a few of their policies in order to bring back some of the Xbox One’s more unique features that were originally promised during the consoles unveiling.

An alleged Xbox One developer who recently participated in an “Ask Me Anything” on reddit, said that, “The petition shows there are lots of people who want these benefits as much as I do and clearly our execs care or Marc Whitten wouldn’t have referred to it in his IGN interview.”

He also made mention of Microsoft’s relationship with the public, admitting that the initial reveal of the next-generation console lacked clarity. “I think it’s pretty simple,” he said. “We’ve got to just talk more, get people understanding what our system is.”

What sort of course of action do you believe Microsoft should take? Would you like to see some of the Xbox One’s policies and features return after being scrapped due to consumer feedback?

Thanks, VG247.

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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DICE Wants You To Create a Battlefield 4 Dog Tag

Battlefield developers DICE want you to create a dog tag design that, if “exceptional” enough, could be featured in Battlefield 4.

To have your chance to show your work in BF4, DICE requests that you comment on Battlefield 4’s Facebook page with your design.

Here is the template, along with a few examples, from which you can create your masterpiece.

We know ours would read “MP-head” and would require you to spend over 1000 hours in Battlefield 4 multiplayer! What would be your design?

C4m6X1Lh

Examples:0GTLdnW xAeLTka q2gM8kT

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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Diablo 3 Won’t Be A Launch Title For Next Generation Platforms

Those looking to get their dungeon crawler fix on either the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One when they launch sometime later this year will probably have to wait a little longer, according to recent a recent interview with Blizzard developers.

During an interview with Diablofans, Josh Mosqueira, Travis Day and Wyatt Cheng, some of the development team behind the latest installment of the popular dungeon crawler, it was revealed that the next-generation console version of Diablo 3 will not be available as a launch title for both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Due to them just getting their hands on developer kits of said consoles, it will take a little while longer. However, they did reveal that it will instead be released sometime in 2014. Additionally, Diablo 3 fans can expect new features to be announced before BlizzCon, which takes place in the month of November.

Those looking to play Diablo 3 on current generation consoles can do so when it releases on September 3.

Joel Santana

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

Home > News

Gallery of All Steam Summer Sale Postcards

If you’ve been paying attention to Steam during the summer sale you might have noticed the images being displayed to the right of the first daily deal item.

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Some clever folks on the internet have managed to get all of the postcards together in a collection and figured out what games will be on sale during the sale:

Creddit: 10 Daily Deals

Cheesy internet sleuthing aside, I’ve just been enjoying the humor in each of the postcards.  Gimmicky though the whole Steam trading card thing might be, it’s still nice to see some effort being put into the cosmetic value they bring to achievement hunting and purchasing games during the sale.

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 > Features

Norms For Next Gen: Customizable Controls

Everyone has a different play style, and sometimes, jumping from one game to another can leave you in a confused state as to which buttons perform what functions.

Take the PlayStation’s Dual Shock controller, for example. Sometimes, you’ll be firing a weapon with a simple tap of the top right trigger, while in other games, either the lower right, or even sometimes on the left side trigger fires your weapon. Why can’t developers just make it easier for everyone and supply us with the ability to map our own controls?

There have been countless games where the default controls just aren’t what the standards are up to, or the placement of one action is just with an odd button. The last game I played with custom controls on console was Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. I praise Valve for giving us the ability to map each buttons to our liking, because I personally could not get the hang of them since I usually play with the default FPS controls used in games like Battlefield and Call of Duty.

I know developers like having gamers play their games the way it was intended to be played, but not everyone enjoys the flip-switch with the same genre (FPS, TPS, ect.) where a game should function with a certain type of button layout, but doesn’t. At times, that can just ruin the game. I’ve played games that could have been fun and enjoyable, but just didn’t bother finishing due to broken or awkward controls. Even some games on the PlayStation 3 that support mouse and keyboard can be atrocious due to a poor layout design.

It’s time for developers to start giving us more tools on consoles when it comes to what type of controller we are using and how they are set-up.

One thing developers should take into consideration is the disabled gamer community. Everyone should get the chance to experience any game, and we are only human, meaning we have our limits, despite what some would say. In more ways than you think, allowing people to have control over what their controller can do would allow many disabled gamers to play how they want to play. I know this won’t help everyone who has a disability, but it certainly will help some.

Thanks for pointing this out DanDustEmOff.

In next week’s segment, we’ll discuss dedicated servers.

 

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.

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How To Get The Best Deals During the Steam Summer Sale

With the infamous, bank account destroying, life ruining Steam Summer Sale finally upon us, I figured it would be wise to give you all some insight into making the best of the deals Valve makes available.

Firstly, if it’s not a Daily Deal, Flash Sale, or Community Choice item, DON’T waste your money.  These are the best deals around and most if not all Sale games, especially AAA titles end up in one of the sales by the end of the sale (July 22nd).

Second, buy everything as a gift item.  This puts all of your purchases into your gift inventory and gives you the option of redeeming games for your account or just having the code and being able to sell or give it to another Steam user via forums and Ebay.  This helps prevent that “darn, I bought a game and was on a flash sale for cheaper” moments where you’re stuck with a game you could have gotten for cheaper.

Thirdly, there are A LOT of games on sale during the Steam Summer Sale.  As of writing this, there are currently over 1,600 different items on sale via Steam.  Use these sites to find hidden gems that Steam might not be plastering all over the featured games tab:

Here’s a hand infographic I found on Reddit in case you’re having trouble following these guidelines:

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creddit: Steam Summer Sale Guidelines

One more thing to mention is to browse gaming forums and Ebay for posters selling codes as A LOT of people will buy up 10 or 15 copies of a game and then sell it after it’s removed from the Summer Sale at a moderate or comparable discount.

All things considered, despite the absence of developer bundles from previous Steam Sales, this year’s sale is off to a big start with AAA games like Bioshock: Infinite and Borderlands 2 going for 50% and 66% off retail price.

Let us know of any good deals you come across in the comments and be sure to buy wisely!

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

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Halo 4 Champions DLC – New Info and Screens on Maps, Armor Mods, and More

The latest Halo Bulletin contains some new information and screens to help tide fans over until the Champions Bundle DLC release on August 20th.

343 revealed the Champions Bundle DLC this past week at RTX. Prominently featured in the DLC trailer were the two maps Vertigo and Pitfall (the remake of Halo 3’s The Pit). Jessica Shea, Community Manager for 343 Industries, elaborated a bit on how the interactive element of Vertigo functions:

Vertigo

Vertigo is an asymmetrical map that provides a wide variety of indoor and outdoor combat. The map lends itself best to Slayer and Extraction game types and is best played with anywhere from 8 to 10 players. Vertigo also touts the return of a dynamic, interactive element in a Halo multiplayer map: Each base has a trigger point that depletes the shields of all players in range when shot. The map also contains a series of caves on each side as well as three levels of verticality, providing players with several different routes for attacking each base.”

Some new screenshots were also released comparing the graphical differences between Halo 3’s The Pit and Halo 4’s Pitfall. The layout remains mostly the same, though a few changes (mainly to the sword room) have been made.

Pitfall_01

Pitfall_02

More information was revealed about the new tactical ability Resistor as well as the 2 new armor mods Survivor and Rejector. The Resistor ability allows players to retain full sprint while being shot “for a few moments”. With Sprint already being a point of contention for a number players, the Resistor ability is sure to add more fuel to the argument. Players who purchase the Champions Bundle will have early access to the Resistor Ability for an undetermined amount of time.

The Survivor mod automatically ejects players before a vehicle is about to explode. By having Survivor equipped, players would be able to avoid the insta-kill explosion when riding in a vehicle. The Recharge mod when equipped will decrease the time it takes for a player’s shields to charge. Unlike the Resistor mod, all players in the Halo 4 community will be granted access shortly before Aug. 20th

Plenty of new player customization will be included in the Champions Bundle including new armor skins, weapon skins, and stances for your Spartan. Check them out in the gallery below.

MP1st Staff

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The Steam Summer Getaway Sale Is Here

Kiss your savings goodbye. The Steam Summer Getaway Sale has arrived.

From now to 10am PST July 22, Steam is holding massive sales, up to 75% off, on over 2000 PC, Mac and Linux titles.

You’ll definitely want to keep your sights on Steam’s home page every waking moment over this next week in order to catch all the Daily Sales, Flash Sales, and Community’s Choice Voting Sales, letting gamers decide what goes on sale next.

Today’s Daily Deals include:

New this year, buying discounted games will earn you a collectible in the form of Trading Cards. There are over 50, including 10 Summer Getaway Trading Cards, that you can earn, trade, or craft into badges, backgrounds, emoticons and other awards.

So, what games are you picking up, or have you picked up already? Let us know!

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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Killzone: Shadow Fall Pre-Order Bonuses Detailed

Sony and Guerrilla Games recently announced the “Shadow Pack” pre-order bundle for the upcoming PlayStation 4 launch title, Killzone: Shadow Fall.

It’s got some nifty skins for the OWL, a special multiplayer victory move, and the official Killzone: Shadow Fall soundtrack.

Check out the details:

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Guerrilla Games Producer Poria Torkan writes on the official PlayStation Blog, “To allow you to tailor your gameplay experience even further, we’re happy to announce the Shadow Pack – a bundle of exclusive content you’ll receive for pre-ordering Killzone: Shadow Fall at participating retailers! The Shadow Pack will gain you access to these extras:”

OWL Skin

Give your OWL a unique appearance with these exclusive skins. Who says combat drones need to be devoid of personality?

The OWL has several modes of operation you can activate via DualShock 4‘s touch pad: a stun mode, which creates an area-of-effect shock blast that stuns enemies and disrupts electronics; an attack mode, in which the OWL attacks anyone within range or targets a specific enemy; a shield mode, which creates a one-way energy shield in front of you; and finally, a zipline mode, which allows you to quickly and safely reach lower areas.

MP Spotlight Move

Celebrate your triumphs over enemy players in multiplayer mode in a new and unique way with this special victory move.

Official Soundtrack

Listen to the epic cinematic score for Killzone: Shadow Fall as it brings both sides of the conflict to life like never before.

[youtube id=”0J_AN0U8H8I” width=”618″ height=”378″]

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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Microsoft Set To Reveal New Xbox Live Rewards Program September 1

With Xbox Live’s Microsoft Points being swapped out with local currency sometime later this year, Microsoft’s Xbox Live Rewards program, which rewards Xbox Live members Microsoft Points for completing various tasks, might be getting an overhaul to adjust to the new currency.

According to Stevivor, whom received an e-mail about Microsoft’s plans with the next-generation Xbox Live Programs, Microsoft states that “with all these changes, it’s become necessary for us to evolve the way we reward you. Starting August 1, 2013, you will not be able to earn Microsoft Points through Xbox Live Rewards any longer.”

“Not to worry, though! Since this currency change is impacting the structure of the program, we’re taking the opportunity to make Xbox Live Rewards even better. You’ll continue to get rewarded for doing the things you love on Xbox Live – just not with Microsoft Points. So come back to rewards.xbox.com on September 1, 2013 for the full scoop. You can also follow us at @XboxLiveRewards on Twitter for the latest updates” the email continued.”

Even though Microsoft Points will be going away sometime this year, those who still have Microsoft Points in their account will see it transfer into their local currency once the transition takes place.

Thanks, OXM.

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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Current Generation Watch Dogs Versions Won’t Be Trimmed Down, According To Ubisoft

If you are unable to pick up Ubisoft’s new IP, Watch_Dogs, for next-generation consoles and instead will be settling for a PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 copy, you will still get to experience the game the way it was meant to be played and won’t be seeing any trimmed down mechanics, according to Ubisoft.

According to the latest Ubiblog, gamers should “have no fear if you plan on playing Watch Dogs on the PS3 or 360. There are no trimmed-down mechanics to make you feel as though you are missing out on the core experience.”

Although the current-generation consoles won’t be missing out on the core experience, they will, however, witness a few minor changes such as cutting down the amount of NPCs in the streets. Watch Dogs senior producer Dominic Guay, who said earlier that next-gen versions of Watch_Dogs will feature a more dynamic city, mentioned that “it’s still the same game. You don’t get the same sense of the crowd, but it allows us to scale certain bits and keep the same experience.”

Colin Graham, the animator director for Watch Dogs also chimed, saying, “players are going to know they aren’t getting a bad experience if they play Watch Dogs for the current gen, but the next gen is the real HD experience. You can zoom in another level. You can have better shaders, better simulation on the wind or the water, more particles, better atmospherics… Basically anything you can get with more computing power.”

In other news, those worrying about someone interfering with your single-player experience shouldn’t need to worry, since multiplayer is unavailable during story missions, according the blog.

Which system will you be getting Watch_Dogs for? 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

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Unintended Xbox Live Marketplace Error Causes Price Spike After Recent Beta Update, Microsoft Responds

If you’re one of the few who were lucky enough to get into the latest beta test for the Xbox 360, you may have witnessed a bit of an unintentional price spike for items on the marketplace.

Originally, the beta was intended to replace the current currency of Microsoft Points with real life currency.

Despite being under NDA, users were still very vocal about the recent changes in price on sites such as NeoGaf and Reddit. Thankfully, gamers won’t need to worry anymore, as a Microsoft representative recently told VG247, “We are aware that select regions experienced some incorrect game title pricing in the Xbox Live beta. This was an unintended error that we are in the process of fixing.”

“We’ll be reimbursing impacted beta participants for the difference in what was paid and what the price will be after the update is available to all members,” the Microsoft representative added.

You can expect the latest Xbox 360 update, which features a change of currency type, to be available sometime later this year.

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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Blizzard Offers StarCraft 2 Players One Free Name Change

Are you unhappy with or painfully regret your current StarCraft 2 name? If so, the folks over at Blizzard are offering players a chance to redeem themselves with a free name change.

All you have to do is just follow these simple steps:

  • Log into your Battle.net account
  • Select account management
  • Select Starcraft II from your game license
  • Use the drop down list to select change character name
  • Select an region in which you will like to use an available name change
  • Once selected, click use name change to confirm your request
  • Log into Starcraft II and you’ll promoted to select a new name

Note: Free name changes do not stack, so if you had one ready for use previous to today’s free name change, it will be replaced.

Additionally, the folks over at Blizzard have also mentioned that they are re-evaluating their approach to the name change process internally in order to offer free name changes much more frequently going forward. Expect more details on a later date.

Are going to take advantage of a free name change?

Via, Battle.net

Joel Santana

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

Home > Title Updates and Patches

New Patch For Counter Strike: Global Offensive Now Available On PC, Patch Notes

A new update for the latest installment of the Counter-Strike franchise is now available for download. It fixes a collision bug on bombsite B on the De_Dust 2 map, and makes any players that spawn in with the bomb, but who don’t move for a set period, automatically drop the bomb for others to pick up.

Check out the full patch notes below:

July 10 Patch Notes

GAMEPLAY

  • Adjusted the function that mapped movement speed to weapon inaccuracy. The linear portion of this function is now exponential.

MAPS

  • de_dust2: Fixed collision bug in Bombsite B, tweaked fog, fixed navmesh naming.

MISC

  • Added support for more Unicode characters in player names.Fixed a rare incorrect name truncation in the death notice feed, scoreboard and main menu.
  • Fixed truncation of the competitive maps selection when all maps were selected.
  • Smoke volume is now cheaper to render.
  • Players that spawn and don’t move for longer than sv_spawn_afk_bomb_drop_time (default 15 seconds) will automatically drop the bomb.

Joel Santana

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

Home > News

New Team Fortress 2 Update Now Available – Tweaks Items, Addresses Exploits And More

Those playing Valve’s free-to-play shooter, Team Fortress 2, are in for a surprise the next time they boot up Team Fortress 2, as a hefty new update is now available.

As we previously reported, TF2 players can look forward to this update which address some exploits such as sentry jumping and tweaks underused and popular items. Though this update is rather large, as it take up 875 MB on your hard drive, here are the following changes you can expect once you update Team Fortress 2 to the latest version:

July 10 Update Notes

General

  • Added over 60 Gold Star community-submitted Workshop items
  • Summer Claim Checks can now be redeemed for Summer Coolers
  • Summer Cooler Keys are now available in the Mann Co. Store
  • Map Stamps and Strange Filters for the new community maps cp_standin and cp_process are now available in the Mann Co. Store
  • Reduced intensity of Bleed and Jarate screen effects under DX8
  • Added text search functionality to the backpack and the store
  • Added tf_hud_show_servertimelimit to display the server’s per-map time limit on the in-game HUD
  • In MvM, if all team members unready, the pre-round countdown will stop
  • In MvM, when robots are killed by sniper headshots or explosive headshot upgrade, they will drop ‘red’ money that will automatically be collected when it would otherwise dissolve
  • Fixed a bug with the Unusual Adjustment Slider that would cause changes not to take effect
  • Double-clicking a crate will now take you to the appropriate key in the store
  • By default, items with non-standard qualities (i.e., strange, unusual) will not be selectable as craft ingredient. The ingredient selection UI has a checkbox to disable this feature and allow selection.
  • Unusuals and Stranges no longer stack in loadout equip pages
  • Fixed a bug that would sometimes cause incorrect Steam Community Market prices to be shown on item tooltips when using non-USD currencies
  • Fixed a bug that would cause the popular items page in the store to not always update correctly
  • Fixed a bug where disguised red spies spawned a blue heal particle when touching healthkits
  • Fixed a bug where certain projectiles and Engineer building gibs could cause doors to become stuck
  • Fixed a bug where crouch animations would not properly play while in humiliation state
  • Fixed a bug where full ÜberCharge effects would always show on the client if a player was killed with full ÜberCharge
  • Fixed a bug that allowed custom item names/descriptions containing HTML to sometimes change the appearance of items in Steam Community
  • Fixed level 3 dispensers missing geometry
  • Fixed level 2 dispensers appearing identical to level 1 dispensers at certain LODs
  • Fixed the Marked-For-Death effect showing over the head of disguised or stealthed players
  • Fixed suicide deathnotices showing the dead player’s last deployed weapon instead of the skull and crossbones
  • Fixed characters in the loadout page sometimes appearing as if they were cloaked
  • Weapon attributes will now show in the same order in-game and in Steam Community
  • Support for the ITFItems/GetPlayerItems and ITFItems/GetSchema WebAPIs have been removed
  • Added support for the Oculus-native distortion function via the “oculus_use_ovr_distortion” convar in VR mode

Items

  • The Chieftain’s Challenge, Lord Cockswain’s Pith Helmet, That ’70s Chapeau, The K-9 Mane, The Stovepipe Sniper Shako, The Pounding Father, and Vox Diabolus can now be painted
  • “The Public Enemy”, “The Urban Professional”, and “The Dumpster Diver” sets will now show up as sets in the in-game UI
  • Cursed Soul items (Halloween zombie skins) are now renameable
  • Strange Bacon Grease can now be gift-wrapped
  • Added LODs to the Airborne Armaments set items
  • Fixed Bison/Pomson projectiles getting stuck on doors
  • Fixed Baseballs and Jars sometimes going through thin geometry
  • Crit-A-Cola
    • Removed: Damage taken mini-crits
    • Added: Damage taken increased 25%
  • Shortstop
    • Added 20% bonus healing while deployed
    • Added 80% vulnerability increase to all push forces while deployed
  • Winger
    • Added +25% Jump Height bonus when active
  • The Special Delivery (set)
    • Removed: +25 max health on wearer
    • Added: Leave a calling card on your victims
  • Battalion’s Backup
    • Added additional +15% Sentry damage resistance to all teammates while banner effect is active (50% damage reduction while banner is active)
    • Rage is now generated from damage dealt instead of damage received
  • Black Box
    • Rocket explosions now use correct sound
  • Beggar’s Bazooka
    • Fixed an exploit that allowed players to hold a set fixed number of rockets (reload cancelling)
    • Misfired Rockets now remove one loaded rocket from the clip
  • Concheror
    • Rage is now generated only from damage dealt
    • Buffed players now receive a speed boost, in addition to the previous Health-On-Hit effect
  • Cow Mangler 5000
    • Reduced clip size (from 5 to 4)
    • Removed -10% damage attribute
    • Removed 5% slower reload attribute
    • Added missing “sets players on fire” description text
    • New particles and sound
  • Escape Plan
    • Players receive the Marked-For-Death effect after deploying, and for a short period after holstering
  • Liberty Launcher
    • Removed: 25% reduced clip size penalty
    • Added: 25% reduced damage penalty
  • Original
    • Rocket explosions now use correct sound
  • The Tank Buster (set)
    • Removed: +20% Sentry damage resistance on wearer
    • Added: Leave a calling card on your victims
  • Phlogistinator
    • Fixed “Mmmph” progress resetting after touching a resupply cabinet
  • Powerjack
    • Added: 15% increase move speed while deployed
    • Added: 20% damage vulnerability to all sources
  • The Gas Jockey’s Gear (set)
    • Removed: +10% faster move speed on wearer
    • Removed: +10% bullet damage vulnerability on wearer
    • Added: Leave a calling card on your victims
  • Chargin’ Targe
    • Added: Afterburn immunity
  • Loose Cannon
    • Range no longer affects direct cannonball impact damage
    • Reduced charge time to 1 second
    • Added: Double-Donk (directly impacting an enemy within half a second before the bomb explosion) sound and particle effects
    • Double-Donk damage now mini-crits
  • The Expert’s Ordnance (set)
    • Removed: +10% fire damage resistance on wearer
  • Buffalo Steak Sandvich
    • Removed: Damage taken mini-crits
    • Added: Damage taken increased 25%
  • Dalokohs Bar
    • Increased amount of health restored per-bite from 15 to 25
  • Gunslinger
    • Fixed a bug that caused mini-sentries to heal while being constructed
  • Rescue Ranger
    • Minor increase in damage per bolt
    • Increased building healing from 50 to 75 per bolt
  • Short Circuit
    • Ammo cost reduced when an attack destroys a projectile
  • Wrangler
    • Slightly reduced accuracy of manually-controlled sentry at long range
    • Protective shield now fades 1 second after the owning Engineer dies
  • Crusaders Crossbow
    • Changed arrow projectile to a large syringe
    • Added new trail effects
    • Smoothed out reload animation (DPS unchanged)
    • Fixed being able to heal players that are using items that block healing
  • Quick-Fix
    • Added 50% Overheal
    • Über now affects the medic when there’s no heal target
    • Shotguns with pushback (Force-A-Nature) no longer affect players under the effect of Quick-Fix’s Über
  • Vaccinator
    • Über now fully absorbs crit damage for the selected damage type, but depletes Übercharge based on the amount of damage prevented
  • Bazaar Bargain
    • Fixed the starting charge rate being -40% instead of -20%
    • Capped the max charge rate to 200%
  • Cozy Camper
    • Removed movement penalty.
    • Added: Damage taken increased by 20%
  • Darwin’s Danger shield
    • Added: Bullet damage taken reduced by 15%
    • Added: Explosive damage taken increased by 20%
  • The Croc-o-Style Kit (set)
    • Removed headshot immunity
    • Added: Leave a calling card on your victims
  • Dead Ringer
    • When under the effect of Feign Death, damage taken decreases the duration of the effect
  • L’Etranger
    • Added: 40% increased cloak duration
  • Spy-cicle
    • Fixed a bug that would cause the charge meter to not reset when the spy was killed
  • The Saharan Spy (set)
    • Removed: Reduced decloak sound volume
    • Removed: 0.5 sec longer cloak blink time
    • Added custom particle effects when taunting

For the full list of fixes, including map changes, feel free to check out the official changelog of the latest update here.

Joel Santana

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