Ever get tired of playing the same multiplayer map in first-person shooters over and over? Yeah, we know how you feel and so do the guys over at Ubisoft games. With their soon to be released title, Far Cry 3, Ubisoft has given players control over a map editor that allows them to edit maps to their own liking. Here’s a short video introducing this feature.
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.
Battlefield fans can look forward to a hefty Battlefield 3 patch along side DICE’s upcoming multiplayer expansion, Aftermath.
Battlefield 3: Aftermath will release for PlayStation 3 Battlefield 3 Premium members tomorrow, November 27, along with the patch for both the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360. PC users will see the patch on December 4, the same day Aftermath goes live for Xbox 360 and PC Battlefield 3 Premium members.
Console players should note that Battlefield 3 will be unavailable between 09:00-10:00 UTC on Nov 27 for maintenance. Exact times here.
In the patch notes below, you’ll see DICE has further looked into the PlayStation 3’s input lag issues as well as the sound dropouts many users have been experiencing. There are also a number of new weapon tweaks and fixes along with other general tweaks, including more AC-130 Gunship changes, so start reading!
Also, let us know in the comments what you think of the fixes. Anything in particular got you excited or upset?
If you have been experiencing “input lag” playing Battlefield 3 on PlayStation 3, we now believe we have significantly improved this situation for all players.
Improved audio stability on PS3
The audio dropouts reported by some PlayStation 3 gamers playing Battlefield 3 should now be fixed for the majority of players .
Weapons balancing
Based on detailed community feedback and data analysis we have made some minor weapon tweaks to recoil and accuracy. The goal of these tweaks, and the overall goal in Battlefield 3, is to give each weapon a unique feel and competitive performance to other weapons of a similar type.
M416: First shot and horizontal recoil slightly increased. This should make the choice between M16 and M416 more interesting again.
L85A2: Slightly reduced horizontal recoil.
AUG: first shot recoil slightly to increase weapon controllability.
FAMAS: Slightly reduced horizontal recoil.
G53: Vertical recoil reduced to make this weapon more controllable.
QBZ-95B: Slightly reduced horizontal recoil.
LSAT: Hip accuracy has been increased to highlight the weapon’s role as a highly mobile LMG.
Type88 LMG: Recoil has been decreased to make it a viable option when compared to the M249.
M5K: Increased horizontal recoil and decreased vertical recoil to focus this weapon as a high damage, low control PDW.
UMP45: Decreased fully automatic fire to differentiate this weapon from the PP2000.
MP412: Increased its accuracy to better distinguish it from the .44 Magnum.
M26: Increased aimed accuracy to be in line with the other shotguns.
Weapons bug fixes
Fixed the MTAR’s range not being correctly reduced when equipped with the sound suppressor.
Fixed a bug where suppressive fire had reduced effect on the M16 and M5K when compared with other weapons.
Fixed a bug where the M5K’s Flash Suppressor had no effect on accuracy.
Fixed the L86A2 Heavy Barrel’s hip accuracy penalty being far larger than other weapons.
Fixed an issue with the Mk3 shotgun’s ACOG being low resolution.
M-COM disarm fix
Fixed an issue where M-COM stations couldn’t be disarmed from the left side while standing up.
Alborz Mountains rock fix
Rocks and stones collision tweaked on Armored Kill maps. Players should no longer be able to exploit a collision issue that allowed them to hide inside rock formations.
Operation Shield/Alborz Mountains Tank Superiority area fix
Tank Superiority visual combat areas fixed on Operation Shield and Alborz Mountains. There was earlier a 10×10 meter patch on the mountain that became out of combat for US. This was technically already fixed server side, however this will update the actual visuals to be correct.
[Note: DICE most likely meant “Armored Shield,” not “Operation Shield,” which could be its internal name.]
Death Valley collision fix
Collision tweaked on the railroad tunnel roof. This fix prevents players from being able to hide inside the railroad tunnel roof.
Sharqi Squad Rush spawn fix
Players would sometimes spawn out of combat if spawning shortly after the first M-COM explodes on Squad Rush on Sharqi Peninsula. With this fix, spawn points have been moved back to prevent this from happening.
Alborz Mountains Squad Rush fix
Cameras were incorrect in the spawn menu, pointing to old locations and not where you would actually spawn in. This has now been fixed.
Gunship balancing changes
We have now removed the gunship FLIR view (the position is still available, just not the black/white view) and decreased the damage radius of cannon explosions. This was done because of balancing reasons. Previously it was too easy for the gunner to get visual contact on enemy soldiers on the maps, and the splash damage is reduced to make it harder to kill infantry from the cannon seat.
Mobile Artillery spawn bug fixed
Two players can no longer spawn into the Mobile Artillery. This was a spawn-in-menu bug on the Operation Shield map which has now been fixed.
Tweaked hard to get medals
Looking at the persistence system, we could see that a number of the hard to get medals were actually too hard to achieve (in our opinion based on our intended design). While we never meant for all medals to have an equal distribution, the hardest ones were still intended to be more achievable than they have proven to be so far. Therefore, we have slightly decreased the prerequisites to achieve a number of the hardest to get medals in the game. One positive side effect (if you like playing Recon) is that we will likely see a slight bump in the Recon kit’s average Score Per Minute overall.
How to download the latest update (Multiplayer Update 5)
PLAYSTATION 3 SPECIFIC INFO
Patch goes live: November 27
How to download patch once it is live: When starting the game, the patch will automatically download. It is mandatory to accept this download if you want to play the game.
XBOX 360 SPECIFIC INFO
Patch goes live: November 27
How to download patch once it is live: When starting the game, you will get a popup notifying you that Multiplayer Update 5 is available. It is not mandatory to accept this, but we advise you to do so. Otherwise, you can find Multiplayer Update 5 both on Xbox Live Marketplace and in our in-game store as a manual download.
PC SPECIFIC INFO
Patch goes live: No later than December 4
How to download patch once it is live: As soon as you start your Origin client, the latest game update will automatically start downloading (unless you’ve disabled the option “Automatically keep my games up to date”, in which case it will start downloading when you try to run the game). In Battlelog, you will be notified from the Game Manager. Once you acknowledge the update, it will start downloading within the Origin client.
In the coming months, 343 Industries is set to release three different map packs for Halo 4: the Crimson Map Pack, the Majestic Map Pack and the Castle Map Pack.
All three packs are included in the Halo 4 War Games Season Pass, which you can purchase here for the one-time payment of 2000 Microsoft Points. Though 343 Industries has yet to officially announce any specific release dates, we’ve got our own idea thanks to HaloCouncil forum user xJumPeR_JumPzZ.
According to an ad spotted on the German Xbox 360 Dashboard, you can expect the following dates for each map pack:
Crimson Map Pack: December 10
Majestic Map Pack: February 25
Castle Map Pack: April 1
As it stands. We are still awaiting an official announcement from 343 Industries, so stay tuned!
Originally planned to release last October, Bioshock: Infinite had slipped into a 2013 release date with no definite reason other than to improve the title. Many began to speculate that Irrational Games, the developers behind the title, were using the time to add multiplayer, similar to that of Bioshock 2. Rest assured, Infinite will not have multiplayer.
Taking to the Twitterverse and responding to fan concern, Irrational Game’s game designer, Ken Levine confirmed today that there would not be any multiplayer for Infinite.
RT @tha_don_101: @iglevine can you clear up whether or not Bioshock Infinite will have multiplayer modes?—Nope.
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.
Well guys, it’s finally here. After years of waiting for Sony to produce such a title, it’s finally here. So, does PS All-Stars live up to the dream of a true PlayStation fan?
Many out there will be quick to point out the obvious, but let me just get it out of the way right now: This is not a Super Smash Bros. clone. Yes, it may have been heavily influenced by it, but the games are very much different in their own way. Who’s to say both titles can’t coexist? I know Call of Duty, Battlefield, Killzone, Halo, and a bunch of other first-person shooters out there do.
Content/Replayability
I know this is going to be one of those things where people et upset due to the current roster list. The true issue isn’t who’s in it, but who isn’t in it. While I did want to see Crash Bandicoot make his debut return, it just wasn’t going to happen at this time. (Maybe as DLC.) Anyway, I can easily say that this game packs a punch when it comes to content. With 20 diverse and addictive characters, hundreds of unlocks, and a competitive multiplayer, PS All-Stars will keep you hooked for hours on end. I can’t remember the last time that I played a multiplayer game that has kept me this interested in the maps and characters.
As an addition, the game also has extra costumes can that can be unlocked for each character. If you were lucky enough to pre-order, you also got 20 extra costumes. Though these do nothing other than offer a new cosmetic look, it is nice to the eye and avoids seeing the exact same characters on one screen. As for the other unlocks, you’ll be able to unlock minions that’ll cheer for you in combat along with new playercard icons and backgrounds that can be customized (not too deep though, just in selection).
A Fighting System With Depth
As I explained in my preview of the beta, All-Star is set in a 2D plane where players brawl with iconic PlayStation characters. Yes, this is all quite similar to that of Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. series, but that doesn’t make it a complete rip-off. The biggest thing that All-Star does to differentiate itself is that it uses a system where the only way to get points is by eliminating your opponent(s) with supers. Superbot Entertainment has truly crafted an entirely new system different from that of the Smash series. Both games feel completely different enough from one another.
Each character has their own unique combo set, though all characters have the basic attack special layout. So pushing ‘up,’ ‘triangle’ or any other direction and attack button combination will work on any character, with each offering their own attacks. Not only that, but the build of a character matters as well. Take for example Big Daddy (Bioshock). This guy is a massive tank, meaning he moves slow but deals damage heavily. Sackboy, however, is the exact opposite. He’s small, which gives him an advantage at dodging specials. However, his attacks aren’t as effective as Big Daddy’s. With Raiden, he’s built exactly as he is in the MGS series. He’s fast, can run up walls (the only character) and utilizes a sword more efficiently than the rest of the characters.
With that said, it’s in the the combo (and Super) system where all the depth comes in. There are so many combos and all of them are different for every character. So, if your someone who enjoys mastering a fighting game, than All-Stars is for you. For a novice player, you can expect them to spam buttons continuously, but for more advance players, you’ll be seeing them pulling off some amazing moves. Thankfully, they aren’t completely impossible to break, however, seeing that the game has added a dodge, guard, and recovery system, which allows anyone to easily counter against these combos.
Nariko (Heavenly Sword) summoning her level three super
The Supers also add some strategy to the whole mash’em up brawler genre. Do you hoard your meter up till a full level 3, or do you try to get quick kills with level 1’s? Constantly, players will be asking themselves when is the right time to strike with a Super. And like the combo system, each character has their own Supers. Some of them are more difficult to perform, such as Sweet Tooth’s. But with a little practice, it eventually becomes easy to perform the level ones. Level twos are usually Supers that can take out a minimum of two players, but I have seen it take out three (same with a level one). Level three Supers will typically net you 3 kills no matter what and possibly more.
Originally, I thought the game was going to a larger number of modes. Sadly, I was wrong. The game, besides the single player stuff, only has two modes from what I’m aware of. There’s Free-for-All, and then there’s 2 vs 2. In custom games, you are allowed to play with stocks, meaning that you only have a certain amount of spawns. Otherwise, this game is lacking when it comes to matchmaking modes. Hopefully they’ll add 1 vs 1, King of the Hill, or other fighting mode favorites later on in the game’s cycle.
An Active And Supporting Community
Matchmaking in All-Stars is made simple, and the game does support custom games along with an easy to invite party system for friends. Beside the normal launch day issues, getting into a full lobby is fast, so you’ll never have to worry about finding anyone. Support from the developer side seems to be there to as SuperBot Entertainment has said that they’ll continue to support the game with new DLC and characters, so you don’t have to worry about this game dying out any time soon.
Skills Matter When It Comes To Balancing
The biggest issue that many players will come to realize is that “X” character is “overpowered” or “Y” character is too “underpowered.” From my long hours of match playing, I have come to realize that all these characters are as balanced as the user using them. I am a complete mess whenever I use Sweet Tooth. He’s sluggish and his combo sets are hard to perform compared to other characters. Yeah, I’ll win some rounds with him, but not so often as I do with someone like Radec or Big Daddy. Yet, I have played against other players who’ll absolutely dominate with him.
Overpowered, you say? No. I’m Just A Better Player.
The balancing all really comes down to the player skill level, which is what this game is all about. There are just some players that are far better with one character then you’ll ever be, which will make you believe that specific character may be “overpowered.” That’s just my opinion though. Like I said, I don’t see anything wrong with the current balance level.
Graphics/Performance
The one thing that truly impressed me the most was how fluid the connection between the PS3 and PS Vita is. Not once throughout my online career with the Vita did I encounter any hiccups simply due to the fact that I was playing on a difference console. Both platforms perform identically, so for those who feared the Vita getting a shoddy console port, you don’t have to worry about that. The games are literally the exact same across both consoles. Both have no virtually no frame drops (60 FPS on both console), and graphically speaking, they look identical. Whether you’re an owner of either console, you’ll be happy with the version that you buy.
The Songbird from BioShock Infinite flies high above the sky as you battle it out against other players on the crashing Cargo Plane from Uncharted.
Of course, the game wouldn’t be any fun if it didn’t have any memorable maps to support these intense battles. No map in the game is just a map. In fact, they are mash-ups or maps collaborated with two or more game series. For those familiar with the Uncharted 3 Cargo Plane scene, you’ll be quick to notice it as PS All-Stars will bring that very same moment back, except instead of traveling into an uncharted desert, you’ll be flying through the city of Bioshock Infinite, all while the Songbird is gearing up to attack the plane. All the maps available in All-Stars act this way with some sort of mash-up happening in the background, and at times, it can even affect the playing field itself.
Overall Thought
Since the title launched on Tuesday, I have been playing this game nonstop. I am very addicted to it, so yes, I would say it’s an excellent title to own. It has a great line-up of characters (with two free ones coming next year), the balancing is well thought out, and the gameplay has a great amount of depth. While visually the game does look like Smash Bros., I can safely say that these two titles play on completely different levels.
Remember, if you own both systems, buy the PS3 version as you’ll get the Vita version for no additional charge.
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.
Stuart Brown, AKA Xbox Ahoy, who many of you may remember for his Black Ops and Modern Warfare 3 weapon guides, returns with yet another series of informative and entertaining weapon info vids, this time taking a look at the weapons featured in Call of Duty: Black Ops 2.
Each video looks at a different weapon’s historical background, damage, rate of fire, handling, magazine capacity and suggested builds to give you the upper hand in any fire fight.
To kick things off, Xbox Ahoy looks at the first assault rifle available in the game, once Create-a-Class is unlocked: The MTAR assault rifle.
Enjoy his first video in this series below, and make sure to subscribe to his channel for more Black Ops 2 weapon guides!
Next week, Spartans can look forward to yet another episode of Halo 4’s Spartan Ops with Episode 4 along with a brand new playlist update which we details earlier. You can read more about it here.
While we wait, 343 Industries has uploaded another teaser trailer hinting at what’s to come in the latest episode of Spartan Ops.
“This week on Halo 4: Spartan Ops — An unknown intelligence contacts Doctor Halsey, Thorne tries to understand the history of the Spartan Program, and the Sangheili terrorist known as ‘The Didact’s Hand’ appears on Requiem… but what is he searching for? Spartans, prepare for things to get rough on Requiem.”
It’s Black Friday and you’ve probably got your credit card lying right next to you on your desk as you surf the internet today.
How about some Battlefield 3, Medal of Honor: Warfighter, Need for Speed: Most Wanted or Skyrim at some crazy prices? We’ve rounded up all of today’s deals on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace, the PlayStation Store, Origin and Steam for your convenience below. Check out all the deals and simply follow the links to be redirected to your store of choice.
Happy gaming!
Xbox LIVE Marketplace Black Friday Deals
The Xbox LIVE Marketplace has a number of add-ons and Xbox LIVE Arcade titles on sale for today only, including content for Mass Effect 3, Forza Horizon and Ghost Recon Future Soldier. Visit the Marketplace to check out all the deals. You might also want to check out the Xbox LIVE Marketplace’s Holiday Offerings right here, including a number of Avatar items.
ME3: Leviathan
Standard: 800
Discount: 400
Forza Horizon October Car Pack
Standard: 400
Discount: 200
Batman Arkham City Harley Quinn’s Revenge
Standard: 800
Discount: 400
Quantum Conundrum
Standard: 1200
Discount: 600
Ghost Recon Future Soldier Arctic Strike
Standard: 800
Discount: 400
Ghost Recon Future Soldier Raven Strike
Standard: 1200
Discount: 600
Dungeon Defenders
Standard: 1200
Discount: 600
PlayStation 3 Ultimate Deals
The PlayStation Store has recently been updated to include a number of “Ultimate Deals” at up to 60% off, including the Ultimate Editions of games like Assassin’s Creed Revelations, Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Mass Effect 2. You can see what else is new by visiting the blog right here.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution Ultimate Edition: $34.99
Mass Effect 2 Ultimate Edition: $34.99
Red Faction: Armageddon Ultimate Edition: $24.99
Saints Row 2 Ultimate Edition: $24.99
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine Ultimate Edition: $29.99
Origin Black Friday Sale
You won’t want to miss this one. Get Battlefield 3, Medal of Honor: Warfighter or Need for Speed: Most Wanted at some crazy prices, up to 70% off, for today only. Check out Origin to make your purchase(s).
Battlefield 3
PC Digital: $12.00
PC Physical: $19.99
PlayStation 3: $19.99
Xbox 360: $19.99
Command and Conquer The Ultimate Edition
PC Digital: $24.99
PC Physical: $24.99
Medal of Honor: Warfighter
PC Digital: $29.99
PC Physical: $29.99
PlayStation 3: $29.99
Xbox 360: $29.99
Need for Speed: Most Wanted
PC Digital: $24.99
PC Physical: $24.99
PlayStation 3: $29.99
PlayStation Vita: $19.99
Xbox 360: $29.99
The Sims 3: Seasons
PC Digital: $19.99
Mac/Win Digital: $19.99
The Sims 3: Supernatural
PC Digital: $19.99
Mac/Win Digital: $19.99
The Sims 3: Pets
PC Digital: $12.00
Mac/Win Digital: $12.00
Xbox 360: $6.00
Darksiders II: Standard Edition
PC Digital: $24.99
FIFA Manager 13
PC Digital: $19.99
Madden NFL 13
PlayStation 3: $29.99
PlayStation Vita: $19.99
Xbox 360: $29.99
Wii: $24.99
FIFA Soccer 13
PC Digital: $19.99
PlayStation 3: $29.99
PlayStation Vita: $19.99
Xbox 360: $29.99
Wii: $24.99
PSP: $19.99
3DS: $19.99
Steam Autumn Sale
From November 21 – 26, Steam is holding an Autumn Sale with a number of deals that shift each week. Definitely make sure to check out their store here. Today’s deals include:
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Standard: $59.99
Discount: $29.99
War of the Roses
Standard: $29.99
Discount: $14.99
Saints Row The Third
Standard: $39.99
Discount: $9.99
Transformers: Fall of Cybertron
Standard: $59.99
Discount: $29.99
Crysis 2: Maximum Edition
Standard: $39.99
Discount: $11.99
Farming Simulator 2013
Standard: $29.99
Discount: $14.99
That about covers today’s deals. What are you picking up? Let us know in the comments below!
Den boards users corpsecreate, pwnsweet and marvel4 have compiled an in-depth weapon statistic chart for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 fans to enjoy.
Weapons are categorized by class and feature statistics like magazine size, minimum and maximum damage, RPM, Time to Kill and tons more. If you want to know your guns inside and out, be sure to check out this handy guide.
It has been updated to reflect the latest updates but will most likely change as weapons characteristics tend to do through further patching. To keep up to date, you can also follow this Reddit thread by lolujelly.
Lead vehicle designer for DUST 514, Ryan Thornton, gives players an inside look at just some of the vehicles available in Dust 514.
He also talks about the idea continued support for DUST 514 and how the team plans to implement new features in the future, including more vehicles like mechs.
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.
With the latest entry in the COD franchise just days old, YouTube has been flooded with how-to videos telling people about ranking up fast, getting scorestreaks easily, and having a better K/D. As a long time gamer and lover of playing the objective, I feel like it is my duty to offer a different perspective.
Don’t get me wrong, I have a deep appreciation for guys like TmarTn and WoodysGamertag, their videos are what inspired me to start my own channel. Additionally, they are by far some of the most respectable COD commentators around. My goal isn’t to replace them or denounce their content, it’s simply to fill the void. Not everyone is interested in being the best teammate they can be and there’s nothing wrong with wanting to do well on your own. But as a competitive COD player I want more than to just do well and have a high K/D, I want to win. I want to beat strong teams not just by myself, but with my friends. Hopefully the passion and expertise I have shows through in this video. More importantly, however, I hope it helps you be the best teammate you can be.
I have several more “Be a Better Teammate” videos planned and would greatly appreciate your feedback to shape the series into something really worth watching. Please let me know what you think in the comments.
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.
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Valve has promised to add the silencer attachment to Counter-Strike Global Offensive once all remaining balance issues are addressed. At the E-Sports World Cup 2012, Valve spoke to the tournament players in regards to adding the silencer.
Cadred was able to speak with one of the attendees, who had the following to say, “[Valve] talked to us for about forty-five minutes about the changes that were coming in the game and were very keen to address the silencer issue.
“One of my team-mates had already said to them that the silencer had to be brought back and I think that’s why they talked about it so much. They kept saying that it was a low priority compared to other things but it would definitely be making a return.
“The guys we spoke to kept telling us that they felt CT was really overpowered right now on most maps, which wasn’t what we felt at all. They said that was the main reason for dropping the silencer because it gave the CTs yet another advantage and they felt it was one too many.
“They know how the community feels about it but they said it was a balancing issue. Even then they reassured us that it would be back, just as soon as they could figure out how to fit it in without it unbalancing the game further.”
Are you still playing Counter-Strike GO? What do you think of the way Valve has handled the balance issues so far?
Australian gamer Okan Kaya has set a new Guinness World Record for the longest recorded gaming session. He spent 135 hour straight on Call of Duty: Black Ops 2.
Kaya played Black Ops 2 for seven days to set the record, which includes 10 minute break every hour. Guinness allows for 10 minute break for every hour, If the player plays through their breaks, then these unused breaks can be stacked, like scorestreaks, to allow the player to have longer breaks for eating, sleeping, and such.
The player was accompanied at all times by an entire crew of supporters and witnesses taking turns to supervise the session. Kaya’s record is at the 135 hour and 50 minutes mark, which beats the previous record of 120 hours, 7 minutes set earlier this year by a Canadian duo playing Sony’s Resistance series.
By the end of the session, Kaya was ranked 37th on the game’s leaderboards. Please let us know in the comments what you think of Kaya’s achievement Are you willing to challenge this record? If so, which game will you be playing?
Yesterday, November 21, Treyarch went live with an update for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 on the PC that featured single player, zombies and multiplayer fuxes, including the earlier promised 90 FOV patch.
This 26 MB Xbox 360 update contains a number of improvements to Live Streaming and CODTV, as well as a bunch of fixes for the Escort Drone, Dragonfire and FHJ-18 glitches among others.
Xbox 360 Title Update 1 Patch Notes
Made infrastructure and performance improvements to Live Streaming.
Made streaming performance improvements to video playback in CODTV.
Addressed an issue where flight range parameters for airborne vehicles could be deleted in the middle of a match due to a network interruption. This fix resolves the following symptoms reported by the community:
Escort drone flying under the map
Inability to call in the Dragonfire
FHJ-18 weapon level is now increased by destroying Scorestreak vehicles and aircraft.
Care Package/AGR canister exploit has been addressed.
Patched a small map exploit in Aftermath.
Addressed a rare situation that would cause the Emblem Editor menu to overlap other menus.
Balance pass on spawn influencers to improve cases causing non-optimal spawning under certain conditions.
Improved performance for emblem uploads to prevent an occasional hang. If there is an error connecting to servers during an upload, you will now be able to re-try your save.
Emblems and Clan tags will now appear correctly on the Assault Shield when stowed on the back.
Addressed all reported UI error code messages.
Elite Clan Friends list no longer actively sorts players when their status is updated. The player list will refresh after closing and re-opening the tab.
Improved a number of emblem icons in the Emblem Editor.
Junkyard IV reward added to Calling Cards.
[Update] PlayStation 3 Title Update 1 Patch Notes (November 17, 2012)
Similar fixes and tweaks were made to the PlayStation 3 version of Black Ops 2 earlier on November 17th. Here are the full patch notes:
Made performance improvements to matchmaking and lobby timers to start matches faster.
Addressed an issue contributing to the majority of reported freezes. A small number of low frequency cases continue to undergo investigation for the next patch update.
Many backend updates have been made since launch to streamline servers for load balancing. This results in many general improvements to matchmaking, user content servers, leaderboards and online security.
Made infrastructure and performance improvements to Live Streaming.
Made streaming performance improvements to video playback in CODTV.
Addressed an issue where flight range parameters for airborne vehicles could be deleted in the middle of a match due to a network interruption. This fix resolves the following symptoms reported by the community:
Escort drone flying under the map
Inability to call in the Dragonfire
FHJ-18 weapon level is now increased by destroying Scorestreak vehicles and aircraft.
Care Package/AGR canister exploit has been addressed.
Patched a small map exploit in Aftermath.
Addressed a rare situation that would cause the Emblem Editor menu to overlap other menus.
Balance pass on spawn influencers to improve cases causing non-optimal spawning under certain conditions.
Improved performance for emblem uploads to prevent an occasional hang. If there is an error connecting to servers during an upload, you will now be able to re-try your save.
Emblems and Clan tags will now appear correctly on the Assault Shield when stowed on the back.
Addressed all reported UI error code messages.
Elite Clan Friends list no longer actively sorts players when their status is updated. The player list will refresh after closing and re-opening the tab.
Improved a number of emblem icons in the Emblem Editor.
Junkyard IV reward added to Calling Cards.
Anything you’re relieved to see fixed? Anything still unaccounted for? Let us know in the comments!
343 community manager Jessica Shea details next week’s playlist update.
Last Monday, Halo 4’s playlists saw the addition of Team Snipers, a Sniper-only game type that tests your wits and your marksmanship skills. Along with it came the following tweaks and fixes:
Monday, November 19 Update Notes:
Fixed exploit locations on Complex
Fixed exploit locations on Haven
Fixed exploit locations on Ragnarok
Increased daily XP cap
Reduced weighting for Ragnarok in BTB/KotH/CTF
Reduced weighting for Haven in Infinity Slayer and SWAT
Additionally, Shea mentioned in the latest Halo Bulletin that we can continue to expect Matchmaking fixes for exploits and glitches each Monday.
So, what about next week? First, those still enjoying the SWAT game mode will be happy to know that it will carry over yet again due to its popularity. Team Snipers, however, will be replaced with a brand new Free-For-All Throwback playlist including Oddball and King of the Hill. This will shift the focus of these otherwise team-based game modes from the team to the individual.
Maps appearing in the FFA Throwback playlist are:
Haven
Adrift
Complex
Solace
Abandon
Like last time, Shea provides some tips for first-time FFA Oddball and King of the Hill players
Oddball
While holding the ball, if your closest rival or the game leader is close to killing you, try throwing the Oddball away from them to deny them points.
The Oddball is an instant kill with a melee attack. This is a huge help up-close.
While holding the Oddball, remember that others can see your location.
Grenades and weapons with high impulse will push the Oddball away. Use this to prevent an enemy from picking up the ball.
King of the Hill
The points fanfare now counts up above your reticle. Keep an eye on exactly how many points you’re earning while in the hill.
Timing when you go into the hill is a big game changer. It’s often best to clear out enemies before rushing in.
Targeting your competition is huge. Take down your closest rivals vying for each valuable point in the hill.
When a hill reaches 5 points or less, the next hill will be highlighted on your HUD as “INCOMING”. Keep an eye on this, and plan your moves in advance.
On maps with vehicles, use them to help dominate a hill (and earn special vehicle hill medals while you do it!).
343 has the following settings planned for this FFA Throwback.
Starting tomorrow, November 22, Premium members “who rack up the most base captures will receive a limited edition lithograph from Battlefield 3,” according to the latest Battlelog news.
DICE also writes “the competition runs the 72 hours of Friday, Saturday and Sunday November 23-25. Note that we use the UTC time zone to decide start and end times. Click this link to see when the start time corresponds to in your time zone. Technically, the competition will start already on Thursday evening November 22 if you are located on the west coast of America, for example.”
Got all that? To sign up and read up on all the details, head on over to the Battlelog.
Additionally, the Battlelog now lists a set of five brand new Battlefield 3 assignments and dog tags, also exclusive to Premium members only. None of these items are currently found in-game, but will most likely be made available this weekend along with the competition.
Check them out below:
Battlescars
Get 25 knife kills
Get 50 kills with the SCAR-H
Get 50 kills with the SCAR-L
Fire In The Hole!
Destroy 20 pieces of enemy equipment with the M67 grenade
With Battlefield 3’s Aftermath expansion pack just around the corner, we’ve got more information which details upcoming weapon camos as well as assignments and achievements/trophies we can be sure to look forward completing once Aftermath hits in only a few weeks.
First up, we’re taking a look at the ten assignments that Aftermath is set to include:
Aftermath Assignments
Archery 101
Objective: Get 5 Xbow kills
Reward: Oldschool
William Tell
Objectives: Total of 150 meters headshots with the XBOW, Get 50 kills with the XBOW
Reward: William Tell
Sticks and Stones
Objective: Win three rounds of Scavenger
Reward: Xbow
It’s Okay To Thank Me
Objective: Get 20 Spot Assists, Designate 10 Vehicles, Get 1 Designated Assist
Reward: Scan Bolt
This Is My Boom Stick
Objective: Get 50 Carbine Kills, 50 Assault Rifle Kills
Reward: Squeezing The Trigger
Stay Away From My Tent
Objective: Get 50 kills with Sniper Rifles, 10 Headshot kills with sidearm
Reward: Balanced Bolt
Go play Close Quarters
Objective:Total of 150 Meters With Sniper Rifles, Total of 150 Meters With Assault Rifles, Total of 150 Meters With Carbine
Reward: Xbow Scoped
A Good Demo Man
Objective: Get 5 Kills With hand Grenades, Get 5 Kills With Underslung Grenade, Get 5 Kills With C4
Reward: HE Bolt
Riding Shotgun
Objective: Get 5 Kills in Modified Humvee, Get 5 Kills In Modified Vodnik, Get 5 Kills In Van
Reward: Grease Monkey
On Top Of The Richter Scale
Objective: Play 1 Hour of Epicenter, Play 1 Hour of Markaz Monolith, Play 1 Hour of Talah Market, Play 1 Hour of Azadi Palace, Pick Up 200 Weapons In Scavenger
Reward: Quake Survivor
For those interested in Achievements/Trophies, check out the Aftermath Trophy list down below:
Aftermath Trophies
Handyman – Unlocked all xbow parts (Bronze)
Bite Your Finger – Found the secret reptile (Silver)
Home Made Javelin – Destroyed an enemy vehicle using the xbow (Bronze)
Pocket Full of Death – Without dying, got a kill with xbow, primary weapon, and hand grenade (Silver)
Extreme Hoarder – Picked up 50 weapons in Scavenger mode (Bronze)
But that’s not all. One of our community members, Agugagaga, has also stumbled upon the lists of camo’s that Battlefield 3 Premium members will receive come December and January:
Upcoming Camos for Battlefield 3 Premium Members
December
M416: Woodland Stripe camo.
ACW-R: Digital Woodland camo.
M240B: Woodland Oak camo.
JNG-90: Navy Blue Digital camo.
PP-19: Desert Stripe camo.
January
M416: Airman camo.
ACW-R: Tactical camo.
M240B: Desert Stripe camo.
JNG-90: Berkut camo.
PP-19: Digital Woodland camo.
Battlefield 3: Aftermath launches November 27th for PS3 Premium members and December 4th for PC and Xbox 360 Premium members. For those who aren’t Premium members, you can expect to be able to purchase Aftermath for $14.99 or 1200 Microsoft points on December 11th for PS3 players and December 18th for PC and Xbox 360 users.
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.
EA doesn’t want to turn DICE into a “Battlefield factory,” explains EA Games’ vice-president Patrick Soderlund.
Speaking with OXM via VG247, EA’s Patrick Soderlund stated in regards to the risks associated with launching a new IP, such as Mirror’s Edge. “Well it depends, right? Maybe it is [risky] and maybe it isn’t. It’s also important for us – the DICE guys are roughly 300 people in the Stockholm studio; not all of them are working on Battlefield things, and that’s intentional, because we don’t want to become a Battlefield factory.”
He goes on to say, “the minute we start saying ‘you’re going to make a Battlefield game for the rest of your life’, they’re going to go some place else. So for them to make great Battlefield games there need to be other things for them to do as well. That’s why we have people who move around quite a bit. And then obviously we have a boatload of people that just want to make Battlefield because they love it.
One rumor has resurfaced since the interview with Patrick was published is that DICE is currently also working on Mirror’s Edge 2. According to a tweet via PCGamesN from former general manager of EA’s Easy Studio Ben Cousins, who currently works at ngmoco Sweden, “it is general knowledge in the Stockholm dev scene that Mirror’s Edge 2 is in production at DICE.”
Only Battlefield 4 and the rest of Battlefield 3’s expansion packs are confirmed to be in development at DICE.
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