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Assassin's Creed 4 PS4 patch fixes 100 friends bug
A 2.3GB patch issued this week for the PlayStation 4 version of Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag fixes a long-standing bug related to large friend lists, restoring in-game content for affected players. Previously, players who had more than 100 friends listed on the PlayStation Network were locked out of the Kenway's Fleet naval combat minigame and other single-player content due to a connection error with Ubisoft's uPlay service. The patch also addresses rare freezes and crashes, tweaks combat balance, and fixes bugs affecting loyalty reward skins and Abstergo challenges. A multiplatform title update for Assassin's Creed 4 is also set to launch today, fixing a variety of gameplay, sound, and multiplayer issues across the PlayStation 3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC versions of the game. [Image: Ubisoft]
PSN flash sale: AC4: Black Flag, Injustice, Gran Turismo 6 and more
A flash sale is a sudden, unexpected dealapalooza – not a sale on light bulbs or other products that illuminate. Starting now and lasting until 9pm ET on Friday, January 31, this PSN flash sale will serve up some pretty tempting discounts on games for PS4, PS3 and PS Vita. Killzone: Shadow Fall and Knack are both down to $42, while Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition is $35 and Contrast is down to $7.50 on both PS4 and PS3. And speaking of PS3, you can grab Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, Gran Turismo 6 and Madden NFL 25 for $42 each. The PS Vita version of FIFA 13 is down to $14. Unfortunately, PS Plus subscribers won't find an added discount on top of these sale prices. The full list of what's on sale can be seen over on the PlayStation Blog. We'd suggest checking out the PS Blog's list before booting up your console as there isn't a dedicated hub for this sale in the PlayStation Store, so you'll need to track down each game individually.
GameStop weekend sale drops Batman: AO, Assassin's Creed 4 prices
Still catching up on last year's releases? GameStop's looking to help you out with a handful of weekend-long price drops on Batman: Arkham Origins, Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, and other standout games released at the tail end of 2013. Starting today and ending Sunday, shoppers can pick up the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U, and PC versions of Assassin's Creed 4 for $29.99 each. Batman: Arkham Origins gets a little cheaper at $49.99 for the Xbox 360 and PS3 ports, while the Wii U version drops to $39.99. The 3DS and PS Vita-exclusive spinoff Batman Arkham Origins: Blackgate is up for grabs at $29.99. Other sale highlights include Just Dance 2014 ($29.99), the DLC-bundled Injustice: Gods Among Us - Ultimate Edition ($49.99), and the 3DS and Vita versions of Lego Marvel Superheroes ($29.99).
The Last of Us leads 2014 DICE Awards nominations
Nominations for the 17th Annual DICE Awards are led by The Last of Us, which received 13 total nods. The peer-based video game awards hosted by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences spans 24 categories and recognized 61 separate games this year. The five games nominated for the Game of the Year award are The Last of Us, Grand Theft Auto 5, BioShock Infinite, Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. Both GTA 5 and The Last of Us are joined by Papers, Please, Tearaway and Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons for the Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction award. The awards ceremony will cap off the 2014 DICE Summit on Thursday, February 6 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Head over to the AIAS' site to view the full list of nominees in PDF form.
Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag sinks to $30 at Amazon
Piracy is half off at Amazon! What I mean is you can grab Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag for $30 on PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, and PC right now. Now that's what I call a sai-*gunshot*
2014 Writers Guild Awards video game nominees announced
The Writers Guild of America announced the nominees for the 2014 Writers Guild Awards Outstanding Achievement in Videogame Writing today. The writing teams for five games were nominated for the annual award, as follows: Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag Batman: Arkham Origins God of War: Ascension The Last of Us Lost Planet 3 Only games that launched between December 1, 2012 and November 30, 2013 were eligible for nomination. The 2014 Writers Guild Awards will be held on Saturday, February 1, 2014 in both Los Angeles and New York simultaneously. Past winners of the Outstanding Achievement in Videogame Writing award were the writers of the following games, who were also part of the guild in order to be considered: Assassin's Creed 3: Liberation (2013), Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (2012), Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (2011), Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (2010) and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (2009).
Best of the Rest: Alexander's picks of 2013
Joystiq is revealing its 10 favorite games of 2013 throughout the week. Keep reading for more top selections and every writer's personal, impassioned picks in Best of the Rest roundups. Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag is this year's Far Cry 3, which coincidentally happened to be my top game for Best of the Rest in 2012. Both games launched so late in the year and were saddled with incorrect expectations that it wasn't until folks actually played it en masse that the word on the street began to turn. It turned too late, once again, as is the case with Black Flag, which does feature the same incoherent storytelling that made Assassin's Creed 3 such an abomination, but finds redemption in what AC3 was lacking: a game. Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag has that element I define in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood – which up to this point was my favorite installment of the franchise – as ABD (Always Be Doing!). Snap your fingers and there's another thing to grab or stab in Black Flag. Add to that the fuller realization of the sailing mechanics introduced in the previous game and Black Flag is primed to be a full-blown pirate spin-off. Black Flag is Sid Meier's Pirates! for a new generation and I certainly hope this isn't the last we see of it. What hurt Black Flag were the Assassin's Creed tropes, and it would be best for both to sail in separate directions from here.
Joystiq Streams: Split your lungs with Assassin's Creed 4 and thunder
Ahoy, maties. Joystiq swung in and saved you from that group of Spanish soldiers and now ye are honor-bound to sail with us searching for treasures and slick Nassau parties. If sailing with a pirate crew conflicts with your New Year's Eve plans, though, we completely understand. The pleasure of watching someone else sail the high seas of Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag is yours to have! Anthony John Agnello, Joystiq Community Manager at large, will be streaming the PlayStation 4 version of the game on Joystiq's Twitch page at 3p.m. EST. Alexander Sliwinski will also be on hand, hanging out in the chat, typing out sea shanties as we sail.
GameStop post-Christmas sale hacks $10 off select next-gen games, more
That money grandma tucked into your card this year? GameStop wants it, and is holding a post-Christmas winter sale to get it. The retailer's deals end on December 29 and take $10 off the following Xbox One and PS4 games: Call of Duty: Ghosts, FIFA 14, Battlefield 4, Need For Speed: Rivals, Madden 25 and NBA Live 14. Each game is $10 cheaper on their respective current-gen platforms as well. Additionally, Assassins Creed 4: Black Flag and Battlefield 4 are discounted to $39.99 on their other respective platforms (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U and PC), though the former isn't on sale for PS4 or Xbox One. GameStop's sale page features a number of items that aren't discounted at all, including listings for available Xbox One and Wii U consoles. Among the other games and accessories on sale are Tearaway ($19.99), Grand Theft Auto 5 ($39.99), NBA 2K14 for Xbox 360 and PS3 ($39.99), Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD Remix ($24.99) and Gran Turismo 6 ($39.99).
PlayStation Blog reveals Game of the Year winners, as chosen by readers
It's that time of year again! No, not when we gather with our loved ones and take a break from working. It's Game of the Year season, meaning we've got a great excuse to look back on games we played in 2013 and tell everyone about our favorite experiences. The PlayStation Blog finished tallying up votes from its readers yesterday, announcing the Platinum through Bronze-worthy victors in a blog post. In regards to their shiny new PS4s, readers most enjoyed their relaxing, sing-along journeys on Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag's Caribbean seas. The Last of Us won over the hearts of PS3 users, presumably for the knee-slappers that came out of Ellie's joke book. Vita fans were most enamored with Tearaway, Media Molecule's crafty platformer made out of paper. Lastly, Housemarque's voxel-jumbling shooter Resogun was voted as the year's best digital release. Looking forward to 2014, fans are most anticipating Infamous: Second Son, the smoky super hero story based in Seattle, which you can expect on March 21. If you're curious about more than just the winners, the full post also lists runners up for each category as well as personal picks from the PlayStation Blog staff.
Assassin's Creed 4, more heavily discounted in Ubisoft's holiday sale
Ubisoft is currently hosting a massive sale, including half-priced versions of Assassin's Creed 4, and Far Cry 3 at 75 percent off. The caveats attached to these deals are all time-based and surprisingly complicated. For instance, that Assassin's Creed 4 discount is only available to UK PlayStation 3 owners on the PlayStation Network and draws to a close on December 21. The Far Cry 3 deal however, which can be found on Ubisoft's online store, runs until January 5 and includes a swath of other games such as Splinter Cell: Blacklist, and even a few discounts on non-Ubisoft games like Fallout 3. A cursory glance at the Ubisoft store shows The Walking Dead's PC incarnation at $6.25 and the Fallout: New Vegas Ultimate Edition at a mere $5. If sorting through the reams of discounts seems like too much work, here's a trick that might help: While you can find all of Ubisoft's discounts by navigating its site, those who visit the Winter Sale page are able to pull up lists of games based on the size of their discounts. Edit: The text of this article has been altered to clarify the terms of the Assassin's Creed 4 discount.
Assassin's Creed 4's 'Freedom Cry' heard tomorrow
Taking place 15 years after the events of Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, Freedom Cry follows Kenway's quartermaster Adewale as he tends to some personal issues with the slave trade in the Caribbean. The DLC is available tomorrow and features a "more than four-hour, self-contained story," according to Ubisoft. It's priced at $9.99 and is included with the $19.99 season pass. Also included in the season pass is the upcoming Blackbeard's Wrath.
Assassin's Creed 4 Freedom Cry DLC confirmed for next week
Hark, now hear the Freedom Cry: The Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag DLC arrives on Xbox One, PS4, PS3, Xbox 360, and PC on December 17. European PlayStation owners have to wait one day longer to smell the DLC's sea and feel its sky on December 18. The single-player DLC comprises nine missions, in which players take on the role of former slave Adewale. Now first mate to blond buccaneer Edward Kenway, Adewale finds himself washed up in Haiti, or as it was back then, the French-owned colony of Saint-Domingue, a land itself plagued by slavery. Although he begins unarmed and crewless, Adewale finds new weapons in a machete and blunderbuss gun, as well as a personal reason to fight. "We're still true to how his character was established in Black Flag," said AC4 Lead Writer Jill Murray on Ubisoft's blog. "He's not standing in for every black man who was ever a slave in the 18th century. He's Adéwale. He's the character we know. He has the wit that we've come to expect; he has heart. We see him as an older guy. He's matured and changed in some small ways. I think those are the kinds of character details that always take precedence over pretty much everything else that can happen in the story." Freedom Cry will be available for $10, or as part of the game's $20 season pass.
Light yer beards, maties, Blackbeard joins Assassin's Creed 4 tomorrow
Come tomorrow, Blackbeard, the most notorious pirate this side of Johnny Depp doing a Keith Richards impression, joins the multiplayer roster in Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag. Loyal Joystiq readers should recall hints of this addition from two weeks back when a leaked Trophy list hinted at the inclusion of the infamous pirate in an upcoming downloadable addition. That list also mentioned Jaguar and Orchid characters who will be added to the game. What can we expect from arguably the most infamous cutthroat to ever sail the high seas? Ubisoft puts it thusly: "Blackbeard, wielding his sword and short temper, is not to be trifled with. His reputation as a feared pirate is justly received, and his preferred kill moves include using his tremendous strength to throw his targets off balance and quickly finishing them with one clean strike." As for logistics, the new DLC (dubbed "Blackbeard's Wrath") will be available on the Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3 and 4, and PC. Each of these iterations will set you back $3, though if you already purchased the Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag season pass, Blackbeard and his cronies will be available totally gratis. There is currently no word on when or if Blackbeard will set sail on the Wii U, and Ubisoft representatives have yet to respond to our inquiries.
And the VGX 2013 winners are ...
The winners of the 2013 Spike VGX awards have been announced, and we've got them all compiled here for your viewing pleasure. Waiting to see who took home Best Studio, Best Character, Game of the Year and more? Well wait no more! Envelope, please. These are the winners that were announced during the VGX 2013 awards show: Best Action Adventure Game: Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag Best Sports Game: NBA 2K14 Best Indie Game: Gone Home Best Shooter: Bioshock Infinite Studio of the Year: Naughty Dog Game of the Year: Grand Theft Auto 5 Of course, there are many, many more awards to be won, and many more monkeys to be handed out. If you want to see the full list of winners for every category, check out the official site of VGX 2013.
Report: Ubisoft surveys players about non-Assassin's Creed pirate game
Ubisoft recently sent out a survey to fans about the future of the Assassin's Creed series, IGN reports. The publisher seemingly asked players for thoughts on a hypothetical pirate-themed game similar to Assassin's Creed 4 that would take place outside the series. The survey reportedly asked whether customizable ships, characters and hideouts or a "deeper economy" and "additional activities at sea or on land" were more important to players, and also gauged fan interest in co-op and multiplayer naval battles. Ubisoft conducted similar questionnaires in the past. Coincidentally, the publisher also specifically asked players about cooperative multiplayer in December 2010 following the release of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and again in November 2012 after launching Assassin's Creed 3. Both of those polls were conducted by GMI Surveys, though the origins of the latest one is a little less clear.
Report: Assassin's Creed 4 bellows Freedom Cry DLC in two weeks' time
Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag gets new single-player content on December 17, according to a magazine ad. As spotted by Videogamer.com, the latest issue of Game Informer pins the date for the Freedom Cry DLC, with logos for Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4, and PS3 visible. Freedom Cry puts players in the role of former slave Adewale, now second in command to flaxen-haired hero Edward Kenway. The DLC finds Adewale shipwrecked in the French-owned Caribbean colony of Saint-Domingue, forced to fight alone across nine missions. We've reached out to Ubisoft to confirm details on the DLC, which FYI is covered by the game's $20 Season Pass. One platform that won't hear the roar of Freedom Cry is the Wii U, after Ubisoft revealed it isn't bringing any Assassin's Creed 4 DLC to the Nintendo console.
Assassin's Creed 4, Rocksmith 2014 half-off on Amazon today
If you want to be a pirate or a rockstar (or both), Amazon has you covered with today's round of discounts on Ubisoft's recent releases Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag and Rocksmith 2014 Edition on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Assassin's Creed 4 is currently priced at $29.99, while the standalone (no guitar cable included) version of Rocksmith 2014 is available for $32.99. The current-gen versions of AC4 aren't featured as part of the offer, but players have the option of upgrading to the PlayStation 4 digital edition (via Sony) or a retail Xbox One copy (via Amazon) for a $10 fee.
Designer explains absent multiplayer modes in Assassin's Creed 4
When Assassin's Creed 4 was first revealed, many fans of the series hoped it would spawn the return of the Alliance multiplayer game type - a special variation on deathmatch that pits three teams of two players against one another. According to lead multiplayer designer Tim Browne, however, this sort of online combat just wouldn't work in Ubisoft's latest action-adventure. "The reason Alliance can't come back is that it uses 3 teams of 2 players," Browne said during a recent Twitter Q&A session. "None of the game systems support 3 teams any longer." Not only does this spell doom for the Alliance mode, it also negates any other multiplayer modes that might have relied on more than two teams of combatants. Browne offers no details on the technical hurdles preventing Alliance and modes like it from working properly, but his answer does hit that special level of disappointing candor that usually indicates honesty in this industry. It is hypothetically possible that Ubisoft's development team could rework some of those basic features Browne mentions to enable Alliance mode and others that rely on multiple teams of players, but based on how blunt Browne's denial of this possibility was, you probably shouldn't hold your breath.
Unannounced Assassin's Creed 4 DLC in Trophies, playable Blackbeard
Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag will be adding three new characters to its multiplayer roster including the famous pirate Blackbeard, alleges a new PlayStation 3 Trophy listing. That list includes all of the game's standard Trophies as well as those earned by playing its Freedom Cry DLC, but next to those entries are four Trophies for an as yet unrevealed multiplayer addition dubbed "Blackbeard's Wrath." The Trophies themselves don't give away the full scope of what the DLC will add to the game, but they do mention three new playable characters: The Orchid, The Jaguar and Blackbeard himself. Those who have played Assassin's Creed 4 will know that the first two are fictional constructs created for use in the Animus, while Blackbeard was an actual pirate who, according to legend, was even more of a gnarled, terrifying figure than he is in the game. The Trophy listing for Blackbeard asks players to perform an aerial assassination then a pistol assassination within ten seconds with the character - an appropriately brutal homage to a man who routinely tied lit matches into his beard before combat simply because it looked spooky. There is currently no word on when Blackbeard's Wrath might arrive.
