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Titanfall 360 patch arrives with match tweaks, crash fixes in tow
Players will no longer be able to crash an entire server with a well-timed satchel charge in the Xbox 360 iteration of Titanfall thanks to a newly-issued update courtesy developer Respawn Entertainment. Prior to this patch, if a player were to place a satchel charge on a departing enemy dropship, they could crash the entire server and disconnect all players by detonating the device after the ship had warped away. Now, the charge will have no effect as it will vanish alongside the departing ship. Though that issue is the highlight of the patch, numerous other changes are listed in Respawn's patch notes. For instance, Private Matches will now require only two players to be locked and loaded prior to launch, instead of the six required previously. Further, player experience point tallies have been adjusted to display properly after rolling past Gen 10, and team colors will now appear more clearly on the game's mini-map. For a full rundown of the update's changes, take a look at the official Titanfall website. Or, if you'd rather dive in and examine things for yourself, you can grab the patch from Xbox Live at no additional cost. [Image: Respawn Entertainment]
Capture the Flag returns to Titanfall after player feedback
Respawn is re-adding Capture the Flag to Titanfall on PC, even though "less than 1% of the player base was even trying to play CTF," a blog post reads. Respawn removed Capture the Flag and Pilot Hunter from playlists last week, meaning those modes were available via private matches and Variety Mode only. "Last week we made some changes to the Titanfall playlists on PC and since then many members of the community have expressed their disappointment with our decision," Respawn writes. "Capture the Flag has been a specific point of contention considering we had just made a significant change to how the mode worked (Titans cannot carry flags after the last patch). If you're just catching up, we made the decision to remove these modes because hardly anyone was playing them and matches were nearly impossible to find." To offset the lower player count in Capture the Flag, Respawn is reworking its matchmaking system to include wider region searches: "If you're searching for 5 minutes without starting a game, Stryder will eventually widen your search to include neighboring continents. This means you might end up in a game with a much higher ping than you're used to, but as players pointed out; playing is preferred to not playing at all!" Read Respawn's breakdown of how matchmaking works right here. [Image: Respawn]
UK Charts: FIFA 14 back in the lead, Minecraft PS3 debuts 3rd
FIFA 14 is the most successful FIFA yet in terms of the UK charts, having now held the No. 1 spot for a series-leading 12 weeks. It scraped over the line too, after beating Titanfall by a few hundred sales according to sales-compiler Chart Track. If you think that's a bit too much dominance, then how about this: Four of this week's top five games are from the FIFA and Minecraft series. Except there's only one Minecraft, I hear you cry, but the UK charts denotes the new Minecraft: PlayStation 3 Edition as separate from last year's Xbox 360 Edition. That means Minecraft PS3 is the highest-charting debut in third place, just ahead of Minecraft Xbox 360 and 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil. There are some big upcoming games that should split up the pack, such as Mario Kart 8 and Watch Dogs, but one new release that failed to do so was Kirby: Triple Deluxe. The puffball's platformer only debuted in 16th, making it the second first-party 3DS game in a row to fall short of the UK top ten after Mario Golf: World Tour. [Image: EA]
Pilot Hunter, CTF removed from playlists for Titanfall on PC
Noticed there's been a bit of a wait to find other players before Capture the Flag and Pilot Hunter matches begin in the PC version of Titanfall? So has developer Respawn Entertainment, which pulled the modes from playlists yesterday, meaning that both are now available solely through private matches and Variety Mode. A followup post on Titanfall.com notes that the decision was made based on the sparse player base in either mode. Titan pilots are "predominantly playing Attrition and Hardpoints game modes," Respawn's post explains. "CTF and Pilot Hunter have not been widely used modes on the PC version. Players trying to access these modes had overlong wait times to find other users and it was making for a poor experience." The post added that, going forward, Respawn will continue monitoring unpopular playlists and adding new ones. Retracted modes won't be on the sidelines forever, either - Respawn says it will "still rotate Pilot Hunter and CTF in for future playlists" and add tweaks to other game types, which the studio is "currently working on." Even if you find yourself as the sole player of your favorite mode down the road, Respawn has no plans to pull support for playing modes in private matches. As long as you can fill a round's roster with friends or fellow enthusiasts, you should be all set for your preferred brand of Titan-fueled destruction. [Image: EA]
Titanfall's companion app mobilizes your mini-map
The mobile companion to Titanfall is now available to download, and takes some of the extra bits like the mini-map from the main game and pushes them to your smart device. Free to download, the app-tly named Titanfall Companion App offers game stats like players' total kills and favorite weapons. Once connected to an Xbox One, players can use the app to access an interactive mini-map of the Titanfall match they're playing at the moment and check out the ever-updating scoreboard. Titanfall topped another leaderboard recently, as it was number one on NPD's sales charts among video games for the second month in a row. The companion app is available on iOS, Android via Google Play and Windows Phone. [Image: Electronic Arts]
Titanfall's second-screen app is neat, if you ever remember to look at it
The companion app for Xbox One's Titanfall is finally available, free of charge, for iOS, Android and Windows Phone (as well as Windows 8). Ironically, it offers a second-screen gaming experience without any need for Microsoft's Smartglass app, which was originally meant to be a hub for this sort of thing. Anyway, we've just whiled away two hours some time with the Android version and it all seems to work pretty smoothly -- although it hasn't done anything much for our K/D ratios.
April NPD: PS4, Titanfall lead sales again
The PS4 outsold the Xbox One in the US in April, NPD reported. This was the fourth month in a row that PS4 sales out-performed Xbox One sales. Xbox One was the second-highest-selling piece of gaming hardware on the market for the month, and total hardware sales were up 76 percent, to $192.8 million. Microsoft reported Xbox One sales of 115,000 in April. Microsoft noted that it led software sales for the month: "April NPD Group figures released today showed that Xbox One continues to lead in software sales with the most cumulative units sold for any eighth generation home console platform life-to-date. Combined, Xbox One and Xbox 360 held eight of the top 10 spots on the generation eight and generation seven console game lists in the US." In April, Xbox One sold 447,000 games, while Xbox 360 sold 2.2 million games. Software sales overall were down 10 percent year-over-year. NPD analyst Liam Callahan said, "New physical software is in a transition period as software for new consoles are doing well, but collectively not offsetting declines." Titanfall was the No. 1 game for the second month in a row, followed by Call of Duty: Ghosts, NBA 2K14 and Minecraft for Xbox 360. See the full software top ten below. According to Callahan: "There were five SKU's in the top 10 not represented in the top 10 when ranked on a title basis (combination of SKUs across platforms), which were: 3DS Yoshi's New Island; PS4 Infamous: Second Son; PS3 MLB 14: The Show; XBO Kinect Sports Rivals; 360 Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare." [Image: EA]
Mech plans: Titanfall gets 'Expedition' DLC this week
Titanfall gets its first DLC on Thursday, May 15, when the Expedition map pack sets off for Xbox One and PC. As detailed previously, the content isn't coming to Xbox 360 until June. Expedition introduces three maps to the Respawn shooter, each with its own distinctive flavor. Swampland lets you explore the great outdoors in all its natural glory, and by that we mean fly-kicking fools into marshes. Runoff is a down-and-dirty industrial complex, while Wargames takes players into a digital-looking virtual simulation, where they get to ride light-bikes and race each other to the death (okay, that last bit's not true as far as we know, but maybe it should be). If you fancy a weekend Expedition, the DLC is priced $10 standalone, and it's part of the $25 season pass that covers two more upcoming DLC packs. [Image: EA]
Go on an Expedition with Titanfall DLC gameplay trailer
As you wander the scorched earth left behind by your umpteen-hundredth battle in Titanfall, you discover what looks like a travel brochure. It reads: Dear Titanfall players: Tired of the same places? Need to get away from it all? Respawn's Expedition travel package has what you need. Try scenic Swampland, where you, your jetpack and your giant robot can crush your enemies in a quiet, natural environment. Then again, if you like the hustle and bustle of modern life, you can always head for Runoff and fight in a more industrial arena. Not the outdoors type? Order a pizza, stay inside your Titan and battle for virtual supremacy in Wargames instead. Titanfall's Expedition DLC (that's short for Dramatic Life enCounters) will be available via Xbox One and PC in May and for Xbox 360 in June for $9.99. Intrepid explorers ready to grab the Titan by the handles can also purchase a Season Pass for $24.99 and automatically receive the Expedition package, as well as two more upcoming DLC packages. [Image: EA]
UK Charts: Titanfall respawns on top, Bound by Flame hits 12th
New releases have dried up ahead of May's big hitters, and right now the UK charts are more static than The Last Guardian's Wikipedia page. Titanfall retakes top spot from The Amazing Spider-Man 2, although it's hardly a plummet to the pavement for old Spidey; Activision's tie-in game stays as high as third. The only new release in the entire top 40 is Spiders' action-RPG Bound by Flame, and it took advantage of a quiet week to place 12th. Expect more fireworks in the charts when the likes of Wolfenstein: The New Order, Mario Kart 8 and Watch Dogs hit later this month. [Image: EA]
Titanfall updates to reach Xbox One and PC first, then Xbox 360
Like a pilot shadowing its powerful tank of a Titan, Bluepoint Games' Xbox 360 version of Titanfall followed Respawn Entertainment's Xbox One and PC versions out of the launch gates. Given that Bluepoint is tasked with mirroring Respawn's game as closely as possible on less powerful hardware, the follow-me strategy makes a lot of sense - so much so that it's going to continue with future content updates, including free patches and the Expedition DLC. "We have [Bluepoint] following Respawn's lead bringing updates and improvements to the Xbox 360," a post on the Titanfall website reads. "We are fully committed to supporting the Xbox 360 version and to ensure that regardless of what platform you play Titanfall on, the experience is as good as can be." The post notes that Bluepoint is currently working on the Expedition DLC in addition to Content Update 2, which added the gooser challenge and support for private matches to the Xbox One and PC versions. Expedition will reach the Xbox One and PC in May for $10, with Bluepoint's follow-up planned to reach the Xbox 360 in June. [Image: EA]
Watch the evolution of Titanfall's DLC map 'Swampland'
Respawn Entertainment's first DLC pack for Titanfall is due this month, and offered insight on the creation of the game's new multiplayer levels. Designer Chris Dionne elaborated on the development of one of the Expedition levels called "Swampland" in a recent blog, which features a large cluster of redwood trees in a murky area. The developer also included a video showing the stage's (over)growth since its inception, seen above. The concept for the level first came about in the summer of 2011 while Titanfall was still in development, and was tabled for nearly two years before being considered again as a multiplayer DLC stage. Dionne said Swampland started out "almost completely flat with yellow fog and towering redwoods," which became crucial to its overall design. At one point, Swampland was overrun with IMC buildings, temples and a massive infrastructure, which caused it to lose some personality, as the designer put it. The focus shifted to the towering trees as playtesters found it enjoyable to bounce off them as pilots and dodge around them as titans, leading to the decision to place the trees in the center of the action. Announced last month, the Expedition pack includes the "War Games" and "Runoff" maps and will cost $9.99. Those that pick up the $25 Titanfall season pass will receive Expedition in addition to two other map packs down the road. [Image: Respawn Entertainment]
Titanfall nears 1 million sold in three weeks
Many looked at Titanfall as being the first tentpole game for the Xbox One, but how many people actually bought it? It turns out 925,000 units were sold through for the quarter, according to publisher Electronic Arts' latest earnings call. Unfortunately, Chief Operating Officer Peter Moore was citing NPD numbers and those don't include digital or world-wide sales, and thus copies bought via EA's Origin PC service or from the Xbox One's dashboard don't factor into that tally. The Xbox 360 version? It's "off to a great start," but Moore didn't go into specifics. Back in April, the NPD reported that the mech game was a top-seller for March and the second-best performing game for the Xbox One -- seeing hard numbers gives a better picture for how well gaming is doing on the new consoles. While Titanfall's numbers are impressive, it's worth remembering that Infamous: Second Son sold more than that on a single platform globally (Titanfall's numbers combined the PC and Xbox One sales) in nine days both physically and via digitally distributed copies.
Titanfall pilots make a swamp landing in 'Expedition' screens
Respawn Entertainment has released a new batch of screens for "Expedition," its upcoming Titanfall expansion that sends pilots up, over and through three new maps, including this above-standard bog. [Image: EA]
Check out the front, side, pilot of Threezero's Atlas Titan
Remember that $320 Titanfall Atlas Titan figure that toymaker Threezero was teasing? You can get a multi-angle view of it in the below gallery, along with its prototype pilot. The photos were snapped at the Thailand Toy Expo, presumably after the Atlas crashed through the ceiling. [Image: Threezero]
UK Charts: Titanfall stands tall
If Lionel Richie was infatuated with giant mechanical killing machines rather than ladies, he'd be singing an ode to Titanfall right now. Respawn's shooter is once, twice, three times the UK No. 1 in a row - that's four times in total if you include its debut week in March. There's not much else to say about this week's UK charts; the top ten is made up of the same games from last week, except for Battlefield 4 replacing Trials Fusion. As for Titanfall, it's dominated most of April and it has the chance to keep that run going in May, at least until the arrivals of Wolfenstein: The New Order, Watch Dogs and Mario Kart 8. [Image: EA]
Take an Expedition into Titanfall's War Games map
Following an initial reveal earlier this month, developer Respawn Entertainment has now graced us with a handful of screenshots and solid information on the War Games map included in Titanfall's upcoming "Expedition" DLC pack. Unlike the game's other maps, War Games isn't real. That is, it's even less real than the video game's other maps as it takes place within the same simulator players strolled through during Titanfall's training mission. As a result, the developers were able to craft imaginative structures with a focus toward acrobatics without having to worry about things like design congruency and sensible architectural layouts. This virtual setting also allowed Respawn's level designers to incorporate level battlefields for the game's titular giant robots, free of debris that might distract from the task of blowing apart opposing robots. For more, pay a visit to the Titanfall website where designer Jason McCord offers his take on War Games. This map, along with two others, will debut in the Expedition DLC at some point in May, at a price of $10. [Image: EA]
UK Charts: Titanfall holds No.1 spot, 2014 FIFA World Cup debuts 2nd
It's been a while since British soccer fans have seen their nations associated with the words "World Cup" and anything even remotely approaching second place - that said, at least England can say it won the damn thing once. Enough ancient history: 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil is the highest-placing new release in the UK this week, but unlike FIFA 14 it only reached second place; that top spot is still held by Titanfall. Maybe the most telling thing is FIFA 14 is only two places behind the World Cup game in 4th, some seven months after it was released. It's lower down the charts where things get a bit more interesting this week. The physical Deluxe copies of Trials Fusion, which contain the game's season pass, did well enough to see the grueling bike-former debut in 7th place. Meanwhile, you have to go all the way down to 20th to find colorful MMO Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn, which has just made its debut on PS4. On the other hand, Square Enix seemed pretty upbeat about the game reaching 2 million registrations last week, so make of that what you will. [Image: EA]
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Titanfall is the $37 daily deal in Amazon's Gold Box today
Look high into the sky today and you'll see $37 copies of Titanfall, which are ejecting from Amazon Gold Boxes as per the retailer's daily deal. That price applies across all platforms - that includes the newly released Xbox 360 version - so if you've been tempted to mech time for Respawn's shooter, today might be the day to do it. Amazon is springing a few other Lightning gaming deals over the next day or so, including ones on PS3 Dafoedrama Beyond: Two Souls and both the regular and portable flavors of Batman: Arkham Origins. Check out the Gold Box page for all the deals and their times. [Image: EA]
Newegg bundling $450 Xbox One with Titanfall, Forza 5 [update: now $500]
Update: At the time of writing Newegg had the bundle at $450, but it seems that time has gone and it's now $500. However, it still comes with both Titanfall and Forza bundled in. If you're searching for Easter Xbox One deals, you might want to try a Newegg hunt. A new $450 $500 deal chucks in two games rather than one: For a limited time you can get the console with both a boxed copy of Titanfall and a download code for Forza Motorsport 5. The system's regular price remains $500, although the Microsoft Store is still offering the Titanfall bundle for $450 - that "limited time" offer has been going for nearly a month.
