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GTA 5 adding first-person vehicle view on PC, next-gen
A since-pulled support article on Rockstar's website points to some new features for Grand Theft Auto 5 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. According to the article, seen above, the revised versions of GTA 5 will feature a first-person mode for vehicles "that shows the interior of the vehicle, including working speedometers, tachometers, dash lights, and more." The game will also include a first-person mode "while on foot." Rockstar plans to offer an "overhauled character selection screen" as well as new Easter eggs and random events for the game's story mode. The developer noted that new animals will appear in the city of Los Santos, and appears to be determining whether animals will also appear in the game's online modes. Lastly, it added that players transferring characters from the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game will receive "new weapons and a free garage in GTA Online." GTA 5 will reach PS4 and Xbox One on November 18 and launch on PC in 2015. [Image: Rockstar Games]
BioShock Infinite: Complete Edition listings point to Nov. release [update]
Update: A 2K spokesperson confirmed to IGN that BioShock Infinite Complete Edition is on the way. The spokeperson said, "We can confirm that the BioShock Infinite Complete Edition is coming to Xbox 360, PS3, and PC later this year, and we will be sharing more information about it very soon." BioShock Infinite may rise again in a new Complete Edition, going by listings on GameStop and Amazon Canada. Both retailers have the re-packaged edition of Irrational's game for Xbox 360 and PS3, priced $40 (US & CND) and due for release on November 4. 2K has not announced any new versions of BioShock Infinite, so we've reached out to the publisher for clarification. The box art on GameStop says the Complete Edition "includes all add-on packs." Also, the product details list the base game plus the Clash in the Clouds arena combat mode, the pair of Burial at Sea episodes, the Columbia's Finest gear and upgrades pack, and the similar Early Bird Special add-on pack which came with the season pass.
Battleborn engages cooperative gameplay trailer
Here's about 15 minutes of Borderlands developer Gearbox's "friendly shooter" Battleborn. The trailer takes its time showing off the different attacks and skills of the characters. The game is expected to launch on Xbox One, PS4 and PC in 2015.
Battleborn and the rise of the friendly shooter
"We are absolutely, deliberately targeting the idea that we want a game that people can just pick up and play," says John Mulkey, design director on Gearbox's new shooter, Battleborn (PS4, Xbox One, PC). His team's latest design, which favors collaboration, community input and a heavy focus on testing and tuning, couldn't be more different from the cult classic he built levels for – years ago. Just how much community input and playtesting went into No One Lives Forever anyway, I ask Mulkey. "Oh, god," he says, briefly thrust back into a previous life. "None." Propelled chiefly by the strength of its clever vision, a game like No One Lives Forever seems to be an outlier now. It was a game made without a steady stream of analytics, feedback and pushback, though meant to be consumed more succinctly, and for what was then a much smaller audience. "A game like this, we hope, it's not just this game that hits and fades away," says Scott Kester, the man in charge of Battleborn's look. "We want this to go. We want to keep making it."
Borderlands reclaims its online co-op prowess via Steamworks
With just weeks to go before Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel! brings people back to the Skag-infested wastes of Pandora, now's the perfect time to revisit the original Borderlands. Thanks to a fresh migration to Steamworks servers, PC players can actually get the full four-player co-operative Borderlands experience again. Borderlands was in danger of going offline earlier this year when Glu Mobile announced that it would be closing GameSpy's online gaming services once and for all. 2K Games had a sizable catalog of online games that were scheduled to shut down alongside GameSpy in May 2014, but Borderlands was one of the few that 2K planned to salvage and migrate to a new platform by Summer 2014. With less than a week left in the summer, 2K announced that Borderlands is now playable online via Steamworks. Borderlands has been updated for Steam in a number of ways, small and large. In addition to a news ticker offering updates on tweaks to Steamworks support for the game, SecuROM copy protection has been removed. Support for retail disc versions of the game meanwhile has been added, so anyone with an actual physical copy won't be left out. [Images: 2K Games]
Spec Ops: The Line narrative lead, Evolve writer leaves 2K
Walt Williams, a writer at 2K Games and lead narrative designer on Spec Ops: The Line, has left the studio. Williams revealed his departure via Twitter, saying he was "sad to announce" that September 5 would be his last day. Williams clarified that he'll still be working in the games industry, but "in the background." As for his final projects with 2K, both Evolve and Civilization: Beyond Earth will have Williams' name stamped on them, under the title Senior Writer/Designer. [Image: 2K Games]
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel season pass, pre-order Slaughter Pit announced
In case you were worried about running out of loot to hoard in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, a $30 season pass has been announced for Gearbox and 2K Australia's upcoming shootout on Pandora's moon. The pass will last for four additional content packs, which a related press release notes will include "new characters, missions and experiences." Vault hunters wary of preemptive bulk DLC purchases will still be able to pick up the packs individually as they release for $9.99 apiece. As is the modern custom, bonus content called the Shock Drop Slaughter Pit can also be earned by pre-ordering The Pre-Sequel from select retailers. Those waiting on holiday sales to stock up on this year's remaining games won't miss out on the Slaughter Pit though, as the press release adds it will be available for purchase later on. [Image: 2K Games]
Get back on the hunt: A second Evolve alpha is coming
If an invite to Evolve's upcoming closed alpha is your white whale, you've got two (constructive) options: Play a round of Evolve at 2K's PAX Prime booth (Level 4, booths 814 and 1414), or stalk Evolve's social media channels and the Turtle Rock forums. Hunting game at Prime will earn you an invitation to register, but "additional chances" can be tracked down on Twitter, Facebook and the forums. Unfortunately, putting down your first monster is going to be a lot like real-world hunting – the alpha's reveal post doesn't specify when the event will begin, so you'll need to keep a determined watch on the aforementioned channels or your inbox. The upcoming expedition will follow a separate alpha from July which must have thinned out Turtle Rock's monster supply, as Evolve was rescheduled for February 10, 2015 days after the alpha went live. [Image: 2K Games]
'BioShock' arrives on iOS with a heavy price tag
It took 2K Games a little longer than originally expected, but the publisher has finally released its iOS version of the original BioShock. The mobile version of the popular title is compatible with newer iPhones and iPads, which means you're out of luck if you have, say, an aging 4S handset or an older tablet from Apple. Naturally, you can expect a familiar storyline, so be ready to shoot a lot of weird-looking creatures. For those of you looking forward to it, just be prepared to pay a premium -- BioShock for iOS is a whopping $15 on the App Store. There are no in-app purchases in sight, however, meaning that you'll get the full game experience from the get go, rather than having to buy add-ons here and there.
Civilization: Beyond Earth trades pre-orders for exoplanets
Accepting your late-night Civilization: Beyond Earth fate before the game launches on PC is beneficial, depending on your perspective: A post on Civilization's official site notes that pre-orders for both physical and digital copies of Beyond Earth will be rewarded with The Exoplanets Map Pack, a six-planet offering that uses scripts to randomly generate geography and is "inspired by real exoplanets." Green Man Gaming shoppers can sweeten the pre-order deal further though: Siliconera has spotted a 25 percent discount code (01S6ZC-JVSB28-JRW7X4), knocking the price for Beyond Earth down to $37.50 for anyone who orders before August 29. If you'd like a glimpse of the game in action, News Content Director Alexander Sliwinski interviewed Firaxis Games' Pete Murray on camera after previewing the game at E3. [Image: 2K]
Claptrap learns new tricks in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel
It appears that the trick to silencing Claptrap's unending stream of verbal inanity is to dress the lil' metal fella up like a pirate ship and grant him free rein to launch cannonballs at deadly space critters. [Image: 2K Games]
Gamescom Awards evolve, favor 2K's monstrous game
The votes are in, and the winner of the Gamescom 2014 Awards is ... *drumroll* Oh, you saw the headline and figured out the pun already? Well, you're right; it's Evolve, the 4v1 monster-on-human huntfest from Left 4 Dead developer Turtle Rock Studios. The game took home not only the award for "Best of Gamescom," but also the awards for "Best Console Game Microsoft Xbox," "Best PC Game," "Best Action Game" and "Best Online Multiplayer Game." Other highlights include Super Smash Bros. taking home the "Best Mobile Game" award for its 3DS iteration, while its console counterpart took home the "Most Wanted Consumer Award," a title that premiered at this year's ceremony. LittleBigPlanet 3 also won multiple awards, specifically the "Best Social / Casual / Online Game" award and the "Best Family Game" award. We're relatively sure that Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call won the award for "Best Simulation Game" due to its simulation of music, but we can pretend it won because it simulates being an adorable JRPG character singing along to catchy tunes, too. Check out the full list of winners after the break.
2K launches WWE card game for iOS, Android
2K unveiled a new game today that puts pro wrestling and trading cards in the same ring, WWE SuperCard. The game is available now on iOS and Android via Google Play for free, and has players building teams of WWE superstars to compete against other players' decks in exhibition and King of the Ring matches. The card battler features somewhat humorous animations in which two trading cards twirl and body slam one another after a simple comparison of their power, charisma and other skills. Developed by Cat Daddy Games, WWE SuperCard also features the combining and training of cards in order to build players' stables of wrestlers, in addition to paid card packs. By purchasing in-game credits at a minimum rate of 200 for $1.99, players can pick up Superstar Packs that offer one random card of "common" or "epic" rarity for roughly one dollar. The most expensive bundles are Epic Packs, which cost 2,500 credits ($25) and dish out one random superstar card of "epic" or "legendary" rarity. [Image: 2K]
A man chooses which looks better: BioShock on 360 or iOS
BioShock is coming to your iOS device - well, if "your iOS device" is an iPad Air, iPad Mini 2, iPad 4, iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C, or iPhone 5 - but if you're wondering just how well the city of Rapture translates from the big screen to the small, you might want to check out the above video from AppSpy. Comparing an Xbox 360 version of Irrational's underwater tale of genetic modifications and science gone wrong with footage of the iOS version, AppSpy illustrates the visual differences between the two and notices that, despite the power behind some of Apple's latest devices, the visual downgrade is a noticeable one. Lighting, particle effects and atmospheric effects like fog are the things most obviously missing, but textures appear a bit less crisp on iOS as well. Still, there's time for these things to change, so who knows what the final product will look like. In the end, it'll be your choice which system to go with. [Image: 2K Games]
Take-Two revenue drops 12% in Q1 2015
Take-Two reported $125.4 million in net revenue for the fiscal first quarter of 2015, a three-month period of time that ended on June 30. That represents a 12 percent decline compared to the same quarter last year ($142.7 million), and a 35.8 percent drop from the previous quarter. The publisher also reported a net loss of $35.4 million, a 14.9 percent jump from its $30.8 million losses reported last quarter. That also compares favorably to the same quarter one year ago, as Take-Two's reported losses are a 42.8 percent decrease from the $61.9 million losses for fiscal Q1 2014. The publisher also announced a delay for one of its major upcoming releases, Turtle Rock Studios' Evolve, which will now launch on February 10, 2015. [Image: Take-Two Interactive]
Borderlands 2 shoots through 10 million copies shipped
Publisher 2K has shipped more than 10 million copies of Borderlands 2, maintaining its spot as the highest-selling game in the company's history, a spokesperson tells Joystiq. Overall, 2K has shipped more than 18 million copies within the Borderlands franchise. During today's Take-Two financial call, President Karl Slatoff addressed the viability of series developer Gearbox's next installment, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, when it's launching exclusively on current-gen consoles and PC: "Our view is that if you give consumers what they want, they come out for it. Our catalog sales have done very well – as we announced in this quarter, it's one of the key reasons we were able to beat in the quarter. We have a lot of faith in the Borderlands franchise. There's still a huge install base of consumers; Borderlands is beloved .... We have very high hopes for The Pre-Sequel for current-gen platforms and PC, indeed. But it will be reliant on quality, and we expect to deliver a really high-quality game." Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel launches on October 14 for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC – we'll see how many more copies 2K's tower of 18 million can handle. [Image: 2K Games]
BioShock port syncs Rapture to your iPad and iPhone
Get it? PORT? [Umm, no, the pun is on "sync." But that's still terrible. - Ed.] Oh. Anyway, Rapture is an ambitious city wrapped in the ocean but undone by the arrogance of its haughty, genetically naughty citizens. The stunning setting of Irrational's 2007 game, BioShock, along with its moody opening, zap-and-whack combat and notorious plot, is being ported to iOS devices by 2K China – the same team that handled the portable version of Firaxis' tense strategy game, XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
Check your mail, Evolve alpha invites are out in the wild
You may want to investigate your inbox for signs of evolution, because 2K announced it's sent out invites for the Evolve alpha. According to images posted online, the alpha PC test will run this weekend between Friday, August 1 and Sunday, August 3. If you signed up but didn't get an invite, 2K says there'll be more opportunities in "future alphas." In the meantime, you can live Turtle Rock's Kraken-cracking shooter through our video preview. In it, Editor-in-Chief Ludwig Kietzmann describes the game as similar to that Jurassic Park scene where Robert Muldoon is alone hunting the velociraptor, but now there are four Robert Muldoons and the velociraptor is Godzilla. But no Jeff Goldblum, sadly. If you'd rather wait for the game proper, Evolve hits PS4, Xbox One and PC on October 21. [Image: 2K]
2K is teasing something BioShock related
2K Games' UK branch has posted a teaser image recalling earlier entries in the BioShock series, sparking a new wave of fan theories and speculation. "Come bite the Apple!" reads a faux advertisement from Eve's Garden, an exotic dancing club featured in the original BioShock and BioShock 2's multiplayer component. The Biblical allusion accompanies BioShock's narrative focus on "ADAM," a liquid substance that allows players to equip new Plasmid superpowers. Developer Irrational Games wrapped up its DLC plans for BioShock Infinite with the release of Burial at Sea Episode Two earlier this year, and series co-creator Ken Levine recently reflected on the now-lost possibility of a turn-based BioShock game for the PS Vita. 2K itself, however, has not elaborated on the posted image's meaning. What do you think they're teasing? [Image: 2K]
Get 5 original XCOM games for less than $10 in Humble Bundle
The Humble 2K Bundle just got more complete with the addition of all five original XCOM games at the "pay more than the average" tier. The XCOM Complete Pack includes the first XCOM: UFO Defense (also known as UFO: Enemy Unknown), Terror from the Deep, Apocalypse, Interceptor and Enforcer. The average price needed to unlock these games – along with BioShock 2, Mafia 2 and Spec Ops: The Line – is hovering around $8. With that purchase, you'll also get "pay what you want" games BioShock, The Bureau: XCOM Declassified and The Darkness 2. Pay $20 or more and get XCOM: Enemy Unknown and BioShock Infinite. [Image: 2K Games]
