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Report: Xbox One regional delays due to Kinect localization issues
The Xbox One launch was delayed to 2014 in eight territories – Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Sweden and Switzerland – but it wasn't because of a "volume issue," Microsoft Senior Director of Product Management and Planning Albert Penello told OXM. The delay came down to localization with the new Kinect, the site reported. "People assume there's a volume issue which in fact there isn't," Penello said. "You're actually seeing pre-orders pop back up now because we're able allocate the countries' volumes back in. It's there; the problem is localization. And once people see the system and how integral it is – it's not just text integration." The new Kinect doesn't work like the Xbox 360 Kinect, and its new features make localization more difficult, Penello said. "I think people are using the way [voice] works on Xbox 360, which was an accessory we built five years after release, as how it's going to work here," he said. "But it's so much more elegant and so much more integrated, and in many ways it's a lot faster and more convenient, whereas on Xbox 360 it's a lesser version of doing the thing you're used to doing on your controller." The Xbox One will launch as scheduled this November in Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Spain, the UK, the US and New Zealand.
Assassin's Creed 4 gameplay trailer sails through hostile fort acquisitions
The country of Jackdaw sets sail to take on a fort and, through hostile relations, acquires it for its citizens. This gameplay video for Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag gives a better sense of variety in the game's naval operations.
Metareview: Lost Planet 3
We said Lost Planet 3 is a "game about attempting to get on with it and failing miserably." So, let's get on with it... Game Trailers (77/100): "It's true that a lot of the game feels standard issue; nothing's really broken but there's certainly a bit of awkwardness. In the end playing Lost Planet 3 is very much like taking a job on a remote ice planet: most of the work is pretty ordinary, but there are enough bright spots and interesting people to make it a job worth taking." IGN (62/100): "But the biggest frustration of Lost Planet 3's level design is its lack of consistency. Getting locked in the mech and auto-killed instead of ejected sucks. Can you grapple that ledge? Probably not, but you have to check. Can you fall off that cliff? Probably not, but just when you've gotten used to the idea that an invisible wall will stop you, you fall to your death." Game Informer (60/100): "I don't hate Lost Planet 3. There's still a base satisfaction to popping orange Akrid weak points and mopping up goo. I even made a point to track down most of the hidden collectibles. The first two games balanced out any unsavory elements with mega moments and straightforward fun. The third entry simply doesn't have enough thermal energy to overcome its many problems. " Eurogamer (40/100): "Level design is a problem in the exterior scenes: the game's world is so cramped and divided by loading screens I genuinely couldn't tell you which bits are the hubs and which are the spokes, and that hurts your sense of stomping freedom in the rig. But the interiors are just lazily strung together shooting galleries which pinball Peyton between objective markers on flimsy narrative pretexts."
Madden NFL 25 launch trailer is nostalgic
Look at all the Maddens I made. Look at them, Anakin! The commemorative Madden NFL 25, which stoked our hearts to four stars full, punts itself into waiting hands worldwide on Xbox 360 and PS3 today, with PS4 and Xbox One versions on the way too.
Killer Is Dead review: Drunk on the moon
I invariably recommend games made by Grasshopper Manufacture to friends, not necessarily because I enjoyed them, but because Goichi Suda's studio produces games that have to be tried. Grasshopper's approach to design can be nonchalant bordering on reckless, and leaves me as secure of their games' quality as I am watching a drunk at a dartboard. Much like someone's who had too many, their games can be hilarious, frivolous, profound, outrageous, offensive, and at their worst downright loathsome, but when it comes down to it I want to be there when they're around - even if it means taking a dart to the eye. For better or worse, Killer Is Dead is certainly a Grasshopper game, and for the most part it's closer to bullseye than head wound, although it's an absolute shame its one real gash is so very profuse. But then, the good thing about recommending games to friends is that you can tell them which bits to avoid.
Saints Row 4 lines up top spot in this week's UK charts
Lock the doors, turn off the lights, and grab the nearest frying pan: the silly season is upon us. The games industry's annual binge on blockbuster starts this week with Saints Row 4 grabbing the UK No. 1; fellow new releases Splinter Cell: Blacklist and Disney Infinity place second and third, respectively. The challenge will be to hold the top spot next week, when Rayman Legends and the console versions of Diablo 3 ride into town. After that there are the likes of FIFA 14, PES 2014, Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD Remix... oh and that Grand Theft Auto thing... arghhhhh, too many games, they're everywhere, save yourselves! Ahem. Saints Row 4 is fittingly the UK's fourth biggest launch of the year - first, second, and third are The Last of Us, BioShock Infinite, and Tomb Raider - and while its first week performance falls behind that of Saints Row: The Third, it is the bombastic series' second biggest. Talking of numbers, Disney Infinity is proving most popular on Xbox 360, which grabs 43 percent of the sales. PS3 comes in at 22 percent, while the Wii beats the Wii U with 21 percent to its successor's 10. Lower down the charts, 2K Games might be a little disappointed to see The Bureau: XCOM Declassified only debut in tenth spot, while Platinum's The Wonderful 101 flies in at just 22nd. To provide some silly season perspective, last week's number 1, Payday 2, makes an almighty drop this week to 18th.
Lost Planet 3 review: How I Met Your Mothra
An elderly Jim Peyton would like to get a few things off his chest before he dies – the secrets, the lies, the many battles of youthful days gone by. Also, the huge rocks that just fell on him. As his granddaughter scrambles to pry him out of a cave-in coffin, she's drawn into an epic flashback that beats a season of Dallas, both in terms of length and inopportune timing. We're not meant to take this as a vocal description of every granular detail of Lost Planet 3, of course, but it sure feels that way sometimes. "And then I waited for the mega crab monster to charge me ... again," Peyton sputters. "So, I rolled out of the way ... again ... and I shot it in the back and then ... wait, I think I reloaded my gun first and THEN I rolled." He expends another pained breath. "Have I mentioned how I shot the glowing weakpoint?" Geez, Gramps, just get on with it.
Halo 4 'Game of the Year' edition drops in October
Microsoft has confirmed a Halo 4 Game of the Year Edition is slated to arrive in October. A spokesperson said the package will include additional DLC , and that more details will be announced "during the live stream of the 'Halo' Global Championship Finals this Sunday." According to information provided to IGN by a tipster, this new version of Halo 4 will cost $50 and include the base game, the first season of Spartan Ops content, a War Games pass, the Champions DLC bundle and content that was exclusive to pre-orders and limited editions.
Daily Roundup: Accessories buyer's guide, OLPC XO Tablet review, Employee-only white Xbox One, and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Dig into Black Ops 2 'Apocalypse' DLC in this gameplay video
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 gets one last DLC pack, dubbed "Apocalypse," tomorrow. Within it players find four new multiplayer maps and one new excursion into Zombies mode with "Origins."
Ubisoft tackles eSports with 'The Next Level' competition at PAX Prime
Ubisoft is set to enter the eSports market with "The Next Level," a livestreamed gaming competition debuting this weekend at PAX Prime in Seattle. The Next Level features a selection of Ubisoft-published games, offering prizes ranging from scholarships to trips to upcoming events. The contest is aimed at players of all skill levels, and branches out from traditional eSports offerings with competitions for the motion-sensing dance sim Just Dance 2014 and the free-to-play RPG The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot. The PAX Prime event will also host challenges for Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, The Crew, and Rayman Legends. "The Next Level brings all the elements of eSports style competition that make it engaging and fun to watch but tests player's skills with challenges in different games and genres opening up the playing field to anyone interested in competitive gaming," said Josh Milligan, Ubisoft's senior director of player engagement. After PAX Prime wraps up, Ubisoft will continue The Next Level with online competitions and upcoming events at E3 and New York Comic-Con.
Now Playing: August 26 - September 1, 2013
Hit the ground running and lead your team to glory this week with Madden NFL 25... Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list:
Xbox Live updated to accept real money
This morning's Xbox Live update finally converts all Microsoft Points ("space bucks") to the real currency of the user's particular region. The conversion in the United States appears to be in-line with the standard point conversion rate of $1 = 80 MS points. The system appears to round up to the nearest quarter dollar in real currency during the update. For example, I had 3630 points, which converted would be $45.38. It was rounded up to $45.50 in the transition. Microsoft announced the real money change-up during its E3 press conference. The company has also posted a currency transition FAQ.
Rayman Legends review: Smiles undeniable
Growing up with platformers on the original Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis, I didn't just have favorite games – I had favorite levels within those games. I'd grab my friends and force them to watch me play through the Quick Man stage of Mega Man 2, or the Yellow Planet of Bucky O'Hare. I was a kid, and games were all about having fun. I'm not sure at what age I lost the impetus to label a specific portion of a game my favorite, but as I called my wife into my office to watch me replay a level of Rayman Legends, I realized that, if only for a moment, I had gotten it back. Rayman Legends isn't just the finest platformer released since its predecessor, Rayman Origins, it's also one of the few games thus far to make me happy that I have a Wii U in my entertainment center. Legends doesn't worry too much about its nonsensical nature, and aside from making it clear that some evil Teensies are up to no good, the game doesn't bother with a coherent story or plot points. Instead, it focuses on its massive hand-drawn environments, branching pathways, and delightfully absurd enemies. In one stage you'll be pounding belligerent frogs into the ground and in the very next you'll come face to face with a dragon that swallows up the entire screen, and at no point will this seem crazy to you, for this is Rayman's world and having fun is the only thing that matters.
New Xbox 360 update bids farewell to points, welcomes local currency
Goodbye, Microsoft Points. Hello, local currency. A new Xbox 360 update, debuting today, has finally made official the long-awaited switch from Microsoft's own virtual currency, allowing you to spend your hard-earned pennies on Xbox Live content. If you've still got Microsoft Points laying around, never fear. As we've previously reported, existing point balances will be converted to their equivalent cash value. According to the company's FAQ, prices are now listed in whatever your local currency happens to be, plus tax. It's worth noting that purchases made with converted money will not be taxed for the time being, and said currency is good until June 1, 2015. For more details, check out Microsoft's breakdown of the switch at the source link below.
Yaiba 'is its own thing,' Team Ninja would love to make Yaiba 2
Although it's set in the Ninja Gaiden universe, Team Ninja looks at Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z as its own entity, separate from Ryu Hayabusa's outings and able to develop into its own property. Speaking to Joystiq at Gamescom, studio head Yosuke Hayashi said his team would love to make a Yaiba 2, but it needs to ensure the first Yaiba is a success first. "It's not a sequel or a spin-off, it is its own thing," Hayashi said, "And so the systems are very different. We want to have it open to another audience, to people who like zombie games. The target is a little bit different, but it should still feel like a good, solid action game." Yaiba isn't just a ninja meets zombies crossover, it is also a worldwide collaboration between three separate games studios: Ninja Gaiden dev Team Ninja and Keiji Inafune's Comcept from Japan, and California-based Spark Unlimited. It's an unusual collaboration to say the least, but one Inafune believes has worked out well. "It's been interesting to see the Comcept team, the Team Ninja team, and the Spark team working together on this project," Inafune said. "First we were being careful with each other and respecting each other's boundaries, and stuff like that. But it really has become an open dialog between the teams, respecting the strengths of each team, and bringing out those strengths through discussion and through open and honest collaboration. To see that happen that between Team Ninja and Spark has been something that's really good for Yaiba."
Microsoft's employee-only white Xbox One colors us green with envy
There are certainly benefits to working for Microsoft beyond a steady paycheck. We've seen the company gift employees with phones and tablets and, if the picture above proves legit, a lucky bunch will receive a free Xbox One on launch day -- in an exclusive white and silver-grey hue, no less. In addition to a console etched with "I made this" and "launch team something," they'll get one year of Xbox Live and all first-party games (if we're understanding "1P" correctly) gratis. According to the picture, which surfaced on NeoGAF's forums and Reddit, this special edition Xbone will be given to full-timers (as of July 12th this year) in MS's Interactive Entertainment Business who are still employed at launch. This is just a rumor, of course, but if some Photoshop trickster cooked this up, we'd think they'd go as far as making the Kinect white, if only for consistency. Or, maybe that's what we're supposed to think.
Win a golden DuckTales NES cartridge, rewrite history
Capcom distributed working, golden DuckTales NES cartridges to members of the press to promote the release of DuckTales: Remastered. They still have some leftover, however, and they'd like to give them to some aspiring singers and PhotoShop artists, Capcom Unity employee Chris Antista revealed last week. "At least one" lunchbox filled with shredded money and a DuckTales cartridge will be given away on every weekday from now until September 11, the game's digital release date for the 360. In order to win one, contestants must upload their striking renditions of the DuckTales theme song to the contest's website. If you'd rather spare yourself from that, Capcom is accepting alternative submissions in the form of artwork or edited images that incorporate DuckTales characters into existing Capcom franchises, or vice versa, at contest at capcom dot com. Antista's update also mentions future "surprises and flash giveaways" that will spring up at Capcom Unity or amongst its social media feeds. If you'd rather not toy with your emotions, the PS3-exclusive boxed version of a digital download token for DuckTales: Remastered recently launched at retail. Digital Wii U, PS3 and PC versions are also available on the eShop, PlayStation Store and Steam. We preferred the original game, however, so why not try to give your golden The Legend of Zelda cartridge some company?
Diablo 3 director hints at Reaper of Souls possibly coming to consoles
With the Diablo 3 expansion, Reaper of Souls, announced at Gamescom earlier this week, and the console version of Diablo 3 to release on September 3, many have wondered: will console players get to experience the new content - not least of which is an awesome cinematic showing off Malthael, the angel of death - present in Reaper of Souls? In an interview with Polygon, game director Josh Mosqueira hinted that it could be so. "We've got Diablo 3 on PC, we released it and then a small team splintered off to work on Diablo for the current consoles. Now the team's really focused on Reaper of Souls for PC," Mosqueira said. "So if you look at the past, you can probably infer what the future might bring." Unfortunately, that tease is all we're going to get, as Mosqueira also clarified that the teams don't have anything official to announce "at this point."
Gamescom 2013 attendance more than 340,000
Gamescom: The Fünfening pushed the limits of the Koelnmesse, with attendance numbers causing shutdowns and resulting in the annual gathering being completely sold out. Organizers at the Koelnmesse said today the premier public gaming event's attendance reached over 340,000. Last year's attendance stabilized at a little over 275,000, thanks to Microsoft and Nintendo's absense from the show. That was not the case this year. On top of that, we're heading into the next console cycle and gamers around the world are pumped. Our annual roundup of official and unofficial stats can be found after the break. We also have six nights of Super Joystiq Podcast episodes to check out, all recorded in the traditional method of people who deserve better than being crowded around a microphone in a tiny German hotel room.
