e3-2013
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The Walking Dead 400 Days: Dissecting one of its stories at E3
The Walking Dead's next episode, 400 Days, stars five different characters in five separate stories of survival during the zombie apocalypse, all tied together by a geographical locale: A truck stop. These newcomers offer a fresh perspective on the events in season one of The Walking Dead, but overall, Telltale's tone hasn't changed much. "Aw, fuck." Those are the first words that Vince, one of the five characters highlighted in 400 Days, says. He spits the phrase into a dark alley as he searches for a spot to stash his gun, police sirens blaring from down the street. The player gets to decide where Vince throws the pistol – the garbage, his pants, the roof – but it doesn't appear to affect where he ends up: chained to the floor of a prison bus, with a heartbroken statutory rapist in front of him and a white-collar, former millionaire behind, all latched on the same line. %Gallery-191351%
The Evil Within, Wolfenstein confirmed for PS4, Xbox One
It's a mere formality at this point, but Bethesda Softworks has officially confirmed Wolfenstein: The New Order and The Evil Within for Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The games were previously announced for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC as well. Bethesda also released some more screenshots for both games, which we've placed in the galleries below. %Gallery-189556% %Gallery-191139%
Nintendo developer video compares Super Smash Bros. on Wii U and 3DS
Nintendo has released a new developer video detailing the differences between the Wii U and 3DS versions of its recently announced cross-franchise brawler Super Smash Bros. Director Masahiro Sakurai notes that "the total number of characters [in the Nintendo 3DS version] is the same as the Wii U version, but some of the stages will be completely different." In addition: "In the Nintendo 3DS version, there will be more stages based on handheld games, while themed stages from home console games will be on Wii U." Both games also boast a unique graphic style. The Wii U release focuses on primary colors and visual effects, while the 3DS version has cel-shaded characters in order to make them easier to see. The Super Smash Bros. official website profiles every character announced so far, including newcomers from Animal Crossing and Wii Fit. Super Smash Bros. is set to launch in 2014.
Killer Instinct to launch alongside Xbox One
Microsoft's revival of Rare's fighting series, Killer Instinct, will be a launch game for the Xbox One. Microsoft Studios head Phil Spencer told me Killer Instinct is "being overseen by people who are really core to that franchise," and suggested the developer, Double Helix Games, was getting a "bad rap" for its recent history of movie-licensed games. "I think the developer is getting a little bad rap around this game," Spencer said. "We found a developer who really cares about the game. They're building a great game at 60 frames per second." Though it seems to have coalesced into a real product made purely from recurring internet wishes, Killer Instinct is practically seen as an ambassador for Xbox One's improvements to online matchmaking. "Obviously, multiplayer is pretty core to what the game is right now, but when you think about asynchronous matchmaking, and I don't know if it really came across [during Microsoft's media briefing], but while you're playing your match, your next fight is being set up. So, you're literally just carousel-ing from fight to fight. A fighting game, given its round-based nature and how long the rounds are, is a great opportunity to showcase the asynchronous matchmaking." Of course, that isn't to say Twitter had no participation in the matter. "And then, yes, my Twitter feed is always lit up with, you know, there are a few games - Crackdown being one, Killer Instinct being another. When are you going to do this game? Everyone thought there was going to be a Kameo 2, or ... I don't get a lot of Brute Force 2."%Gallery-191172%
Mad Catz Arcade Fightstick for Xbox One eyes-on (video)
The M.O.J.O. may be Mad Catz's star of this year's E3, but the peripheral-maker's pretty darn excited to show of its latest massive gamepad, if for no other reason than the fact that the controller made a rare appearance at Microsoft's press conference, the other day -- in fact, during our time in the company's booth, a Redmond rep popped by and gave it a thumbs up (and casually mentioned that Mad Catz happens to be the only company other than his own that happens to have the Xbox One it its booth). The controller, as you can no doubt tell in the above image, is a bit of a beast -- you may well need both hands to onto it. Along the top, you find six buttons in two rows and a joystick, as well a mystery panel on the top -- something Mad Catz apparently isn't ready to talk about. The controller has a detachable cord on the back and will open up use a button on the front, making it easier to change artwork on the thing. Between the buttons and the sides, there's a lot glowing space on the FightStick. Check out a video of that and more, after the break.%Gallery-191125%
Dead Rising 3 Kinect and Smartglass integration detailed
Dead Rising 3's optional use of the Xbox One's mandatory Kinect gifts its zombies with a level of situational awareness you may not want them to have, truth be told. "They can hear," a Capcom representative told us during a demonstration at E3. "If you want to call a zombie or distract [a zombie], you just yell at your Kinect and they'll respond to you." Sounds useful in a stealth situation, but what if you're not as good at staying quiet as you'd like, or your roommate comes home at a tense moment, taking the frustration of his lousy day out on your front door? Are the zombies listening that closely? "That's part of the joke," executive producer Josh Bridge said. We asked whether the zombies would respond to specific words or just sounds in general, and while exact details regarding the mechanic won't be revealed until further into production, "for the most part, zombies don't understand English." Bridge added that the microphone sensitivity will be tuned to a "threshold that makes sense," so that attracting zombies will, by and large, feel like an intentional decision. Of course, the functionality can be disabled entirely.
Behold all 12 minutes of Quantic Dream's The Dark Sorcerer E3 tech demo
Heavy Rain developer Quantic Dream has released a full-length version of its satirical PlayStation 4 tech demo The Dark Sorcerer, first shown at Sony's E3 press event last night. The Dark Sorcerer recasts the old man character featured in a previous Quantic Dream tech demo as a struggling actor with a goblinish/trollish co-star. Hijinks ensue. Shenanigans, even. %Gallery-191355%
Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare coming in spring, planned for PC
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare is being planned for PC, producer Brian Lindley told Joystiq at E3. The third-person action game was announced for Xbox One and Xbox 360 at EA's E3 press conference yesterday. Lindley said the game will launch in spring 2014, and that "at the moment we're not announcing any platforms." You know, outside of PC. Garden Warfare was announced with a demo of its four-player cooperative multiplayer action. Lindley confirmed that the game will include competitive multiplayer modes in which players can control zombie characters instead of plants. %Gallery-191160%
Drink in these PlayStation 4 hardware photos
We snagged some photos of the PlayStation 4 hardware and accessories at E3 2013. Just try to look at that console without thinking of "Also Sprach Zarathustra." Also, try not to look too close – it's pointy.%Gallery-191162%
Batman: Arkham Origins PS3 'Knightfall' content detailed
The Batman: Arkham Origins 'Knightfall' content for the game's PS3 version consists of challenge maps tied to the Knightfall storyline, as well as the Azreal-themed suit and the "early television show skin" revealed in Sony's E3 conference. Origins Senior Producer Ben Mattes told Joystiq the maps are "specific to the Knightfall storyline" and will include "appropriately themed characters and enemies." The piece of Knightfall content developer Warner Bros. Montreal is "really excited about" is the early television show skin, AKA the 60s Batman skin of the KAPOW! and BLAM! era. So, did Warner Bros. Montreal consider bringing in a certain Adam West to provide vocals tied to the skin? When asked about that possibility, Mattes took a long pause before simply restating, "Early television show skin." Holy skirting the question, Batman! On the subject of specific versions, Mattes also confirmed to us the Origins will have specific functionality on the Wii U, but he wasn't prepared to go into details. "We're not talking about specific features but we're encouraging people to imagine," Mattes told us, "We obviously paid to attention to the Wii U platform and what sort of functionality makes sense for that platform." We also asked him about whether or not the Wii U would receive the same DLC as other versions, given the speculation about the system possibly not receiving the Deathstroke content. Mattes told us WB Montreal is "not yet talking about" DLC and its relationship to the different platforms.
Nyko's Xbox One and PlayStation 4 Charge Base peripherals (eyes-on)
All right, all right, so it's not the sexiest thing in the world, but let's face it, those wireless controllers need to be charged. Nyko's got the jump on the next generation of battery drainers, rolling out out new Charge Bases for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The two peripherals look fairly similar: strips with two charging ports. The Xbox One version comes packed with two batteries, and the PS4 edition uses a little dongle for charging. In both cases, the systems are just drop and go. Once they're in place, a little display will illuminate an image of the controller to let you know that it's doing its job. No word on pricing on either, but you can treat yourself to a gallery of both below. %Gallery-191145%
Nintendo pictorial booth tour
Nintendo's booth showcases the company's friendly atmosphere, featuring whimsical statues and vehicles for photo opportunities. Princess Peach playing cuddly cat woman is adorable, but so are the super-sized Pikmin. Those looking for a photo memory can hop in a Mario Kart or take a non aquatic ride on the Wind Waker boat. Yes, we asked if the boat was seaworthy. It isn't. %Gallery-191094%
Quantum Break live-action series comes with the game
The symbiotic live-action series produced as part of the Xbox One-exclusive "time travel mystery" Quantum Break will be included with the game when it ships, Remedy Creative Director Sam Lake has confirmed. Quantum Break continues Remedy's trend of using other forms of media – in its worlds and outside of them – to flesh out the universe of its games. Max Payne's story was told in pages ripped out of a gritty noir comic, Alan Wake brought the world to life in a short, live-action miniseries; Quantum Break goes further, Lake said. "Quantum Break is a lot more than a 'AAA' game, there is a top-of-the-line TV show that ships with the game. Both the game and the show are meant to be consumed together," Lake explained, calling the decision to produce an entire series "a logical leap forward" from its previous universe-building efforts. Expanding on the news, Remedy Entertainment's Oskari Hakkinen clarified that the release of Quantum Break will include the series, though neither Remedy or Microsoft would explain if the show would be included on the same disc as the game.%Gallery-191140%
The Walking Dead 400 Days due in July for $5, choices carry over
The new episode for Telltale's The Walking Dead, 400 Days, is set to launch in July for $5 on PC, Mac, XBLA, PSN and iOS. It'll hit Vita one month later, in August. That version will be bundled with the entire first season, for the first time ever on Vita. That bundle is a good deal for fans of continuity – the decisions players made in the first season of The Walking Dead will show up in 400 Days, and the choices in 400 Days will impact season two, Telltale marketing man Richard Iggo said at E3. Players can start 400 Days without having played any of season one, but Iggo warned against it for those who want the full effect. The DLC features five new characters in five separate stories, with a truck stop as their connective tissue. The truck stop is near events in season one of The Walking Dead, making it easy, geographically at least, to include previous player choices in 400 Days and beyond. "Who knows, some of the characters that you meet might end up in season two," Iggo teased.
Dead Rising 3 adds Nightmare mode for die-hard Dead Rising traditionalists
Traversing Dead Rising 3's reportedly massive open world won't be a race against the clock, or an all-out search for a bathroom like previous entries in the series – that is, unless you want it to be. The game's new direction, as well as its opt-in old direction, was explained to us by Capcom during a closed-door demonstration of the game at E3. "We're trying to have our cake and eat it too, in terms of how the game world works," a Capcom representative told us during the demonstration. "In previous Dead Rising games, time was ticking. You have to rush through the game, you don't get a chance to explore, you don't get a chance to experiment, you can only save in certain locations ... and some people loved that, but some people hated it and it totally turned them off from Dead Rising." To wit, Capcom's goal has been to make zombies the main threat in the game, rather than time pressure, and its doing so by removing the timer and adding auto-saves. The company does seem aware, however, that this is against the grain of the series' history, and as such a "Nightmare" mode will be available for those that want something a little more classic. "No auto-saves; clock is ticking; we'll fail your ass if you don't make it to the next mission in time. It works just like old Dead Risings – so if you're a Dead Rising fan and you want a sadistic experience, you can totally do that."%Gallery-190923%
EA spotlights PvZ: Garden Warfare, Mirror's Edge reboot at E3 2013
Electronic Arts outlined its plans for the next generation of consoles during its E3 press event yesterday, showcasing a slate of upcoming releases ranging from tech-driven sports games to crowd-pleasing PopCap franchise sequels. EA hit the ground running with a trailer for Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare, a third-person action game in which players control squadrons of zombie-destroying plant life. Afterward, PopCap's John Vechey took the stage to announce Peggle 2, which is expected to reignite many long-forgotten addictions when it launches later this year. Electronic Arts then offered a glimpse at a new Star Wars Battlefront game developed by DICE, capitalizing on its recent exclusivity deal with franchise owner Disney. Dragon Age: Inquisition was next up, as developer BioWare showed off a new trailer and announced the game's release had been pushed back into next year, with versions planned for Xbox One, PS4, PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.
Need for Speed: Rivals aiming to launch with next-gen consoles this year
Need for Speed: Rivals is slated to be a launch title for Xbox One and PlayStation 4, Lead Designer James Mouat told Joystiq at E3. The game was already announced as coming to Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on November 19, but Mouat said the team wants the game to "be out on launch" for next-generation consoles. Mouat also confirmed that the game will not include local, split-screen multiplayer. While the Rivals' "AllDrive" feature places a heavy emphasis on competitive, online-connected multiplayer, Mouat assured us that "if you never touch the Internet with your console, it still plays fine," and that "you'll have an entire single-player campaign to play through."
E3 2013: Check out DUST 514's new trailer, EVE Online screenies
Sometimes a space cowboy or cowgirl just wants to gaze out of the cockpit and marvel at the beauty of the cosmos. Sometimes being that pensive is a good way to get podded, but at least those final moments are spent in awe. So whether or not you're facing imminent combat, we've got some new CCP eye candy for you. Below are several new screenshots from EVE Online: Odyssey and DUST 514, and after the break is the E3 trailer for DUST called Fight Your Own War. Enjoy! [Source: CCP Games] %Gallery-191114%
Batman: Arkham Origins doesn't feature Kevin Conroy after all
After some confusion, we've clarified Kevin Conroy doesn't feature in Batman: Arkham Origins at all. Origins Senior Producer Ben Mattes told Joystiq, "We've got Roger Craig Smith, he's our Batman. Troy Baker, he's our Joker. Kevin Conroy, he's not part of this game." Initial reports indicated long-time Batman voice actor Conroy wasn't in Origins. He then announced at the recent Dallas Comic Con that he'd been working on "the next Arkham" game. Shortly after, Craig Smith was officially unveiled as Origins' younger Batman, leading to speculation Conroy might be involved in some kind of retrospective role. However, it now emerges Conroy was apparently talking about another Arkham game in development, perhaps at series dev Rocksteady Studios - Warner Bros. Montreal is the studio behind Origins. That would seem to be backed up by Spong's report from last month, which noted a Twitter account ascribed to Conroy tweeted "Confusion in Dallas! I am in new ARKHAM GAME coming soon, NOT ARKHAM ORIGINS coming this fall." The tweet was deleted shortly after being posted - we're not sure if the world's greatest detective is needed for this one.
Titanfall will have dedicated servers
Following a demonstration of Titanfall at E3, EA's Craig Owens confirmed that the game will have dedicated servers on all platforms – PC, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. "We're using Microsoft's cloud compute initiative to run all our servers for it, so it's all running on dedicated servers," Owens said. "We'll spin up and spin down servers as necessary, and it'll do all the AI hosting and physics calculations and all matchmaking and all of that good stuff. It's all dedicated servers, all the time." Owens also confirmed the PC version would feature dedicated servers.
