Gamescom-2013
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Xbox One bundle with Call of Duty Ghosts announced for Europe
During today's Xbox One showcase, Microsoft announced an Xbox One Call of Duty: Ghosts bundle. According to Microsoft, it will feature exclusive content, map packs will continue to be first on Xbox Live. Update: Following the presentation, we asked a Microsoft representative if the bundle was coming to other regions. "We're only talking about EMEA today, we'll have information on other regions later. We're only talking Europe here," said the spokesperson.
Ubisoft bringing Kinect fighter Fighter Within to Xbox One this holiday
At Microsoft's Gamescom showcase today, Phil Harisson revealed Fighter Within, a new Kinect fighting game from Ubisoft. In a very brief trailer, we saw a few characters beating on one another, and that's about it. The game is slated to arrive this holiday.
Mojang's Cobalt on its way to Xbox One, 360
Cobalt, the platforming action game published by Minecraft machine Mojang, is coming to Xbox One and Xbox 360, Microsoft announced at its Gamescom press conference today. Cobalt is a single- or multiplayer game that involves robots, rockets and slowing down time – all the finer things in life. Cobalt launched as a PC alpha in December 2011, from developer Oxeye Game Studio.
Fable Legends announced [Update: trailer added]
Fable Legends, which was recently discovered due to domain listings, has been officially announced at Microsoft's Gamescom press conference. It will be a multiplayer game, with more details coming shortly. Likely, during this week's Gamescom.
Microsoft starts 'Independent Developers @ Xbox' self-publishing program
Microsoft has announced a self-publishing program for independent developers to get their games on Xbox One. Applications to join "Independent Developers @ Xbox" (or "ID@Xbox") are available widely starting today (xbox.com/id), though Microsoft tells Joystiq it is prioritizing developers with a proven track record during the initial stages of the program, which begins this fall. "We wanted to recognize that this program is just starting out," said Chris Charla, who heads up the ID@Xbox program and its support team. "We're really looking for qualified developers, especially in the early stages." Though there is no generic checklist for what is a "prioritized" application, Charla says Microsoft is looking for established indies that can provide good feedback to help the program improve in the future. Once accepted into the program, ID@Xbox participants will receive two Xbox One development kits at no cost, along with full access to Achievements, the Xbox Live toolset, cloud services, Kinect and SmartGlass for use in their games. "We have a pretty quick turnaround to letting people into the program, and signing their hardware agreements and that sort of thing," Charla said. However, "if we get 1000 entries on Tuesday, it's going to take a couple days longer than if we get 200." Charla would not disclose the general details of the resulting contracts, only saying that "every contract is probably a little different."
Bungie bringing colossal Destiny statue to Gamescom
Gamescom bills itself as the largest single gathering of gamers in the world. Who better than Bungie, then, to set up the "largest theater to ever grace the event" in order to showcase its upcoming Destiny title. The game will also be advertised by a colossal sculpture of the Fallen Captain, a fearsome four-armed baddie that Destiny players will face as they fight their way through the game's war-torn sci-fi scape. Click past the cut to see the statue take shape courtesy of Bungie's art department.
Seen@GDC Europe: Achtung Arcade is a little box of fun
Stowed literally in a corner of GDC Europe 2013 is Achtung Arcade, an adorable miniature machine put together by the man who made McPixel, the game notable both for being the first Steam Greenlight success to make it to Valve's portal, and for being bonkers. Just like McPixel, Achtung Arcade is kind of out there. Achtung Arcade is based around 17 of Mikolaj Kaminski's Flash games, mostly weird game jam creations like Ninjanoids - which is exactly what it sounds like, Asteroids with ninjas instead of meteors - and Spy Trouble, a platformer with lots of deadly lasers. The cabinet includes a grand total of 505 variations of the 17 games, with different versions featuring changes like "glitchy pixels" and different skins. "I don't have any game in the works as far as to be able to show it at expos or events. I decided to put an arcade machine that can house all my small games and Flash games," Kaminski told us. "These kind of games are way different from the big games that you make. Flash games, the games that you don't have to worry about them being good, or marketable. These are just games, that we love." Most of Achtung Arcade's 17 games are available on Kaminski's website, but some are exclusive to the device, like the aptly named Number 2, a game that sees you guide fecal matter through a line of intestine while trying not to touch the sides. (Don't pooh-pooh it before you've tried it.) Achtung Arcade made its debut at a Berlin game show earlier this year; Kaminski plans to add more exclusives to it, and even hopes other game makers will add their own creations to it as he continues to tour it wherever he can. Will Kaminski bring it to Gamescom this week? At the moment he doesn't have a booth, but he's hoping someone will let him find somewhere to put Achtung Arcade. After all, as he pointed out, it's not like it takes up much space.
Welcome to Gamescom 2013 from Joystiq and Engadget
GDC Europe and Gamescom 2013 kick off this week, and both Joystiq and Engadget are on the scene to gather all the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Oculus Rift and Sphero news that's fit to print. To kick everything off, join Joystiq Reviews Editor Richard Mitchell and Engadget Senior Associate Editor Ben Gilbert as they discuss what to expect from the festivities.
Gamescom 2013: New Dragon's Prophet trailer released
SOE has released a new Dragon's Prophet trailer to celebrate this week's Gamescom. The firm is also giving fans a sneak peek at the title's Frontier system. "Guilds will be thrust into Territory Wars where they must destroy Guardian Crystal towers and break through castle walls guarded by their enemies," according to a Dragon's Prophet press release. "Siege weapons and dragons, along with special NPCs, will aid alliances as they fight for control of the citadels." SOE also wants you to know about the game's latest open beta update, which includes the Fafnir Dragon event, a style shop, one-to-30 leveling curve tweaks, and more. Dragon's Prophet officially launches on September 18th. In the meantime, don't forget to watch the trailer after the cut! [Source: SOE press release]
Super Joystiq Podcast Special: Gamescom 2013 Day 1
Gamescom 2013 is here, and so is our first of five Super Joystiq Podcast Specials. Alexander, Richard, Jess, and Sinan are in Germany covering the biggest games show of the year, and in traditional fashion, are joined by a group of indie developers. Rami Ismail (Vlambeer), Mike Bithell (Thomas Was Alone), Martin Pichlmair (Secrets of Raetikon), and Kelly Wallick (Indie Megabooth) join the podcast to hit a myriad of topics facing indies in 2013: next-gen developer relations, indie marketing, Steam Greenlight, and much more. This is also your first chance to win big during The Great Gamescom Podcast Giveaways of 2013! In today's episode, we reveal the password required to enter to win a Razer prize pack, which includes a Carcharias headset, Orbweaver keypad, Naga mouse and Taipan mouse. Instructions for how to enter can be found on this post, and after the break. Be sure to catch each episode every day this week for a new giveaway. See you back here tomorrow! Listen to the Super Joystiq Podcast: Subscribe to the Super Joystiq Podcast in iTunes Add the Super Joystiq Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator Download the MP3 directly Details about each segment are available after the break.
Thomas Was Alone sells 'over 700,000' copies
Indie darling Thomas Was Alone has sold a rather impressive "over 700,000" copies to date. The game's creator, Mike Bithell, revealed the figure in our first Gamescom podcast*, which you should be able to listen to shortly. The figure comprises PC, Mac, Linux, PS3, and Vita sales, and does not include copies obtained through PS Plus for free. Not bad for a 'rectangle game,' we'd say. Bithell recently unveiled his very different next game, Volume, which mixes Metal Gear Solid with a dollop of user-generated content. While it's definitely a departure from talking rectangles, Bithell said Thomas Was Alone's narrative roots continue in Volume through a "very strong authored story," and may extend into the game's level creator, since Bithell wants to "make a game that allows people to tell their own stories as well." *Bithell said "around 700,000" copies on the podcast, but confirmed "over 700,000" after. Technicalities!
Seen@Gamescom: The swag bag assembly line
When you pick up your World of Tanks swag bag at Gamescom, which starts this Wednesday, you have these diligent people to thank. These bags don't fill themselves, folks!
The Great Gamescom Podcast Giveaways of 2013
Gather 'round, children! Gamescom is upon us, and we've decided to use Europe's massive trade show as an excuse to shower some of you in fabulous prizes! That's right, we've teamed up with our own podcast to give away the five biggest and/or most awesome swag packages our collective closets have been hiding. Here's how it works: Five special Gamescom episodes of the Super Joystiq Podcast are set to go up this week, hosted by the always wonderful Alexander Sliwinski. During each show, Alexander will give out a secret password – sending an email to podcast at joystiq dot com with the password as the subject will then enter you in a randomized drawing for that episode's prize. We're going to give away a collection of Razer accessories, an Xbox 360 S Halo 4 bundle, a Tanooki-suit hoodie and even more, so subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and listen for your chance(s) to win! We'll also be posting the podcasts here as they go live, for those of you that don't like iTunes but do enjoy checking websites! Rules: Entries must be received on or before Monday, August 26 in order to be considered valid. One entry per person per password – duplicates will be discarded. Likewise, only one password per email will be accepted! Catch-all emails containing all five passwords will be thrown into a ravine. Must be 18 years of age or older and a United States resident to win. Sorry, everywhere else! What is Joyswag? Since we don't keep the games and merchandise we receive for review or promotional purposes, it becomes "Joyswag," which is passed along to our readers. Please note that Joyswag may be in "used" condition. All winners of Joyswag are selected randomly. For more info on our policy, along with rules and regulations associated will all giveaways, click here.
Sony to share 'release plans' for PS4 on August 20
Sony's August 20 press conference at Gamescom may tell PS4 enthusiasts exactly when they'll be able to shell out $400 for the new console, a post to the European Playstation Blog announced this week. The update describes the show's content as a briefing on Sony's "release plans for PlayStation 4." Announcements concerning the PS3 and Vita are also planned. You can start virtually camping out for the conference here, which begins at noon EST. In contrast, Micorosoft has scheduled a keynote led by Corporate VP of Microsoft Phil Spencer. Spencer described its August 20 conference as a "really short" show emphasizing developers and their games, including an exclusive installment to "Europe's biggest franchise."
WildStar primps for convention appearances
WildStar's dance card is quite full this month, as Carbine is heading to both Gamescom and PAX Prime for promotions, hobnobbing, and public demos. First up is Gamescom, where the devs will be present at the NCsoft booth (Hall 8, Booth #B030), showing off the Chua and Mordesh races and a couple of new zones. The team is throwing a party that Friday at the Marriott Koln that is first-come, first-served. Up next is PAX Prime, where the devs and demo will be at booth #642 for the curious and beta-envious. Carbine's hosting a panel at PAX on Saturday, August 31st, which will be livestreamed for those who can't attend. There will be a PAX party as well later that night at the Hard Rock Café, so Massively encourages those who attend to drink and demo responsibly.
Diablo III teaser suggests expansion name is Reaper of Souls [Updated]
Yesterday we speculated where Blizzard's recently trademarked name The Dark Below would go -- to a new game or an expansion for Diablo III or World of Warcraft? Well Diablo III appears to be out of the running; according to a teaser page found on the official site, the new title for that expansion is Reaper of Souls. And we already know that Blizzard planned on showing off a new cinematic at Gamescom, so we'll probably have an official reveal of the expansion next week. Of course, with Diablo III's expansion named, that leaves The Dark Below still open for other use. Will it belong to WoW, or something new entirely? Only time will tell. Our sister site WoW Insider now believes the registration of The Dark Below was a hoax. [Thanks to Sharvis for the tip.]
Phil Spencer to give Gamescom keynote, Microsoft show 'really short'
Phil Spencer, Corporate VP of Microsoft Studios, will deliver the Gamescom keynote when the convention kicks off next week in Cologne, Germany. "Gamescom is the ideal platform to discuss the impact of new hardware, accessories and software for the next generation of games," Spencer said in a statement obtained by CVG. "There has never been a better time to be a part of this industry. It is exciting to see how developers and authors to use the new opportunities and create a completely new way of playing." Apart from the keynote, Microsoft's on-stage showcase on Tuesday, August 20, will be "really short," Spencer told Major Nelson. It will focus on developers and their games, with a "unique exclusive" and "Europe's biggest franchise," Spencer said, and following presentations will give press and players hands-on time with Xbox One games.
Blizzard trademark hints at next WoW or Diablo III expansion [Updated]
According to the ever-churning rumor mill, Blizzard Entertainment may be on the cusp of announcing a new expansion to World of Warcraft or Diablo III. The studio has just snagged a new trademark for The Dark Below and identified that trademark as "computer game software" and "downloadable electronic game." The trademark could be for a new game or unannounced IP, but it's more likely the title of an upcoming expansion to one of Blizzard's big existing titles. Smart money is on Diablo III, since Blizz did tease its August 21st Gamescom press conference by saying it would, "capture the attention of the Heavens, Burning Hells, and all the shadowed places that lie between." We also know that Blizzard plans to show off a brand new cinematic at Gamescom -- cinematics tend to come with either new games or new expansions. Any guesses on what The Dark Below might be? [Thanks to Sharvis for the tip!] [Update: Our sister site WoW Insider argues convincingly that this particular registration was merely a hoax.]
Gamescom 2013: Blizzard's booth schedule
Blizzard has just published their schedule for the booth at Gamescom 2013, in Cologne, Germany. The EU team did a great job last year of packing the booth activities with fun stuff to keep up an impressively constant schedule, and it seems they're taking the exact same approach this year. The schedule runs from Thursday 22 August through Sunday 25 August, and highlights include developer signing sessions, live drawing sessions, live raids, concerts, as well as show matches. There's also a daily presentation on Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, which will be playable at Gamescom for the first time in Europe (apart from when several fansites including WoW Insider got their hands on it in May). I'll be at Gamescom, along with several others, and from last year, one thing I really enjoyed watching was the quiz! It's on twice daily, and it's great to see fellow gamers /flexing their brainpower. If you want to see the full schedule, head over to the official Blizzard Gamescom site.
Blizzard press conference scheduled for Gamescom 2013
While we knew Blizzard would have a presence and playable games at Gamescom 2013, held in Cologne, Germany from August 21-25, Polygon is reporting that there will be a press conference held by Blizzard as well. According to Polygon, Blizzard is saving a special announcement for Gamescom at a press conference that will be held on the first day of the convention. Polygon reports that the special invitation they received stated "We're making a special announcement that's sure to capture the attention of the Heavens, Burning Hells and all the shadowed places that lie between." While this may just be more information about the upcoming console ports for Diablo 3, one has to wonder if perhaps this is something more -- perhaps the first mention of a Diablo 3 expansion? It's certainly about time we heard of such things, but of course, we won't really know for certain what the special announcement is all about until Gamescom opens in August. Be sure to head over to Polygon for more details regarding the upcoming press conference. For more information on Blizzard's presence at Gamescom, be sure to check out their official dedicated website for the event. And if you're planning on attending, you still have a little time to sign up for the Blizzard costume contest as well!
