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Elder Scrolls Online, free-to-play games still require Xbox Live Gold
One of Microsoft's big announcements today was the restructuring of Xbox Live Gold; the company will now allow Xbox 360 and Xbox One owners to use entertainment apps like Netflix and HBO Go without requiring a paid Xbox Live subscription. As Microsoft's Phil Spencer clarified to Joystiq today, the latest in a series of "Xbox One-80s" doesn't apply to free-to-play and subscription-based online games. "Right now we haven't changed the policy on MMOs and free-to-play games," Spencer said. While not getting into specifics, he noted that with some games there are "engineering constraints, policy constraints and partner constraints in each one of these scenarios," so the decision to keep games behind the Xbox Live paywall reportedly doesn't rest solely in Microsoft's hands. Bethesda's latest MMORPG, The Elder Scrolls Online, will still require a Gold subscription on top of the developer's own monthly fees. For the time being, at least; Microsoft has "about six months" to consider changing its policies, as the game was recently delayed for consoles. The developer was in talks with Microsoft back in August to cut the extra fees for The Elder Scrolls Online, which won't be enforced by Sony via PlayStation Plus for PS4.
Happy Wars glad-handing Steam this year
Happy Wars, the free-to-play, multiplayer action game from developer Toylogic, will launch on PC via Steam later this year. Toylogic will take applications for the game's closed beta starting April 30 until May 13, which players can sign up for on the game's official site. Beta testers will put Happy Wars' matchmaking system, functionality and server capacity through its paces to prepare it for its as-yet-unknown date with Steam. The beta program will not include the ability to purchase paid content in the game. Happy Wars launched in October 2012 on XBLA and surpassed six million downloads one year later. It originally required players to have a paid Xbox Live Gold subscription to play, a requirement that was removed for non-multiplayer modes in January. The colorful game features magical multiplayer battles with up to 30 participants, from which characers earn parts, weapons and accessories. [Image: Toylogic]
Happy Wars removes Gold restriction for some free-to-play cheerful warring
Happy Wars developer Toylogic issued the eleventh update for the game today, allowing all Xbox 360 owners to play it regardless of their Xbox Live subscription level. As the platform's first free-to-play game, it was previously locked to those with a Gold level subscription. Instead, unpaid Xbox Live users can play every facet of the game save for multiplayer, missions and the treasure map sections, which remain locked to Gold subscribers. The update also adds a new game mode called Bounty Hunters, in which players earn bounties by defeating enemies, Big Towers and conquering other towers, adding to their team's total. The mode is available today until January 29. The title update also fixed issues that prevented progress in the Castle Defense mode, adjusted the item leveling system and changed the game's training mode into "Skirmish Mode." Happy Wars first launched in October 2012 and exceeded six million downloads one year later.
Rumor: Steam database leak features Killing Floor 2, Battleblock Theater, Blackgate HD
Killing Floor 2 and Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate HD have yet to be announced, but they are in Steam's database according to reports of another leak. Several Steam users posted what look to be captured screenshots of the portal's stats page, but with a whole bunch of unexpected names on there. Other standout games on the list include beat-em-up Battleblock Theater and multiplayer action game Happy Wars, both currently only on Xbox Live Arcade. Half-Minute Hero sequel Hero 30 Second is only out in Japan, but Half-Minute Hero Two is also on the list. While Arkham Origins came to home consoles and PC last year, Warner Bros. released 2.5D game Arkham Origins Blackgate alongside it on 3DS and Vita. There's been no word of an HD port of the portable game, and when approached about Blackgate HD's name being on this list, a Warner. Bros representative told Joystiq, "We have no comment on this." The stats page is back to normal now so we've been unable to verify the screens, and even if they're accurate they don't provide any confirmation the games will be released. That said, each one of the games we've mentioned certainly sounds plausible, so we'd say this is a space worth a watch. [Thanks, Jordan!]
XBLA's Happy Wars exceeds 6 million downloads, Season 2 coming soon
Microsoft Studios revealed that its free-to-play Xbox Live Arcade multiplayer game Happy Wars has been downloaded more than six million times since its launch in October last year. To mark the occasion, developer Toylogic has dropped the price of in-game item modification and forging by 50 percent. The studio will launch a variety of content updates during this month's Happy Wartober event, starting with the recent introduction of the turret-building Engineer class. Happy Wars is available as a free download for Xbox Live Gold subscribers. Microsoft Studios additionally notes that Happy Wars: Season 2 is set to premiere in 2014, though no details regarding the update have been announced.
Happy Wars has two million cheerful warmongers
Free-to-play Xbox Live game Happy Wars has reached 2 million soldiers on its leaderboards, developer Toylogic announced today."We always continue to make improvements on improvement to have millions Happy Wars fans be happy. We'd like to continue to deliver additional updates in the future," said Happy Wars game director Yoichi Take.The latest update, which is number four if you're counting, adds a new mode, more items and additional customization slots. What is war good for? Making people happy, of course!%Gallery-158054%
Happy Wars currently missing from XBLM [Upate: Available now!]
Update: Happy Wars is now available on the Xbox Live Arcade and at Xbox.com.Today was supposed to be the launch day for Xbox Live's first free-to-play game, Happy Wars. However, the free-to-play revolution hasn't taken hold on Xbox yet, because the game isn't there. As of writing, the only Happy Wars content available on the Xbox Live Marketplace is a trailer; the game's entry on the Marketplace as accessed on the Xbox only gives you the option to "rate" it."I know the team is aware of the issue and actively working on it," Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb told Joystiq, promising to tweet an update when information is available. In the meantime, you'll have to find another cheerful skirmish on which to take out your frustrations.
Happy Wars' free-for-all is free for Xbox Live Gold starting October 12
Happy Wars didn't quite make "September," but we're not complaining about a free game arriving a little later than expected. Happy Wars, Toylogic's 30-player XBLA action game, will be free to play for Xbox Live Gold Members when it arrives on October 12.Naturally, it'll be supported by microtransaction-based character customization, though you can also dress up your adorable little warrior by earning in-game currency. Be sure to equip a jacket! Your poor little merciless combatant might get chilly while he's out laying siege to an enemy castle.
Ascend: New Gods is XBLA's next F2P game, Happy Wars out in September
Ascend: New Gods, from Toy Soldiers developer Signal Studios, is the second confirmed free-to-play game coming to XBLA, following Happy Wars' launch in September, Microsoft tells OXM. Ascend: New Gods is scheduled to ship "in several months."XBLA's free-to-play games require an Xbox Live Gold subscription, "as many of the games planned will be multiplayer games by nature (an Xbox LIVE Gold subscription is required for multiplayer gaming)," Microsoft says. The free-to-play games will "leverage the Microsoft Points system," which we assume means they will "use Microsoft Points to offer players pretty, but useless items. And tons of people will buy them."
Happy Wars to be XBLA's first free-to-play game
Happy Wars, an adorable multiplayer action combat game, just got even easier to try out. Microsoft announced that it will release ToyLogic's game as XBLA's first for-real free-to-play game. When Happy Wars launches this "autumn," it'll be a free download for Xbox Live Gold users, supported by the purchase of "lavishly rendered items" to customize your character.Microsoft has made moves toward free-to-play on XBLA before, but never quite closed the deal. Crimson Alliance seemed to be embracing a free-to-play model, but instead just had a glorified demo and "flexible" pricing. Dungeon Fighter Live is based on a F2P PC game, released on XBLA as a $10 purchase. Rumors had Microsoft adjusting infrastructure to support F2P last year.
XBLA's Happy Wars attempts to bridge East and West with adorable melees
I saw a lot of games at E3 about war, but none were anywhere near as adorable as ToyLogic's multiplayer XBLA game, Happy Wars. It's an online multiplayer (15 versus 15) action game about capturing territory and defeating everyone in sight, but with a distinctly rounded, cutesy look that makes it stand apart from its peers. Finding myself put off by all the gore and elephant monster brains that featured in this year's games, I welcome a more family-friendly take on fighting.You control one of three classes to storm the enemy's part of a map. I was a warrior, who could use sword attacks and a variety of special attacks, like rock throws and spin moves, that rely on a refilling meter. You capture territory by destroying enemy statues and working together to rebuild new ones – which become spawn points for your team. The match ends when, using a giant battering ram weapon, you break into the enemy fortress. Before that, there's a lot of rushing into crowds and mashing on buttons to attempt to survive the pandemonium.The combination of cute characters and chaotic fighting seemed incongruous, until Toylogic CEO Yoichi Take told me his influences: "We played the Battlefield series and Castle Crashers." Take believes that Japanese gamers will find a cute war game more palatable than other realistic, brutal and bloody war games.Why, then, is it on Xbox – the least popular console in Japan – if it's hoping to capture a Japanese audience? "I would like to play Happy Wars with people worldwide," Take said, and the Xbox is more popular worldwide. "Happy Wars is a multiplayer game, and Xbox multiplayer is most played."%Gallery-158054%
Delight in XBLA's 'Happy Wars'
Originally shown only in Microsoft's booth at TGS, the trailer for Toylogic's Happy Wars is now available for all to see. And now that we can actually look at it, it looks really fun! Players choose their chibi, cartoony character class (warrior, mage, or cleric), and then take part in 15-on-15 battles which mostly seem to involve crowds of players hacking away at one another while other players shoot at them with cannons. There also appear to be tower defense elements, but those seem to be less important than the fightin'. At the official website, you can see new, cute footage of each class' special attacks. Happy Wars will break out on XBLA next year.%Gallery-138647%
