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Project xCloud's first public trial hits Android devices in October
Microsoft's game-streaming service, Project xCloud, will enter the public domain for the first time in October. Players in the United States, United Kingdom and South Korea will be able to enjoy AAA titles on their smartphones, tablets and other screen-based devices. However, the preview comes with a few caveats.
Play Anywhere puts the same games on Xbox and PC
Microsoft's been talking about bridging the gap between it's PC and console gamers for awhile now -- and at E3 today, it announced just how it's going to do it. Xbox Play Anywhere: a new cross buy program that automatically gives you the PC version a game when you buy it on Xbox... or the Xbox version when you buy it on PC. The first game to take advantage of the program? Gears of War 4, of course -- and yes, Xbox One and PC players will be able to play together online.
Evo 2015 line-up announced, double helping of Smash
Super Smash Bros Wii U and Melee are two of the nine games already confirmed for this year's Evolution Championship Series. As revealed during last night's Twitch stream, the line-up for Las Vegas this July also includes returning games Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Ultra Street Fighter 4 and Killer Instinct, The remaining four games are new for this year, and they are Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, Guilty Gear Xrd Sign, Mortal Kombat X and Tekken 7. Recent years have seen more games added closer to the event, though a roster of nine is already on the high end for an EVO championship. Whatever the full line-up proves to be, it's coming to the Bally's/Paris Las Vegas Casino, where the world's fighting game specialists will duke it out across July 17-19.
Nintendo sponsoring Apex 2015 tournament series
Nintendo will sponsor Apex 2015, a competitive gaming series that will include tournaments for every Super Smash Bros. title released on home consoles as well as games like Ultra Street Fighter 4, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 and Pokemon Omega Ruby & Pokemon Alpha Sapphire. Apex shared the news on Twitter, noting that Nintendo would help the series put on an "incredible" Smash Bros. event. Apex 2015's tournaments will run from January 30 – February 1, 2015 at the Clarion Hotel in Secaucus, New Jersey. If you're unable to attend, you can still check the event schedule and tune into one of the Twitch channels that will be covering the event. Nintendo's sponsorship is a welcome gesture of embracing the competitive fighting scene, especially when considering its alleged attempts to shut down the Smash Bros. Melee division of EVO 2013. Nintendo did eventually give the go-ahead to feature Melee in the tournament as well as EVO 2013's streaming schedule, but it's nice to see the developer stepping up its support for third-party tournaments from the get-go. [Image: Apex]
Killer Instinct's character roster foresees an Omen
Killer Instinct for Xbox One is about to receive its next fighter: Omen, the spirit of rage, corruption and shadow energy. Players familiar with Killer Instinct's lore may recognize Omen as the spirit that turns Jago into Shadow Jago, a dark and twisted version of the warrior monk. According to developer Iron Galaxy, Omen has accrued enough energy through his battles as Shadow Jago to take physical form of his own. What does said physical form look like, you ask? Well, it wouldn't be a Killer Instinct character reveal without a tease before the proper unveiling. All there is to see so far are the bat-like wing and fingertips crackling with blue energy pictured above. Omen is also a bonus character, meaning he will not be sold individually, nor will he have his own Story mode. Players who have purchased either the Season 2 Combo Breaker Add-On or Season 2 Ultra Edition will receive Omen for free later this month. [Image: Microsoft Studios]
Killer Instinct update 2.2 brings raptors and reindeer
Killer Instinct for Xbox One is about to get a cup of Christmas cheer with patch 2.2, which will bring holiday-themed costumes for fighters TJ Combo, Orchid and Sabrewulf, as well as the re-introduction of Riptor, a fighter from the game's original 1994 release. Players who own Orchid or play as her when she is part of the free character rotation will be able to do battle decked in holly jolly red-and-green stockings. Those who have purchased the Ultra edition of Killer Instinct's Season One will also be able to equip Orchid with oversized candy canes, as well as place reindeer antlers and a red nose on Sabrewulf's adorable face. If you own the Ultra edition of Season Two, you'll be able to give TJ Combo a white beard and Santa hat. As for the return of Riptor, developer Iron Galaxy states on the Killer Instinct forums that they are aiming to release her from captivity on December 17 for Ultra edition owners, and December 23 for Combo edition owners. "Full transparency: we hit an issue in Cert that paused us long enough to put the date in slight risk. SLIGHT," creative director at Microsoft Studios Adam Isgreen wrote. "We are all good to land it as long as there are no further hiccups." The cybernetic dinosaur will also receive a trailer to show off her unique talents on Monday, but just looking at her, we have no doubts about her lethality. Sheesh, where's Chris Pratt when you need him? [Image: Microsoft]
Report: Double Helix had Killer Instinct build on Xbox 360
Killer Instinct for the Xbox One may have began life as a project for the Xbox 360, if new footage showcased by Andrew Borman of Past To Present Online is to be believed. A video from PTP Online, viewable after the break, shows a (very) rough draft of what would go on to become the Killer Instinct we know today. Lighting effects are missing, only a few characters are in the build, some stages are broken and Chief Thunder is naught but a gray blob of a man, but if nothing else, it's interesting to see the progress the game has since achieved. Though we can't say for sure what the purpose of such a build would be, it makes a certain kind of sense that it would exist. Even if Killer Instinct was never intended for release on the Xbox 360, developers aiming to have their games ready for the Xbox One's launch would have benefited from early prototyping. Or maybe the game was shunted off the Xbox 360 to bolster the Xbox One's launch lineup. We may never know, but sometimes mystery is a little more fun.
TJ Combo, Maya return today in Killer Instinct Season 2
The second season of content for Xbox One-exclusive one-on-one brawler Killer Instinct premieres today boasting eight new characters and several major gameplay tweaks, Microsoft and developer Iron Galaxy Studios announced. Season 2 re-introduces classic characters TJ Combo, Maya, Riptor, and Cinder. Four more fighters, including a handful of series newcomers, will join the brawl in the coming weeks. Season 1 characters have also been overhauled to account for the expanded cast, with many now boasting new moves and rebalanced attacks. Returning players will find a new interface and refined mechanics that focus on aerial combat. Players can now trigger Air Breakers and Air Counter-Breakers in response to juggles, and new aerial capture moves allow characters to continue their combos on the ground after a mid-air flurry. Season 2's Combo Breaker Pack, which unlocks TJ Combo and Maya instantly and grants future access to six additional fighters, is priced at $14.99. The season's $39.99 Ultra Edition additionally includes a set of alternate costumes and accessory kits, along with a port of the 1996 arcade game Killer Instinct 2. [Image: Microsoft]
Killer Instinct hits retail with bonus Season 2 fighter
Come September 23, Xbox One-exclusive fighter Killer Instinct will make its debut on retail shelves as the "Killer Instinct: Combo Breaker Pack." Included in the $20 Pack are the eight fighters currently available in Killer Instinct: Jago, Orchid, Sadira, Sabrewulf, Fulgore, Thunder, Glacius and Spinal. The retail package also includes a code for TJ Combo, an additional fighter slated to appear in the imminent second season of Killer Instinct DLC releases. For comparison, the digital Combo Breaker Pack, which includes only the eight Season One characters and no access to TJ Combo still features an identical $20 price tag, while the free-to-play, one-character version of Killer Instinct asks players to spend $5 for each additional fighter. [Image: Microsoft]
Amazon queen Maya returns in Killer Instinct season two
Divekick developer Iron Galaxy Studios will re-introduce players to Maya, Queen of the Amazons, when it rolls out the second season of content for Killer Instinct, according to reports from this year's EVO event. Microsoft community manager Mike Robles tweeted concept art of the dagger-wielding warrior, while GameSpot reports that Iron Galaxy described Maya as a high-risk, high-reward character during the panel where she was unveiled. According to GameSpot's report, Maya's daggers will level up as she lands hits on her opponents, eventually reaching the point where she can throw them as projectiles. A photo of the presentation also reveals that Maya's design is inspired by the Inca civilization. While the Incas lived on the fringe of the Amazon Basin and not deep in the rainforest, thus making her "Queen of the Amazon" title a bit of a mismatch, we're willing to bet you'll have bigger things to worry about - things like daggers flying at your face - when Killer Instinct season two begins this fall. [Image: Microsoft]
EVO 2014 line-up announced, Super Smash Bros. Melee being discussed
Ultra Street Fighter 4 is one of six confirmed games for this year's Evolution Championship Series, but Super Smash Bros. Melee is a doubt. Event organizer Shoryuken revealed it's in "preliminary discussions" with Nintendo about featuring the GameCube brawler in the fighting game tournament, following the stir its inclusion caused last year. Melee was the eighth game to be included in last year's line-up, after it won a fan vote that raised $225,724 for breast cancer research. However, a few months after Nintendo moved to claim revenue on Let's Play videos featuring its games, the company requested Melee be removed from the EVO 2013 streaming line-up. The move was received with an immediate backlash, and Nintendo swiftly reversed its decision. The circumstances are different this time-around. For one, Melee is just another potential game in the line-up, not one voted for by fans with charity money behind it. Still, it'll be interesting to see which way Nintendo swings on approval this time, especially in the same year that a new Super Smash Bros. game is set to arrive on Wii U and 3DS. As for the rest, Injustice: Gods Among Us, Killer Instinct, and Blazblue: Chrono Phantasma join Ultra Street Fighter 4 as newbies to the championships, while King of Fighters 13 and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 return from last year's selection. The event itself takes place on July 11-13 at the LVH Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, but if you can't make it to Nevada you can always tune in on Twitch. [Image: Shoryuken]
Microsoft to announce new 'development partner' for Killer Instinct
Microsoft plans to unveil a new "development partner" for Killer Instinct soon, following yesterday's acquisition of Double Helix by Amazon. Double Helix developed Killer Instinct on Xbox One, and the Irvine Studio was bringing regular updates to the fighter as part of the first season content. In a statement provided to Polygon, Microsoft said it'll be working with a new team on the franchise, but left it unclear whether that pertains to the Xbox One game's first season, the expected second season, future games, or a mixture of the three. "We have thoroughly enjoyed working with Double Helix and wish them success in their next endeavor," a Microsoft spokesperson told Polygon. "We want all of our loyal fans to know that the Killer Instinct team at Microsoft is not changing and that the franchise will remain with Microsoft Studios. We remain dedicated to delivering a great experience and plan to announce our new development partner soon. We're excited about the future of this popular franchise." As it stands, the revived fighter's next update is due next month, when it's set to receive classic combatant Fulgore as an addition to the roster. [Image: Microsoft]
No bones about it, Spinal joins Killer Instinct cast
Spinal, the first downloadable addition to the Killer Instinct roster has arrived, lending the anemic fighting game a bit more depth - or at least a few more bones to break. While the Xbox One Killer Instinct is extremely light on backstory, the first two Killer Instinct games claim that Spinal is the reanimated skeleton of a long-dead warrior. Ultratech, the firm responsible for funding the Killer Instinct tournaments, revived the skeletonic fighter to serve as something of an undead goon, wreaking havoc in the tournament and ensuring that Ultratech's wishes were carried out. According to Xbox Wire, this new design for the character draws inspiration from classic Harryhausen adventure film Jason and the Argonauts, which is fitting given that the ending of the original Killer Instinct claimed that Spinal eventually left the world of combat sports in favor of a career as an Oscar-nominated actor. Those who purchased the Killer Instinct Ultra Edition bundle or Combo Breaker Pack are now able to download Spinal at no additional charge. Everyone else will need to pony up $5 for the calcified revenant.
Microsoft: Over 50 million hours logged on Xbox Ones since launch
In the realm of esoteric statistics, Microsoft announced that over 50 million hours in "games and entertainment" have been logged on Xbox One systems since it launched on November 22. The console manufacturer added that over 415 million Gamerscore points were unlocked via achievements on the system. Microsoft also noted a few other in-game milestones achieved in individual Xbox One games, such as the number of miles driven in Forza 5 globally (90 million), zombies killed in Dead Rising 3 (three billion), combos achieved in Killer Instinct (150 million) and enemies defeated in Ryse: Son of Rome (186 million). By comparison, EA announced that over 140 million gameplay minutes were logged in its games on PS4 in the console's opening five days. To add to today's numbers, Sony announced that global PS4 sales exceed 2.1 million, though we're not certain how that translates to hours spent or zombies destroyed or how close that is to the moon when you stack them all, etc.
Killer Instinct Classic includes two arcade revisions, only available in KI Ultra Edition
The DLC-bundled Ultra Edition of Microsoft's upcoming Killer Instinct reboot for the Xbox One will feature two versions of Rare's 1994 arcade Killer Instinct, Siliconera reports. Producer Torin Retting revealed that Killer Instinct Classic will feature both the original arcade version (v1.4) and the upgraded ROM revision 1.5D, which fixes a number of glitches and infinite combos discovered after the game's initial release. The port will also feature CRT-emulating scanline options, a training mode, and sprite galleries. Retting additionally notes that Killer Instinct Classic will only be included in Killer Instinct's Ultra Edition and boxed Pin Ultimate Edition, and will not be sold separately.
Limited Killer Instinct boxed version holds pins instead of a disc
Killer Instinct, the Xbox One-exclusive fighting game based on the 90s classic of the same name, is getting a boxed edition for $59.99, available only through the Microsoft store. There will be no disc within said box however, as the "Pin Ultimate Edition" is a joint venture between Microsoft and Penny Arcade designed for displaying Pinny Arcade trading pins. Each copy of the Pin Ultimate Edition comes with one Jago pin and one Killer Instinct logo pin, with room for others, which will be revealed during the game's first season of content. Customers who purchase the Pin Ultimate Edition of Killer Instinct still get the game. A download voucher for the Ultra Edition of the game, which includes all Season 1 characters, a season pass for all costumes and accessory packs, early access to all Season 1 content and a copy of the original Killer Instinct will be included. The case will double as a folio for a 16-pin set designed by Mike "Gabe" Krahulik. The Pin Ultimate Edition's page doesn't specify how many units are being produced, but pin designer Krahulik wrote in a Penny Arcade post that it's "not a lot." Pre-orders are currently live through the Microsoft Store.
Killer Instinct balance updates won't require patching
Double Helix Games has no plans to force periodic downloads on players to keep the Killer Instinct roster balanced. Instead, these changes will be delivered automatically through the cloud. "All of our variables that go into how a character behaves are going to exist basically in the cloud," said producer Torin Rettig in an interview with Game Informer. "Without having to content update or patch the game at all, we can just go in on the cloud and tweak these variables without the player having to know." "Our vision is for it all to be behind the scenes, so it won't require any official title update download," added Rettig. "Basically the game checks for the latest version of the gameplay's parameters and automatically updates if it's a new version. No download or confirmation dialogue necessary and the files themselves are so small you'd never notice the difference." Despite this, Rettig notes that there will be larger patches for Killer Instinct. New characters, for instance, will require that players manually download a chunk of data too large to be pushed through the cloud.
Play Xbox One early at a few Microsoft Stores
Microsoft's Major Nelson is embarking upon a tour of the United States and Canada, opening new Microsoft Stores and visiting existing ones in order to show off the Xbox One to the general public. Obviously we're too scared to go outside too cool for large groups, but if you live in Massachusetts, Florida or Alberta, you'll get the opportunity to play Forza 5 and Killer Instinct about a month ahead of launch. The first two events take place on September 19 and 20 at Microsoft Stores in Burlington and Boston MA, respectively. Nearly a month later, Nelson and his entourage pop into Orlando, FL on October 23 before heading up to Edmonton, Alberta on October 27. A fifth event is also planned for Scottsdale, AZ, although that won't take place until December 6. Nelson says that more locations/dates will be added to the list in the coming weeks – complete location information can be found here.
Killer Instinct revealed for Xbox One [Update: trailer!]
Killer Instinct is on the way from Microsoft's Rare studio. The update to the classic arcade/SNES/N64 fighter will be released exclusively on Xbox One. A brief video revealed returning fighters and teased a 2013 release. Coinciding with the new fighter, a new Xbox One Mad Catz Tournament Edition Fightstick will be available. Your Xbox 360 sticks won't work, remember. Update: Double Helix is developing the new Killer Instinct. Weird!%Gallery-191147%
Killer Instinct trademark trouble cleared up
Microsoft and Fox have worked out their dispute over the Killer Instinct trademark, and basically promised not to sue each other. NeoGAF hosts a copy of the "trademark coexistence agreement" signed in late March, which lets both sides use the trademark as long as they don't get into each other's territory.Microsoft will stay away from making a short-lived television show, while Fox will do its best not to make a new game in a franchise that hasn't seen a new installment since 1996.This odd speed bump came up in September 2012 when Microsoft announced its intention to renew the trademark. Two months later, it became known that the trademark renewal was rejected due to Fox's trademark on the TV show. And no, it still doesn't mean a new Killer Instinct game is happening.
