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‘Sackboy: A Big Adventure’ gets online multiplayer a month after release
You can now transfer your saves from PS4 to PS5.
'Super Mario Maker 2' update lets you play with friends online
Nintendo has finally rolled out the ability to play with friends online in Super Mario Maker 2. The game launched with online co-op and competitive modes, but you could only play with random people via matchmaking. If you wanted to play with friends, it would have to be via local play. According to Nintendo World Report, the company chose not to include online play with friends as one of the game's original features to prevent people from teaming up to dominate the global leaderboards.
Diablo III to begin technical testing in China shortly
If you're a gamer in China waiting for Diablo III, you have undoubtedly been waiting for a very long time. Given the game's subject matter and the strict censorship policies of the government, it's not a surprise that it's taken a while to get moving. At long last there is a light at the end of the tunnel, however, as distributor Netease has announced that the censorship issues are finally resolved and the game is free to begin technical testing. The testing phase will begin after the lunar new year is celebrated later this month. While the exact nature of graphical changes has not been disclosed, Netease stresses that the game will still be cool to look at, which could mean... almost anything, really. Still, at this point most of the players who have long waited for the game will just be happy to see it finally available within China.
Rumor: Leak suggests the next WoW expansion is nearly feature-complete
So, ready to jump on the rumor mill? Because it's churning out big stuff about Blizzard today. An anonymous source from inside the company has apparently claimed that World of Warcraft's next expansion has quadrupled its art outsourcing and is nearly feature-complete. The source also claimed that Hearthstone is doing banner business, with its next expansion set to release in April with a heavier PvE focus. Darker news was revealed for the other franchises under the company's banner. The next part of StarCraft II is done but with no release date. Overwatch is in the midst of debates over business model and payment plans, with the studio pushing for a 2015 release but most likely going for 2016. Meanwhile, Heroes of the Storm has low expectations among the upper management and the Diablo III team has been "completely gutted." It's up to you you believe the rumors, of course, although come April, they might look rather plausible.
Diablo III patches 2.1.2 and ends season one
There's a lot happening around the rainbow-and-glitter landscapes of Diablo III, although perhaps the biggest is the implementation of Patch 2.1.2 to the game. This patch adds in powerful ancient items, increases the drop rate for legendary items, and gives players more survivability with additional life and higher life-on-hit percentages. As Diablo III ushers in the patch, so it too prepares to say goodbye to the first season. The game is preparing to end season one and has posted a guide to aid players as they make the transition to the limbo that exists before season two. Season one is expected to end some time in early February, possibly February 3rd. Players on both the PC and consoles soon will enjoy an event full of boosts, including additional treasure goblins and higher drop rates. These boosts will begin tomorrow and continue through Friday, January 23rd.
Deliver season's beatings via Killer Instinct Classic's new online multiplayer mode
If you get an Xbox One in your Christmas stocking this year (by the way, we need to have a chat about your monstrously huge fire hazard of a stocking), you'll soon have a new way of beating up on your faraway friends. Killer Instinct Classic will receive an online multiplayer mode as part of a free update launching tonight. Released last year via Killer Instinct's digital Ultra Edition, Killer Instinct Classic is an emulated port of Rare's 1994 arcade one-on-one fighter. Tonight's update will introduce an online multiplayer option, along with several fixes and improvements for the core Killer Instinct game. Another recent update unlocked holiday-themed costumes for Killer Instinct characters TJ Combo, Orchid and Sabrewulf. 'Tis the season. [Image: Microsoft]
GTA Online heists breaking and entering 2015 with new trailer
Grand Theft Auto 5 will get its cooperative online heist missions in early 2015, Rockstar Games revealed today. The developer originally expected to add heists to GTA Online this past spring, apologizing for the delay later in June. As of November, Rockstar said online heists would surface in the game's online world following GTA 5's next-gen launch. As the latest trailer for the game shows, the online heist missions appear to feature a number of vehicles, such as planes and helicopters; you can head past the break to sneak a peek. We deemed the updated edition of Grand Theft Auto 5 the "definitive version" of the chaotic open-world game in our review. [Image: Take-Two]
The Daily Grind: Would you have played a Diablo MMO?
A few weeks ago, Blizzard content designer Kevin Martens admitted that the studio once considered turning the Diablo IP loose on an MMORPG. It's off the table now, but it still got me wistful. I've been strangely attached to the Diablo franchise and its clones for a very long time. Seriously, it's not even possible to pry the Torchlight series or Titan Quest off my harddrive. But Diablo itself just has a compelling, gritty gloom to the world that would make an MMO version a welcome in a genre that's obsessed with bright and happy fantasy worlds. Massively's Brendan Drain once opined that Path of Exile is the sequel that Diablo II deserved, but is it MMO enough to count here? Would you have played a Diablo MMORPG, and what would you want it to look like? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
PlayStation Co-Op Sale: Dark Souls 2, Far Cry 3, Rayman
In the spirit of the money-saving holidays (and Thanksgiving, we guess), Sony kicked off a new Co-Op Gaming sale today that discounts games with local or online multiplayer functionality. The deals end on December 1, and PlayStation Plus subscribers get a bigger discount than other PSN users: up to 80 percent off the price of some games. Of the group, there are ten PlayStation 4 games on sale through PSN this week, among which are Awesomenauts Assemble ($5.39), EA Sports UFC ($13.99), Mercenary Kings ($8.99), Rayman Legends ($19.59), Surgeon Simulator: A&E Anniversary Edition ($6.39), TowerFall Ascension ($7.34) and Trine 2: Complete Story ($7.99). Other notable deals include Borderlands 2 (PS3, $4.54), Dark Souls 2 (PS3, $19.59), Rayman Origins ($13.29 on Vita, $9.79 on PS3) and Far Cry 3 (PS3, $9.79). [Image: Ubisoft]
The Daily Grind: Should EVE Online add manual flight controls?
On Friday, developer CCP Games stunned us with the news that EVE Online will be adding manual flight controls in December's Rhea update. Gamers have been asking for twitch controls since EVE launched in 2003, but the idea has always been shot down as infeasible because it would put the server under extremely heavy load. CCP mentioned its interest in twitch controls during Fanfest 2013, and I speculated on a possible server-friendly implementation in an EVE Evolved article shortly after, but the fact that the feature is about to be released still comes as a huge surprise. The new controls will be optional and quite limited. Ships will be able to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise and pitch their ships up vertically up and down, but we won't be able to do loops or rolls like in a dogfighting game. Developers also want to add joystick support soon, but so far there are no plans to add manually targeted ship weapons. Many players are excited for the new controls, and some of them are already asking for further features like the ability to lock the camera behind their ships for a more hands-on flight experience. The announcement has prompted debate in the EVE Online community, and not everyone is convinced it's a good idea. Some have complained that twitch controls don't suit EVE as the ships are supposed to be massive starships with full crews rather than single-pilot fighter craft. There's also some cynicism over whether the feature is only being worked on now due to the growing popularity of Star Citizen and Elite: Dangerous. EVE could be positioning itself as a viable alternative for any players who are disappointed with the new space games, a strategy that has worked in the past to help it absorb players from games like Earth & Beyond and Star Wars Galaxies. What do you think? Should EVE add manual flight controls, and is this an attempt to appeal to the mass market? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
FIFA 15 among games blocking PS4 Share Play in US
Users are reporting a number of issues with using the PS4's Share Play feature, Sony's online pass-the-controller multiplayer service. Namely, it appears FIFA 15 is giving players fits, as visiting players are unable to view the footage shown on the host's console. Rather, one half of the Share Play tandem sees the screen above, which says, "Viewing the game screen that the host is currently playing is not allowed due to content restrictions in your country or region." In our tests between two US-based PS4 players this morning, the Share Play visitor was unable to view game footage on four separate occasions: In FIFA 15, WWE 2K15, Guacamelee and Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. Share Play for FIFA 15 was functional once we tested the service with our UK-based editor, Sinan Kubba (albeit with some bouts of lowered resolution and frame-dropping). However, it appears the error message being displayed is entirely inaccurate, as PlayStation noted on Twitter, adding that the support team is investigating the issues. Eurogamer's big list of Share Play-functioning games notes that FIFA 15 "works fine," so your mileage (or kilometer-age in this case) may vary at the moment. Share Play arrived in October as part of the PS4's version 2.0 update, which itself caused a number of other issues for players. Sony issued another update just this week, version 2.02, to rectify some of the console's lingering problems. We've reached out to Sony to find out what might be causing the hiccups with Share Play and which games are affected.
Diablo was once considered for an MMO, but no longer
In many ways Diablo III seemed like the sort of game that would lead naturally into an MMO for the franchise. The online functionality is there, the options are there, and it's not as if Blizzard's big MMO didn't derive quite a bit from the framework of Diablo II, after all. But according to content designer Kevin Martens, there are no current plans to take the franchise into an MMO space, even though there were plans to do exactly that not too long ago. The original thinking was that Diablo III would be the sort of game that could evolve its setting to a point where an MMO felt organic, natural, and appropriate. However, a shift in corporate culture and overall development focus cut those plans short before they went much further than discussion. Seeing how players enjoy Diablo III and what they like about the game has resulted in a shift in focus with more future content for the game... but no MMO exploration.
BlizzCon 2014: Diablo III previews Season 2
BlizzCon attendees and remote viewers got a first look at Season 2 for Diablo III, and now it's your turn to do so as well. The second season, which starts public realm testing "soon," will add new and beefed-up legendary items, a trio of new conquests, and boots and pants for the level 70 Conqueror's transmorgrification set for those willing to reroll a character. Blizzard also announced a new batch of earnable rewards: "Players who participate in the season will also receive an exclusive full banner set, including shape, pattern, sigil, and accent. Each piece of this set is unlocked by acquiring seasonal achievement points." Like Season 1, Season 2 will not be coming to consoles due to their occasionally offline nature.
Trials Fusion gets eight-racer multiplayer by the end of the year
Ubisoft detailed a coming improvement to its motorcycle racer Trials Fusion this week, a new online multiplayer mode. At the game's launch in April, it included four-player local competitions, which our review of the game deemed "halfhearted." Developer RedLynx will provide a free update that adds support for races between eight players online by the end of the year. A recent Ubisoft blog post discussed the shortcomings of previous multiplayer efforts in Trials Fusion and Trials Evolution, stressing that the new mode places racers in the foreground at all times so that opponents are "never in your way." The developer plans on issuing a beta test of the multiplayer mode on PC as well, but has not indicated when the testing phase will begin. Since the game's launch, it has received three pieces of downloadable content with additional tracks, challenges and track editor objects, the most recent being October's Welcome to the Abyss pack. [Image: Ubisoft]
BlizzCon kicks off on Friday, virtual tickets still available
If you've been waiting patiently for the next big convention focused entirely around Blizzard's game catalogue, your wait is almost over. BlizzCon 2014 kicks off on Friday, November 7th, with the opening ceremonies starting at 2:00 p.m. EST. There's no chance of attending in person if you don't already have a ticket, but you can still pick up a virtual ticket, and DirecTV customers can also grab a pay-per-view stream that includes a virtual ticket and the associated benefits. The convention will host a variety of tournaments, including the Hearthstone championships, the StarCraft II championships, and the World of Warcraft Arena championship. There will also be the usual assortment of lore panels, development previews, and reveals for the various games under the Blizzard banner, included the much-anticipated Warlords of Draenor expansion. If you've been on the fence about getting a stream, take a look at the list of festivities and get ready to see what's coming from the studio this weekend.
EVE Evolved: Could permadeath work in EVE?
Permadeath has been one of the most contentuous features in online gaming since as far back as I can remember. The feeling of permanently losing a character you've spent months training up and playing with because of a single mistake or lag spike would be horrifying to most people, yet the idea continues to intrigue both players and developers. Diablo II's Hardcore mode is probably the most successful permadeath mechanic in an online game to date, separating the hardcore players onto a different server so that they develop their own game economy and leaderboard. Several MMOs have experimented with permadeath servers or mechanics over the years, but they're almost always reverted as failures. In a recent presentation at EVE Vegas 2014, EVE Online developer CCP Rise discussed the idea of permadeath characters as something he's wanted to add to the game for the past few years. This is particularly problematic for EVE as the game uses passive time-based skill training and the whole game takes place on one massive shard. The hardcore players would need to have enough incentive to risk their characters' lives on a daily basis, their abilities would have to be balanced with non-hardcore players, and abuse of the system to suicide gank players would need to be handled. But if those problems are tackled, is it possible that there's a place for permadeath in EVE? In this edition of EVE Evolved, I look at how permadeath could be added to EVE Online without disrupting the rest of the game.
Blizzard posts official BlizzCon schedule
You've got your tickets purchased, your hotel arrangements squared away, your bags all packed. You're ready for BlizzCon this year! But leaving aside the fact that you can probably unpack your bags now as you've still got a month to go, what are you actually going to be doing at BlizzCon? That's what you can find out by taking a gander at the official schedule, which tracks the events of the day on both Friday and Saturday for World of Warcraft, StarCraft 2, Hearthstone, and Diablo III. A floor map is also available so that congoers can get a feel for the layout before arrival, although that's of less interest to fans planning on taking advantage of the streaming options available for the convention. If you're thinking of buying a virtual ticket for the high-quality streams, take a look at the schedule and see if it's stuff you want to watch streaming live. Unless, as we said, you've already got your bags packed to go in person.
Walking War Robots: War of the robots
Giant robots engage in intense online multiplayer battles to control and change beacons to their team's color in Walking War Robots (free with in app purchases). Players can unlock up to eight robots to battle with and 13 different weapon types which means a lot of options for customization and interesting play styles. Walking War Robots is compatible with iPhone 4S and up, iPad 2 and up, and iPod 5th generation running iOS 6.0 or later. Large mechs take center screen in Walking War Robots. The size of the machines is replicated well in the 3D environment with robots towering over farmhouses and office buildings. The overall look of the game is nice, especially considering it is on mobile. If you are expecting console like graphics, you will be a little disappointed, but there are some pretty cool particle effects that add flair to the game and compliment the action packed battles. Walking War Robots has online matchmaking, which means a stable internet connection is important so players don't get dropped out of the game. The online matches in Walking War Robots can take some time to complete depending on the skill level of other players. However, the matches are limited to 10 minutes and they usually take around 6 minutes from start to finish. Online matches can range in difficulty from a good but not too difficult challenge with fairly equally matched players, to a match where most of the other players are stronger with more powerful weapons and mechs. New players might find some matches more difficult than others for that reason, which makes it hard to continue. After a few matches though, new players have a better understanding of how the game works and tactics to use in the different maps. One annoying problem with the matches in Walking War Robots is that the maps are randomly chosen for players to compete on, and it seems like there are only a few maps in all. This also means that players will replay a lot of the same maps, sometimes playing the same one twice in a row. Another annoyance in Walking War Robots involve not being able to respawn when the robot dies. Players don't get to respawn when they die which oftentimes means players will be waiting awhile to battle again unless they exit the match and forfeit the silver and XP they could get. The final problem is that the joystick control is a little small which makes it hard to control the robot accurately. Walking War Robots features a lot of different weapons players can purchase using silver earned in matches. This is a really nice feature as it adds depth to the base robot players get at the beginning of the game. These weapons are upgradable, which means if players really like a certain weapon, they can choose to use their silver on upgrading it. If players get tired of using the base robot, there are more robots players can purchase with gold. However, gold is hard to get and it can take a good amount of time to earn enough to afford one of the robots. There is the option of using an in app purchase to speed up that process if players choose to do so, but it can get rather expensive depending on how much gold players need. Walking War Robots is a fun online multiplayer zone capture game with energetic robot battles. Walking War Robots is free on the App Store and recommended for anyone who likes mech battle games and has a stable internet connection.
Diablo III on sale this weekend
If you're one of the few holdouts on this here planet Earth who hasn't picked up a copy of Diablo III or its expansion, Blizzard is prepared to make you one tempting offer. From now through Monday, October 6th, Diablo III and the Reaper of Souls expansion is 50% off through the Blizzard store. This puts the core game and the basic expansion at $20 apiece, with the digital deluxe edition of Reaper of Souls marked down to $40. Diablo III recently patched up to 2.1.1 and announced a month ago that it has sold 20 million units.
Diablo III patch improves pets, Greater Rifts, and Witch Doctors
The latest patch for Diablo III is out now for players in North America, and it's a big one for pets. Area damage now hits pets for less damage than before, some pets have had their health increased, and in general there's a play philosophy focus that pets should be roughly as durable as the class that summoned them in the first place. It's good news if you tend to take part in the game with a companion creature or two. The update also makes a variety of adjustments to Greater Rifts, altering the behavior of enemies found within the rifts and removing certain maps form the rotation. Witch Doctors have also received a variety of buffs, with several fetishes getting substantially more life and improved functionality. Take a gander at the full patch notes to see how much has changed.
