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Xbox Live discounts Child of Light, Thief this week
Microsoft's Deals with Gold discounts Thief by 40 percent ($35.99) on Xbox One this week. Additionally, both Xbox Live Gold and Silver members can enjoy discounts on Assassin's Creed 4 add-ons on both Xbox One and Xbox 360, getting the game's season pass, Blackbeard's Wrath, Guild of Rogues, Freedom Cry and Illustrious Pirates DLC for 30 percent off each. As for the Xbox 360-specific deals, Gold subscribers can pick up Child of Light at 33 percent off this week ($10.04) as well as Flashback and Cloudberry Kingdom for 67 percent off ($3.29 each). Four games are slashed by 75 percent this week: I Am Alive, From Dust and Call of Juarez: Gunslinger are $3.74 each while Freefall Racers is $2.49. Lastly, both Gold and Silver subscribers can pick up Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 at 67 percent off ($19.79) as well as its World Challenge DLC at half-off ($2.49). All deals are good through next Monday, July 7. [Image: Square Enix]
PlayStation Plus in May: Puppeteer, Skullgirls and more
In May, PS Plus members get six games free across PS4, PS3 and Vita. On PS4, it's the wacky-waving flailing-spaghetti-arm adventure game, Stick it to the Man, which hits US PS4s on May 6. On PS3, Plus members can look forward to Puppeteer, Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 and Skullgirls Encore. Vita gets Surge Deluxe and Limbo. That's a lot of men, women and puppets on PlayStation devices (plus quite a few Ps). In Europe, PlayStation Plus members get Stick it to the Man, Puppeteer, Payday 2, Muramasa Rebirth and Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational in May.
PS Plus in April: Mercenary Kings, Arkham City, Pixeljunk Monsters
PlayStation Plus subscribers get Mercenary Kings as a PS4 freebie when the Kickstarted run-and-gunner scrolls onto PSN next week. Developed by Wizorb and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World studio Tribute Games, Mercenary Kings makes its Metal Slug-style action interesting by chucking in a weapon crafting system based around hundreds of different parts. The rest of April's Plus line-up in North America features Batman: Arkham City, Stealth Inc: A Clone in the Dark, and the Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse remake on PS3. As for Vita, Velocity Ultra and Pixeljunk Monsters Ultimate HD are next month's dynamic duo. Except for Mercenary Kings, the roster of PS Plus games in Europe is totally different: On PS3 it's Pro Evo Soccer 2014 and on Vita it's MotoGP 13, while Hotline Miami and Sly Cooper Thieves in Time are unlockable on both platforms as Cross-Buy games. That means if you get the PS3 version of Sly on Plus, for example, you'll also get access to it on Vita. Devolver Digital recently revealed Hotline Miami is coming to the PS4 with Cross-Buy enabled, so if you're planning to get the top-down kill-fest on that platform, be sure to grab it as a Plus freebie this month. The quintet including Mercenary Kings join Europe's Plus collection on April 2. [Image: Tribute Games]
Second PES 2014 DLC adds 800 faces, 11 vs 11 mode
Konami launched the second data pack for its latest soccer simulation game, Pro Evolution Soccer 2014. The data pack offers updated rosters for the game as well as 800 additional faces crafted to look like their real-life athlete counterparts. The free DLC also introduces a team play lobby system, some undefined gameplay and chat tweaks along with an update to PES 2014's online offerings, most notably the addition of an 11 vs. 11 online multiplayer mode. Lastly, Konami also reintroduced its MyPES feature to PES 2014 through the release of a free companion app, now available on iOS. MyPES allows players to share game results and stats with others, as well as view analysis for "shots, possession, passing, and patterns of play." Players can also use the app to build communities with others, and those without an online-enabled console can scan QR codes to assess their games in the app. The companion app will arrive on Android in the near future.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 Xbox 360 online issues resolved in latest patch
Konami issued a new title update for the Xbox 360 version of Pro Evolution Soccer 2014. The patch resolves the game's ongoing issues with online play, in which players were unable to download a data pack required for the game's online modes. The publisher noted that the full 11-vs-11 online mode is in beta, and "will be available in the coming weeks." Konami plans to launch a new data pack update in November that will feature updated rosters as well as "over 800 player face updates." PES 2014 will receive "further DLC updates," which Konami plans to announce "shortly."
Konami issues apology for Xbox 360 Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 online issues
Konami has issued an apology to owners of the Xbox 360 version of Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 for errors related to the game's online features. Some users report being unable to download a required data pack to activate online multiplayer, and instead have been greeted with an error message claiming the "download file is broken." Konami Digital Entertainment President Shinji Hirano said the publisher "would like to apologize to any users who have been unable to enjoy PES 2014 online and would like to reassure fans we'll be fixing the issue as quickly as possible." An update on Konami's European support page for the particular online problem noted that the publisher is "still in discussions with Microsoft trying to understand what might be causing this," and recommended that players attempt to download and install data pack 1.00, as "some players have reported intermittent success" in doing so. Konami added that it plans to update its support page on Monday with more information.
PSN Tuesday: FIFA 14, Girl Fight, free Rayman Origins on PS Plus
This week's PSN update has been issued, offering a fresh cornucopia of digital wares for your leisurely consumption. Both FIFA 14 and Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 are available for download, though only the former is available across multiple platforms: PS3, PS Vita (a re-skin) and PSP. Kung-Fu Factory's Girl Fight steps into the PSN ring today and The Mark of Kri joins the ranks of PS2 Classics. PS Plus members can download a free copy of Rayman Origins on the PS Vita today. The routine round of discounts have also been extended to PS Plus, with this week's deals highlighting Limbo, Worms Revolution and more. Price drops have also been extended to Dead Space 3 and pretty much the entire Assassin's Creed series – all of which you can pore over in the full list over on the PlayStation Blog.
Demowatch: Diablo 3, FIFA 14, PES 2014, Etrian Odyssey Untold
What do Diablo 3, FIFA 14, Pro Evolution Soccer 2014, and Etrian Odyssey Untold have in common? Fantastically little, really, they're drastically different games after all - well, apart from FIFA 14 and PES 2014. Not our best riddle, frankly. Oh wait: They all have demos coming out soon! Diablo 3 on consoles, FIFA 14 and PES 2014 get theirs this week, while 3DS RPG Etrian Odyssey Untold receives an eShop demo on September 16. The Diablo 3 demo is out now on Xbox Live (as a Gold-exclusive), and hits PlayStation Network later today. The demo goes as far as the Skeleton King, the action-RPG's first boss, and features all five Hero classes and both local and online multiplayer. Meanwhile, the FIFA 14 demo has already kicked off on PC and XBL, taking to the field on PSN later today. It lets you play as one of eight teams: Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Paris St. Germain, Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, Barcelona, New York Red Bulls, and Boca Juniors. As for the PES 2014 demo, it's out on XBL now too, and should hit PSN today. Bear in mind, Euro-folk, PSN tradition is for updates there on Wednesday, so FIFA 14, PES 2014 and Diablo 3 demos may arrive then. However, EA Community Manager Rob Hodson tweeted this morning to say the FIFA 14 demo could hit today, around 5PM UK time.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 hits UK a week ahead of FIFA 14
Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 steals a week's march on FIFA 14 by coming to the UK on September 20, Konami announced today. The proper football sim's release date announcement for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC follows the news its EA-developed rival will be bundled with all Xbox One pre-orders in Europe. For those who just can't wait to score the new PES, a demo will be released via PSN on September 11, and then on Xbox Live the day after. Meanwhile, PES 14 hits the back of American nets on September 24.
EA inks exclusive deal with Barcelona for FIFA, PES gets Argentinian teams
When you think about soccer, FC Barcelona is one of the teams that likely comes to mind, especially because its forward, Lionel Messi, is arguably the best player in the world and co-cover athlete for FIFA 14. EA Sports certainly recognized this when it announced this morning that it settled on a three-year exclusive agreement to become the "official video game partner" of the soccer club. With the partnership in place, EA captured 3D head scans of 17 Barcelona players for use in FIFA 14. Meanwhile, Konami recently announced an agreement to bring 20 soccer teams from the Argentinian Football Association to Pro Evolution Soccer 2014. The license isn't on an exclusive basis according to Konami's announcement. The list of 20 AFA teams to be officially licensed (featuring correct kits, logos and team colors) for the game can be found after the break. Local Argentinian Fox Sports announcers Mariano Closs and Fernando Niembro will also be included in the game.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 corners the Americas in September
North, Central, and South America net the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 on September 24, matching the street date of rival FIFA 14. Konami's latest soccer sim iteration is also coming to PC and PSP - yes, PSP - and going by traditions those entries should arrive a little later in the year. PES 2014 remains undated for Europe, however, and it'll be interesting to see if it tries to steal a march on FIFA 14 in the games' key region - FIFA 14 goes Euro on September 27. The big introduction to this year's Pro Evo is Konami's new FOX engine, the same engine being used for the upcoming Metal Gear Solid 5. In his recent hands-on time with it, Joystiq's sportsball maestro Mike Suszek said, "It's the Fox Engine that might set Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 apart from FIFA, not a lack of playable clubs."
The faces of Fox Engine in Pro Evolution Soccer 2014
You could argue that EA Sports' FIFA series has a stranglehold on the simulation soccer game genre. The publisher locked up the FIFA license for many years to come, making it the only company with access to a number of real-life teams that other publishers such as Konami can't get its hands on. If you care only about the number of teams that are in your sports games, then sure, FIFA is king. Until I played Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 at E3, I was still convinced that I am a "FIFA guy." That might be changing, now that Konami has introduced the Fox Engine to the series, which is being used to generate facial textures and animations in a more lifelike manner. Sports game developers traditionally don't have the resources to commit to rendering lifelike emotion for in-game athlete's faces. In the case of games such as FIFA or Madden, expressions on athletes waver between lifeless and lifeless-with-an-open-mouth. Truly, one of the biggest tangible ways to convey the excitement of scoring goals or making crucial mistakes lies in generating that emotion through the athletes that players interact with, not unlike viewing sports broadcasts in real life. %Gallery-191284%
Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 powered by Fox Engine this year
Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 has been announced by Konami for Xbox 360, PS3, Windows PC and PSP. In this latest incarnation, the series will switch to using the Fox Engine. There's no word on Wii U, PS4 or Xbox One in the press release, but we've contacted Konami for further details. The 2014 game will feature what is dubbed as "TrueBall Tech," a system governing physics and controls centered around the ball. The Motion Animation Stability System (M.A.S.S.) is designed to present more realistic and dynamic player collision behavior and tackles, and footballers will now have mental statistics that can be affected throughout a match by fan support and teamwork. The Fox Engine is a multi-platform development suite powering Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.
Konami pre-E3 show gives the scoop on MGS5, Castlevania on June 6
Konami's third annual pre-E3 show is penciled in for June 6 at 1 p.m. ET, streaming live online via Konami's events site, on Gamespot and via the Xbox Live Gamespot app. For the second year in a row, Konami will show off a new trailer for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, which was announced during last year's pre-E3 briefing. Konami also plans to show off some behind-the-scenes footage of the next Pro Evolution Soccer game, and will have "new announcements" from Kojima Productions. Kojima recently made a splash with the Joakim Mogren marketing campaign for Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. Surely nothing will be able to compete with that.
