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Xbox's lack of compelling games won't be fixed next year
Microsoft's 2017 started six months early. At E3 2016, Xbox chief Phil Spencer closed out the company's keynote by teasing the "most powerful console ever." At this year's show, he finally revealed the Xbox One X, and in November, the hardware was at retail. In the time it takes to earn a bachelor's degree, Microsoft addressed one of the internet's loudest complaints about the Xbox One: that it wasn't powerful enough compared to the PlayStation 4.
Time-bending shooter 'Quantum Break' arrives on Steam
Quantum Break is a strange video game. Not for its time-bending story, or the way it combines a live-action TV show (although both are pretty interesting) but how Microsoft and developer Remedy have decided to release it. The game started as an Xbox One exclusive before branching out onto Windows 10. Now, it's also available on Steam, giving even more players the chance to adventure as Jack Joyce. In addition, there's also the Timeless Collector's Edition, a physical package that includes five game discs, a 'Making Of' Blu-ray and book, the soundtrack and two posters.
'Quantum Break' reaches Steam on September 14th
When Microsoft vowed that it would resume releasing games on Steam, it wasn't making an idle promise. Microsoft and Remedy have announced that Quantum Break will reach Steam on September 14th for $40. You won't get anything special for your patience (just all the updates released since launch), but that's not the point -- the big deal is that you won't have to shop at the Windows Store to get a PC copy. If you were worried that Microsoft would use Windows Store exclusives as part of a bid to dictate the future of PC gaming, you can relax.
'Quantum Break' studio's next project isn't what you expect
Historically, Remedy Entertainment has only worked on one project at a time, releasing only a handful of games since 2001's Max Payne. The company recently announced it was moving away from that fan-frustrating workflow and was becoming a studio that has more than one iron in the fire at a given moment. Now, a few months after the fantastic Quantum Break, we know what one of the team's next projects is: creating a campaign for the next installment of free-to-play shooter CrossFire, the aptly named CrossFire 2.
'Quantum Break' live action trailer introduces its villains
Remedy's Quantum Break is an ambitious project, and we wouldn't blame you if you're still in the dark when it comes to the game's time travel-focused plot. Who's Paul Serene? Why is Jack Joyce trying to stop him? You aren't going to get all the answers just yet (that's why you're supposed to buy it), but the developer at least wants to give you an inkling of what's going on. It just released a trailer from the live action side of the title that helps illustrate the sinister machinations of Serene (played by Aidan Gillen from Game of Thrones), his right-hand man Martin Hatch (Lance Reddick from Fringe) and Monarch Corporation.
'Alan Wake' sequel hinted in trademark filing
Quantum Break is a little more than a month away, but already fans are speculating about a possible sequel to Alan Wake, the last big game from developer Remedy Entertainment. A trademark application for "Alan Wake's Return" was spotted by a user on the gaming forum Neogaf, pointing to another instalment of the Twin Peaks-style thriller. Remedy's creative director Sam Lake has always said that he would like to return to the franchise, going so far as to release prototype footage. Alan Wake 2 was eventually scrapped in favour of Quantum Break, although some of the team's ideas eventually wound up in Alan Wake's American Nightmare.
Xbox One thriller 'Quantum Break' is coming to PC too
Quantum Break's time-altering escapades are no longer tied to Microsoft's Xbox One console. When the game launches on April 5th it'll also be available on PC, giving players with beefy rigs the chance to push its visual prowess to the limit. That's not all developer Remedy Entertainment is announcing today though. Anyone that buys the game on Xbox One will also get a copy of the studio's previous title, Alan Wake, as well as its two DLC packs through backwards compatibility. If you pre-order Quantum Break you'll gain access to Alan Wake's American Nightmare too, a downloadable sort-of-but-not-quite sequel that came out in 2012.
How the TV show in Xbox One exclusive 'Quantum Break' works
When Remedy released Alan Wake's American Nightmare, few people questioned the live-action cut scenes sprinkled throughout the campaign. It turns out those moments were the seedlings for a grander vision: to develop a game interwoven with a full TV show.
Quantum Break motion-captures Iceman, Meriadoc
Xbox One exclusive Quantum Break features a hobbit and an ice-man in the form of Lord of the Rings and Lost's Dominic Monaghan and X-Men's Shawn Ashmore. As Digital Trends reports, developer Remedy confirmed the news after Monaghan inadvertently revealed he was filming for the project with Ashmore. It's unknown which role either actor plays, but given the nature of the game's intertwined connection with its TV show accompaniment, we may see the stars both in live-action and in-game form. Remedy's time-manipulative shooter launches on Xbox One next year, along with a TV companion series that comes with the game. As Creative Director Sam Lake told us back at Gamescom in his wonderful accent, how you play the game impacts the TV show, including alternate scenes based on the way you react to in-game events.
Quantum Break turning time and television
Remedy Creative Director Sam Lake took a moment at Gamescom 2014 to discuss the manipulation of time in the developer's upcoming adventure, Quantum Break. The studio that created Alan Wake is now tackling what amounts to a "superhero origin story" in the Xbox One exclusive that gives players the ability to stop time, using that unnatural skill to set up tactics during firefights. Lake noted that decisions made in the game will also impact the live action TV series that accompanies Quantum Break, which includes alternate scenes that appear based on how players react within the game. Lake also commented on the heavier concepts that arise in the game as a result of protagonist Jack Joyce's decisions, such as that of destiny versus free will. Quantum Break will launch in 2015, and was first announced during Microsoft's Xbox One reveal event in May 2013. Those looking for more videos ironically to stop and start about Quantum Break should find Remedy's entry in the myriad of trailers from Microsoft's Gamescom press event. [Image: Remedy Entertainment]
Quantum Break not impacted by Xbox Entertainment Studios closure
Microsoft's impending closure of its Xbox Entertainment Studios won't affect Quantum Break's live-action TV show, and both the game and show "remain on track" according to the company. The news follows Microsoft saying it "remains committed" to Halo: Nightfall and the Halo TV series despite yesterday's announcements. A Microsoft spokesperson told Polygon, "The news of Xbox Entertainment Studios has not impacted our progress and we're excited to share more details of Quantum Break at Gamescom in August."
Quantum Break leaps to 2015, major showing at Gamescom
Remedy Entertainment slapped a 2015 window on Quantum Break today, and it's planning to showcase the Xbox One game at Gamescom rather than E3. In a teaser video, Creative Director Sam Lake said the studio will present the shooter's time-manipulation gameplay for the first time at the Euro convention in August. Quantum Break's plot focuses on time, with themes of time travel and the threat of the very fabric of time breaking down. That story will be told both across a video game and a live-action TV series, and Lake says we can expect to plenty of crossover between the two. "There are a number of ways in which the game and the show interact," Lake told us last year. "That said, it's worth mentioning that we're not creating a 'choose your own adventure' where, very easily, one tight story gets watered down to many weaker ones. For us, this is much more 'one powerful story told many ways, based on your actions." [Image: Microsoft]
Remedy working on tablet game, Agents of Storm
Remedy, creators of Max Payne and the upcoming Quantum Break, are working on a game for tablets, Agents of Storm. There are little islands and it's your mission to set up a base, build up a fleet of boats and head into battle. Remedy touted full 3D renders for this strategy-action game. Coming early 2014.
Remedy couldn't make Quantum Break without Microsoft
Like an Alan Wake mystery, the reasons behind Quantum Break's Xbox One exclusivity are slowly becoming clearer. Speaking to Games Industry, Remedy CEO Matias Myllyrinne revealed that Microsoft's help has been instrumental in bringing the game to life. Without outright confirming that Microsoft is financing the ambitious project – half of which is a full-fledged television show – Myllyrinne said, "[W]e need to fall back and let the full force of a company like Microsoft see it through." "There's no way on God's green Earth that we would take on a venture like this on our own," he added. "We might have the appetite but there's no way we could." Myllyrinne says the game serves "a strategic purpose" for Microsoft, giving the publisher a unique experience for its new console and allowing Remedy to create something it wouldn't be able to otherwise. We recently spent some time with the Xbox One exclusive, which you can read about here.
D4 and Quantum Break share 'time travel mystery' genre
Hidetaka "Swery65" Suehiro and Remedy Entertainment seem to be pilfering inspiration from the same muse, though handling what it extracts in very different ways. Swery65's Rainy Woods – which would later be retooled and released as the horror-focused title Deadly Premonition – and Remedy's thriller Alan Wake led fans and critics to compare both games to the landmark David Lynch and Mark Frost cult-hit series Twin Peaks. While Swery65's title ditched many of the similarities to the show when it changed its name, comparisons linger, such as Deadly Premonition's strange characters, mysterious setting, and a protagonist's proclivity for "damn fine coffee." Alan Wake also featured similar elements. Though these similarities are undoubtedly coincidence, it appears the Finnish team at Remedy and the Japanese team at Access Games have once again tapped the same creative vein for the theme of each team's next title. Swery65's D4 and Remedy's Quantum Break are completely different in look and gameplay style, yet they share a startling similarity: both are time travel mysteries structured episodically and coming exclusively to the Xbox One. Though completely separate universes, both games have themes focused on time manipulation. Which timeline would you like to explore?
Alan Wake's American Nightmare drops price to $10 on XBLA
Alan Wake's American Nightmare, the standalone follow-up to the original psychological action thriller, is now 800 Microsoft Points ($10) on the Xbox Live Marketplace. The game was previously 1200 MSP ($15), which continues to be its price on Steam. Developer Remedy has moved on to Quantum Break, but there is the possibility that Mr. Wake's influence will be felt in the upcoming game.%Gallery-148040%
Steam weekend deals: Alan Wake for $3, DmC for $30
You can grab Remedy's Alan Wake for $3 on Steam this weekend, and if you toss in an extra buck you'll also get Alan Wake's American Nightmare. Weekend savings are also being extended to DmC: Devil May Cry, available for $30. All will revert to regular price at 10am PT on Monday morning. DmC developer Ninja Theory is currently collaborating with Chillingo on a side-scrawling brawler called Fightback. Remedy has said Alan Wake will return "when the time is right," but is now focused on a story-driven Xbox One action game, Quantum Break.
Alan Wake series featured in Humble Weekly Sale
Downtrodden horror author Alan Wake stars in the latest Humble Weekly Sale, which offers up downloadable Windows versions of Remedy's third-person shooter Alan Wake and its follow-up American Nightmare for a buyer-chosen price (minimum $1). Bundle buyers will receive DRM-free downloads of Alan Wake: Collector's Edition and Alan Wake's American Nightmare, along with Steam keys for both games. The package features a bevy of bonus material, including digital comic books, a playthrough video, and standalone episodes of the Remedy-produced "Night Springs" fictional television series – new episodes of which Joystiq debuted last year. Xbox Live hosts its own Alan Wake series sale this week. Through May 29, the Xbox 360 Games on Demand version of Alan Wake is priced at 400 Microsoft points ($5), while the Xbox Live Arcade follow-up American Nightmare is a dollar cheaper at 320 points. Alan Wake DLC and avatar items are also on sale through next week. In the announcement video above, Remedy's Sam Lake (who you might recognize as Max Payne's face model) reveals that the Alan Wake series has sold over three million units to date, and addresses fan reaction to the company's decision to develop the upcoming Xbox One-exclusive title Quantum Break, rather than an Alan Wake sequel. "We definitely want to keep on working on Alan Wake," Lake assures. "I definitely want to create something new for Alan Wake, when the time is right."
Max Payne creator Remedy Games crafting Quantum Break for Xbox One
The folks behind such games as the original Max Payne and Alan Wake are crafting a next-gen experience for the Xbox One in Quantum Break. The tease video we saw showed a young girl, in real life, with her parents -- she apparently sees through time, and is able to convey what she sees. She places a hand on her mother and shows her a massive war ship crashing through a bridge. We're then taken to an office building lobby being shot up. It's... not clear at all what all this has to do with anything, but there you have it. We'll have more details as soon as possible.%Gallery-188991%
'Quantum Break' from Remedy comes to Xbox One [Update: Trailer]
Quantum Break is a new game from Remedy, developer of the Alan Wake series, coming to the Xbox One, Microsoft Studios head Phil Spencer said. The Quantum Break tagline is, "Time is the fire in which we burn." The teaser video opens with a live-action family preparing to leave their house, and a little girl with some sort of special power. The game footage shows a ship as it crashes into a large bridge – and then time stops and reverses. "The actions you take and the choices you make shape your experience as the story unfolds," Spencer said. Update: Don't believe us? Check out the trailer for yourself.
