Monthly Archives: March 2016

Rogue One: Logo, Costumes, Stormtrooper Details

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is heading to theaters on December 16 this year, and small snippets of information are leaking out all the time.

SlashFilm has compiled the latest pieces of info, such as a Tweet from Jedi News US Editor Justin LaSalata that could shed more light on the bad guy in the upcoming movie.

Keanu Calls John Wick 2 a “Third Degree Black Belt”

Keanu Reeves says that the action in John Wick: Chapter 2 will take the franchise to the next level, claiming “If the first one was a black belt, then this one is third degree black belt.”

Reeves has just finished shooting the eagerly anticipated sequel, and explained that the film will expand on the Wick mythology.

“For us it was just what is the next chapter? What is the continuation of this story? Opening up the world – the underground world. The world behind the world in terms of the assassins. Kind of evolving the action – if the first one was a black belt, then this one is third degree black belt. It’s such a fun project and a great character.”

Reeves says that the sequel finds John travelling to Rome, and also introduces new characters, played by Peter Stormare and his former Matrix co-star Laurence Fishburne.

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Microsoft Has ‘a Lot to Prove’ With PC Gaming

As Microsoft moves to unify Xbox and PC, the failure of Games for Windows Live still haunts Phil Spencer.

“The amount I see Games for Windows Live come up in my Twitter feed when we talk about PC gaming, it’s staggering,” Spencer, Head of Xbox, said. “We are committed to this space…. We know we have a lot to prove.”

It's true. Microsoft has its heart in the right place, its 2016 goals look strong, and it's making huge, important moves, but it's still repeating the mistakes of its past.

At Microsoft’s Spring Showcase event in San Francisco last week, Phil Spencer spoke at length about a new philosophy for Microsoft: Marrying Xbox and PC gaming. Spencer has said for nearly two years that PC gaming is important to Xbox and its audience, and to gamers as a whole, but it isn’t until now we’re finally seeing the fruits of that ambition come to bear -- both in terms of games we can play and what Spencer has to say.

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55 Minutes of Quantum Break Gameplay

During the Microsoft Spring Showcase we were treated to Quantum Break. This new game from Remedy gives you the ability to manipulate time to solve puzzles, stop bullets, and stop your foes. Because we had an embargo that made us separate the gameplay into 20 minute chunks we wanted to put it all in one place so you could get an idea of what you can expect from this time bending shooter. Below you can find our three part walkthrough of the games first act, and beginning of the second act. We begin after an explosion has taken place at a lab and the consequences of that detonation.

Meet the cast of characters and watch as we learn our basic time shifting abilities and begin chaining them together for devastating results.

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Xbox’s Phil Spencer on E3, JRPGs, and the Future of Xbox

As Head of Xbox Phil Spencer talks more about unifying Windows 10 and Xbox gaming, Microsoft’s goals for players have to adapt. While Microsoft’s plans for E3 remain focused on games, Spencer has greater goals than getting more games on Microsoft’s platforms.

“I think we’ll stay focused on the content,” Spencer told IGN of Microsoft’s E3 plans. “To me, E3 is a gaming show. I’ve made the somewhat trite comment before that people buy gaming consoles to play games, but we did have moments last year like the Elite Controller…. So focusing on the gamer and what the gamer expects from us, and showing those things on stage, is exactly what I want to continue to do. To me, that’s what our brand stands for.”

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Xbox Head Says Uncharted 4 Will Be ‘A Great Game’

Xbox head Phil Spencer says he’ll be playing Uncharted 4.

Speaking via Twitter, when asked by a fan which games he was most excited for in the coming year, Spencer said the following:

Spencer also had a rather honest message for those who blindly argue one console of a similar horsepower is superior to another console of a similar horsepower.

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Forza: Future Xbox, PC Games ‘Absolutely’ Developing Concurrently

Future Forza games will “absolutely” be developed concurrently for Xbox and PC, according to Turn 10 Design Director Andy Beaudoin, who noted that the recently announced Forza Motorsport 6: Apex is “the first step in an ongoing commitment for Turn 10 and PC”

Beaudoin told IGN, “This is just the first step and this is why we can do it for free. The best way to learn to make a game on a platform is to ship a game on it…. It’s a great way for us to flex our muscle in the PC space and set the groundwork for future titles.”

Those future titles may not be Turn 10’s alone. We asked Beaudoin about Forza Horizon featuring a similar development plan, and while he declined to comment on specific future titles, Motorsport or Horizon, Beaudoin said that “as a franchise, we’re going to embrace that.”

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Forza 6 Apex on PC Is Not ‘a Microtransaction-Driven Game’

Forza Motorsport 6: Apex on Windows 10 is free-to-play with optional microtransactions, but Design Director Andy Beaudoin told IGN that it’s “been built from the beginning, all the way to the end, not to be a microtransaction driven game.”

Beaudoin explained, “We know that over time, we’ve looked at previous Forza games, and some people have liked to shortchange the progression system through other systems. So we’ll give players the opportunity to do that with purchases.”

To that end, Apex will not feature Forza Motorsport 6’s $20 VIP membership. “It’s something we looked at with Apex, and it’s not something we’ve done simply because Apex is meant to bring in a new group of gamers to Forza,” Beaudoin said. “Because of the focused, curated nature there wasn’t a natural fit. We really want this to be a free game.”

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19 Details Fans Will Want to Know about Dark Souls 3

Spoiler Alert: Below are details I found in the first four hours of Dark Souls 3. I also discuss some elements from previous games in the series.

Dark Souls 3 comes out in just a few weeks in Japan, before heading West in April. I played for around 4 hours or so, and it feels a lot like Dark Souls, unsurprisingly. It was demanding, surprising, and full of fantastic environmental and creature design.

But instead of talking about such boring things as its difficulty, I thought I'd focus on the small things – lore fragments, little mechanical details – as they've always been my favourite part of these games. Below are the things I'd want to know going in.

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Forza Motorsport 6: Apex Announced, Free-to-Play on PC

Forza Motorsport 6: Apex is coming to PC, and the Turn 10-developed, Windows 10-exclusive racing game will be free-to-play. Optional mictotransactions will allow players to purchase vehicles, or they can be earned by winning events.

Apex is not a straight port of Forza 6. At launch, Apex features 12 themed racing events, more than 60 cars, and a new objective system, which challenges players to complete specific, skill-based tasks for additional in-game currency.

"Drivatars" from Forza 6 on Xbox One will not carry over to Apex, Turn 10 told IGN. The developer declined to comment on any upcoming paid expansions, but emphasized the importance of updates to Apex, specifically in spotlighting specific cars with different events.

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