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All Articles: Final Fantasy XV
New Retail Releases: Final Fantasy XV Royal Edition, Scribblenauts Showdown, Bravo Team, More
Big sales and critical acclaim greeted the launch of Final Fantasy XV back in 2016. But if you skipped Square Enix’s epic RPG, the publisher is trying again with Final Fantasy XV: Royal Edition. Coming to stores this week for the PS4 and Xbox One, the Royal Edition will include a new dungeon, new features (including a First Person Mode), and all content from the game’s Season Pass.
Square Enix is also bringing Final Fantasy XV to the PC for the first time this week with the release of Final Fantasy XV: Windows Edition. Like the Royal Edition, it will also come packaged with the content from the game’s Season Pass.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, WB Games will release Scribblenauts Showdown this week for the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One. Showdown takes the tried-and-true gameplay from the Scribblenauts series (including a dictionary with more than 60,000 words) and grafts it on to a multiplayer minigame competition.
Supermassive is one of the biggest names behind Sony’s VR push, and the Until Dawn developer is back with another PSVR-powered title for the PS4 this week, Bravo Team. In Bravo Team, players will need to make “constant split-second tactical decisions” as war rages all around you in a fictional Eastern European city.
And bookending this week’s batch of big new games, Square Enix and Deck Nine will release a Retail Edition of Life Is Strange: Before the Storm for the PS4 and Xbox One. The prequel includes the three-part game, as well as a bonus episode starring a younger Max Caulfield.
Finally, PQube will release Island Flight Simulator, 3D Mini Golf, and 3D Billiards: Billards and Snooker for the PS4. And Maximum Games will bring TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge, a motorcycle racing sim, to the PS4 and Xbox One.
And that’s it for this week’s New Retail Releases report, but we’ll be back in a few days with a look at all the upcoming additions to the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One
Tagged Final Fantasy XV, Life Is Strange: Before the Storm, Scribblenauts Showdown
Vampyr delayed to Spring 2018… Final Fantasy XV’s multiplayer expansion will arrive on October 31
Blah! It looks like Dontnod Entertainment’s Vampyr will need a few more months in its home soil before its ready to launch. Thankfully, Square Enix has announced that Final Fantasy XV‘s multiplayer expansion is right around the corner.
Learn more about both after the break. (more…)
Final Fantasy XV will be released for PC in Early 2018
As a pre-Gamescom surprise, Square Enix has announced that Final Fantasy XV will be released for the PC in Early 2018. The megapublisher is partnering with Nvidia to bring the massive RPG to PC players, utilizing their GameWorks technology to increase the game’s visual fidelity.
More than just a resolution bump, the two companies have pledged to add “cutting-edge graphics and physics simulation technologies with support for Nvidia’s capture and share tools” to Final Fantasy XV:
Final Fantasy XV – Real-Time Graphics and Physics Simulations
- Nvidia Flow – Creates vivid, combustible fluid, fire and smoke.
- Nvidia HairWorks – Creates dynamic, life-like hair and fur for characters, animals and monsters that inhabit the game.
- Nvidia ShadowWorks – Enables characters to cast shadows on themselves.
- Nvidia Turf Effects – Creates life-like grass and vegetation in the game environment.
- Nvidia VXAO – Adds depth and realism based on the physics principles shadows and light.
Final Fantasy XV – Capture and Share Tools
- Nvidia Ansel – An in-game photography tool that allows gamers to compose shots from any position, adjust with post-process filters, capture HDR images in high fidelity formats, and share screenshots in 360 via a smartphone, PC, or VR headset.
- Nvidia ShadowPlay Highlights – Automatically captures the player’s greatest gaming achievements in video and screenshot, enabling seamless sharing through social channels.
“With the help of Nvidia, we are creating a stunning visual experience in Final Fantasy XV: Windows Edition, one worthy of this beloved franchise,” said Hajime Tabata, the Director of Final Fantasy XV. “Nvidia pushes the pace of innovation in our industry, and that benefits gamers and developers alike.”
More information about Final Fantasy XV’s Windows Edition can be found on Steam.
Posted in News, PC
Tagged Final Fantasy XV, Gamescom 2017
Final Fantasy XV: Episode Prompto is now available to download
Square Enix has announced that Episode Prompto, the next expansion for Final Fantasy XV, is now available to download on the PS4 and Xbox One.
Players will venture to a “snowy wilderness” and battle alongside Aranea Highwind in Episode Prompto. And don’t worry, you’ll also get plenty of chances to take more pictures:
Description
Prompto fell from a speeding train and became separated from Noctis and his comrades during a point in their journey. Days later, Prompto is caught wandering alone in the snowy wilderness by imperial forces and imprisoned in a facility where he will discover previously unknown, shocking truths about himself. Along the way, he encounters Aranea Highwind, as the two fight alongside one another to escape the imperial army.Features
- A brand-new storyline where Prompto, lost in the wilderness and battling against the Imperial forces, must find his way home and discover the truth about himself in the process
- Fast-paced, third-person gunplay battles featuring a wide variety of weapons, including basic handguns, sniper rifles, flash grenades, bazookas and more
- A new lightning fast snowmobile vehicle can be driven for taking down enemies and perform death-defying jumps while venturing through the wilderness
- Commodore Aranea Highwind and her mighty lance return to journey alongside Prompto
- Selfie Action… Players will have the ability to snap selfies along the way, carrying over Prompto’s Snapshot skill from the main game
In addition to the expansion, Square Enix also made another free update available for Final Fantasy XV today. The update includes a new “Type-D” upgrade for the Regalia that gives it the ability to travel off-road, as well as new in-game music from Episode Prompto, and various fixes.
Final Fantasy XV: Episode Prompto is part of the game’s Season Pass, but players can also purchase it as a standalone download for $4.99. A Launch Trailer for the expansion has been embedded above.
Posted in News, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Final Fantasy XV
Scorpio renamed Xbox One X and it’ll be available on November 7 for $499
Not surprisingly, Microsoft’s Project Scorpio was at the center of the consolemaker’s E3 Press Conference. As of now, we know the souped up system’s official name (the Xbox One X), as well as when it’ll be available (November 7), and how much it’ll cost ($499).
Boasting “40% more power than any other console,” the Xbox One X will deliver games in 4K resolution, as well as HDR support for gaming and video. All Xbox One games and accessories will be compatible with the Xbox One X, but free updates will provide a performance boost to games such as Gears of War 4, Forza Horizon 3, Minecraft, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, Final Fantasy XV, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands, Rocket League, and dozens of others:
Games play better on Xbox One X. The world’s most powerful console begins rolling out to all Xbox One markets starting on November 7. With 40% more power than any other console, experience immersive true 4K gaming when paired with a 4K display. Xbox One X makes your existing library even better, with better textures, smoother frame rates, and faster load times, even on a 1080p TV. Xbox One X also offers the ultimate 4K entertainment package with 4K Ultra HD for Blu-ray X and streamed content, HDR support for gaming and video, and Dolby Atmos support. Xbox One X will join the Xbox One family of devices and coexist alongside Xbox One and Xbox One S, and all Xbox One games and accessories are compatible.
Every Xbox One X unit will come with a 1TB hard drive, a matching Xbox Wireless Controller, HDMI cable, power supply, a 1-month free Xbox Game Pass subscription, and a 14-day free Xbox Live Gold membership.
Now, let’s have a moment of silence for the poor retail employees who’ll have to deal with customers who won’t understand that the Xbox One X and the currently-available Xbox One S will be sold in different bundles with very different prices.
Square Enix released a trailer for Final Fantasy XV: Episode Gladiolus at PAX East 2017
Square Enix unveiled the first trailer for Final Fantasy XV: Episode Gladiolus this morning as part of their “Nier: Automata X Final Fantasy XV” panel.
Episode Gladiolus will be the first character-driven expansion for Final Fantasy XV, and its set to launch later this month, March 28, for the PS4 and Xbox One. Players will get to undertake the “Trial of Gilgamesh” as they take control of Gladio in his quest for more power:
Final Fantasy XV: Episode Gladiolus is the first character-driven episode of DLC for Final Fantasy XV, the latest installment in the landmark Final Fantasy franchise. Players will experience brand-new gameplay, content, environments, enemies and more as they follow Noctis’s comrade, Gladiolus, on a journey away from his brothers in arms. Gilgamesh, one of the franchise’s fan-favorite characters, will also be making an appearance in the episode.
If you weren’t able to attend the “Nier: Automata X Final Fantasy XV” panel with Producer Haruyoshi Sawatari and Global Brand Manager Raio Mitsuno, you can catch a replay of it in the Twitch Videos for the PAX2 channel.
Posted in News, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Final Fantasy XV, PAX East 2017
CoD: Infinite Warfare, Battlefield 1, The Division are the best-selling games of 2016
The video game industry should definitely be celebrating right now, as The NPD Group has announced that consumers spent $30.4 billion on hardware, software, peripherals, and in-game purchases in 2016. This is a slight increase over 2015 revenues, which totaled a measly $30.2 billion.
Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, NPD Analyst Mat Piscatella attributed some of this growth to the emergence of virtual reality headsets like the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR. He also cited the “cultural phenomenon” that was Pokemon Go and the subsequent release of Pokemon Sun and Moon on the 3DS.
“Growth in entertainment software consumer spend was seen across the mobile, PC, virtual reality, subscription, portable, and digital console segments,” Piscatella said. “Consumers have more options to purchase and enjoy entertainment software than ever before, while developers have more and easier ways of delivering that content. No matter the delivery platform, entertainment software has never been more engaging, diverse or accessible.”
However, none of those games managed to crack the top ten for 2016, which was once again dominated by Activision’s Call of Duty franchise. Even though it launched to less-than-stellar reviews and a negative fan reaction, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare was still the best-selling game in 2016. Treyarch’s Call of Duty: Black Ops III was also represented in the top ten, at #8.
Tom Clancy’s The Division (#3) and Overwatch (#7) proved that new franchises can still make some noise in the NPD’s annual ranking, but perennial best-sellers like NBA 2K17 (#4), Madden NFL 17 (#5), and FIFA 17 (#9) also sold well in 2016, as did strong sequels such as Battlefield 1 (#2) and Final Fantasy XV (#10).
You can find the NPD’s list of best-selling games throughout all of 2016 after the break. (more…)
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare repeats as the best-selling game of December 2016
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare launched on November 4, and it easily took the crown as the best-selling game for the whole month. Today, The NPD Group revealed the best-selling games for December, and Infinite Warfare managed to repeat as the top title.
While Activision’s shooter series continued to be a favorite among gift givers at the end of the year, Square Enix’s Final Fantasy XV had an almost equally impressive retail peformance.
“Although a Call of Duty has now topped the December sales chart for the ninth consecutive year, Final Fantasy XV was the best-selling game for the PS4 during the month,” NPD Analyst Sam Naji told GamesIndustry.biz. “Final Fantasy XV was the second best-selling title for December 2016… Final Fantasy XV experienced the best console launch month in the history of the franchise selling 19% more new physical units than Final Fantasy XIII in its launch month and 54% more in total dollar revenue including digital full game sales.”
The remainder of the top ten should look familiar as it contains several of 2016’s biggest games including Battlefield 1 (#3), Madden NFL 17 (#4), NBA 2K17 (#5), Watch Dogs 2 (#6), FIFA 17 (#8), and Pokemon Sun and Moon (#8 and #10, respectively). 2013’s Grand Theft Auto V also cracked the best-sellers list for December at #7.
You can find the complete top ten in list form after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Battlefield 1, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, FIFA 17, Final Fantasy XV, Grand Theft Auto V, Madden NFL 17, NBA 2K17, NPD, Pokemon Sun/Moon, Watch Dogs 2