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All Articles: GDC 2014
First image from Call of Duty 2014 revealed
During their Game Developer Conference panel last month, developers from Sledgehammer Games gave the attending audience a quick glimpse at an “in-game character image” from the currently unannounced Call of Duty 2014. Today, IGN revealed that image, an extreme close-up of a soldier, to the world.
Call of Duty 2014 is in development for next-generation platforms (PC, PS4, and Xbox One) and will be released this Fall. A current-generation version of the game (for the PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii U) is also expected, but remains unconfirmed as of now. An official announcement of the game will likely occur next month.
Microsoft still wants to add game sharing to Xbox One
Last year, most gamers were gasping at Microsoft’s insistence that the Xbox One wouldn’t support used games. The hardware manufacturer eventually relented, but after adding used game support back in, they also removed one of the system’s biggest pluses: Family Sharing. But according to Microsoft’s Phil Spencer, the Family Sharing feature may return someday.
Speaking to GameSpot during last weekend’s Game Developers Conference, Spencer reiterated that Microsoft believes that digital downloading and digital management of your games is the future of the Xbox One. And that includes loaning the rights to play a game between friends and family:
“On the digital space, and the things that we’ve talked about, what that opens up…like we understand what games you own and who you are and how you move around and who you might want to loan rights to your games or gift your games to,” Spencer said. “We totally believe in that future. And any other marketplace you play in, these kind of mechanisms are out there.”
Spencer did not reveal a timeline for the return of the Family Sharing feature, but its inclusion would certainly give it a leg up on Sony’s PlayStation 4. Valve added Family Sharing to Steam earlier this month.
Microsoft will announce an Xbox One exclusive from an “awesome” Japanese studio soon
Microsoft plans to add another exclusive to the Xbox One’s lineup and it looks like it’ll come from an “awesome” Japanese developer.
Famitsu (translated by Dualshockers) caught up with Phil Spencer during last week’s Game Developers Conference and he revealed that Microsoft plans to announce a new Xbox One exclusive very soon:
“I’m very excited about the announcement of the release window in Japan. An unique exclusive title for Xbox One is going to be released by an awesome Japanese studio.”
What studio is behind this game and whether or not it will even be released in North America is still unconfirmed, but Spencer did say that Microsoft had a big announcement planned for this year’s Tokyo Game Show:
“I’m looking forward to go to Tokyo Game Show this year, and I want to show everyone something never seen before. Stay tuned!”
Microsoft is no stranger to publishing Japanese-developed games as Capcom (Dead Rising 3), Groundlings (Crimson Dragon), and Access Games (D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die) have all released or will release exclusive Xbox One titles.
Sledgehammer says Call of Duty 2014 is “ambitious” and “creative”
Activision typically uses the month of May to announce a new Call of Duty game, but that didn’t stop Sledgehammer Games’ Glen Schofield from talking about the latest entry in the franchise during last week’s Game Developers Conference.
Sledgehammer’s General Manager stated that the currently untitled game (known internally as Call of Duty 2014) is the “most ambitious, most creative game we’ve ever made.” Along with partner Michael Condrey, Schofield’s track record at Sledgehammer includes 2011’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, as well as an unreleased third person action game set within the Call of Duty world. The pair first worked together at EA, where they produced James Bond 007: From Russia With Love and the much-loved Dead Space. A short “in-game character image” from Call of Duty 2014 accompanied Schofield’s words, but it’s probably going to be a while before we see anything more than that.
Call of Duty 2014 marks Sledgehammer’s first time as the primary developer on a game in the series. In February, Activision confirmed that the series would be moving to a “three-year cycle” with Sledgehammer switching off with Infinity Ward and Treyarch to develop new games in the Call of Duty franchise.
[Source: GameSpot]
Posted in News
Tagged Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, GDC 2014
Mighty No. 9’s GDC 2014 trailer is mega-tastic
I’ve got good news! Especially if you were 10 years old in 1990… Keiji Inafune and Comcept have unveiled another trailer for Mighty No. 9 during their Game Developers Conference presentation!
After Inafune left Capcom, the publisher left Mega Man, his best-known creation, to flounder amid a sea of cancellations and cameos. But the developer has distilled the essence of Mega Man into Mighty No. 9 and produced a game that is looking less “homage” and more “unauthorized sequel” every time we see it. And that’s a good thing. He even patterned Mighty No. 9’s boss robots on the Robot Masters from the original Mega Man. My inner 10-year-old gives this trailer seven thumbs up.
Inafune funded the side-scrolling shooter last year through a mega-successful Kickstarter campaign that ensured the game will be released for nearly every platform imaginable: 3DS, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
Sony: Project Morpheus won’t launch in 2014, will be priced under $1000
If you were hoping to find a Project Morpheus headset under the tree this Christmas, I’ve got some bad news for you.
Speaking to GameSpot at GDC, Sony’s Shuhei Yoshida said that the virtual reality device for the PS4 will not be released in 2014. When asked why, Yoshida revealed that Sony’s engineers are still refining Project Morpheus and that the company is “still making changes to the hardware.”
While Project Morpheus currently only exists as a prototype, Yoshida is confident that the headset will eventually launch with a price tag below $1,000. Sony’s Wearable HDTV headset is currently priced at $1,000 and Yoshida said that gamers can expect a lower price for Project Morpheus because gaming consoles are typically sold at a loss.
For comparison’s sake, executives at Oculus expect the consumer version of their Rift headset to be “affordable.”
The Last of Us wins Game of the Year at 2014 GDC Awards
The 2014 Game Developers Choice Awards were handed out last night and The Last of Us took home “Game of the Year.” Naughty Dog’s unquestioned dominance in this year’s awards season really makes you wonder, does it ever get boring for Neil Druckmann and company? I’m guessing no, but after winning several BAFTAs, multiple DICE Awards, the Writer’s Guild Award for Videogame Writing, and a Warp Zoned Golden Pixel Award, it stops being surprising. In addition to being selected as “Game of the Year,” The Last of Us was also honored with the “Best Game Design” and “Best Narrative” awards.
But The Last of Us wasn’t the only winner last night. Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds was picked as the “Best Handheld/Mobile Game” while IGF darling Papers Please took home the award for “Best Downloadable Game” as well as the “Innovation Award.”
The only other multi-award winner of the night was BioShock Infinite, which was recognized for its sights and sounds with the “Best Visual Art” and “Best Audio” awards. Finally, the low-key Gone Home (and its developer, The Fullbright Company) was picked as the “Best Debut” while the bombastic Grand Theft Auto V took home “Best Technology.”
The full list of this year’s winners can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged BioShock Infinite, GDC 2014, Gone Home, Grand Theft Auto V, Papers Please, The Last of Us, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
Papers Please wins big at the 2014 Independent Games Festival
Lucas Pope’s Papers Please was the big winner during last night’s Independent Games Festival. The 2014 edition of the annual awards show honoring independent games gave three awards to Pope’s game including “Excellence in Design,” “Excellence in Narrative,” and the “Seumas McNally Grand Prize.” Who knew taking control of a border control agent living under a harsh dictator could be so fun?
Five other games were also honored with awards last night. The “Excellence in Visual Art” award went to Jason Roberts for his puzzler Gorogoa. If you’re more of a sound guy, you’d probably like to know that Simogo was given the “Excellence in Audio” award for their beguiling mobile game, Device 6.
The “Nuovo Award,” which recognizes “abstract, shortform, and unconventional game development,” was given to Tale of Tales for Luxuria Superbia. According to the IGF, Luxuria Superbia is “a musically and visually resplendent title that uses the player’s touch to stimulate in-game sensations of pleasure and joy. Absent any characters or underlying narrative, the game is focused entirely on the experience of traveling through a series of tunnels to make them “feel good” and affect their colors and plumage through the player’s tactile inputs.” Certainly sounds unconventional to me.
The final two awards of the night went to Hopoo Games and Galactic Cage. Hopoo Games is made up of students from the University of Washington and, obviously enough, they took home the “Best Student Game” award for Risk of Rain. Finally, the “Audience Award” went to Galactic Cafe for their work on The Stanley Parable, their heavily-narrated first-person game.
Congratulations to all of this year’s winners.
Posted in Mobile, News, PC
Tagged GDC 2014, Papers Please