http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Wed, 07 May 2014 00:38:18 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/earthworm-jim-20th-anniversary-retrospective/1100-6419458/ <p style="">When Shiny Entertainment opened its doors in 1993, it struck a deal to develop games for Playmates Interactive Entertainment, which was the media division of a prominent toy manufacturer. Its first project was none other than <a href="/earthworm-jim-1996/" data-ref-id="false">Earthworm Jim</a>, a game that parodied popular character action games of the day using an original character designed by artist Doug TenNepal. Parody suited the team nicely, since a lot of the crew at Shiny had experience working with licensed characters, such as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, 7 Up's Cool Spot, Disney's Aladdin, and the Terminator, for the better part of their careers, and they were probably ready for a bit of development therapy. Without the borders of a preexisting franchise to limit their creativity, Shiny Entertainment's designers concocted a surreal game that was unlike any other platformer that had come before it, and Earthworm Jim grew into a full-blown entertainment property that produced action figures and an animated TV series.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Sadly, Jim's time in the spotlight was brief, ending roughly six years after his arrival. There was <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/earthworm-jim-hands-on/1100-6155723/" data-ref-id="1100-6155723">talk</a> of a new Sony PSP game back in 2006, which GameSpot editor Brian Ekberg had the chance to play, but it was mysteriously shuttered a few years later. The last time we saw Jim was in the <a href="/earthworm-jim-hd/" data-ref-id="false">Earthworm Jim HD</a> remake on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, but for some of us, it has been far too long since we've had a proper new Earthworm Jim game. Still, we'll always have our memories of the original to look back on. With Earthworm Jim's 20th anniversary coming up later this year, here's what a few of us remember about our favorite super-suit-wearing invertebrate.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EolW7ZxAOJ8" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FEolW7ZxAOJ8%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DEolW7ZxAOJ8&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FEolW7ZxAOJ8%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><h3 dir="ltr">Maxwell McGee</h3><p dir="ltr" style="">Earthworm Jim and I were close friends growing up. I can remember my younger self, sitting on the lap of a jolly old mall Santa, asking for an Earthworm Jim toy for Christmas. Jolly old mall Santa stared back at me like I had earthworms hanging out of my ears. Clearly, he had no idea what I was talking about, but Santa was able to save face by reassuring me that one of his elves surely knew what I was talking about. Apparently he did, because on Christmas morning, I got that Earthworm Jim toy--and I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that my mother was with me during my chat with Santa.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2524998-jimcave.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2524998" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2524998-jimcave.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2524998"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/1406/14063904/2524998-jimcave.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">The '90s were full of outrageous characters--from Sonic the Hedgehog to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles--all vying to pollute kids' minds with their totally bodacious attitudes, man. Few, however, could compete with the sheer absurdity of Earthworm Jim. He was a talking earthworm wearing a special muscle suit. His catchphrase was "Groovy!" His nemesis was Queen Slug-for-a-Butt. Every part of his character and his world oozed with excess and sheer ridiculousness--and I ate it up.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">While I loved Earthworm Jim the character, I was horrible at his games. To this day, I still have not finished either Earthworm Jim or Earthworm Jim 2, but I vividly remember my time with both. The stage Jim's Now a Blind Cave Salamander! stands out in my mind as being especially bizarre. True to its name, the stage finds Jim dressed as a blind salamander swimming his way through the intestinal tract of some unknown creature. Pinball bounce pads and tiny sheep bar your path, as does the lining of the intestinal wall, which damages Jim on contact. And did I forget to mention that a low-fi version of Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" is playing in the background? Once you finish your gastrointestinal journey, you're unceremoniously dropped into a game show and forced to answer questions you couldn't possibly know the answers to. Do you know Jim's favorite fighting game? PROTIP: It's Samurai Slowdown.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Zorine Te</h3><p dir="ltr" style="">It was the junkyard dog that scared me the most. It was loud and erratic, and its presence in the first level of Earthworm Jim struck a fear into me. Much like the rest of the game, the beast possessed a unique look and sound that would not be easily forgotten.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">My first encounter with Earthworm Jim was in the form of a demo. As I child, I did not understand that a full game existed outside of the level New Junk City. Regardless, the garbage-themed design entranced me with its unusual enemies and quirky humor, and it quickly became the playground I conquered again and again.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">When my father gifted me with the full version of Earthworm Jim, I was blown away. An entire universe of varied worlds suddenly became available, each whackier than the last. As the levels progressed, so did the difficulty I faced in finishing them. Visiting friends would take turns with me to attempt to clear levels.</p><blockquote data-size="medium" data-align="center"><p dir="ltr" style="">...I was blown away. An entire universe of varied worlds suddenly became available, each whackier than the last.</p></blockquote><p dir="ltr" style="">Of these attempts, one in particular remains vivid in my mind. It involved a particular cousin who always butted heads with me. As children, we often fought about trivial matters or wrestled over toys. Then Earthworm Jim appeared, and suddenly our differences were no longer relevant. He and I worked together in peace to clear the game.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">It was on the level What The Heck that it happened. The level had stumped me for days, as I became stuck at a seemingly dead end marked with a large, slowly spinning gem. Back then, such dead ends were a source of endless frustration to me. After all, it was the time before GameFAQs, before the Internet provided the solution to all the mysteries of the gaming world.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">My cousin, whether by a stroke of brilliance or sheer luck, suddenly solved the puzzle by running on the gem and turning it into a floating platform that would carry Earthworm Jim to the next part of the level. I was so ecstatic, I cheered loudly and almost hugged him (I did not).</p><p dir="ltr" style="">That victory brought an ongoing truce between the two of us, and I'll never forget Earthworm Jim for that. Thanks, Jim, for forging peace between a duo of fighting children.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Peter Brown</h3><p dir="ltr" style="">I first set eyes on Earthworm Jim when I was in the fourth grade, and it couldn't have come at a better time. By that point, I had spent the better part of a year playing Road Rash II and ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron on the Sega Genesis, both of which I loved, but I was ready for something different. Now, no reasonable person would argue that Panic on Funkotron wasn't an unusual game, but its strangeness paled in comparison to Earthworm Jim's surreal sci-fi tale.</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2524982-professormonkeycrop.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2524982" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2524982-professormonkeycrop.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2524982"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/1406/14063904/2524982-professormonkeycrop.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">After all, you play as an everyday worm who happens upon a super suit that grants him vertebrate-like posture and movement, and during your journey, you fight unreal enemies like Professor Monkey-for-a-Head and Queen Slug-for-a-Butt. There's even a boss enemy that rides a zip-line while projectile-vomiting rotten fish. Need I say more? At the time, I was also in the throes of a crippling Nickelodeon cartoon addiction, particularly <em>The Ren & Stimpy Show</em>. John Kricfalusi's twisted world view was both confusing and amazing to 9-year-old me, and Earthworm Jim bore those same qualities, which made it an easy sell.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Of course, it was more than just Earthworm Jim's odd art direction that drew me in. The character animations were exceptionally smooth, and while most levels stuck to the side-scrolling, run-and-gun design, there were a few that deviated in new and interesting directions. Bonus levels put Jim on a rocket flying into Z-space, and another hooked him and a boss up to bungee cords where they battled while bouncing up and down. Earthworm Jim is a series that I will always remember for its concentrated, unbridled creativity, and it's a shame that the series has been dormant for the better part of 15 years.</p><p style=""> </p> Tue, 06 May 2014 18:50:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/earthworm-jim-20th-anniversary-retrospective/1100-6419458/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/sportsfriends-ruins-friendships-the-lobby/2300-6418680/ Danny, Chris, Mary and John go 2 on 2 in a battle royale to find out who in fact has the stronger friendship. Tue, 06 May 2014 17:41:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/sportsfriends-ruins-friendships-the-lobby/2300-6418680/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/first-look-at-ultra-street-fighter-iv-with-combofi/2300-6418684/ Combofiend stops by to show off the new characters in Ultra Street Fighter 4 including Decapre, Elena, Hugo, Poison and Rolento and then mercilessly stomps anyone who challenges him to a fight. Tue, 06 May 2014 17:28:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/first-look-at-ultra-street-fighter-iv-with-combofi/2300-6418684/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-update-activision-investing-500-million-fo/2300-6418677/ With a proposed budget that dwarfs Grand Theft Auto V according to analysts, Activision hopes Destiny will become their third billion-dollar franchise. Tue, 06 May 2014 17:20:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-update-activision-investing-500-million-fo/2300-6418677/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/modifying-the-world-in-double-fine-s-hack-n-slash-/2300-6418681/ Developer Brandon Dillon plays through the beginning of Hack 'n' Slash and goes over the basic ways to make code and crash the world around him. Tue, 06 May 2014 17:01:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/modifying-the-world-in-double-fine-s-hack-n-slash-/2300-6418681/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/weird-fmv-game-nostalgia-with-double-switch-the-lo/2300-6418679/ John Carnage from Twitch explains why Double Switch is the best game on Sega CD to celebrate GameSpot's Game History Month. Tue, 06 May 2014 16:54:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/weird-fmv-game-nostalgia-with-double-switch-the-lo/2300-6418679/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/sportsfriends-makes-sportsenemies-out-of-the-games/2300-6418678/ Chris, Maxwell, Mary, and Shaun test their friendship with the Sportsfriends catalog of games including: Super Pole Riders, Hokra, and Barabariball. Tue, 06 May 2014 16:46:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/sportsfriends-makes-sportsenemies-out-of-the-games/2300-6418678/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-everything-we-know-so-far/1100-6419460/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418638" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418638/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">The latest entry in Activision's blockbuster Call of Duty series, <a href="/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare/" data-ref-id="false">Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare</a>, was announced last week. Now that the dust has settled (for now at least), we've rounded up everything we know about the game ahead of its release across consoles and PC on November 4.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Developers and platforms:</h3><ul><li dir="ltr">Sledgehammer Games -- (Xbox One, PS4, PC)</li><li dir="ltr">Studio to be named later -- (Xbox 360, PS3)</li><li dir="ltr">There's no word on Wii U or other Nintendo platforms.</li></ul><h3 dir="ltr"><strong>Release Date:</strong></h3><p dir="ltr" style="">November 4</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2522997-10259130_700329616695432_3653449287122842329_o.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2522997" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2522997-10259130_700329616695432_3653449287122842329_o.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2522997"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/536/5360430/2522997-10259130_700329616695432_3653449287122842329_o.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><h3 dir="ltr"><strong>Commentary:</strong></h3><p dir="ltr" style="">Sledgehammer Games previously described Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare as "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-2014-is-ambitious-and-creative-sledgehammer-says/1100-6418444/" data-ref-id="1100-6418444">ambitious</a>" and "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-2014-is-ambitious-and-creative-sledgehammer-says/1100-6418444/" data-ref-id="1100-6418444">creative</a>," while Activision says it is "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/2014-s-call-of-duty-described-as-the-best-ever-created/1100-6417578/" data-ref-id="1100-6417578">perhaps the best Call of Duty game ever made</a>."</p><h3 dir="ltr"><strong>Franchise Firsts:</strong></h3><p style="">Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is the first entry in the series developed on the franchise's new <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/2014-s-call-of-duty-described-as-the-best-ever-created/1100-6417578/" data-ref-id="1100-6417578">three-year production cycle</a>. The extra development time has allowed Sledgehammer Games to make a game with an "array of technical advancements" that add up to a "near photorealistic world unlike any Call of Duty before," according to Activision. It's also the first time Sledgehammer Games, which co-developed 2011's <a href="/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-3/" data-ref-id="false">Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3</a> with Infinity Ward, is leading development on a Call of Duty title</p><h3>Story:</h3><p style=""><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/two-studios-making-this-year-s-call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-activision-promises-near-photorealistic-world/1100-6419400/" data-ref-id="1100-6419400">Here's how Activision sets up the story</a> for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare:</p><p style=""><em>"Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare jolts players forward in a groundbreaking experience that's ripped-from-the-headlines-of-tomorrow, envisioning a future where both technology and tactics have evolved to usher in a new era of combat for the franchise. Set in the year 2054, a private military corporation (PMC) has emerged with the power to rescue humanity from a devastated world struggling to rebuild after a global attack on its military and infrastructure. You are the advanced soldier. Empowered with new, cutting-edge exoskeleton abilities, technological advancements, and high-tech gear, players join the ranks of a highly-trained, specialized unit committed to restoring order in a state of advanced warfare.</em>"</p><h3>Video Coverage:</h3><p style=""> </p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418614" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418614/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418631" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418631/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><h3 dir="ltr"><strong>Game Details*: </strong></h3><ul><li dir="ltr">All DLC will come to Xbox first.</li><li dir="ltr">Academy Award winning actor Kevin Spacey (<em>American Beauty</em>, <em>21</em>) plays Jonathon Irons, the CEO of a Private Military Company called Atlas Corporation. He says he was "very excited" about joining the game when he was originally approached.</li><li dir="ltr">The game runs on a new and unspecified game engine.</li><li dir="ltr">The story opens with a catastrophic event that Sledgehammer Games cofounder Michael Condrey describes as "like a global 9/11." There's little more to go on, but major cities on multiple continents are affected by some kind of terrorism perpetrated by a terrorist organization called KVA.</li><li dir="ltr">It is set in 2054.</li><li dir="ltr">You play a character named Private Mitchell, who is voiced by prolific voice actor Troy Baker. You may know Baker for his recent roles in <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/the-last-of-us/" data-ref-id="false">The Last of Us</a> (Joel), <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/bioshock-infinite/" data-ref-id="false">BioShock Infinite </a>(Booker), and <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/batman-arkham-origins/" data-ref-id="false">Batman: Arkham Origins</a> (The Joker). Mitchell only speaks during cutscenes; never during gameplay.</li><li dir="ltr">Mitchell starts Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare as a Marine, who is squadmates with Will Irons, the son of Private Military Company Atlas Corporation CEO Jonathan Irons. After their tour of duty is done, Jonathon Irons asks Mitchell if he wants to leave the Marines to join his company. Mitchell says yes and is outfitted with an "EXO" suit for his new job.</li><li dir="ltr">Unlike past Call of Duty games, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare has only one protagonist.</li><li dir="ltr">You'll earn points every mission that can be used to upgrade your EXO suit. Using the EXO suit, you can climb walls with magnetic gloves, boost-dodge toward cover, perform super-jumps that let you get to higher ground, use optic camouflage for cloaking, and hover in mid-air.</li><li dir="ltr">Your arsenal includes "variable grenades," which can be switched from concussion to threat detection while they cook. The threat detection grenade reveals enemy locations and makes this information available via an augmented reality system visible in your visor.</li><li dir="ltr">Some of your guns are energy-based, and do not use traditional ammunition.</li><li dir="ltr">There is a rideable vehicle called a Pitbull, which is based on the real world Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle.</li><li dir="ltr">There's no official word on Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare multiplayer yet, but Condrey teases, "You can probably imagine the possibilities of a lot of the stuff you saw in single-player and how it would apply online." Activision also says it is "absolutely committed" to supporting eSports.</li><li dir="ltr">Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare will have some kind of co-op mode.</li><li dir="ltr">Veteran Metal Gear Solid composer Harry Gregson-Williams is working on the game's soundtrack. Audio director Don Veca says, "I think Advanced Warfare is going to be the best-sounding and certainly the best-mixed game ever."</li><li dir="ltr">In an effort to create a believable world, Activision consulted with "experts from production design in movies to experts in the military to scientists and futurists," according to Sledgehammer cofounder Glen Schofield.</li></ul><p style="">*<em>This information is based on details provided by Activision in press releases and through a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/tons-of-call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-details-emerge/1100-6419415/" data-ref-id="1100-6419415">12-page Game Informer magazine feature</a>.<br /></em></p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 06 May 2014 16:36:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-everything-we-know-so-far/1100-6419460/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/need-for-speed-skips-2014-first-year-without-one-in-over-a-decade/1100-6419472/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2524913-needforspeedrivals.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2524913" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2524913-needforspeedrivals.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2524913"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2524913-needforspeedrivals.jpg"></a><figcaption>Last year's Need for Speed Rivals</figcaption></figure><p style="">When you think of franchises released annually, you might only think of games like <a href="/madden-nfl-15/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/madden-nfl-15/">Madden</a> and <a href="/call-of-duty-ghosts/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/call-of-duty-ghosts/">Call of Duty</a>, but a new Need for Speed has come out each and every year for even longer than Call of Duty has existed. Now, for the first time since 2001, Need for Speed will skip a year as developer Ghost Games takes its time in creating the newest entry in the series.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">As part of EA's <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-claims-it-s-top-next-gen-game-publisher-in-the-west-as-profits-increase/1100-6419466/" data-ref-id="1100-6419466" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-claims-it-s-top-next-gen-game-publisher-in-the-west-as-profits-increase/1100-6419466/">report to investors</a> today, the company revealed Need for Speed developer Ghost Games is being given time for an "extended development window" to work on the next game in the series, which will not be released until next year.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Expanding on that, Ghost Games GM Marcus Nilsson shared a statement on Need for Speed's <a href="http://www.needforspeed.com/news/future-need-speed-0" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="http://www.needforspeed.com/news/future-need-speed-0">website</a> pledging to deliver the game fans want. "We are already deep in development on our next game and want to make this promise to you: we will listen to you. We're going to give you the game you've been asking for. It will be the game you deserve, but to do that will take us some time," he said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Nilsson talked up the new game coming in 2015, describing it as "highly innovative" and an "experience built on a foundation we know you'll greatly look forward to."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Just because the game won't be out until next year doesn't mean Ghost plans to go silent. "From now on, you'll be hearing from us regularly because we need your help to shape the future of Need for Speed," Nilsson explained. "We want your input on future gameplay and features we know you're passionate about. We will keep innovating, always making sure to continue the celebration of cars and the joy they bring."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Need for Speed's streak of annual releases extends back to the '90s if you count the spinoff games. In 2001, EA released MMO racing game <a href="/motor-city-online/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/motor-city-online/">Motor City Online</a> (which was at one time a Need for Speed game) in lieu of an official Need for Speed title. A year later, it released <a href="/need-for-speed-hot-pursuit-2/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/need-for-speed-hot-pursuit-2/">Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2</a>, kicking off a trend of releasing a proper Need for Speed game annually up through last year, when it released <a href="/need-for-speed-rivals/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/need-for-speed-rivals/">Need for Speed Rivals</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true" class="mceItemTable"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSmokingManX" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/TheSmokingManX">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table><p style=""><br /></p> Tue, 06 May 2014 16:20:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/need-for-speed-skips-2014-first-year-without-one-in-over-a-decade/1100-6419472/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-xbox-one-s-diverse-lineup-touted-destiny-c/2300-6418676/ Find out how many copies of Destiny Activision need to sell, what Microsoft are planning for E3, and which game was pulled from Steam Early Access! Tue, 06 May 2014 16:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-xbox-one-s-diverse-lineup-touted-destiny-c/2300-6418676/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-star-wars-battlefront-will-be-shown-at-e3/1100-6419470/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6409630" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6409630/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">The new <a href="/star-wars-battlefront/" data-ref-id="false">Star Wars Battlefront</a> game in development at DICE is far from complete, but it will be making an appearance at this year's E3.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">During today's EA investors conference call, CEO Andrew Wilson responded to a question about the Star Wars games it has in development. The new Battlefront was the only one he discussed, saying it is coming along "very, very well," but there remains "lots and lots of work to go."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">That said, Battlefront will be among the games EA shows off at E3 in June, according to Wilson. Whether it will be playable or simply seen in video form was not revealed.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">EA signed a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-and-disney-team-up-for-star-wars-games/1100-6407982/" data-ref-id="1100-6407982">deal with Disney</a> last year to create new "core" Star Wars games. <a href="/dead-space/" data-ref-id="false">Dead Space</a> developer Visceral is currently at work on a new Star Wars game (reportedly an <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-developing-open-world-star-wars-game/1100-6416442/" data-ref-id="1100-6416442">open-world game</a>) being written by former <a href="/uncharted-4/" data-ref-id="false">Uncharted</a> writer <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/uncharted-actor-to-co-write-new-star-wars-game-for-ea/1100-6418938/" data-ref-id="1100-6418938">Amy Hennig</a>. Meanwhile, <a href="/battlefield-4/" data-ref-id="false">Battlefield</a> developer DICE has been tasked with developing Battlefront.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">DICE executive producer Patrick Bach admitted last year that the prospect of making the game was "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/dice-says-creating-star-wars-battlefront-is-scary/1100-6415603/" data-ref-id="1100-6415603">scary</a>." The original <a href="/star-wars-battlefront/" data-ref-id="false">Battlefront</a> and <a href="/star-wars-battlefront-ii/" data-ref-id="false">Battlefront II</a> were developed by now-defunct studio Pandemic and were released in 2004 and 2005, respectively.</p><p style="">EA's E3 press conference is <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-dates-its-e3-2014-press-conference-for-june-9/1100-6418911/" data-ref-id="1100-6418911">scheduled for Monday, June 9</a>, though whether the game will be seen here or during one of the console manufacturers' conferences is unknown. We recently learned all future Star Wars releases--including games--<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/lucasfilm-confirms-all-future-star-wars-content-to-be-canon-including-the-games/1100-6419225/" data-ref-id="1100-6419225">will be canonical</a>, meaning Battlefront's story will be a part of the official Star Wars canon, rather than being relegated to the Expanded Universe.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSmokingManX" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 06 May 2014 15:28:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-star-wars-battlefront-will-be-shown-at-e3/1100-6419470/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/infinite-crisis-developer-commentary-sinestro-firs/2300-6418671/ In this developer commentary, learn more about Sinestro, the latest champion to be revealed for Infinite Crisis. Tue, 06 May 2014 15:18:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/infinite-crisis-developer-commentary-sinestro-firs/2300-6418671/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-update-destiny-public-beta-starts-in-july/2300-6418673/ Activision Blizzard revealed today that you'll be able to get in on the shooter from Halo-developer Bungie later this summer. Tue, 06 May 2014 15:05:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-update-destiny-public-beta-starts-in-july/2300-6418673/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/don-t-expect-battlefield-or-mass-effect-in-virtual-reality-anytime-soon/1100-6419469/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1197/11970954/2457817-battlefield+4+naval+strike+-+heli_wm.png" data-ref-id="1300-2457817" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1197/11970954/2457817-battlefield+4+naval+strike+-+heli_wm.png" data-ref-id="1300-2457817"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1197/11970954/2457817-battlefield+4+naval+strike+-+heli_wm.png"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Could we one day see Battlefield, Mass Effect, or Need for Speed in virtual reality? Perhaps, but don't expect that to happen anytime soon, Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson said today.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">During a post-earnings financial call today, Wilson said EA is "eager to see how [Oculus Rift] evolves," but made clear that virtual reality technology needs to sell a healthy number of units before EA gets on board.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Oculus VR has done an amazing job in the realm of virtual reality. We're eager to see how the headset evolves over the coming years," Wilson said. "For us, we're always cognizant of immersive technologies and new opportunities. And with every new technology, it's important for us to be sure that there will be an attractive install base before investing heavily. But [Oculus VR is] certainly making strong progress."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Wilson went on to say that EA is currently monitoring the entire virtual reality marketplace--Oculus Rift and presumably <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-s-project-morpheus-vr-device-won-t-launch-in-2014-1000-price-point-unlikely/1100-6418418/" data-ref-id="1100-6418418">Sony's Project Morpheus</a>--so that if and when virtual reality becomes a "high-demand" activity, EA can be ready to support it in its games.</p><p style="">Social networking giant Facebook acquired Oculus VR, maker of Oculus Rift, earlier this year in a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/facebook-buys-oculus-rift-company-in-a-massive-deal-worth-an-estimated-2-billion/1100-6418540/" data-ref-id="1100-6418540">surprise deal worth an estimated $2 billion</a>. There's no word yet on when the Oculus Rift headset will be available publicly or what it will cost when it's released.</p><p style=""><em>Do you like the idea of playing EA games like Battlefield, Mass Effect, or Need for Speed in virtual reality? Let us know in the comments below!</em></p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 06 May 2014 15:02:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/don-t-expect-battlefield-or-mass-effect-in-virtual-reality-anytime-soon/1100-6419469/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/more-titanfall-experiences-on-the-way-courtesy-of-ea/1100-6419467/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2524806-titanfall%601.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2524806" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2524806-titanfall%601.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2524806"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2524806-titanfall%601.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">During a conference call with investors this afternoon, Electronic Arts announced <a href="/titanfall/" data-ref-id="false">Titanfall</a> sales figures and revealed it has extended its deal with Respawn Entertainment to continue publishing future games in the series.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We're also excited to announce that EA is continuing its partnership with Vince Zampella and the Respawn Entertainment team," EA announced today. "Through a new publishing agreement, we'll be working with Respawn to bring new Titanfall experiences to players worldwide."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">No further details were shared regarding future plans for Titanfall, including whether it will continue to be an Xbox exclusive on consoles.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">While it shouldn't come as a surprise that the Titanfall franchise will see more games released, EA's deal with Respawn didn't guarantee that it would continue on as the series' publisher in the future. It was reported in March that EA had <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-ea-secures-rights-to-titanfall-2/1100-6418404/" data-ref-id="1100-6418404">secured the rights to publish Titanfall 2</a> as part of a deal that was contingent upon strong sales of the first game.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">As for sales numbers, EA COO Peter Moore announced that NPD figures show Titanfall sold 925,000 units at retail through the end of March. NPD figures only account for physical sales in the United States, so that doesn't represent worldwide sales figures, nor does it include any sales of the digital version. The Xbox 360 version didn't release until April 8, so its sales were also not included, but Moore described it as being "off to a great start as well".</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSmokingManX" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 06 May 2014 14:48:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/more-titanfall-experiences-on-the-way-courtesy-of-ea/1100-6419467/
http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Wed, 07 May 2014 00:38:18 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/earthworm-jim-20th-anniversary-retrospective/1100-6419458/ <p style="">When Shiny Entertainment opened its doors in 1993, it struck a deal to develop games for Playmates Interactive Entertainment, which was the media division of a prominent toy manufacturer. Its first project was none other than <a href="/earthworm-jim-1996/" data-ref-id="false">Earthworm Jim</a>, a game that parodied popular character action games of the day using an original character designed by artist Doug TenNepal. Parody suited the team nicely, since a lot of the crew at Shiny had experience working with licensed characters, such as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, 7 Up's Cool Spot, Disney's Aladdin, and the Terminator, for the better part of their careers, and they were probably ready for a bit of development therapy. Without the borders of a preexisting franchise to limit their creativity, Shiny Entertainment's designers concocted a surreal game that was unlike any other platformer that had come before it, and Earthworm Jim grew into a full-blown entertainment property that produced action figures and an animated TV series.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Sadly, Jim's time in the spotlight was brief, ending roughly six years after his arrival. There was <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/earthworm-jim-hands-on/1100-6155723/" data-ref-id="1100-6155723">talk</a> of a new Sony PSP game back in 2006, which GameSpot editor Brian Ekberg had the chance to play, but it was mysteriously shuttered a few years later. The last time we saw Jim was in the <a href="/earthworm-jim-hd/" data-ref-id="false">Earthworm Jim HD</a> remake on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, but for some of us, it has been far too long since we've had a proper new Earthworm Jim game. Still, we'll always have our memories of the original to look back on. With Earthworm Jim's 20th anniversary coming up later this year, here's what a few of us remember about our favorite super-suit-wearing invertebrate.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EolW7ZxAOJ8" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FEolW7ZxAOJ8%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DEolW7ZxAOJ8&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FEolW7ZxAOJ8%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><h3 dir="ltr">Maxwell McGee</h3><p dir="ltr" style="">Earthworm Jim and I were close friends growing up. I can remember my younger self, sitting on the lap of a jolly old mall Santa, asking for an Earthworm Jim toy for Christmas. Jolly old mall Santa stared back at me like I had earthworms hanging out of my ears. Clearly, he had no idea what I was talking about, but Santa was able to save face by reassuring me that one of his elves surely knew what I was talking about. Apparently he did, because on Christmas morning, I got that Earthworm Jim toy--and I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that my mother was with me during my chat with Santa.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2524998-jimcave.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2524998" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2524998-jimcave.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2524998"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/1406/14063904/2524998-jimcave.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">The '90s were full of outrageous characters--from Sonic the Hedgehog to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles--all vying to pollute kids' minds with their totally bodacious attitudes, man. Few, however, could compete with the sheer absurdity of Earthworm Jim. He was a talking earthworm wearing a special muscle suit. His catchphrase was "Groovy!" His nemesis was Queen Slug-for-a-Butt. Every part of his character and his world oozed with excess and sheer ridiculousness--and I ate it up.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">While I loved Earthworm Jim the character, I was horrible at his games. To this day, I still have not finished either Earthworm Jim or Earthworm Jim 2, but I vividly remember my time with both. The stage Jim's Now a Blind Cave Salamander! stands out in my mind as being especially bizarre. True to its name, the stage finds Jim dressed as a blind salamander swimming his way through the intestinal tract of some unknown creature. Pinball bounce pads and tiny sheep bar your path, as does the lining of the intestinal wall, which damages Jim on contact. And did I forget to mention that a low-fi version of Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" is playing in the background? Once you finish your gastrointestinal journey, you're unceremoniously dropped into a game show and forced to answer questions you couldn't possibly know the answers to. Do you know Jim's favorite fighting game? PROTIP: It's Samurai Slowdown.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Zorine Te</h3><p dir="ltr" style="">It was the junkyard dog that scared me the most. It was loud and erratic, and its presence in the first level of Earthworm Jim struck a fear into me. Much like the rest of the game, the beast possessed a unique look and sound that would not be easily forgotten.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">My first encounter with Earthworm Jim was in the form of a demo. As I child, I did not understand that a full game existed outside of the level New Junk City. Regardless, the garbage-themed design entranced me with its unusual enemies and quirky humor, and it quickly became the playground I conquered again and again.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">When my father gifted me with the full version of Earthworm Jim, I was blown away. An entire universe of varied worlds suddenly became available, each whackier than the last. As the levels progressed, so did the difficulty I faced in finishing them. Visiting friends would take turns with me to attempt to clear levels.</p><blockquote data-size="medium" data-align="center"><p dir="ltr" style="">...I was blown away. An entire universe of varied worlds suddenly became available, each whackier than the last.</p></blockquote><p dir="ltr" style="">Of these attempts, one in particular remains vivid in my mind. It involved a particular cousin who always butted heads with me. As children, we often fought about trivial matters or wrestled over toys. Then Earthworm Jim appeared, and suddenly our differences were no longer relevant. He and I worked together in peace to clear the game.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">It was on the level What The Heck that it happened. The level had stumped me for days, as I became stuck at a seemingly dead end marked with a large, slowly spinning gem. Back then, such dead ends were a source of endless frustration to me. After all, it was the time before GameFAQs, before the Internet provided the solution to all the mysteries of the gaming world.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">My cousin, whether by a stroke of brilliance or sheer luck, suddenly solved the puzzle by running on the gem and turning it into a floating platform that would carry Earthworm Jim to the next part of the level. I was so ecstatic, I cheered loudly and almost hugged him (I did not).</p><p dir="ltr" style="">That victory brought an ongoing truce between the two of us, and I'll never forget Earthworm Jim for that. Thanks, Jim, for forging peace between a duo of fighting children.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Peter Brown</h3><p dir="ltr" style="">I first set eyes on Earthworm Jim when I was in the fourth grade, and it couldn't have come at a better time. By that point, I had spent the better part of a year playing Road Rash II and ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron on the Sega Genesis, both of which I loved, but I was ready for something different. Now, no reasonable person would argue that Panic on Funkotron wasn't an unusual game, but its strangeness paled in comparison to Earthworm Jim's surreal sci-fi tale.</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2524982-professormonkeycrop.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2524982" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1406/14063904/2524982-professormonkeycrop.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2524982"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/1406/14063904/2524982-professormonkeycrop.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">After all, you play as an everyday worm who happens upon a super suit that grants him vertebrate-like posture and movement, and during your journey, you fight unreal enemies like Professor Monkey-for-a-Head and Queen Slug-for-a-Butt. There's even a boss enemy that rides a zip-line while projectile-vomiting rotten fish. Need I say more? At the time, I was also in the throes of a crippling Nickelodeon cartoon addiction, particularly <em>The Ren & Stimpy Show</em>. John Kricfalusi's twisted world view was both confusing and amazing to 9-year-old me, and Earthworm Jim bore those same qualities, which made it an easy sell.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Of course, it was more than just Earthworm Jim's odd art direction that drew me in. The character animations were exceptionally smooth, and while most levels stuck to the side-scrolling, run-and-gun design, there were a few that deviated in new and interesting directions. Bonus levels put Jim on a rocket flying into Z-space, and another hooked him and a boss up to bungee cords where they battled while bouncing up and down. Earthworm Jim is a series that I will always remember for its concentrated, unbridled creativity, and it's a shame that the series has been dormant for the better part of 15 years.</p><p style=""> </p> Tue, 06 May 2014 18:50:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/earthworm-jim-20th-anniversary-retrospective/1100-6419458/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/sportsfriends-ruins-friendships-the-lobby/2300-6418680/ Danny, Chris, Mary and John go 2 on 2 in a battle royale to find out who in fact has the stronger friendship. Tue, 06 May 2014 17:41:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/sportsfriends-ruins-friendships-the-lobby/2300-6418680/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/first-look-at-ultra-street-fighter-iv-with-combofi/2300-6418684/ Combofiend stops by to show off the new characters in Ultra Street Fighter 4 including Decapre, Elena, Hugo, Poison and Rolento and then mercilessly stomps anyone who challenges him to a fight. Tue, 06 May 2014 17:28:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/first-look-at-ultra-street-fighter-iv-with-combofi/2300-6418684/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-update-activision-investing-500-million-fo/2300-6418677/ With a proposed budget that dwarfs Grand Theft Auto V according to analysts, Activision hopes Destiny will become their third billion-dollar franchise. Tue, 06 May 2014 17:20:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-update-activision-investing-500-million-fo/2300-6418677/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/modifying-the-world-in-double-fine-s-hack-n-slash-/2300-6418681/ Developer Brandon Dillon plays through the beginning of Hack 'n' Slash and goes over the basic ways to make code and crash the world around him. Tue, 06 May 2014 17:01:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/modifying-the-world-in-double-fine-s-hack-n-slash-/2300-6418681/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/weird-fmv-game-nostalgia-with-double-switch-the-lo/2300-6418679/ John Carnage from Twitch explains why Double Switch is the best game on Sega CD to celebrate GameSpot's Game History Month. Tue, 06 May 2014 16:54:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/weird-fmv-game-nostalgia-with-double-switch-the-lo/2300-6418679/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/sportsfriends-makes-sportsenemies-out-of-the-games/2300-6418678/ Chris, Maxwell, Mary, and Shaun test their friendship with the Sportsfriends catalog of games including: Super Pole Riders, Hokra, and Barabariball. Tue, 06 May 2014 16:46:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/sportsfriends-makes-sportsenemies-out-of-the-games/2300-6418678/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-everything-we-know-so-far/1100-6419460/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418638" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418638/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">The latest entry in Activision's blockbuster Call of Duty series, <a href="/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare/" data-ref-id="false">Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare</a>, was announced last week. Now that the dust has settled (for now at least), we've rounded up everything we know about the game ahead of its release across consoles and PC on November 4.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Developers and platforms:</h3><ul><li dir="ltr">Sledgehammer Games -- (Xbox One, PS4, PC)</li><li dir="ltr">Studio to be named later -- (Xbox 360, PS3)</li><li dir="ltr">There's no word on Wii U or other Nintendo platforms.</li></ul><h3 dir="ltr"><strong>Release Date:</strong></h3><p dir="ltr" style="">November 4</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2522997-10259130_700329616695432_3653449287122842329_o.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2522997" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2522997-10259130_700329616695432_3653449287122842329_o.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2522997"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/536/5360430/2522997-10259130_700329616695432_3653449287122842329_o.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><h3 dir="ltr"><strong>Commentary:</strong></h3><p dir="ltr" style="">Sledgehammer Games previously described Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare as "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-2014-is-ambitious-and-creative-sledgehammer-says/1100-6418444/" data-ref-id="1100-6418444">ambitious</a>" and "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-2014-is-ambitious-and-creative-sledgehammer-says/1100-6418444/" data-ref-id="1100-6418444">creative</a>," while Activision says it is "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/2014-s-call-of-duty-described-as-the-best-ever-created/1100-6417578/" data-ref-id="1100-6417578">perhaps the best Call of Duty game ever made</a>."</p><h3 dir="ltr"><strong>Franchise Firsts:</strong></h3><p style="">Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is the first entry in the series developed on the franchise's new <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/2014-s-call-of-duty-described-as-the-best-ever-created/1100-6417578/" data-ref-id="1100-6417578">three-year production cycle</a>. The extra development time has allowed Sledgehammer Games to make a game with an "array of technical advancements" that add up to a "near photorealistic world unlike any Call of Duty before," according to Activision. It's also the first time Sledgehammer Games, which co-developed 2011's <a href="/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-3/" data-ref-id="false">Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3</a> with Infinity Ward, is leading development on a Call of Duty title</p><h3>Story:</h3><p style=""><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/two-studios-making-this-year-s-call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-activision-promises-near-photorealistic-world/1100-6419400/" data-ref-id="1100-6419400">Here's how Activision sets up the story</a> for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare:</p><p style=""><em>"Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare jolts players forward in a groundbreaking experience that's ripped-from-the-headlines-of-tomorrow, envisioning a future where both technology and tactics have evolved to usher in a new era of combat for the franchise. Set in the year 2054, a private military corporation (PMC) has emerged with the power to rescue humanity from a devastated world struggling to rebuild after a global attack on its military and infrastructure. You are the advanced soldier. Empowered with new, cutting-edge exoskeleton abilities, technological advancements, and high-tech gear, players join the ranks of a highly-trained, specialized unit committed to restoring order in a state of advanced warfare.</em>"</p><h3>Video Coverage:</h3><p style=""> </p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418614" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418614/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418631" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418631/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><h3 dir="ltr"><strong>Game Details*: </strong></h3><ul><li dir="ltr">All DLC will come to Xbox first.</li><li dir="ltr">Academy Award winning actor Kevin Spacey (<em>American Beauty</em>, <em>21</em>) plays Jonathon Irons, the CEO of a Private Military Company called Atlas Corporation. He says he was "very excited" about joining the game when he was originally approached.</li><li dir="ltr">The game runs on a new and unspecified game engine.</li><li dir="ltr">The story opens with a catastrophic event that Sledgehammer Games cofounder Michael Condrey describes as "like a global 9/11." There's little more to go on, but major cities on multiple continents are affected by some kind of terrorism perpetrated by a terrorist organization called KVA.</li><li dir="ltr">It is set in 2054.</li><li dir="ltr">You play a character named Private Mitchell, who is voiced by prolific voice actor Troy Baker. You may know Baker for his recent roles in <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/the-last-of-us/" data-ref-id="false">The Last of Us</a> (Joel), <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/bioshock-infinite/" data-ref-id="false">BioShock Infinite </a>(Booker), and <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/batman-arkham-origins/" data-ref-id="false">Batman: Arkham Origins</a> (The Joker). Mitchell only speaks during cutscenes; never during gameplay.</li><li dir="ltr">Mitchell starts Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare as a Marine, who is squadmates with Will Irons, the son of Private Military Company Atlas Corporation CEO Jonathan Irons. After their tour of duty is done, Jonathon Irons asks Mitchell if he wants to leave the Marines to join his company. Mitchell says yes and is outfitted with an "EXO" suit for his new job.</li><li dir="ltr">Unlike past Call of Duty games, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare has only one protagonist.</li><li dir="ltr">You'll earn points every mission that can be used to upgrade your EXO suit. Using the EXO suit, you can climb walls with magnetic gloves, boost-dodge toward cover, perform super-jumps that let you get to higher ground, use optic camouflage for cloaking, and hover in mid-air.</li><li dir="ltr">Your arsenal includes "variable grenades," which can be switched from concussion to threat detection while they cook. The threat detection grenade reveals enemy locations and makes this information available via an augmented reality system visible in your visor.</li><li dir="ltr">Some of your guns are energy-based, and do not use traditional ammunition.</li><li dir="ltr">There is a rideable vehicle called a Pitbull, which is based on the real world Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle.</li><li dir="ltr">There's no official word on Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare multiplayer yet, but Condrey teases, "You can probably imagine the possibilities of a lot of the stuff you saw in single-player and how it would apply online." Activision also says it is "absolutely committed" to supporting eSports.</li><li dir="ltr">Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare will have some kind of co-op mode.</li><li dir="ltr">Veteran Metal Gear Solid composer Harry Gregson-Williams is working on the game's soundtrack. Audio director Don Veca says, "I think Advanced Warfare is going to be the best-sounding and certainly the best-mixed game ever."</li><li dir="ltr">In an effort to create a believable world, Activision consulted with "experts from production design in movies to experts in the military to scientists and futurists," according to Sledgehammer cofounder Glen Schofield.</li></ul><p style="">*<em>This information is based on details provided by Activision in press releases and through a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/tons-of-call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-details-emerge/1100-6419415/" data-ref-id="1100-6419415">12-page Game Informer magazine feature</a>.<br /></em></p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 06 May 2014 16:36:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-everything-we-know-so-far/1100-6419460/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/need-for-speed-skips-2014-first-year-without-one-in-over-a-decade/1100-6419472/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2524913-needforspeedrivals.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2524913" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2524913-needforspeedrivals.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2524913"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2524913-needforspeedrivals.jpg"></a><figcaption>Last year's Need for Speed Rivals</figcaption></figure><p style="">When you think of franchises released annually, you might only think of games like <a href="/madden-nfl-15/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/madden-nfl-15/">Madden</a> and <a href="/call-of-duty-ghosts/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/call-of-duty-ghosts/">Call of Duty</a>, but a new Need for Speed has come out each and every year for even longer than Call of Duty has existed. Now, for the first time since 2001, Need for Speed will skip a year as developer Ghost Games takes its time in creating the newest entry in the series.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">As part of EA's <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-claims-it-s-top-next-gen-game-publisher-in-the-west-as-profits-increase/1100-6419466/" data-ref-id="1100-6419466" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-claims-it-s-top-next-gen-game-publisher-in-the-west-as-profits-increase/1100-6419466/">report to investors</a> today, the company revealed Need for Speed developer Ghost Games is being given time for an "extended development window" to work on the next game in the series, which will not be released until next year.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Expanding on that, Ghost Games GM Marcus Nilsson shared a statement on Need for Speed's <a href="http://www.needforspeed.com/news/future-need-speed-0" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="http://www.needforspeed.com/news/future-need-speed-0">website</a> pledging to deliver the game fans want. "We are already deep in development on our next game and want to make this promise to you: we will listen to you. We're going to give you the game you've been asking for. It will be the game you deserve, but to do that will take us some time," he said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Nilsson talked up the new game coming in 2015, describing it as "highly innovative" and an "experience built on a foundation we know you'll greatly look forward to."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Just because the game won't be out until next year doesn't mean Ghost plans to go silent. "From now on, you'll be hearing from us regularly because we need your help to shape the future of Need for Speed," Nilsson explained. "We want your input on future gameplay and features we know you're passionate about. We will keep innovating, always making sure to continue the celebration of cars and the joy they bring."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Need for Speed's streak of annual releases extends back to the '90s if you count the spinoff games. In 2001, EA released MMO racing game <a href="/motor-city-online/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/motor-city-online/">Motor City Online</a> (which was at one time a Need for Speed game) in lieu of an official Need for Speed title. A year later, it released <a href="/need-for-speed-hot-pursuit-2/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/need-for-speed-hot-pursuit-2/">Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2</a>, kicking off a trend of releasing a proper Need for Speed game annually up through last year, when it released <a href="/need-for-speed-rivals/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/need-for-speed-rivals/">Need for Speed Rivals</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true" class="mceItemTable"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSmokingManX" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/TheSmokingManX">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table><p style=""><br /></p> Tue, 06 May 2014 16:20:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/need-for-speed-skips-2014-first-year-without-one-in-over-a-decade/1100-6419472/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-xbox-one-s-diverse-lineup-touted-destiny-c/2300-6418676/ Find out how many copies of Destiny Activision need to sell, what Microsoft are planning for E3, and which game was pulled from Steam Early Access! Tue, 06 May 2014 16:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-xbox-one-s-diverse-lineup-touted-destiny-c/2300-6418676/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-star-wars-battlefront-will-be-shown-at-e3/1100-6419470/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6409630" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6409630/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">The new <a href="/star-wars-battlefront/" data-ref-id="false">Star Wars Battlefront</a> game in development at DICE is far from complete, but it will be making an appearance at this year's E3.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">During today's EA investors conference call, CEO Andrew Wilson responded to a question about the Star Wars games it has in development. The new Battlefront was the only one he discussed, saying it is coming along "very, very well," but there remains "lots and lots of work to go."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">That said, Battlefront will be among the games EA shows off at E3 in June, according to Wilson. Whether it will be playable or simply seen in video form was not revealed.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">EA signed a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-and-disney-team-up-for-star-wars-games/1100-6407982/" data-ref-id="1100-6407982">deal with Disney</a> last year to create new "core" Star Wars games. <a href="/dead-space/" data-ref-id="false">Dead Space</a> developer Visceral is currently at work on a new Star Wars game (reportedly an <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-developing-open-world-star-wars-game/1100-6416442/" data-ref-id="1100-6416442">open-world game</a>) being written by former <a href="/uncharted-4/" data-ref-id="false">Uncharted</a> writer <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/uncharted-actor-to-co-write-new-star-wars-game-for-ea/1100-6418938/" data-ref-id="1100-6418938">Amy Hennig</a>. Meanwhile, <a href="/battlefield-4/" data-ref-id="false">Battlefield</a> developer DICE has been tasked with developing Battlefront.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">DICE executive producer Patrick Bach admitted last year that the prospect of making the game was "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/dice-says-creating-star-wars-battlefront-is-scary/1100-6415603/" data-ref-id="1100-6415603">scary</a>." The original <a href="/star-wars-battlefront/" data-ref-id="false">Battlefront</a> and <a href="/star-wars-battlefront-ii/" data-ref-id="false">Battlefront II</a> were developed by now-defunct studio Pandemic and were released in 2004 and 2005, respectively.</p><p style="">EA's E3 press conference is <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-dates-its-e3-2014-press-conference-for-june-9/1100-6418911/" data-ref-id="1100-6418911">scheduled for Monday, June 9</a>, though whether the game will be seen here or during one of the console manufacturers' conferences is unknown. We recently learned all future Star Wars releases--including games--<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/lucasfilm-confirms-all-future-star-wars-content-to-be-canon-including-the-games/1100-6419225/" data-ref-id="1100-6419225">will be canonical</a>, meaning Battlefront's story will be a part of the official Star Wars canon, rather than being relegated to the Expanded Universe.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSmokingManX" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 06 May 2014 15:28:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-star-wars-battlefront-will-be-shown-at-e3/1100-6419470/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/infinite-crisis-developer-commentary-sinestro-firs/2300-6418671/ In this developer commentary, learn more about Sinestro, the latest champion to be revealed for Infinite Crisis. Tue, 06 May 2014 15:18:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/infinite-crisis-developer-commentary-sinestro-firs/2300-6418671/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-update-destiny-public-beta-starts-in-july/2300-6418673/ Activision Blizzard revealed today that you'll be able to get in on the shooter from Halo-developer Bungie later this summer. Tue, 06 May 2014 15:05:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-update-destiny-public-beta-starts-in-july/2300-6418673/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/don-t-expect-battlefield-or-mass-effect-in-virtual-reality-anytime-soon/1100-6419469/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1197/11970954/2457817-battlefield+4+naval+strike+-+heli_wm.png" data-ref-id="1300-2457817" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1197/11970954/2457817-battlefield+4+naval+strike+-+heli_wm.png" data-ref-id="1300-2457817"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1197/11970954/2457817-battlefield+4+naval+strike+-+heli_wm.png"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Could we one day see Battlefield, Mass Effect, or Need for Speed in virtual reality? Perhaps, but don't expect that to happen anytime soon, Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson said today.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">During a post-earnings financial call today, Wilson said EA is "eager to see how [Oculus Rift] evolves," but made clear that virtual reality technology needs to sell a healthy number of units before EA gets on board.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Oculus VR has done an amazing job in the realm of virtual reality. We're eager to see how the headset evolves over the coming years," Wilson said. "For us, we're always cognizant of immersive technologies and new opportunities. And with every new technology, it's important for us to be sure that there will be an attractive install base before investing heavily. But [Oculus VR is] certainly making strong progress."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Wilson went on to say that EA is currently monitoring the entire virtual reality marketplace--Oculus Rift and presumably <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-s-project-morpheus-vr-device-won-t-launch-in-2014-1000-price-point-unlikely/1100-6418418/" data-ref-id="1100-6418418">Sony's Project Morpheus</a>--so that if and when virtual reality becomes a "high-demand" activity, EA can be ready to support it in its games.</p><p style="">Social networking giant Facebook acquired Oculus VR, maker of Oculus Rift, earlier this year in a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/facebook-buys-oculus-rift-company-in-a-massive-deal-worth-an-estimated-2-billion/1100-6418540/" data-ref-id="1100-6418540">surprise deal worth an estimated $2 billion</a>. There's no word yet on when the Oculus Rift headset will be available publicly or what it will cost when it's released.</p><p style=""><em>Do you like the idea of playing EA games like Battlefield, Mass Effect, or Need for Speed in virtual reality? Let us know in the comments below!</em></p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 06 May 2014 15:02:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/don-t-expect-battlefield-or-mass-effect-in-virtual-reality-anytime-soon/1100-6419469/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/more-titanfall-experiences-on-the-way-courtesy-of-ea/1100-6419467/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2524806-titanfall%601.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2524806" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2524806-titanfall%601.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2524806"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2524806-titanfall%601.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">During a conference call with investors this afternoon, Electronic Arts announced <a href="/titanfall/" data-ref-id="false">Titanfall</a> sales figures and revealed it has extended its deal with Respawn Entertainment to continue publishing future games in the series.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We're also excited to announce that EA is continuing its partnership with Vince Zampella and the Respawn Entertainment team," EA announced today. "Through a new publishing agreement, we'll be working with Respawn to bring new Titanfall experiences to players worldwide."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">No further details were shared regarding future plans for Titanfall, including whether it will continue to be an Xbox exclusive on consoles.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">While it shouldn't come as a surprise that the Titanfall franchise will see more games released, EA's deal with Respawn didn't guarantee that it would continue on as the series' publisher in the future. It was reported in March that EA had <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-ea-secures-rights-to-titanfall-2/1100-6418404/" data-ref-id="1100-6418404">secured the rights to publish Titanfall 2</a> as part of a deal that was contingent upon strong sales of the first game.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">As for sales numbers, EA COO Peter Moore announced that NPD figures show Titanfall sold 925,000 units at retail through the end of March. NPD figures only account for physical sales in the United States, so that doesn't represent worldwide sales figures, nor does it include any sales of the digital version. The Xbox 360 version didn't release until April 8, so its sales were also not included, but Moore described it as being "off to a great start as well".</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSmokingManX" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Tue, 06 May 2014 14:48:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/more-titanfall-experiences-on-the-way-courtesy-of-ea/1100-6419467/
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