Xbox One is almost here, and as we count down the final days before the console hits store shelves, Microsoft have given us a look at how the new iteration of Xbox Live will operate. Speaking to developers and producers from games like Killer Instinct, Ryse and Dead Rising 3, Microsoft have recorded a video that shows how various games will use the features like Smart Glass, cloud processing and online play.
You can check out the video below, and let us know in the comments whether or not you will be picking up the new console. As always, stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the Xbox One news as it becomes available.
NEARLY HALF OF AMERICANS OLDER THAN 50 PLAY VIDEO GAMES Study shows card, tile, and puzzle games are a popular entertainment option
Washington, DC – November 18, 2013 – Forty-eight percent of adults age 50 and older say they play video games, according to new research released today by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). The report, “Gamers Over 50 Study: You’re Never Too Old to Play,” found that 80 percent of these gamers play video games on a weekly basis and 45 percent play on a daily basis.
“Video games are enjoyed by millions of consumers of all ages. The popularity of video games is expected given the innovation and sheer entertainment this industry offers,” said Michael D. Gallagher, president and CEO of ESA, the trade association representing U.S. computer and video game publishers. “Across all game platforms and genres, Americans age 50 and over are exercising their minds and bodies, connecting with family members, and having fun with video games.”
Additional report findings on gamers older than 50 include:
They prefer games that mimic traditional forms of play. Card/tile games (56 percent) and puzzle/logic games (52 percent) are the preferred genre among this group, followed by trivia, word, and board games (27 percent);
A majority (92 percent) play at home, and most game play is done during the evening hours (55 percent); and,
Among those with children living in their household, 63 percent say their children influence which games they buy, and 62 percent say their children help them learn about new games or game technology.
“These are extremely exciting results and really highlight that people of all ages play video games,” said Jason Allaire, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at North Carolina State University and co-director of the Gains Through Gaming Lab. “There is no longer a ‘stereotype game player,’ but instead a game player could be your grandparent, your boss, or even your professor. I suspect that the percentage of older adults playing video games will rise as Baby Boomers enter retirement, increasing the focus on positive effects of playing games.”
The NPD Group conducted the survey for ESA among a U.S. representative sample of approximately 1,800 gamers age 50 and older. Survey respondents said they play video games on at least one system or device, such as a smartphone, video game console, portable game console, computer, or other game system.
ESA offers services to interactive entertainment software publishers, including conducting business and consumer research, providing legal and policy analysis and advocacy on First Amendment, intellectual property and technology/e-commerce issues, managing a global anti-piracy program, owning and operating E3, and representing video game industry interests in federal and state government relations. For more information, please visit www.theESA.com or follow us on Twitter: @RichatESA
Dementium II HD is well on its way to release since Digital Tribe Games has already has it available for preorder on Steam, but in the intervening time they have continued to put out the Behind the Scenes videos about the HD remake. The subject this time? The sounds and music of Dementium II HD and how they have been remastered.
With a lot of interesting information about the amount of sound that had to be recreated and how it was done the video does offer some unique insight. The end of the video of course though puts it in a much more fantastical light, showing the monsters from the game actually in a recording booth wanting to re-record their lines.
Those wanting to see how the audio has been redone for Dementium II HD can watch the Behind the Scenes Episode 3 embedded below. Dementium II HD is set to release December 17, 2013 for PC and January 2014 for Mac.
Anyone who has been dying to try out the upcoming free-to-play hack slash/ tower defense game, The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot now have a chance to sate their curiosity. Mighty Quest is coming to Steam’s Early Access program to allow players to join in on the closed beta via the Double O program, or (Original Opulencian).
This means that those that take part will receive not only beta access to the game, but bonuses like exclusive gear and special items to use, plus additional early access to new bosses and heroes. Ubisoft is looking forward to the feedback that they will be able to get through the Early Access and hoping to be able to improve it with that feedback.
Those wanting to check out what The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot has to offer can find its Early Access on Steam. Otherwise players can wait it out until the full free-to-play PC release.
Dying Light the next undead game coming from Techland, the makers of Dead Island, have put out a new trailer with Warner Bros. focusing less on the “dying” half of the name, and more on the “light” half. Since Dying Light is using Techland’s own in-house engine Chrome Engine 6, they’ve taken the effort to prepare for the next-gen power available to make realistic light and shadow.
While this might not be as spectacular to see in the daylight, as that bright burning sphere we know as the sun is providing plenty of light, the night may be even more impressive. The trailer also shows off a new location in Dying Light that has previously gone unseen, Old Town.
Those wanting to see what kind of tech Techland is packing into Dying Light can check out the Lighting Trailer embedded below. Those wanting to find out more can check out our interview with producer Tymon Smektala. Dying Light is currently set to release in 2014 for Xbox 360, PS3, Xbox One, PS4, and PC.
Sons of Abraham unleashes a new aspect to the Crusader Kings II world – religion. It celebrates the three Abrahamic religions: Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. The expansion includes hundreds of new religious events based on the Bible, Torah, and Qur’an. Play Papal politics, restore the High Priesthood of Israel, and more!
Sons of Abraham is available for download for $9.99. Be sure to check out the launch trailer from Paradox in the video player below this article. You can also check out their official website here.
Wrack is an arcade FPS inspired by classic titles like Doom, Quake, and Duke Nukem with a modern cel shaded twist. The game is currently in beta testing and is available for Early Access on Steam. Players will fight for the top score on the leaderboards by chaining kills and moving through levels as quickly as possible in this fast and furious FPS.
Currently, Final Boss Entertainment is polishing Wrack and adding content to the game. There are three gameplay modes and six levels currently, with more content being added. Story mode will follow the levels in chronological order while Time Attack and Score Attack modes will have players play through one level for either the fastest time possible or the highest final score.
Wrack stars Kain Sagar, the last warrior left on Earth. The Hyperion Generator brought world peace after it eliminated hunger and inequality among humans thanks to its incredible ability to create things out of pure energy. Soldiers were no longer needed, leaving Kain preparing for a war that people insisted would never come. Now aliens called the Arcturans have invaded Earth to steal the generator and Kain is the only person capable of stopping them. The plot follows the classic one man army formula found in many old school first person shooters. The writing is so corny it is funny. Duke Nukem would be proud.
Gamers who have been introduced to first person shooters by Modern Warfare will be in for a shocking change of pace in Wrack. The game is a throwback to the old days of shooters where healing meant jumping on the nearby health pack and a magazine was just a periodical. There is no sprint button and no stamina to manage, just fast and furious action. Wrack does a great job bringing back the old school style of gameplay. The game is primed for speed, as I noticed the player does move significantly faster than the average FPS. The speed is a little disorienting at first, but it stops just short of being completely out of control. I had a hard time stopping on a dime in Wrack. I found Kain would propel a step or two forward before coming to a complete stop, which cause a few stomach turning moments during jumping puzzles.
Currently, Wrack has five weapons. Kain will always start with his sword, a hard hitting melee weapon that will need a little bit of timing to master. I found it became an effective weapon once I mastered rushing the enemy and timing my movement to back away just after the sword struck. The pistol feels a little strange as it is meant to be a weak but long ranged weapon. It goes against everything FPS players have been taught through years of playing, but Wrack’s pistol is deadly accurate and is great for thinning out the hordes before closing in with a more powerful weapon. The shotgun is definitely the best weapon in the game at the moment. The ammunition is plentiful, the damage is excellent even at long ranges, and it works well for Wrack’s fast pace gameplay. The Pulsar rifle is a wonderful twist on the assault rifle. Instead of firing straight, the Pulsar actually fires slower moving energy balls in an arc, much like a grenade launcher. The final weapon in the game is the Bazooka. It is deadly accurate, but the splash damage range to the player makes it incredibly risky to use even in medium ranges. Rocket jumps are possible, but the player will need to be topped up with high health and armour to even survive the jump. Out of all the weapons, it feels the most out of place as it behaves more like a bazooka found in a modern combat FPS than an old school rocket launcher.
The level design in Wrack are very straight forward and are designed with speed runs in mind. The player will need to fight their way to red buttons on the wall to open up a blocked area earlier in the map, then fight their way back to the new area. The par time for each level is roughly ten to fifteen minutes each. There are several jumping puzzles scattered around the maps that are considered secret areas and will provide bonuses. Some of the puzzles are downright devious, though I will be the first to admit I am embarrassingly bad at jumping puzzles.
There is a decent variety of enemies in Wrack. The Contra style boss fights are probably one of the best things in the game as each boss has an attack pattern that can be dodged. I feel the boss fights are too short to be satisfying at this point. A generous boost in their hit points is in order. The Arcuturan aliens come in a variety of size and armours. The armour designates what weapon the alien carries and the larger aliens have much higher health. I found it is hard to tell what size the aliens are without another sized alien for context, which often ended in a rocket being wasted in a situation that could have been dealt with a pistol. I would like to see something more obvious to distinguish the high and low health aliens.
The AI could use a bit of a tune up at this point. Enemies have a hard time detecting Kain when he is standing below them. Also, the red rail gun aliens have an uncanny ability to lock onto and shoot Kain, which makes dodging them impossible at this point. Hopefully, these will be ironed out in coming patches.
Wrack’s cel shaded graphics are looking fantastic. Final Boss Entertainment has created a great looking comic book style that suits the game’s feel. Even in beta, the game runs extremely well on my rig. Visually, the game seems almost complete. The only things that are missing are some cut scenes and the animations for one boss and the red armoured aliens.
The sound effects in Wrack are good, but the game really struggles with a lack of music variety. Each level replays the same song ad nauseum. The music thankfully changes between levels, but I found it painful to listen to the same song looped non-stop for fifteen minutes at a time.
Wrack is definitely a classic FPS cloaked in modern graphics. The game is fast and intense. There are definitely some balance issues that need to be ironed out in the beta, including the music and weapon balancing. However, all of these weak spots can definitely be dealt with while the game is in beta. Wrack is shaping up to be the antidote for anyone sick and tired of modern combat shooters.
Today Square Enix has announced the final release date for Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster in North America and Europe. The game will be hitting stores one month after the release of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, meaning it will be available on March 18, 2014 for the PlayStation 3. Currently no release details have been given for the Vita version of the game.
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster will cost $39.99 and anyone who pre-orders will be automatically upgraded to the limited edition which features a special box art and a concept art book. To go along with this announcement a new trailer for the game was released and you can check it out below.
Now that Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 2: Sisters Generation has a release date in Japan, Compile Heart has released the first trailer for the game which also helps introduce gamers to the four new playable characters in the game, the Oracles.
Fans of Neptunia Mk2, localized by NIS America, are already familiar with the Oracles, but they are the Oracle of Lastation Kei Jinguji, Oracle of Leanbox Chika Hakozaki, Oracle of Lowee Mina Nishizawa, and Oracle Histoire. The Oracles usually serve as assistants for the CPUs but they will now be joining the CPU candidates in battle as they fight to rescue their older sisters and friends.
Last week it was revealed that a new character will be added to the arcade version of Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate, at the time her name was roughly translated and we only knew her appearance. Now a few more details have been revealed as well as some gameplay footage and screenshots.
Her name is Marie Rose and although she may appear to be a loli, she uses a Russian military style called “Systema” and she possesses a dark secret which has not yet been unveiled. She works as a maid, loves cakes, and watching scary movies. Her fighting style allows her to use a number of different movements because it features no set stance and she can use her small body to her advantage with tricky moves. Currently Tecmo Koei has not mentioned whether or not she will be released for the home version of the game.
Today 
