Oh yes, you’ve heard it right, folks. It all started on the 4th of October at a press conference where the boy band Union J revealed to the world that they will be changing their band name to Union XY specifically for the new Pokemon game release. Apparently the original idea stemmed from band member George Shelley who pitched it to the rest of the crew and, obviously, they loved it enough to go through with it.
The band must be big fans of the Pokemon for them to actually change their name because of it, they’ve also stated that they are incredibly excited to be a part of the launch of the game. You can see the Official Video of the Press Conference just below and don’t forget that Nintendo/Game Freak have set the release for Pokemon X and Y to be on the 12th of October which, at this point in time, is only two days away!
At the Xbox booth at EB Expo 2013, we got to sit down with Turn 10 Studios, the developer of the Forza Motorsport franchise to discuss the legendary racing game series and in particular the latest installment exclusive to the Xbox One, Forza Motorsport 5. We talk about what’s new with Forza 5 and what the Xbox One brings to the table for the series. Read on for our interview with Turn 10.
CC: Thanks for sitting down with us and showing us through the game. Lets jump right into things!
T10: Not a problem, fire away.
CC: One of the things you are highlighting today is the ‘Drivatar’ feature. Could you tell us a little bit about what this feature brings to the table for Forza Motorsport 5?
T10: Well ‘Drivatar’ is a new feature we have introduced that sends your player data into the cloud. This data is then used to emulate your play style for races against other players. Its essentially a clone of yourself that understands the way you think and the way you drive. The computer players will come from ‘drivatars’, it’s a really interesting feature.
CC: What sort of information does the ‘Drivatar’ cloud look for when researching you?
T10: You know the basics, how you take corners, how you react to certain situations, your braking points, your speed variants, what sort of driver you are really.
CC: And all of those details go straight to the cloud. How long does it take to record you before it knows your style well enough to create a ‘Drivatar’?
T10: It is pretty smart, only about three races and you have a ‘Drivatar’.
CC: Forza Motorsport has arguably become the best realistic racing experience on the gaming market. How much focus do you put into realism when developing a game like Forza Motorsport 5?
T10: It’s definitely one of our major focuses, for sure. With Forza Motorsport 5 we partnered with Calspan to bring our physics to the next level. None of what you see was really possible before. If you look at the graphics you’ll see that there is some slight differences to before. Back with Forza Motorsport 4, we would often be told that it looks too perfect. That’s when we realised we kinda fell into an uncanny valley of sorts for cars, it just didn’t look real per say, it looked artificial in a way. With Forza Motorsport 5 however we realise that perfection is found in imperfections, cars from afar often look perfect but up close you see the details and its minor imperfections. We focused on these details to make Forza Motorsport 5 the most realistic experience possible.
CC: In the preview you showed us the Bathurst track, Mount Panorama. This is an important one to us Aussies. Can you tell us a little about the track and what went into bringing it to Forza Motorsport 5?
T10: We put a lot of effort into this track, we even got Mark Skaife to give it his tick of approval. He knows that track like the back of his hand and he could walk us through every inch of it. It is really one we have wanted to do for a long time but couldn’t for a number of reasons, but with the Xbox One’s capabilities we can finally bring it to life.
CC: Would you say that this game could only be possible with the Xbox One?
T10: Oh absolutely! This level of realism and the physics behind the game were just not possible before. The Xbox One makes all of that a reality now.
CC: The AutoVista mode has returned in this game, but under the new name of ForzaVista. What’s new with ForzaVista?
T10: In the past with Forza 4 you could only use AutoVista on about twenty of the cars. Now with ForzaVista you can do it on all of them. This is unprecedented for us and it took a lot of effort to make it happen. We really wanted to speak to players and let them explore these cars and get to know them like never before.
CC: Awesome! Can you tell us a little bit more about the career mode of the game?
T10: Sure. While in past Forza games we put players on a bit of a predictable path. They started with slow cars on some slow paced tracks and they got stuck with cars they didn’t care for before they could get to do what they really wanted to do. We wanted to change that with Forza 5 and we have done that by giving the player the power of choice.
CC: What sort of choices are available to players with the career mode?
T10: Well you know, we came to the realisation that players don’t usually finish racing games, racing games finish them. It was something we needed to change and we realised that instead of making them play through the things they didn’t care about we would let them choose the types of cars they want to drive and the types of championships they want to compete in. We broke it down into eight leagues which are essentially different genres of cars. If there is a type of car you don’t like you don’t have to go that way, you can choose the cars you like in real life and play with them. It’s all about giving power to the players.
CC: That all sounds great. It does bring me to another question though, while this is a direct sequel to Forza Motorsport 4, is there any hints of Forza Horizon in Forza Motorsport 5? Did anything from that game make it over?
T10: We technically consider them to be separate entities from one another. You’ve got the Forza Motorsport series and the Forza Horizon series. While we mostly built upon the foundations laid in Forza Motorsport 4, we did take some nods from Forza Horizon too.
CC: One last question, what would you say is the defining feature of Forza Motorsport 5? What is the big take home message for this game?
T10: With Forza Motorsport 5, we are really all about putting players in the cars they want to drive. From there we let them earn credits in the modes they play, be it career or multiplayer. We want players to be rewarded for having fun their way. The big thing with Forza 5 is that we put players in the cars of their dreams and just let them just go for it.
CC: That’s what we all want from a racing game! Well thank you for taking the time to speak with us, we look forward to getting behind the wheel with Forza Motorsport 5.
T10: Thanks guys, our pleasure!
You can check out our hands-on preview for Forza Motorsport 5 here. Forza Motorsport 5 is an Xbox One launch title and is slated for release along side the console on November 22nd, 2013.
Special thanks to Xbox Australia for setting up this interview and to the guys from Turn 10 Studios for the opportunity.
If you’ve been a bit short on point and click adventures featuring cursed rings, kleptomaniacs and suicide, then Randal’s Monday is a game to fill that very particular void in your life. From Spanish developer Nexus Game Studios, “this point and geek” adventure looks to be packing a decent dose of comedy and personality, which is what you need to succeed in this genre more than anything else – see point and click zombie fest Metal Dead for proof.
Randal is the game’s thieving, misanthropic protagonist, who has a bit too much fun at his friends engagement party, ends up with his mates wallet in his pocket the morning after, and promptly sells the ring that he finds inside. Unfortunately the ring was rather important to it’s owner, who promptly kills himself over the loss of it.
As it turns out the ring is cursed, so Randal has to get into gear and do something to fix this unforeseen problem. This means entering a Groundhog Day like loop to try and save his friend, himself, and the universe! (of course).
There promises to be plenty of geek culture references scattered across the 40 environments, with over 5000 lines of dialogue to flesh out the repulsive mothers, retired priests, and talking skulls that make up some of the game’s many characters -there may also be zombies.
Make sure and check out the gameplay trailer below (it also doubles as a pop culture reference test, your brain may explode if you try and get them all).Randal’s Monday is still in development and will be released in mid 2014 on PC.
Bruno Mars fans refer to themselves as Hooligans (someone might want to explain the meaning to them) in homage to the artist’s début album, ‘Doo-Wops & Hooligans’, and as a result, the word is splashed across the top of each branded headset. Now, his drummer E-Panda’s has launched the limited edition E-Panda Hooligan headphones with Razer, which feature his signature black-and-white panda logo emblazoned on the earphone housings. In other Razer news;
Razer peripherals have been on the road with the Warped Tour throughout the U.S. this summer. Members of We Came as Romans have been rocking the latest and greatest of Razer gaming peripherals, fragging noobs between sets and stops. An avid Call of Duty player and fan of Razer for many years, Fallout Boy drummer Andy Hurley was one of the first to pre-order the Razer Edge gaming tablet. Andy and Razer are working together to make a fan’s dream come true this fall, creating a Call of Duty team with Andy, two COD pros and a contest winner. As Andy hones his skills, fellow Fallout Boy and guitarist Josh Rock uses his 17-inch Razer Blade with its Switchblade User Interface to compose new tunes.
Also in the mix, it was a natural fit for Razer’s Community team to include Shy Kidx tracks on their recent Assassin’s Creed IV video. Shy Kidx and Razer collaborated again with a Facebook contest, giving one lucky fan a pocketful of cash, and Razer audio products to masses of fans. Back to the world of rock, when he isn’t on-stage, M. Shadows, front man of Avenged Sevenfold, learned the finer points of Starcraft II from Evil Geniuses’ Conan “Suppy” Liu, aka “Superiorwolf,” on a Razer Blade Pro.
The Razer Kraken E-Panda Hooligan Headphones (which can be seen above) are available through the Razerzone store and all participating electronic retail outlets at USD $79.90. Fans will find also it on the merchandise bus at Moonshine Jungle Tour stops this fall. For more information on the headphones, check out http://www.razerzone.com/ePanda.
The first person psychological horror adventure Montague’s Mount is now available on GOG.com, Get Games and GamersGate for PC, Mac, and Linux. The debut game from one man band Polypusher Studios is also seeking votes on Steam Greenlight, so click on through and vote if you think it deserves a shot at a Steam release.
Polypusher’s Matt Clifton summed up the experience of making the game:
“Montague’s Mount has been my life for the past two years and a lot of blood, sweat and tears have gone into making the game. If you scrape below the surface of the story, the underlying character is basically me, albeit taken to an extreme. We are both foreigners relocated to a remote area of Ireland, isolated from family, friends and the community as a whole. I set out to make a very personal game about how isolation can affect a person, much as it once affected me. Montague’s Mount is not your normal adventure/horror title; it is a more subtle and mature thriller. You can pigeon-hole games like this into the ‘horror’ genre, but Montague’s Mount is a more thought-provoking experience than that. I’m humbled by the response I’ve had from developers and gamers so far and hope they enjoy the complete Montague’s Mount experience.”
Check out the trailer for the game below. Capsule Computers has already released a preview of the game; keep a look out for the full review.
Your Sims are bound for a journey that no man has ever experienced… a trek into the future! Okay, that’s not true because in the time it took me to write this, I have technically travelled about 7 seconds into the future… nonetheless, today, EA Maxis have released The Sims 3: Into the Future‘s launch trailer (which can be viewed embedded at the bottom of this article) and Limited Edition details.
A brave new world awaits, called Oasis Landing – sounds peaceful and serene. There’s lots of fun to be had on this planet, from riding around on jetpacks and hovering wind carvers (what the hell are those?!) to exploring an all new career option in building your very own Plumbots! Players also dictate the future with their actions in the present, with three possible outcomes. And for those who pre-order the expansion, they will receive the Limited Edition upgrade, which includes the exclusive Quantum Power Pack featuring a hibernation chamber and multi-function power suit!
The Sims 3: Into the Future is rated M for Mature Audiences by the OFLC and will be available in retail stores and for digital download on Origin.com on October 24th, 2013. Check out first screens below, and our hands-on time with The Sims 4 at EB Games Expo 2013.
In less than 24 hours the original series Samurai Flamenco will be aired for all anime watchers to see. In anticipation for the release new features have been added to the official anime website; 15 second trailers have been uploaded (with the third one being put up today) as well as OP/ED information and sample audio clips from two featured songs.
If you click on the special section of the website you will be presented with treats including a twitter banner icon, written messages/comments from the cast and crew and a gallery of the three promotional posters for the anime. The comedy/drama series is based around a male model that uses one of his grandfather’s inventions to become a superhero, and a cop who doesn’t have a strong sense of justice that discovers the model’s identity.
The anime is currently licensed by Aniplex and will be simulcasted onCrunchyroll, let us know what you think about this anime by leaving a comment down below.
Back when Aksys Games announced that they were going to be bringing a Vita game over to North America called Sorcery Saga: Curse of the Great Curry God, many people were a bit confused by this choice. But don’t fret too much, since Aksys has chosen to release a new trailer for the game which features a few snippets of gameplay as well as a look at the artwork in the game.
In Sorcery saga, players will navigate through various dungeons in an effort to gather curry ingredients so that they can create a legendary curry to help save her friend’s restaurant from going under. Being a company known for its unique limited editions, the game will be released later this year and if you spring for the special version you will also get a spoon, plate, and bib.
It looks like the Harvest Moon franchise is going to keep kicking for awhile longer as it has just been revealed that a new game in the series is currently in development and it happens to be called Harvest Moon: Linking the New World and it is currently set to be released on the 3DS in Japan on February 2014.
As for the game itself, players will take control of a male or female farmer in Oaktree Town where players will take care of a farm as they start up their life in the town. The game will feature a rather large graphical improvement from past games and there are a number of other additions such as a “Safari” area where wild animals roam about, more trade and streetpass elements and other additions all included alongside your standard features such as farming, fishing and looking for a marriage partner.
Today a patch for Dragon’s Crown was released in Japan and it contains something that many fans have been hoping to see added to the game, the ability to cross-play between the Vita and PlayStation 3 version of the game. However at the moment this patch is not available in North America but don’t worry, Atlus is working on it.
In a statement to fans, Atlus has said that they’ve been hearing from fans about how they want to have cross-play added to the game and now that Vanillaware has added that to the game, they are going to be bringing an update on the game “very soon” so we should expect more details in the coming weeks.
It looks like the 