Monthly Archives: January 2016

PC Now the World’s Largest Gaming Platform

PC gaming is alive and well, as new market research indicates the platform generated more global revenue in digital game sales than any other sector of the market last year.

According to a report from SuperData (via Ars Technica), which pulled data from "tens of millions" of publishers, developers, gamers and payment providers, PC is dominating the downloadable game market. As noted by GamesIndustry, PC generated much more revenue than mobile last year, pulling in $32 billion versus mobile's $25 billion figure.

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Winning Putt Is…A Golf RPG?

For every time I successfully chipped onto the green, or sunk a 15 foot putt, I had missed the same shot a dozen times before. I failed over and over in my hands-on time with Winning Putt, but I couldn’t stop playing.

Winning Putt is an interesting new take on the sports genre. It’s a free-to-play golf game that impressively attempts to meld classic, timing-based golf gameplay, with RPG and MMO elements. I’ll have to admit: at first, I was pretty confused by the concept, but the more I got to see it in action, the more I was sold on the idea.

Without solid core gameplay as a backbone, the extra bits wouldn’t mean very much, though. The first thing I noticed during my few hours with Winning Putt was that the importance of timing cannot be overstated. If you’ve ever played a golf game, you should be familiar with the timing bar. Press a button to start the swing (the bar starts filling up), press the button again to determine how much power you want to hit the ball with (the bar will stop filling up and then head back where it came from), and then press it a third time to determine the accuracy. If your accuracy is exactly where it should be, you’ll be rewarded with a “nice shot” that will end up precisely where you were aiming.

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Guardians Vol. 2 Post-Credits Scene Already Written

Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn may be done debunking rumors about Vol. 2 until the sequel is released, but he hasn't stopped taking to social media to discuss the film's development.

Gunn has now revealed that the script is essentially done, and that the film will start shooting "in a couple weeks." Apparently, the cast got together just yesterday for a table read. Here are a couple of his recent posts:

Hand of Fate, Gears 2 Headline February’s Games With Gold

Microsoft has revealed its lineup of free games coming to Xbox Live Gold subscribers in February.

According to Major Nelson, four new titles will be available next month via Games With Gold, including Hand of Fate, which will be free all month long for Xbox One owners, as well as Styx: Master of Shadows, which will be available from February 16 to March 15.

On the Xbox 360 front, Sacred Citadel will be free for Gold members from February 1 to February 15, at which point it will be replaced by Gears of War 2, which will be available from February 16 to the end of the month.

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Tron Run/r Confirmed for Consoles, Release Date Announced

Disney Games has announced that Tron Run/r will be released on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC on February 16. The "lightning fast, action-adventure runner" is already available on Steam Early Access, and will cost $20 when it's fully released.

Tron Run/r includes more than 30 levels abd two gameplay modes--"Disc" and "Cycle," both of which are available to play for Steam Early Access buyers. The game's "Stream" mode aims to challenge players with remixed levels. According to GameSpot, players will also be able to upgrade and customize their avatars with "dozens" of elements to choose from—including light cycles, suits, and helmets.

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New Galactic Civilizations 3 Expansion Announced

Developer Stardock has announced the next expansion for Galactic Civilizations 3, titled Mercenaries.

The new expansion will include its own story campaign and will re-introduce two old factions to GalCiv 3 for the first time: the ancient Arceans, and the aquatic, perpetually enslaved Torians, who are the focus of said campaign.

Stardock CEO, Brad Wardell stopped by IGN to give us a brief look at the new mercenary ships for which the expansion is named. Players will be able to discover "Galactic Bazaars" where various mercenaries will offer their services. Aside from having their own unique ships, they can also be assigned to individual systems to grant statistical bonuses to them.

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Final Fantasy Creator Reveals Concept Art for New Game

Final Fantasy creator and Mistwalker founder Hironobu Sakaguchi has released concept art for a new project from his studio.

The artwork, created by Kimihiko Fujisaka, was showcased during a presentation at UH West Oʻahu Library in Hawaii and has since surfaced on Twitter, courtesy of VoltySquirrel, who said Sakaguchi is hoping to officially reveal the new title in a year.

Square Enix Holding Life is Strange ‘Everyday Hero’ Photo Contest

Square Enix is hosting an actual Everyday Hero photography contest, inspired by the events of Life is Strange.

As with the in-game contest, participants are encouraged to submit photos of "ordinary people doing extraordinary things." One winner will receive the Everyday Heroes Scholarship Fund, worth $10,000. The top three finalists will have their photos printed, framed, and signed by the DONTNOD staff, while other participants will have the chance to see their work featured on the Everyday Heroes site.

You'll have until February 16 to submit a photo of someone "that truly captures their heroism and be eligible to win." The contest is only open to legal residents of the United States and Canada—excluding Quebec.

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