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Surgeon Simulator 2013 Review

Written By Kom Limpulnam on Rabu, 24 April 2013 | 23.37

"Perform a heart transplant." These are the words that greet you at the beginning of Surgeon Simulator 2013. Beyond that, there are no instructions to speak of: it's just you, a table full of surgical instruments, and a patient whose life you hold in your woefully unprepared hands. While that may sound like a recipe for disaster, it's also what makes Surgeon Simulator so wonderful. This is an absurdist parody of one of the world's most skillful occupations, a game that has you fumbling your way through one operation after the other as you drop your watch inside a patient's abdominal cavity, lose entire organs out of the back of a moving ambulance, and giggle with delight over your own surgical incompetence.

Why yes, hammers are a perfectly reasonable way to open the human skull.

In Surgeon Simulator, you exist as an arm hovering above an operating table. Dragging the mouse moves your hand about the screen, and from there you can control the grip of each finger through five keys on the keyboard. Clicking the right mouse button as you drag left and right lets you rotate your hand side to side, while dragging up and down lets you adjust the angle of your wrist. If all this sounds a bit confusing, that's because it absolutely is. Surgeon Simulator makes it incredibly complicated to so much as pick up a scalpel. Performing a successful operation, meanwhile, is like juggling and riding a bicycle at the same time.

And yet, that ungainly control scheme is one of the biggest reasons Surgeon Simulator is such dumb fun. This is surgery as a slapstick vaudeville routine, an eccentric comedy of errors where everything can and will go wrong. Whether you're causing massive blood loss by dropping an electric drill inside a patient's abdominal cavity or seeing hallucinations after accidentally pricking yourself with a syringe, this game is littered with hazards meant to make you giggle with morbid delight. Surgeon Simulator has all the potential to be frustrating, but the sense of humor is so pervasive (the game-over screen reads "Brutal murder achieved") and the gore is so whimsically over the top (performing a brain transplant is like cracking a hard-boiled egg) that you can't help but cackle with glee even as you're fumbling a patient's life away. It's a game that's acutely aware of its own ridiculousness and wants you to join in on the fun.

That fun is spread across three basic types of operations: a heart transplant, a double kidney transplant, and a brain transplant. No matter the procedure, your goal is always to complete the operation before your patient runs out of blood. The challenge lies in removing any ribs and extraneous organs in your way without causing too much collateral damage. When you're done, the game assigns you a grade based on how quickly and carefully you completed the job. It's too bad there aren't more types of procedures, because in addition to some occasionally wonky physics issues, that relatively limited selection of surgeries is one of the game's only flaws.

Fortunately, Surgeon Simulator gives you plenty of reasons to keep coming back. For one thing, each of those three surgeries can be performed in a ridiculously difficult alternate scenario that has you operating during a very bumpy ambulance ride. Your utensils and replacement organs go bouncing all over the place, and the back doors randomly swing open--it's pure chaos. On top of this, there are a number of Easter eggs to discover (like a top secret heart transplant performed in zero-gravity space) as well as some truly inventive achievements, such as completing an operation with less than 10 milliliters of blood remaining, or dressing your patient in a scarf made from his own large intestine.

Throughout all this, Surgeon Simulator strikes a terrific balance between realism--or at least relative realism--and all-out absurdity. Hack away at your patient's ribs with a bone saw, and you might put the whole operation at risk by slicing open a lung; but the only way to get at the heart is to remove the lungs entirely, at which point you can toss them to the floor without the slightest concern. If your patient starts losing too much blood, you need to slow the bleeding with a hemostasis shot; but you can use that very syringe to haphazardly stab your patient in the face as many times as you like, and he'll be right as rain. It all adds up to a wonderful contrast between the grounded and the ridiculous. The result is a game that's both challenging and lighthearted, clumsy and clever.

Surgeon Simulator is a game that defies logic. Even the oddly dance-worthy synth soundtrack has no business working as well as it does. And yet, it all comes together beautifully in one great big symphony of eccentricity. This is a game that makes it an absolute joy to not only fail, but fail spectacularly. And the best part is, you don't even have to worry about malpractice suits.


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Free of Charge - Uncharted 3

@jdc6305 Honestly, Uncharted's multiplayer is one of my most cherished multiplayer experiences. The verticality and platforming elements are what really shines. Jumping down from a ledge WHILE you're blindfiring in a third person shooter, and then killing the person before you land is just exhilarating. The pace is also very fast, but tactical I guess. There's usually always a way to get out of a situation if you're good enough. There's also a lot of depth with levels and tiered unlocks, and there are a lot of game modes, each very fun on their own right. 

Uncharted 3 was actually the first multiplayer I ever hit the top level on. That's saying a lot for me, because not only do I play a lot of multiplayer games, but I've never really stuck to any of them enough to get to the top. This one was different because it didn't feel like a grind to me. I genuinely enjoyed every moment up to 75. I didn't legacy because I still wanted all my perk unlocks and such, but just the option to do so was incredible.

So, yeah, on the opposite end of your thoughts, I really think Uncharted benefited from a multiplayer. 


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Indie Hour - Don't Starve!

@shanethewolf Yes and no at the same time. I mean, yes, the game it's always pushing you to play always a little bit more but, no, it doesn't take you a lot to do really cool things.

Example, in my longest play I'm at day 150, I've a bunch of farms, nightmare weapons (really strong weapons you get from lowering your mental sanity), explored a good deal of the world, etc etc and i've spent about 7 hours on it. So, not as time consuming as minecraft or other games (hope I helped :) ) 


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Wii U Virtual Console launch games announced

Titles include Kirby's Adventure for NES and F-Zero for SNES.

Nintendo recently revealed the first eight titles for the Virtual Console channel for the Wii U on its official Facebook page.

The initial titles are Excitebike, Ice Climbers, Kirby's Adventure, Punch Out, F-Zero, Super Mario World, Balloon Fight, and Donkey Kong Jr.. These games were previously on the Wii version of the Virtual Console app. Players who owned the Wii Virtual Console versions can repurchase the Wii U Virtual Console versions for a discounted price.

Wii U Virtual Console games features off-TV play on the Wii U gamepad and Miiverse integration. The service will be live this week. For more news on the Wii U, check out GameSpot's coverage.

Jonathan Toyad
By Jonathan Toyad, Associate Editor

Born and raised from a jungle-laden village in Sarawak, Malaysia, Jonathan Toyad has been playing games since the early 90s. He favors fighting games, RPGs, and rhythm titles above every other genre, and occasionally spaces out like Pavlov's dog to video game music on his iPod.


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Dragon Nest sequel in the works - Shanda Games CEO

Sequel to MMO will not be "cartoony" and retain 3D graphics.

Publisher Shanda Games has revealed that a Dragon Nest sequel is in the works.

According to the company's CEO Donghai Qian during the 17173.com industry awards event in China (via MMO Culture), the sequel is currently in the early stages of development. The game will not be as colorful as its predecessor but will retain its 3D graphics.

The sequel will adopt an open-world design instead of the instance-based design used in the prequel. Development for the game will go on for two more years before it will be officially revealed.

Shanda Games acquired Dragon Nest and Dungeon Strikers developer Eyedentity Games in September 2010. For more information on the first Dragon Nest title, check out GameSpot's coverage.

Jonathan Toyad
By Jonathan Toyad, Associate Editor

Born and raised from a jungle-laden village in Sarawak, Malaysia, Jonathan Toyad has been playing games since the early 90s. He favors fighting games, RPGs, and rhythm titles above every other genre, and occasionally spaces out like Pavlov's dog to video game music on his iPod.


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Nintendo turns a profit but misses sales forecast by half

Sales of the Wii U stand at only 3.45 million worldwide, but Nintendo has reported a profit of ¥7.09 billion ($71.3m/£46.7m) for the financial year.

While the net income is almost half the company's previously estimated profit of ¥14 billion, the company has managed to turn around the whopping loss of ¥43 billion it reported last year--the first annual loss the company has ever posted.

3.45 million Wii Us have been sold globally as of March 31 2013, with fewer than 400,000 being sold in the last three months. The Wii U was outsold by the Wii, which sold 3.98 million units across the company's financial year.

Nintendo blamed poor sales of its devices in North America and Europe, though noted that the 3DS has now become the console of choice in Japan.

Wii U worldwide software sales stand at 13.42 million units as of March 31. Nintendo Land makes up 2.6 million of that figure, while New Super Mario Bros. U has also shifted 2.15 million copies.

Meanwhile, the 3DS has sold 31.09 million units and 95.03 million games. Super Mario 3D Land remains the 3DS sales king with 8.29 million copies sold worldwide, and recent release Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon has managed to gain 1.22 million buyers since launch.

Nintendo's net sales were also slightly down on last year, but damage to the company's bottom line was mitigated slightly thanks to financial gains made by the currency exchange.

For the next financial year the publisher predicts it will sell 9 million Wii U consoles worldwide. 3DS expectations are higher at 18 million.

Previous reports had suggested Nintendo would announce a loss of ¥18.7 billion for the financial year.


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Satoru Iwata named Nintendo of America CEO

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has expanded his duties to head up Nintendo of America.

Iwata will take over the Nintendo of America CEO role from outgoing Tatsumi Kimishima, who is being promoted to general manager of parent company Nintendo Co. Ltd pending shareholder approval.

Nintendo of America president and COO, Reggie Fils-Aime, will report to Iwata.

Nintendo hopes the move will allow the company to more easily share a global business strategy for the Wii U and 3DS. Speaking in a statement, the publisher said it hopes to increase its "organisational agility in the current competitive environment."

Sales of the 3DS and in North America and Europe have failed to match the success seen in Japan, and Nintendo is also gearing up to a vital E3 showing where it will attempt to entice customers worldwide to adopt its Wii U hardware.

Kimishima's new role is expected to begin from this summer, where he will relocate from Redmond to Nintendo's headquarters in Japan. He was promoted to CEO of Nintendo of America in 2006.

Nintendo today announced it has returned to profit despite weak sales of the Wii U.


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2K will show redesigned XCOM shooter in 'a matter of days'

2K has confirmed the XCOM shooter it announced three years ago has "undergone an evolution" and will be re-revealed in the next few days.

BioShock 2 developer 2K Marin is handling the squad-based tactical shooter. "Announced back in 2010, the game has undergone an evolution since we last showed it to you at E3 2011," wrote 2K on its blog.

2K points to last year's critically celebrated revival of the classic turn-based XCOM. "Firaxis' critically acclaimed turn-based strategy title, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, has reignited the classic franchise and we feel that the time is right to deliver a new experience within the world of XCOM," says 2K.

Development at 2K Marin has been "explored" and "refined", with 2K saying the "creative development of this game has been a collaborative process of discovery and iteration."

"We can't wait to share more details with you about the game in only a matter of days," concluded 2K.

Rumours from last year suggested XCOM is now a third-person shooter rebranded as The Bureau. 2K has also asked customers, via a marketing survey, whether they'd rather pay full price or opt for a cheaper downloadable title.


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BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma hits PS3 this October in Japan

Written By Kom Limpulnam on Rabu, 17 April 2013 | 23.37

Console version to include two new playable characters.

Arc System Works has announced that it will be releasing 2D fighting game BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma for the PS3 in Japan on October 24.

According to a recent issue of Japanese game magazine Famitsu, this version of the game will feature two new playable characters: Kagura Mutsuki and Yuki Terumi. The former is a Novus Orbis Librarium officer who wields a sword and plans to overthrow the order he works for, while the latter is the true form of an existing BlazBlue character, Hazama, and is one of the major antagonists in the game.

The game will also come in a limited edition that costs 10,290 yen ($105). This version features a "Petite Rachel Nendoroid" figurine, a soundtrack CD featuring the game's music, an art book, and drama CDs containing additional story lore. There is no current word on whether the game will be out in English, but it seems likely given the localized versions of past BlazBlue titles.

Jonathan Toyad
By Jonathan Toyad, Associate Editor

Born and raised from a jungle-laden village in Sarawak, Malaysia, Jonathan Toyad has been playing games since the early 90s. He favors fighting games, RPGs, and rhythm titles above every other genre, and occasionally spaces out like Pavlov's dog to video game music on his iPod.


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Square Enix apologises for 'overdue' news on Final Fantasy Versus XIII

Square Enix has apologised for a lack of information on the frequently delayed Final Fantasy Versus XIII, but has promised that the company will finally be able to reveal details about the game soon.

Speaking on Square Enix Radio (via Gematsu), director Tetsuya Nomura said that "even within the company it's a very delicate problem," after being asked when more information on Final Fantasy Versus XIII would be released.

"The date when we can concretely lift the ban has been decided and we are preparing for that moment," continued Nomura. "Maybe the details as to why information couldn't be released might be touched upon at the next information announcement."

"I'm sorry it's already overdue, but please wait just a little more."

Final Fantasy Versus XIII was announced in 2006, along with Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Agito XIII. The trio of games were all set in Square Enix's then-new Fabula Nova Crystallis universe.

A report surfaced in July 2012 claiming the game had been cancelled, but Square Enix said development of Final Fantasy Versus XIII had not been abandoned.

Meanwhile, the second direct sequel to Final Fantasy XIII--Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII--will be released in Q3 2013.

Square Enix has also promised to reveal a new Final Fantasy game at E3 2013.


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FIFA 14 announced for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC

EA has revealed the first details for FIFA 14, which the company has officially confirmed for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.

No next-gen support was confirmed, but EA says it will reveal FIFA 14 for additional platforms "in the months ahead."

The main changes to this year's take on the annual football franchise includes a new ball physics engine and a feature called Pure Shot. Pure Shot is designed to allow players to adjust their stride and approach angles, with the game now incorporating off-balance and rushed shots.

EA also says it has added the ability to maintain momentum while turning in any direction while sprinting, that there is more variety on touches when sprinting, and says that the intelligence of the AI has been improved.

A new feature, which EA calls Protect The Ball, is also designed to give attacking players more ways to block defenders while dribbling.

The game's career mode will also receive an update, allowing players to manage a global network of talent scouts and featuring a redesigned hub.

Elsewhere, FIFA Ultimate Team will be updated, a new online mode will be implemented, and social tracker Football Club will make a return.

No exact FIFA 14 release date was provided by EA, but FIFA games traditionally launch in September.

Last year's title, FIFA 13, received an 8.0 in its GameSpot review.


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Valve refunded BioShock Infinite gamer upset over religious scene

This post contains spoilers about the BioShock Infinite campaign.

Early on in BioShock Infinite, the game forces players to accept the Christian religious sacrament of baptism. This did not sit well with Breen Malmberg, a gamer and a Christian, who explained to Kotaku that he refused to accept the digital baptism and demanded a refund from Valve.

"As baptism of the Holy spirit is at the center of Christianity--of which I am a devout believer--I am basically being forced to make a choice between committing extreme blasphemy by my actions in choosing to accept this 'choice' or forced to quit playing the game before it even really starts," Malmberg said.

"Of course I cannot hold true to my beliefs and also commit this act, so I am therefor[e] forced to not play the game," he added.

Malmberg then penned a letter to Valve, because he purchased the game for PC through Steam, explaining the situation. Valve reportedly gave Malmberg a full refund, though the company has not confirmed this publicly or with GameSpot.

BioShock Infinite is not the first game to conflict with religious teachings, but this instance was different for Malmberg, because there was no other option; no way to continue the game unless his character accepted baptism.

"The difference here is that you are forced to make a decision that violates those beliefs in order to continue with the game--which is not something I have run into very often," he said.

This is not the first time BioShock Infinite has made headlines for its religious themes. During the game's development, an Irrational Games employee was so disgusted at the ideas the game proposed that he wrote a resignation letter. He would end up staying with the company and in fact, his discussions with creative director Ken Levine would end up being instrumental in the game's writing of antagonist Comstock.


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More layoffs at EA

Battlefield, FIFA publisher cuts jobs at India office and Playfish as part of latest stream of layoffs.

Electronic Arts has cut more jobs, with the latest layoffs taking place at EA Hyderabad (India) and social game studio Playfish (London).

MCV India reports that 50 jobs were cut at EA's mobile studio in India. The company acknowledged that layoffs took place, but declined to give any further official details.

As for Playfish, Develop cites sources saying that EA cut an unspecified number of jobs at the outfit. This is not much of a surprise, as earlier this week EA announced that Playfish Facebook games The Sims Social, SimCity Social, and Pet Society will shut down in June. EA purchased Playfish in 2009 for $275 million-plus.

Jobs have also been cut at EA's customer service center in Galway, Ireland.

Last week, EA senior director of corporate communications John Reseburg confirmed staff reduction as a means to "streamline" the company's business operations to ensure it is well positioned for the upcoming console transition.

Eddie Makuch
By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He works out of the company's Boston office in Somerville, Mass., and loves extra chunky peanut butter.


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Sony: We don't just want shooters on PS4

Written By Kom Limpulnam on Rabu, 10 April 2013 | 23.37

When Sony announced the PlayStation 4 in February, the first title shown off for the next-generation platform was not a big-budget blockbuster, but rather Sony Japan's Knack. Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida explained to Edge that this was intentional and meant to demonstrate that PS4 will offer more than just action and shooter games.

"It was pretty intentional," Yoshida said. "We were like yeah we hate to see all the PS4 games being FPS or action-adventure or very photorealistic, you know big-budget blockbuster games. And you know people like these games, but these are not the only kinds of games that people can have fun with."

Big-budget games like Killzone: Shadow Fall and DriveClub were shown later during the meeting, but Yoshida contends that the PS4 is capable of more than just beefed up graphics.

"Yeah, so almost the biggest message that we wanted to send in preparing for the event as well as in designing PS4 was…we at Sony and we at Sony Computer Entertainment, it's just natural for us to enhance the core technology and performance of the hardware, but it's not the hardware that is the biggest focus," he said.

The PS4 is officially due out this holiday season, though region-specific availability is unknown. According to a past report, the system will launch in November beginning at $430.


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Splinter Cell: Blacklist confirmed for Wii U

Nintendo today confirmed that Splinter Cell: Blacklist will launch on Wii U in North America on August 20 alongside the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC versions. The game will release in the United Kingdom on August 23.

Splinter Cell: Blacklist for Wii U will make use of the GamePad for "enhanced gameplay features." According to the screenshot at right, one such feature is using the controller to manipulate a snake camera.

Nintendo also today revealed that a pair of Planes tie-in titles will release exclusively for the Wii U and 3DS. Due out August 6 (three days before the film hits theaters), the games expand the storyline of Planes, allowing players to control one of the characters from the animated film.

"Key" third-party games due this spring and summer, as compiled by Nintendo, are listed below.

Wii U
April 16: Injustice: Gods Among Us
Spring: Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes
May 21: Resident Evil: Revelations, Fast & Furious Showdown
May: Sniper Elite V2
Coming Soon: Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director's Cut

Wii U eShop
Summer: DuckTales Remastered, Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara, Spin the Bottle
Q2: Mutant Mudds Deluxe
Later in 2013: Scram Kitty and his Buddy on Rails


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Age of Wushu - Launch Trailer

This week we check out Age of Empires II HD, Age of Wushu, ShootMania Storm, Halo 4: Castle Map Pack and Guacamelee! Beats provided by DJ Vinroc: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/dj-vinroc/id120161502

Posted Apr 5, 2013 | 2:14 | 14,517 Views


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Shadowrun Returns will be released in June

Kickstarter success Shadowrun Returns will be released in June, developer Harebrained Schemes has announced.

The game will be distributed through Steam--all backers of the Kickstarter project will receive a Shadowrun Returns Steam key--and the game's editor will arrive with Steam Workshop support.

For customers who don't want to have to use Steam, Harebrained Games will make a DRM-free version available from their own site. This version won't support user-generated content or any DLC past the game's already announced Berlin expansion.

Preorders will be available on Steam from April 29, with April 28 being the last day customers can preorder the game's $75 Collector's Edition from the Harebrained Schemes website.

A $30 Deluxe Edition is also available, which includes downloads of the game's soundtrack and a Shadowrun Returns anthology PDF.

The Linux version will be released after the Windows and Mac versions, says Harebrained Schemes.

Shadowrun Returns started its Kickstarter campaign asking for $400,000 back in April 2012, and ended a month later with $1,836,447 in donations from 36,276 backers. The isometric RPG is inspired by the Shadowrun tabletop game, and is being overseen by its creator Jordan Weisman.


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GS News - Uplay PC Download Service Suspended

This week we check out LEGO City Undercover, Gears of War: Judgment, The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct, Assassin's Creed III - The Betrayal, Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory and Trials Evolution: Gold Edition.

Posted Mar 15, 2013 | 2:25 | 21,145 Views


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Eidos: Thief PC version 'extremely important'

Gamers worried that Eidos Montreal is focusing more intently on the console versions of Thief than PC can breathe a sigh of relief. Producer Stéphane Roy told Strategy Informer that the studio is committing the resources necessary to ensure the PC version is not a simple port.

"No doubt on our side the PC version is extremely important," Roy said. "Just playingThief with a keyboard and mouse it's different so we must make sure we support that well. For making the PC version we think like a PC gamer, for consoles it's a different type of beast. It's one of our goals to make sure that the PC version isn't just a copy of the console version."

Thief is due out in 2014 for PC, PlayStation 4, and "other next-gen platforms." The game will not feature a competitive multiplayer component.

Roy also revealed that Eidos Montreal considered switching the perspective for Thief and making it a third-person game instead of its familiar first-person orientation. He said the studio made a "full" third-person demo for Thief, but this was ultimately scrapped.

"We gave it a try as there are a lot of games that work better and are more fun in third-person, so we wanted to see if it was possible to have Thief in full third-person," Roy said. "So we gave it a try but finally we decided that part of the series' DNA is the first-person perspective, for the immersion and to convince the player that you are a Master Thief about to pickpocket someone."

For more on Thief, check out GameSpot's first-look coverage at the new game.


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Tearaway released exclusively for Vita in October

Tearaway, the PlayStation Vita exclusive from LittleBigPlanet developer Media Molecule, will be released this October.

North America will get the papercraft platformer on October 22, with a European release three days later on April 25. Tearaway will be available both physically and digitally on launch day.

The physical edition will also feature reversible box art, allowing players to adorn the box with either Iota or Atoi, the game's protagonists.

Tearaway, which was unveiled at Sony's 2012 Gamescom conference, is the latest project from the LittleBigPlanet developers and aims to make use of numerous Vita features, including the camera and rear-touch panel.

Media Molecule also unveiled its next experimental project for the PlayStation 4 during the console's February unveiling.

For more information on Tearaway, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.


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Angry Birds studio sales double in 2012

Written By Kom Limpulnam on Rabu, 03 April 2013 | 23.37

The Angry Birds sensation is not fading away.

Developer Rovio Entertainment today announced financial results for 2012, revealing revenue grew 101 percent to €152.2 million ($195.1 million) up from €75.6 million ($96.8 million) last year.

Earnings before interest and taxes hit €76.8 million ($98.4 million), up 64 percent year-over-year, while net profit was €55.5 million ($71.1 million) compared to €35.4 million ($45.4 million) last year.

"Rovio has grown from a phenomenon to a very successful global business," Rovio CEO Mikael Hed said in a statement. "In 2010 we set out to build an entertainment company and after last year's performance we are on a strong path to achieve our goal."

Rovio's rosy 2012 benefited from the release of major mobile games like Angry Birds Space, Amazing Alex, Bad Piggies, and Angry Birds Star Wars. In May 2012, the Angry Birds franchise crossed 1 billion downloads and monthly active users across all platforms hit 263 million in December.

Rovio sales were not the only component of the company's business that doubled in 2012. The Espoo, Finland-based studio also saw its headcount rise to 518 people, up from 224 in 2011.

Looking ahead, Rovio said it expects its business to continue to grow, noting future success will depend on the success of new game launches, the company's ability to keep fans engaged with its titles, and the prosperity of "new initiatives" in 2013.

The total number of Rovio game downloads has exceeded 1.7 billion, Rovio said.

Rovio recently launched its Angry Birds Toons television series, while an Angry Birds feature film from Iron Man and Despicable Me producers will launch in 2016.


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Sega admits Aliens: Colonial Marines trailers were misleading - Report

Sega of Europe has admitted that some of its Aliens: Colonial Marines trailers are misleading, and will add disclaimers informing viewers that the final game may look different. It is not clear if similar disclaimers will be implemented in North America or other regions.

As reported by Eurogamer, the admission and decision to add disclaimers was made following a discussion between Sega and the UK's Advertising Standards Agency (ASA). This conversation was sparked by a Reddit user going by subpardave.

Subpardave filed a complaint with the ASA regarding the "absurd" differences between in-game footage and footage used in trailers to promote Aliens: Colonial Marines. This user then publisher the letter he received from the ASA in response to his complaint. A portion of it reads:

"We contacted Sega Europe to discuss this issue. They explained that their online trailers used demo footage, created using the in-game engine. Sega Europe understood the objections raised about the quality of the game in relation to the trailers, but explained that they weren't aware of these issues when the trailers were produced, in some cases several months before release."

"Sega Europe acknowledged your objection that the trailers did not accurately reflect the final content of the game. They agreed to add a disclaimer, both on their website and in all relevant YouTube videos, which explains that the trailers depict footage of the demo versions of the game. The disclaimer will be visible when each online trailer is played."

With the disclaimers in place, the ASA said viewers will clearly understand that the videos they watch are not representative of the final product and therefore aren't "likely to materially mislead the public."

Aliens: Colonial Marines was largely bashed by reviewers at launch in February. A Wii U version was supposed to launch last month, but neither Sega nor developer Demiurge have commented on whether or not this project is still in the works.


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New Square Enix president promises a review of the company

New Square Enix president Yosuke Matsuda has promised a fundamental review of the publisher.

"After having succeeded the important role as the president, I plan on reviewing all Square Enix duties, business and assets on a zero-based budgeting standpoint," Matsuda explained in a briefing to investors (via Siliconera).

Matsuda became Square Enix president last week following the resignation of Yoichi Wada amid the announcement of "extraordinary losses" in the company's financial report. Wada had held the role for over a decade.

"I'd like to fundamentally review what works and what doesn't work for our company," continued Matsuda, "then cast all of our resources towards extending what makes us successful and thoroughly squeezing out what doesn't."

Phil Rogers, the current CEO of Square Enix Europe, will be promoted to company director and assist Matsuda.

Yoichi Wada will remain at the company in a non-managerial role. "I will be retiring from the line of management, but I plan to work on site as a way to pay my debt to the company," he said.

Last week Square Enix blamed the poor performance of its titles in America and Europe for its unsatisfactory revenue, and instigated a major restructuring process that the company expects will lead to a loss of 10 billion yen for the financial year ending March 31.

The publisher is currently working on Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII and HD versions of Final Fantasy X and X-2. A new Final Fantasy announcement has been promised for E3 2013, and Square Enix is also in charge of Eidos Montreal's next-gen reboot of Thief, which is due for release in 2014.


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Assassin's Creed III - The Betrayal Screens

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New Torment RPG delayed into 2015

Torment: Tides of Numenera has been delayed into 2015. Developer inXile Entertainment explained on its Kickstarter page that due to the project's runaway success on Kickstarter, extra time will be needed to increase the game's scope and quality.

"We purposely designed Torment to be modular so that, if we had additional funding, we could easily expand upon the game in ways that would make sense. Your support has exceeded our expectations. It is clear to us that to create as high quality a final product as we desire, and as you deserve, we're going to want more time than we had in our original schedule," inXile said.

The original funding target for Torment: Tides of Numenera was set at $900,000 with a projected launch window of December 2014. With 58 hours remaining, the project has drawn $3.4 million from nearly 63,000 backers. The game is now expected to release "a few months" after December 2014.

"It's our plan to use funds to keep the team on the project longer, allowing us to design, iterate, and polish more, to make a game that truly lives up to the Torment name," the developer said.

On Monday, inXile released the first Torment: Tides of Numenera screenshot and announced that fantasy author Pat Rothfuss (The Kingkiller Chronicle trilogy) will join the development team.


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Xbox 720 announcement in May?

Microsoft will announce the Xbox 720 in May, according to Robert W. Baird analyst Colin Sebastian. The news came from a note to investors today about Electronic Arts, with Sebastian saying this announcement will be a catalyst for shares.

No information regarding the exact date or venue of the rumored announcement was divulged.

A previous report suggested Microsoft would announce the new platform during a one-off media event later this month.

A Microsoft representative was not immediately available to comment.

Though Microsoft has not officially spoken about the Xbox 720, speculation about the platform has not been lacking. GameStop CEO recently said the console is a "very hot, compelling device," adding that the "world is going to stand up and take notice" when Microsoft finally shares details about the system.

According to past reports, the Xbox 720 may require Kinect and an Internet connection to function, block used games, and feature Siri-like voice recognition, among other features.

Microsoft has previously warned users about Xbox 720 scam sites.


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Doom 4 rebooted but still in development

A "new version" of announced but long-absent Doom 4 is still in development, publisher Bethesda has said.

Speaking to Kotaku, Bethesda marketing vice president Pete Hines confirmed that the game was still in development, with numerous sources suggesting a release on next-gen consoles.

"An earlier version of Doom 4 did not exhibit the quality and excitement that id and Bethesda intend to deliver and that Doom fans worldwide expect," said Hines.

"As a result, id refocused its efforts on a new version of Doom 4 that promises to meet the very high expectations everyone has for this game and this franchise. When we're ready to talk about the Doom 4 id is making, we will let folks know."

Sources claim that the original version of Doom 4--which one sourced dubbed "Call of Doom"--was scrapped in 2011 after developer id Software finished work on Rage. Sources claim the original version of Doom 4 borrowed many of its creative elements from modern shooters.

"People referenced Call of Duty," said one source. "There were jokes like, 'Oh, it's Call of Doom.' They referenced it because of the amount it was scripted—there were a lot of scripted set pieces. There was kind of the recognition that in order to be a big shooter these days, you have to have some amount of the big, bombastic movie experience that people get pulled through."

According to another source, Bethesda scrapped plans for Rage 2 after the original failed to meet commercial and critical expectations, and put everyone at id to work on Doom 4. One executive is reported to have told the project leaders at id that Doom 4 needs to have the same commercial success as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

But while John Carmack said the game will be "done when it's done" at Quakecon 2012, another source says the Doom 4 project is "not going well."


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DreamWorks, Universal Studios veteran working on a new game

Animated film veteran Lionel Gallat, who spent 15 years making movies for DreamWorks and Universal Studios like Despicable Me, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, and The Lorax is turning to games.

The designer has launched crowd-funding campaign through Indiegogo for a medieval fantasy game called Ghost of a Tale, which stars an adventurous mouse. The game's funding target is €45,000 ($57,000).

"You play as a mouse on an adventure set in a medieval world," Gallat explained. "At the beginning of the game, you get to the Island of Periclave. Now what is the mouse looking for? What happened on the island? Why are there undead rats roaming around? That will be up to you to discover."

Gallat has spent the past year building the game, which he is making alone. A two-minute gameplay video is embedded below.

Ghost of a Tale is currently slated to launch during the first half of 2014 for PC with no DRM, though he said his "lack of experience" in game development may push the title back to the end of 2014. A closed beta is planned for December 2013 at the latest. Linux and Mac versions are possible.

Inspirations for Ghost of a Tale include Disney's Robin Hood, Winnie the Pooh, and The Secret of Nimh, as well as the paintings of Lord of the Rings artists Alan Lee and John Howe, among others. Game-specific inspirations include early Zelda titles, Ico, the Gothic series, and Dark Souls.

"My goal is to craft a small yet beautiful game with environments that look a bit like movie sets and characters that have a sense of stylization in their design, while retaining a certain simplicity and immediacy as far as gameplay is involved," Gallat said.

Gallat is not the only animated film veteran getting into games. A group of Pixar artists recently formed Steel Wool Games and have partnered with publisher Ripstone for a multiplatform title called Flyhunter.


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