Minecraft 1.5 Plugin Downloads API Unveiled

Minecraft's upcoming 1.5 update has been titled the Redstone Update and is set for a January 2013 release. The update focuses on the game's redstone ore, giving it variable signal strength, and introduces a new capacitor block. Players will be able to use the two items together to create objects like weighted pressure plates and pressure sensitive detector rails.


The Mojang team unveiled version 1.5 at Minecon.
Other improvements include better minecarts, a new nether-based ore for creating capacitors, and a daylight detector, which could be used for creating solar panel-like devices. There will also be a host of bug fixes, such as for the south/east rule. Mojang warned that the tweaks may break compatibility with existing creations, such as those that rely on the block update design.

Mojang also provided details on its upcoming API, which will allow to developers to create plug-ins for the game. A central repository on Mojang's site will house the plug-ins, all of which will be free for users to download. Plug-ins will be able to add or remove functionality from Minecraft, but not modify the core game engine.

Other tidbits revealed by Mojang included support for HD texture packs, user prompts for new updates, and a full open source release.

By Mark Walton

www.gamespot.com

Read More

Razer Game Booster Beta

Razer has announced that its Razer Game Booster application is now available for the public in an open beta state.

Get into the zone with Razer's Game Booster app.

The program allows gamers to temporarily shut down unnecessary applications, so that their computer resources can focus on just running games. The Razer Game Booster also offers simple options to tweak and defrag a user's computer, as well as update old drivers. In addition, it allows users to create tutorials and record real-time audio and video as well as capture screenshots.

The software's predecessor, the IObit Game Booster, was given a five-star rating by CNET and has been downloaded 1,463,120 times.

By Jonathan Toyad, Associate Editor

Read More

New HALO 4 Multiplayer Mode Next Week

If your Halo 4 teammates have been letting you down in some of the game’s team-based multiplayer modes of late then you can look forward to new free-for-all game types being added to the mix from next week.

The Free-For-All Throwback playlist will go live on Monday, November 26th, and features lone-wolf variants of the Oddball and King of the Hill game types.

The playlist will feature five maps - Haven, Abandon, Adrift, Complex and Solace - and up to eight players can go head-to-head in matches lasting 12 minutes each. The Oddball game type requires players to rack up 100 points to win while King of the Hill matches are won by accumulating 50 points.

Halo Waypoint’s Jessica Shea sounded a warning to players with the following message:

“If you’ve been dominating these modes with teammates, see how the game changes when it’s every Spartan for themselves.”

Head over here for El33tonline’s previous coverage of Halo 4, including Oliver’s review of this technically impressive shooter.

Source

http://www.el33tonline.com/past/2012/11/23/new_halo_4_multiplayer_modes/

Read More

Far Cry 3 and Assasins Creed III Missing from UK Steam

The PC version of Assassin's Creed III and the soon-to-be-released Far Cry 3 are unavailable on the UK Steam store, according to a report from PCGamesN.

"We've been in discussions with Valve about Assassin’s Creed III and Far Cry 3, but for the time being the games are not available via Steam in the UK," a Ubisoft spokesperson told the site.

The spokesperson did not give a reason or an estimated time until the issue would be fixed.

Ubisoft instructed those in the UK wishing to purchase the games to do so via its Uplay store or from physical retailers in the region.

The issue only affects gamers in the UK, as both games will still be available on Steam in other regions.

Ubisoft recently revealed that Far Cry 3 will not support dedicated servers. The game will cast players as Jason Brody, a man stranded on a strange tropical island similar to the setting of the first Far Cry.

The game was originally targeted to launch in September, but was delayed to December 4 over the summer.

By Laura Parker, Associate Editor

Read More

Steam Beta Opens for Linux Users

Valve’s digital platform Steam is continuing its beta testing phase on the Linux operating system, with the company announcing plans to invite an additional 5,000 users before the Thanksgiving weekend kicks off in the US. Newly invited beta testers will receive an email notification.

The private external beta began in October this year.

Valve announced its plans to port Steam to Linux in July this year, revealing that it is starting with Ubuntu and a work-in-progress Left 4 Dead 2 port. The external beta began in October this year, and included Steam, one Valve game, and support for Ubuntu 12.04 and above. The initial round of invitations went out to 1,000 users.

The project, which began in 2011, aims to allow Steam to work with a functioning Ubuntu build of Left 4 Dead 2. Valve's 11-person Linux development team wants to make the game run on Ubuntu as well as it does on Windows, and has plans to accommodate other distributions of Linux.

Steam on Linux would add another notch on the digital distribution service's already large platform base, which spans PC, Mac, PlayStation 3, Android, and iPhone.

By Zorine Te, Community Manager

Read More

Gta Vice City Hits iOS, Android. on Dec 6th

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City will be reborn on iOS and Android devices next month. Rockstar Games today confirmed the 10th Anniversary of its 2002 open-world action game will launch December 6 priced at $5.

The mobile version of GTA: Vice City was announced last month. It features high-resolution graphics and several "enhancements" that are unique to the iOS and Android platforms. These include updated character models and lighting effects, "more precise" gun firing and targeting options, a customizable control layout, and support for Retina display devices.

Rockstar also released a list of compatible devices for GTA: Vice City 10th Anniversary. Supported iOS devices include the iPad, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, and iPhone 5, as well as fourth and fifth generation iPod touch units.

As for Android phones and tablets, the lists are much longer. Compatible Android-powered phones include the Samsung Galaxy S3, Google Nexus 4, Motorola Razr, HTC Rezound, and many more. Regarding Android tablets, the Google Nexus 10, Motorola Xoom, Toshiba Thrive, and Acer Iconia (among many others) are compatible with GTA: Vice City.

By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

Read More

Portal 2 Split Screen Mode?

Released more than a year-and-a-half ago, Valve is continuing to update Portal 2. The company has announced that it has released an update for the PC version of its puzzle game that adds split-screen co-op play, among other things.

 

Additionally, Portal 2 on PC now supports Steam's Big Picture mode, allowing users to play the game through their television sets.

In addition to adding new features to Portal 2, Valve also used the update to fix various issues, the first of which fixes controller input's "quick ping" button that caused player movement to stop. Additionally, the update fixes players' inability to exit Robot Enrichment or Create Test Chambers menus while using a controller.

By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

Read More

Molyneux 'reinventing' Populous

Peter Molyneux is no stranger to bold claims. Now, he has made another. The former Microsoft veteran is planning an "innovative reinvention" of Populous, the God game he created in 1989. To do so, Molyneux and his new studio 22Cans have launched a Kickstarter campaign for "Godus" with a funding contribution target of £450,000 (about $717,075). At press time, the fund had amassed £6,277 ($10,002) from 289 backers.

As for the game, Godus is aiming to deliver "exciting global co-operation, competition, creation, and destruction to a whole new generation." According to the game's Kickstarter page, 22Cans' goal with its games is to engage users in "fresh new ways."

Godus is in development for PC and mobile devices, though 22Cans said it hopes to add additional platforms as the Kickstarter effort progresses. Development on the project is expected to take between seven and nine months, though if funds exceed the target, extra time will be spent adding additional features to the game.

By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

Read More

BioWare Asks if Fans Want Mass Effect Prequel.

It appears the next Mass Effect game is only just beginning development. BioWare executive producer Casey Hudson asked his 30,000+ Twitter followers last night if they would prefer the next Mass Effect game to be a prequel to the original trilogy or a sequel.

 

"Parsing through your thoughts on the next #ME game," he wrote. "Would you be more interested in a game that takes place before the trilogy, or after?"

A follow-up to Mass Mass Effect 3 was announced in September. Just last week, BioWare revealed the project was in development at the studio's Montreal outfit under the direction of Hudson. The game will run on Battlefield technology Frostbite and will reportedly be "very respectful" of the franchise's history, though BioWare is pursuing "new directions" for the series with regards to gameplay and story.

By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

Read More

PS Vita Update 2.00 Arrives Today - What You Will Get

Tuesday, November 20th, 2012

PS Vita

- PS Plus support

Web Browser

- Enhanced web browser performance

- Update for HTML5 and Javascript

- Users will able to tweet web page addresses

Email

- Users will able to check email directly from the system

Content Management

- Wirelessly transfers data to PC 

- Browse folders from PS3/PC to be transferred to PS Vita

- Import  photos from PS3/PC

PS 1 Classic Settings

- Users able to assign controller buttons to touchscreen

- Flexible screen size adjustment

http://www.officialplaystationmagazine.co.uk/2012/11/20/ps-vita-system-update-2-00-arrives-today-heres-what-you-get/

Read More

Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault Delayed for PS Vita

Gamers hoping to take advantage of Sony's new Cross-Buy promotion with this month's Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault are out of luck, at least for now. The PlayStation Vita version of the game has been delayed to January 2013, Sony announced today on the PlayStation Blog. The PlayStation 3 version remains set for November 27.

"In order to provide the best gameplay experience possible, the PS Vita version of Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault will be coming out in January 2013," reads a line from a statement from SCEA producer Greg Phillips.

Full Frontal Assault takes advantage of Sony's new Cross-Buy promotion, whereby those who purchase the PS3 version will receive the PlayStation Vita iteration for free. For now, those who pick up the console version will not receive the portable version.

In response to the delay, Sony said will give away copies of the Mini-Boss Skin Pack for those who purchase Full Frontal Assault for PS3. It includes character skins from previous Ratchet games and is pictured above. It is not clear what Sony had planned to charge for this content as a standalone ware.

By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

Read More

RaiderZ Officially Launches Tuesday

Publisher Perfect World has announced that RaiderZ will officially launch on November 20.

F2P monster-hunting on the PC starts this week.

In addition, the publisher will be hosting new giveaway contests for next week as well as introduce a new Thanksgiving event in-game. The free-to-play MMO recently went through an open beta phase that started on October 24. More details can be found on the official site for the game.

RaiderZ is an MMO following the style of Capcom's action RPG series Monster Hunter; players will need to band up with other online characters to defeat giant monsters and craft weapons out of their loot.

By Jonathan Toyad, Associate Editor

Read More

Patch Hits Black Ops 2

Activision has released a new patch for the PlayStation 3 version of Call of Duty: Black Ops II, but it does not appear to have fixed what it set out to. Activision wrote in its support forums that it has launched an update aimed at fixing lockup/freezing issues, but also notes that some gamers are still experiencing the issues.

"We are doing everything we can to get to the bottom of it as quickly as possible," the statement reads. No specific timetable was provided concerning when the new fix will be ready.

Separately, Activision also addressed issues Wii U users are reporting. The company told gamers who are experiencing lockups to make sure they have the most recent version of the game. To do this, Activision said players should make sure they have installed all patches and title updates before jumping in. These updates provide improvements to security and fixes for exploits and crashes and do not affect saved games.

By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

Read More

Dumb Ways To Die. For The Sake of it, Its Pretty Relaxing.

"Dumb Ways to Die"- by Metro

I found this video today. It turned out to be a good, cute, and relaxing video.
Try it out !

Read More

Nintendo Releases Pokemon iOS APP

Nintendo's staunch reluctance to embrace the smartphone market may be coming to an end. The Nintendo-owned Pokemon Company has released a Pokedex for iOS app through the Japanese iTunes market for ¥170, or about $2. Additional creature packs are available for ¥500 ($6). The listing was first spotted by GamesIndustry International.


The app was developed by Game Freak subsidiary Creatures, Inc. That company has developed a series of Pokemon titles, including 2011's Wii game Pokepark 2: Wonders Beyond. No mention was made of a release for the app outside of Japan.

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said in July that smartphones and tablets had "obviously" changed the portable gaming market. Despite this, he said the competition from these devices has not affected DS sales in any significant way.

Additionally, Nintendo spokesperson Yashuhiro Minagawa explained in July 2011 that the company's strategy to develop games only for first-party hardware "hasn't changed and won't change.

By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

Read More

Wii U Charges 50 Cents to Register

The Wii U's Nintendo Network is not entirely free. According to a Wii U support page, parents or guardians must pay a one-time fee of $0.50 to create a Nintendo Network account for children under the age of 13. This acts as proof of consent to create a Nintendo Network account, and is in accordance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

According to Nintendo, credit card information will not be stored on the Wii U. Additionally, because this information is not stored, gamers must re-enter their information to make purchases through the eShop.

Parents and guardians with multiple children will not need to pay the fee again to create additional Nintendo Network accounts. Once the first child is set up, the Parental Control PIN is the only information needed to create additional accounts.

By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

Read More

PS Vita, PS3 bundles discounted for Black Friday

Sony isn't skipping Black Friday. The company today announced its plans for the unofficial start to the holiday shopping season, which includes markdowns on select PlayStation Vita and PlayStation 3 bundles.

Gamers in the market for PS Vita can pick up the Assassin's Creed III: Liberation, Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes, and Call of Duty: Black Ops: Declassified bundles for $200 on Black Friday. These normally retail for $250.

Amazon and GameStop will be the exclusive carriers of the Assassin's Creed III: Liberation bundle, while gamers in the market for the Black Ops Declassified bundle will need to shop at Best Buy. Lastly, the Lego Batman 2 PS Vita pack will be available only at Target.

On the console side, Sony will introduce a PS3 Value Bundle on Black Friday for $200 at retailers across the country. This offering includes a 250GB system, a 30-day PlayStation Plus trial membership, the Uncharted Dual Pack (Uncharted 1 and Uncharted 2), and the Infamous Collection (Infamous 1 and Infamous 2). Sony claims this represents savings of $120.

In addition, select retailers will carry Dualshock 3 wireless PS3 controllers on Black Friday for $40, a markdown of $15 from the normal $55 going rate.

By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

Read More

Major Assasins Creed III Patch Next Week

Ubisoft will release a major patch for Assassin's Creed III next week, the company has announced. The extensive "Thanksgiving Patch" will roll out at the end of next week for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 and will address a range of issues in the game's single- and multiplayer components.

According to the patch notes on the Ubisoft forums, the update will fix missing audio issues and squash a range of bugs related to NPCs walking in circles and players getting stuck in certain areas. Additionally, the patch will make certain chase sequences easier.

The full patch notes (which contain numerous spoilers) are available on the Ubisoft forums. It is not clear if a similar patch will be made available for the Wii U version of Assassin's Creed III, which is due out on Sunday. A Ubisoft representative was not immediately available for comment.

By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

Read More

Modern Warfare 4 in 2013? I Don't Think This Is Going To Be Good

Looking back to what Modern Warfare 3 campaign , I think Modern Warfare 4 campaign will not be as satisfying as previous Modern Warfare series . Since MW3 campaign was so "forced" as people say it.

It does not take a seasoned industry watcher to predict Activision will make a new Call of Duty game in 2013, but first details on this project have come to light. Siliconera has heard from a source that next year's Call of Duty will be a continuation of the Modern Warfare series.

The main character of this unannounced title is a "battle-hardened veteran in his mid-thirties with a nihilistic point of view," the source says, and voiceovers for the game are currently underway in Los Angeles, California.

This news follows a report from last month, when voice actor Bill Murray (Captain Price) reportedly confirmed Modern Warfare 4. Murray later denied having said anything of the matter, and Infinity Ward called the report "speculation."

An Activision representative was not immediately available for comment.

The Modern Warfare story arc began in 2007 with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Sequels Modern Warfare 2 and Modern Warfare 3 released in 2009 and 2011, respectively.

By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

Read More

Megaman Will Return. Good News For Retro Gamers.

In the past two years, Capcom has canceled Mega Man Legends 3 and Mega Man Universe, but that doesn't mean the publisher is giving up on the Blue Bomber. In a Nintendo Power interview (via Rockman Corner), Capcom senior vice president Christian Svensson promised Mega Man will return.

"I can say with certainty that you've not seen the last of the Blue Bomber on consoles and handhelds, and, with luck, we'll be celebrating his 50th anniversary, including all of the games you're going to enjoy over the next 25 years," Svensson said.

However, Capcom is not going to rush to announce any new Mega Man projects before the time is appropriate.

"That said, an issue we've had in the past has been talking about games and announcing them before we're certain they're going to come out, which unfortunately has lead to profound disappointment for many fans," he added. "So for now, I'm going to have to stay mum about any details."

The most recent entry in the series was Mega Man 10, which released in 2010 for Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, and WiiWare.

By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

Read More