Halo 5's First Forge Playlist Goes Live

Looking for something new to play in Halo 5: Guardians this weekend? 343 Industries has launched the first Forge playlist. Called Community Breakout, the playlist features Breakout maps made by fans using Halo 5's map-making Forge tools. According to 343, Community Breakout is the first of many Forge playlists.

"Since the launch of Forge, we've kept an eye on your incredible community creations, and today we're introducing the first (of many) batches of community maps into matchmaking," 343 said on Halo Waypoint. "We know you're excited about playing on Forge favorites, ranging from competitive 4v4 to Big Team Battle to wacky mini-games and Action Sack, and more. Let’s kick things off!"

Featured in the Community Breakout playlist are the "top" 10 community-made maps. Additionally, starting next week, 343 will let you vote on your favorites; the winners (and the Breakout maps that shipped with Halo 5) will then be featured in a February 2016 Breakout playlist.

You can click through the gallery above to see all the Community Breakout maps, while this Halo Waypoint post contains the names of the map makers.

In other Halo 5 news, 343 this week announced January 2016's free Halo 5 update, Infinity's Armory. It includes new maps, as well as more weapons and armor.

source: gamespot

SEGA teases English Valkyria Chronicles Remaster announcement for next week

Fans have been drooling over Valkyria Chronicles Remaster for the PlayStation 4, wondering if it will be given another chance in the English speaking world. Well, the PC version made SEGA much happier than it expected, and I don’t think it’s going to hold out too much longer on us. In fact, the company is already teasing an announcement for the release next week!

During its PC Gamer Weekender 2016 podcast, Sega’s Dan Sheridan commented on the possibility of the game coming West, stating:

“A trailer for Valkyria Chronicles Remaster on PlayStation 4 was recently released. But what does this mean for us? Will we see it in the west? Tune in next week to find out more. Ha ha ha!”

Start your tank engine, Valkyria fans! We’re going back to war! The big question now is if we get the same Valkyria: Azure Revolution demo that the Japanese gamers are getting. If SEGA confirms a release next week, we’ll most likely be hearing about that as well.

Valkyria Chronicles Remaster launches for the PlayStation 4 in Japan on Feb. 10. Stay tuned for more on the English version.

source: GEMATSU

Unbox, a game inspired by Katamari and Marble Blast, announced for PC, PS4, XBO

Unbox looks absolutely ridiculous, and it’s just been announced for consoles. The game that features platforming box action has already been Greenlit for Steam, and now it’s bound for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

The new console announcement trailer above brings the news alongside the zany gameplay.

What is Unbox, you ask? Well, developer Prospect Games took to the Unreal Engine forums back in September of 2015 to talk specifically about that.

Unbox is a physics based platformer about rolling cardboard boxes; take part in an epic single player adventure and grab your friends for explosive local multiplayer races and battles!

Unbox was created during the December UE4 Game Jam and inspired by the games we played and loved while growing up. From the competitive and frenetic action of Goldeneye to the expansive exploration of Super Mario 64, there are threads of old school design woven throughout Unbox. Add in some contemporary influences from titles such as Katamari Damacy, Marble Blast Ultra, Noby Noby Boy and you get a game like nothing else…

You had me at Katamari Damacy, friends.

Unbox is set to hit the PC in May of 2016. The console versions don’t have a release date yet.

source: technobuffalo

Meet Valkyria: Azure Revolutions’ villain – Demo details inside

Two big reveals regarding SEGA and Media Vision’s upcoming JRPG Valkyria: Azure Revolution came today.

First up, we get our first look at our villain, Maxim. We know he’s a villain because he has silver hair, a JRPG standard. Captain America also might have a bit to say about his skintight blue leather getup, not to mention his back story. The two share a very similar origin as the result of a super soldier experiment.

He was born in Empire territory, but was selected as a military officer by Emperor Claudius and became a young soldier. Ragnite was placed inside his body as a human experiment, so he is able to use Magic Arts of overwhelming power and is thus a Magic Arts soldier.

SEGA also dropped some play tips for the upcoming demo. Those who buy the first wave of Valkyria Chronicles Remastered for the PlayStation 4 will get an exclusive look at what’s going to come. So far, the deal has only been confirmed for Japan.

1. Mission Start – There are two playable missions in the demo: “Morda Practice Fight” and “Morda Suppression Fight.”

2. Battlefield Movement and Long-Distance Attacks – Players control characters through direct movement. You can fire at enemy symbols and use sub-weapons for long distance attacks. During movement, you can press the Circle button to hide behind nearby sandbags and cover. You can fire with R1, or use your sub-weapon for a long-distance attack with L1 and Square. If your attack is successful, you’ll be in a better state when you get to close combat.

3. Close Combat – In close combat, you’ll attack enemies through four buttons assigned to your weapons and Magic Arts. During battle, the reactions of allies and enemies change based on specific situations and have a big influence on the battle’s development. If you surprise an enemy with a long-distance attack, or something along those lines, their reactions could change, giving you an advantage.

If a party member’s HP reaches zero in battle, he or she will be in a near-death state, and a countdown timer to death will begin. You’ll need to get to your ally and heal them before their countdown timer reaches zero for them to survive. Otherwise they’ll die. You can’t revive an ally who’s died.

The background music will seamlessly change between fields and battle.

Sounds like permadeath to me. Yikes! Valkyria Chronicles Remastered launches on Feb. 10 in Japan for the PlayStation 4.

source: technobuffalo

Horror game Layers of Fear will toy with your sanity this February

While the now 15-year-old Silent Hill 2 might always be my favorite horror game, there’s no doubt that we’re in a golden age of horror with games like Amnesia and Outlast and even P.T., the Silent Hills demo. A small studio called Bloober Team, located in Poland, has been working on a game called Layers of Fear. The game’s been in Early Access for some time, but now the team is ready to get the game out into the world as a finished title. Better yet, it’s heading to consoles as well.

Layers of Fear is a game about a struggling artist losing his grip on reality. As you wander your Victorian house (they’re always Victorian, aren’t they?), you move through your own past, and the house twists around you. Walls melt, gravity shifts, reality ebbs and flows. The game is lavishly detailed and beautifully lit, and that makes it that much more stunning when it begins to fall apart. The game’s presence on Early Access means it’s pretty easy to find extended gameplay sequences from the title, so you’ll know what you’re getting.

This is easily one of the best looking horror games out there, and it has atmosphere to spare. The focus on sanity and such suggests that there probably isn’t a monster lurking around, aside from yourself, leaving the creators to play with scares that don’t involve someone chasing you down and looking for you.

The game is set to release officially for PC as well as PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on February 16.

source: technobuffalo

Amazon offering full refund on hoverboards following spate of fires

Amazon offers to refund all buyers of hoverboards even as safety officials investigate dozens of fire incidents

According a release from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Amazon will offer refunds to those who have purchased hoverboards through their site. The move made by Amazon as in response to incidents due to fires and falls caused by the two-wheeled balance boards or self-balancing boards.

In the meantime, CPSC is urging anyone who keeps their hoverboard to have a working fire extinguisher handy. It is also suggesting users to wear protective gear, stay off roads and charge the boards away from combustible materials.

Praising Amazon’s decision on Wednesday, U.S. CPSC Chairman Elliot F. Kaye said he was “pleased that at least one leading retailer is erring on the side of caution.” He referred disgruntled hoverboard owners to Amazon’s contact page to claim their refund.

“I want to commend Amazon for voluntarily stepping up, providing a free remedy and putting customer safety first,” Kaye said.

The U.S. CPSC said it expects other manufacturers and retailers to follow suit, who has been investigating hoverboard safety issues since December.

Because of “the increasing number of serious injuries and emergency room visits associated with these products,” the commission announced that it was looking into dozens of blazes involving the smart boards, thought to be caused by lithium-ion batteries and the hoverboards’ electronic wiring.

“At first glance, it is easy to believe the risk of falling off a hoverboard is an obvious one and to dismiss those injuries as user inexperience or error,” said Kaye in a statement. “However, I am concerned, for example, that the current designs of these products might not take fully into consideration the different weights of different users, potentially leading to the units speeding up or lurching in a manner that a user would not have reason to anticipate.”

The group’s safety-conscious chairman Kaye also said that the boards present a serious falling risk, a comment supported by dozens of videos showing users, including boxing legend Mike Tyson, falling from scooters onto their keisters.

Kaye also flagged the fact there is no safety standard in place for hoverboards, and warned that a UL mark, a sign of electrical compliance granted by a respected certification company, was not a reliable indicator of device safety. A number of hoverboards have been found with counterfeit UL marks.

The CPSC is already looking into at least 39 reports of hoverboards smoking or bursting into flames, often while charging. The agency believes the fires may be due to overheating of lithium ion batteries. Until now, CPSC is investigating hoverboards made by 13 manufacturers.

More than 30 colleges have temporarily banned the cheap transportation devices, while the wait for a conclusive finding from the CPSC is still on. Couple of industry groups announced they are working on creating safety standards for hoverboards.

Amazon started offering refunds in December on some hoverboard models sold in the UK. It also stopped selling certain hoverboard models around the world. Most recently, the online retailer has emailed some customers in the U.S. who purchased the boards and offered refunds. Anyone interested in returning their hoverboard can contact Amazon customer service.

However, Amazon has not yet confirmed whether the refunds are applicable all hoverboards or to the US only or apply worldwide.

While Amazon is offering refunds, it is still providing some hoverboards including a model from Swagway, which is listed as one of the 13 companies below whose products are being investigated by the CPSC.

Meanwhile, the CPSC said that is “actively investigating” boards made or sold by the following 13 companies and it is testing hoverboards at its facility in Rockville, Maryland:

• Smart Balance Wheel/One Stop Electronic Inc.
• Smart Balance Wheel Scooter/Glide Boards
• Hover-way Hands-Free Electric/Digital Gadgets LLC
• Swagway Hands-Free Smart Board/Swagway LLC
• Smart Balance Board/I Lean Hoverboards
• E-Rover-Mini Smart Balance Scooter/LeCam Technology
• Smart Balance Wheels/Kateeskitty
• Hoverboard360.com
• iMOTO/Keenford Limited
• YOOLIKED
• Smart Balance Wheel/Luxiyan and
• Uwheels
• E-Rover Smart Balance Wheel

Amazon’s refund offer is the latest in a series of hiccups for hoverboards, which have been banned by major airlines and major colleges in addition to being restricted by the U.S. Postal Service.

source: techworm

Next round of Xbox One Backward Compatible games up, Witcher 2 is free

Good news for those of you looking to play more Xbox 360 games on your Xbox One. A brand new round of games has been announced.

The star of this list is certainly The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. Heck, we even received a press release directly from CD Projekt RED alongside the news from Major Nelson regarding this brand new rundown of Xbox 360 titles on the Xbox One. What was the release about? The Witcher 2 is free on Xbox One by way of backwards compatibility for a limited time. It will remain free starting January 21 at 6AM PT until February 5. Snap it up!

Here’s the full list.

As solid as The Witcher is, the pile also offers a few duds. No one said the 360 boasted nothing but classics. Jeremy McGrath’s Offroad and Age of Booty are certainly nothing to write home about.

Finally, if you’ve never played Skullgirls and don’t own a PC, this might be a good way to crack into the well made fighting game. It’s never been my jam, but lovers of the genre hold this one in high regard.

What do you think of the additions? Me? I want Red Dead…

source: technobuffalo

Microsoft files for Phantom Dust trademark again

We all but buried and eulogized Microsoft’s attempts at rebooting the Phantom Dust franchise. Shady stories about underhanded budget tactics painted a bleak picture for the game’s future, but Microsoft’s Phil Spencer continued to insist that the company was dedicated to the project.

Could his words have been more than just mere smoke and mirrors?

Microsoft has filed once again for the Phantom Dust trademark, as discovered byDualShockers. The company could just be protecting its property, but it’s also possible we might see this turn up again at E3 2016.

Phantom Dust was an original Xbox card-based action game that never caught on to great success. Of course, it enjoys a loyal cult of followers all these years later, and Microsoft, trying to boost the Xbox One’s niche cred, announced a reboot at E3 2014. Many fans felt the sting of the behind the scenes drama when the development studio closed, and it certainly didn’t look good for Microsoft’s image.

My guess is that some studio stepped in to salvage the project, and we’ll be seeing it as a barebones multiplayer game this year at E3. No more of that 30 hour JRPG nonsense or that horrendous CG trailer from E3 2014. Microsoft wants the title published because it needs niche exclusives to counter the upcoming wave of PlayStation JRPGs, but it’s not going to throw a significant budget at such an absurdly small market and unproven title.

And I’m fine with that. Phantom Dust needs to prove it’s worth the money to exist like every other franchise out there, and that would be the best place to start. Keep your expectations in check, especially because this trademark might lead to nothing, and a happy ending might still be waiting at the end of this closed novel.

source: technobuffalo

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Minecraft: Education Edition launches this summer

MinecraftEdu has been around for a few years now – almost as long as Minecraft itself. Now, though, it’s getting some official support.

Microsoft and Minecraft dev Mojang announced today Minecraft: Education Edition. MinecraftEdu has been acquired by Microsoft and “is building upon its proven success to create a new version of Minecraft that’s dedicated to learning.”

The education edition will be available as a free trial this summer, and anyone already using MinecraftEdu will get a free year of the service. The continued development will be collaborative, according to the announcement, with educators contributing  lesson plans and discussing how they use the game to further education.

MinecraftEdu has been used in over 40 countries already for various applications. Microsoft has been involved in education for as long as I can remember, and the combined power of Minecraft‘s unprecedented success and Microsoft’s far reach make a sensible combination. I’m usually a little concerned about acquisitions, but this one seems to make a lot of sense at a glance. Of course, if they’re going to charge for it, Microsoft will have to justify the cost – teachers aren’t known for having tons of extra cash lying around – so it’ll be interesting to see how the program changes under their control. The bigger budget and backing should help extend the program’s longevity and reach if nothing else.

If you’re an educator, you can head to education.minecraft.net for more information.

source: technobuffalo

Darkest Dungeon finally launches and will steal your sanity

We’ve been fascinated with Darkest Dungeon ever since the announcement trailer knocked us off our feet. Since then, Red Hook Studio’s brutal and mind-melting RPG smashed its Kickstarter campaign and turned out of be just as huge of a success on Steam Early Access. Two years later, we finally have a launch trailer.

Prepare to have your sanity destroyed. Darkest Dungeon launches today on Steam, and its official launch trailer hasn’t lost one step of its power. Whether it’s heart attacks, claustrophobia, or being stabbed in the back by your “ally,” Red Hook’s game is going to penetrate your skull and take pokes at the most sensitive areas of your subconscious.

Seriously, good luck playing this game with the lights off.

I’ve been waiting forever to finally play this game, since I avoid playing unfinished titles, but I might have to wait a bit longer. The free Steam copy I got from backing the campaign is sitting in my library as I write, but I’m holding out for the PS Vita version.

Darkest Dungeon launches today for the PC. It will also launch for the PS Vita and PlayStation 4 on an unspecified date.

source: technobuffalo