Respawn’s First Game is Reportedly an Xbox Exclusive

A new rumor suggests that the first game from Respawn Entertainment will be exclusive to Microsoft. According to a report from Kotaku, anonymous sources suggest that Respawn’s game will come to Microsoft’s next-gen console and to Xbox 360, “but no versions for rival PlayStation and Nintendo consoles.”

The report calls the title “multiplayer-centric” and “designed for multiplayer,” with sources suggesting that “the game is always-online.” This tidbit seemingly confirms recent rumors that the next Xbox will require a constant internet connection, though Kotaku has been unable to clarify “whether the game would permit offline play” as well. The sources “did not think that the game would have a standalone linear campaign.”

The game’s multiplayer is said to “operate on a grand scale,” featuring two factions with support for up to 16 players, though “Respawn would add AI-controlled characters to make the action more frenetic and to give novice players a greater chance to score some kills.” The game is also said to feature Titans, which are “giant exoskeletons” that soldiers can pilot. The Titans are “big mech-style walkers that move with an agility not seen in games like Mechwarrior or Steel Battalions” and would lend credibility to a recent rumor that the game is titled Titan.

Other bits in the report suggest that Respawn’s game “is made on a modified version of Valve's Source engine, not on internal EA tech” and that the current-gen version is not made internally, but Respawn “is hand-picking a studio to make the 360 edition.”

Respawn was formed in 2010, though one blurry image marks the only official detail to be revealed. Respawn co-founder Jason West left Respawn in March, but Respawn confirmed that the game will make an appearance at E3. If it is Xbox-exclusive, we might get our first glimpse at Microsoft's upcoming Xbox reveal event, which has been confirmed for May 21st.

We’ve reached out to EA and Respawn for comment and will update this story with any additional information we receive.

Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following @garfep on Twitter or garfep on IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

The Comics Run: April 29, 2013

Hey, comic book world. These are the books I'm super excited for this week. We probably have different opinions, which is why this is the perfect opportunity for you to cruise it on over to the comments and strike up a healthy discussion about this week's most exciting books!

If you want a comprehensive list of everything that’s coming out this week and not just my own picks for what’s hot, check out Diamond’s shipping list.

The Movement #1 - $2.99

By Gail Simone & Freddie Williams II | DC

Not that Gail Simone’s name isn’t enough to get me excited for a book, but I tend to get pumped when the superhero publishers do something different within their universes. Hopefully, The Movement can provide the taste of alternative superhero comics that DC is currently missing, particularly with the cancellation of I, Vampire.

A sort of companion piece to the upcoming The Green Team, The Movement tells the story of the powerless population forced to fight against corrupt super-beings and government lackeys. It’s looking like The Movement will be a street-level view of the DC Universe as those less fortunate than the usual cast of characters see it.

Swamp Thing #20 - $2.99

By Charles Soule & Kano | DC

Swamp Thing vs. Superman?! SIGN ME UP. Fan service of that potential battle aside, I was supremely satisfied with the debut of Charles Soule and Kano on this book, who with one issue were able to transition naturally from the conclusion of Snyder and Paquette’s run and definitively take the book in a new direction.

After hearing the writer talk about his plans for short arcs and constant locale changes in Swamp Thing – due to Swampy’s renewed ability to travel through the Green – I couldn’t be more excited to continue the adventures of Alec Holland.

Hawkeye #10 - $2.99

By Matt Fraction & Francesco Francavilla | Marvel

Two of the greatest things in comic books today are colliding this week, as Francesco Francavilla undoubtedly draws the hell out of this issue of Hawkguy. Of course, this book will also be following up on the supremely depressing cliffhanger of the last issue, which, well, was pretty brutal.

Still, I love the fact that I am so up in arms about a character we hardly knew. Which is probably the point; we feel the guilt that Clint will feel, not knowing Grills as well as we should have. How this will impact Clint’s increasingly miserable life remains to be seen, but I’m betting lots of arrows will be shot.

Black Bat #1 - $3.99

By Brian Buccellato & Ronan Cliquet | Dynamite

Dynamite’s been revamping pulp heroes for quite some time now, and the universe they’ve built with them all has been quite impressive – just take a look at the great team-up book Masks. With the debut of the Black Bat, Flash scribe Brian Buccellato takes on the morally ambiguous Tony Quinn, a dirty mob attorney that becomes the Black Bat to redeem all of his past mistakes and dirty dealings.

I’m excited to see how Buccellato brings this 1930s vigilante into the modern world, and even more so, how he makes use of the ethical complexities of the Black Bat.

Harbinger Wars #2 - $3.99

By Joshua Dysart, Duane Swierczynski & Clayton Henry | Valiant

Valiant Comics is proving the concept of the “event comic” can still be massively awesome in today’s comic book world. So often, we are jaded to the point of writing off the “Nothing will ever be the same!” promises from a publisher, but after just one issue, Valiant has shown us that they mean business.

This issue promises to up the ante as Bloodshot and friends strike Las Vegas and bring the war to Toyo Harada and those that would seek to take control of the psiots from Project Rising Spirit. I’d say that he’s up for a hell of a challenge, but the dude’s name is Bloodshot. Pretty sure he’ll manage to kill lots o’ stuff.

Joey is a Senior Editor at IGN and a comic book creator. Follow Joey on Twitter @JoeyEsposito, or find him on IGN at Joey-IGN. After Man of Steel comes out, his life will lose all sense of direction and purpose.

Source : ign[dot]com

Pre-Order Diablo III on PS3, Get a Free Helmet

Blizzard has announced that pre-orders are now open for Diablo III on PlayStation 3. According to Blizzard’s official site, pre-orders from select retailers will earn you an Infernal Helm, which “grants an experience point boost to any character who wears it, accelerating their progression as they rise in power.”

In some territories, specific retailers will also offer additional limited edition bonuses, though none have specifically been revealed.

"We've poured blood, sweat, and hellfire into creating an epic Diablo III experience for PlayStation gamers," said Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime. "In addition to including all the improvements from the PC version over the past year, we've made several updates to Diablo III for play on the PS3. We got a ton of positive feedback from players who tried the game at PAX East, and we can't wait to get it into everyone's hands later this year."

Blizzard notes that the PS3 version of Diablo III “has been custom-tailored for PlayStation gamers, with updates to the game's thrilling boss battles, an all-new user interface featuring an intuitive control system, and a dynamic camera perspective that will make vanquishing evil feel like second nature on the PlayStation. Players can take on the vile denizens of the Burning Hells alone or in a party of up to four via same-screen local cooperative play, online play over the PlayStation Network, or any combination of online or local players.”

Diablo III was originally released for PC in May of last year. Blizzard announced it for PlayStation 3 in February, and also said a PlayStation 4 version will follow.

Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following @garfep on Twitter or garfep on IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Portal Creator's Ouya Exclusive is Soul Fjord

Soul Fjord, the next game from Portal creator Kim Swift and the team at Airtight Games, is an Ouya-exclusive dungeon crawler with rhythm-based combat.

"The typical recipe of a rhythm game meets rogue-like dungeon crawler, set in a fantasy universe where Norse mythology has gotten an injection of '70s funk and soul," says Swift, is what makes Soul Fjord special. Its grindhouse-y, 'sploitation elements, which you can see in the trailer below, definitely hit those points.

“

Disco Wizards, Lounge Dragons, and Norse-Funk music.

"As a team," she continues, "we have this sliding bar between '70s funk and Norse mythology. Every decision we make from music, to atmosphere, to characters, to environment we have to make a choice on where we want that slider to land. What that means to you is...Disco Wizards, Lounge Dragons, Norse-Funk music and the baddest Viking in town, Magnus Jones." As Jones, players explore procedurally generated dungeons as he clobbers his way through random enemies and into Valhalla.

Something nutty like this would typically find a welcoming home on PC, where communities live for indie games, or PlayStation Network, where Airtight's own Quantum Conundrum found a loving audience. I asked Kim Swift if Soul Fjord would ever make its way outside the unproven Ouya and onto those markets. "Currently, Soul Fjord is slated to be a console exclusive only to the Ouya, and is designed around the console," she says. Like DoubleFine's Broken Age, this open-endedness allows Airtight to bring Soul Fjord to mobile and PC as well.

For Swift, what sets the Android console apart is "that it’s not trying to fit into the arms race of the next-gen consoles. I do believe that there’s space for Ouya with the rise in popularity of indie games, coupled with the fact that [Ouya's] price point will make [it] the most reasonably priced gaming machine on the market."

Vikings and soul. Hell yeah.

Swift is over-the-moon positive about Airtight and Ouya's relationship, which she sees equally opportunistic and beneficial. Ultimately, it comes down to the hand-in-hand leap of faith that typically comes with launching a new game franchise.

"We’re taking a chance on Ouya being a new console, and they in turn are taking a chance on us."

IGN recently spent significant time with the hardware, and came away impressed, but were let down by the games. Soul Fjord is just what Ouya needed. Will you be taking a chance on both?

The Ouya blog will have a developer diary for Soul Fjord today, and IGN will have plenty more before its to-be-announced release.

Mitch Dyer is an Associate Editor at IGN. He’s also quite Canadian. Read his ramblings on Twitter and follow him on IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Arrested Development: First Clip From Season 4 (Sort Of)

Arrested Development creator Mitch Hurwitz is working to keep his secrets when it comes to the new episodes premiering on May 26th on Netflix, but now the public can see the first new clip from the show in seven years. This clip was first shown to press back in January, and Hurwitz noted it actually won't even be included in one of the episodes - it's an outtake.

Regardless, it's pretty amazing to see the Bluths back in action, as Lucille (Jessica Walter) manages to get around the fact that she's not supposed to be smoking in her apartment, with the help of eternal mama's boy, Buster (Tony Hale).

Michael Bluth's's Best Moments

George Bluth Sr.'s Best Moments

Buster Bluth's Best Moments

Lindsay Bluth Fünke's Best Moments

Lucille Bluth's Best Moments

Maeby Fünke's Best Moments

George Michael Bluth's Best Moments

Tobias Fünke's Best Moments

Gob Bluth's Best Moments

Source : ign[dot]com

Arrested Development: First Clip From Season 4 (Sort Of)

Arrested Development creator Mitch Hurwitz is working to keep his secrets when it comes to the new episodes premiering on May 26th on Netflix, but now the public can see the first new clip from the show in seven years. This clip was first shown to press back in January, and Hurwitz noted it actually won't even be included in one of the episodes - it's an outtake.

Regardless, it's pretty amazing to see the Bluths back in action, as Lucille (Jessica Walter) manages to get around the fact that she's not supposed to be smoking in her apartment, with the help of eternal mama's boy, Buster (Tony Hale).

Source : ign[dot]com

App Store Update: April 29

Every day hundreds of new apps make their debut on the App Store, and hundreds more are updated or reduced in price. We have sifted through the noise and highlighted those select few that might be worth your attention. For more mobile game trailers, reviews and news be sure to Subscribe to IGNMobileGames on YouTube.

App Store Update Video

Game Debuts

Survivalcraft – ($3.99)

An all-new clone of Minecraft has washed up on the shores of the Store today, and it'll be interesting to see how it sales end up competing with the official Pocket Edition of its source material.

Pixels & Dungeons – ($1.99)

More old-school dungeon-crawling with old-school visuals.

Vanished: The Island – ($2.99)

SkyHorse Interactive kicks off an all-new adventure series by sending you to explore a mysterious island:

Price Drops

Stone Age: The Board Game – ($4.99)

Normally priced at $6.99, Campfire Creations has knocked a couple of bucks off of Stone Age for a limited time.

I Dig It HD – ($0.99)

For a more severe price drop, check out I Dig It HD – this subterranean adventure debuted at a price of $9.99 in 2010, so digging all the way down to just 99 cents is quite a savings.

Freebies!

Glow Puzzle – (Free)

Connect all the dots with a continuous path, but don't use any of the available lanes more than once.

Multiponk – (Free)

Up to four people can compete across a single iPad screen in this slick multiplayer take on Pong:

Gyro 13: Steam Copter Arcade HD – (Free)

This tough-as-nails copter navigating challenge rewards only those players with enough patience to steer their steampunk helicopter with subtle care.

Tentacle Wars – (Free)

This hit Flash strategy game first came to iPad, then iPhone last year. Today it's available for free – but only today! Similar to games like Galcon, Tentacle Wars is an attempt to distill the realtime strategy genre to its most elemental state. A 40-mission single player campaign and online multiplayer are included.

That’s it for today! Email subscriptions to the App Store Update are still just one sign-up away, right here:

Lucas M. Thomas is going to start working on his own original game, Craftmine. You can follow Lucas on Twitter, @lucasmthomas.

Source : ign[dot]com