Assassin’s Creed III Q&A: Revolution (and Evolution)

Assassin’s Creed III Q&A: Revolution (and Evolution):

Ubisoft raised more than a few eyebrows when it revealed its bold plans for Assassin’s Creed III earlier this month. In a sharp break from the Renaissance theme that has dominated the last three games, ACIII will shift its focus to the desperate, bloody days of the American Revolution in a story that spans 30 years. The change is scenery is matched by a change in character, with protagonist Connor Kenway taking center stage as an assassin caught between the escalating atrocities of the Patriots and the Redcoats. It’s a juicy premise positively bursting with potential.
With Assassin’s Creed III set to land on PS3 this October 30th, we sat down with Creative Director Alex Hutchinson to discuss the game’s ambitious premise and many, many gameplay enhancements. Read on for the choice highlights, or tune in to the entire 15-minute interview on episode 018 of PlayStation Blogcast. As always, let us know what you think in the comments!

PlayStation.Blog: When it comes to the basic ingredients of US history, Americans know our stuff. Do you feel pressure to portray characters such as George Washington in a certain way? Do you have creative freedom with him?


Alex Hutchinson, Creative Director, Assassin’s Creed III: One of the cool things about Assassin’s Creed III is that we have so much information this time. In previous games, we were filling in gaps — we knew approximately what happened, or an opinion of what happened, so we had a lot of room to move. But now, we pretty much know where all the Founding Fathers were every day of the Revolution and what they were thinking. They were copious letter writers, so we have all kinds of crazy information to build on; Ben Franklin believing that the national bird should be a turkey instead of a “thieving” eagle, or his opinions on women and so on.
It’s more about finding different angles on these people, things that maybe aren’t in the populist history, things that we can defend. It’s a lot of fun, there are some juicy characters…Pretty much 80 percent of the speaking characters are real people. You’ve heard of Paul Revere and George Washington, but a lot of the secondary characters here you won’t have heard of. If you sit there with Wikipedia open, though, you can look them up.
PSB: What inspired the name of protagonist Connor Kenway?


AH: His given Native American name is very hard to pronounce, it’s Ratohnhaké:ton. [laughter]. We took it very seriously when we decided to have a Native American assassin, we wanted someone who was one step removed — we didn’t want a Redcoat or a Patriot. We also really liked the idea of having a minority as the lead character, especially one that isn’t really represented in popular culture.
It comes with a lot of risk as well; we’ve hired a Native American consultant to make sure we’re handling things appropriately, and the actor who voices Connor is Native American as well.

PSB: You showed a lot of epic-looking battlefield sequences pitting the Redcoats against the Patriots — how does Connor fight on the battlefield?


AH: The narrative of the game is “Assassins versus Templars,” it’s not about you saving the American Revolution. You get involved in aspects of it; the story picks up before the Revolution kicks off and continues after it. So whenever you’re at these battle events, you’re never going to be in the line infantry shooting a rifle or serving as an actual soldier. You have an ulterior motive at the battle: Connor’s goal is to assassinate a specific person. Whoever else lives or dies in that battle is not something that concerns him.
PSB: What did you think when BioShock Infinite was revealed? Both games explore similar elements such as patriotism and the dawn of American Exceptionalism, though in different ways.


AH: I was a huge fan of BioShock, I loved that game. I think most of our team has pre-orders in for BioShock Infinite, actually! Luckily, the flavor of the games is radically different: we are far more earnest, you know what I mean? BioShock is a super-smart game, but they like to exaggerate for effect. I think it will be good for both games to co-exist because they play off each other a little.

PSB: For the first time, Connor has the ability to use two weapons at once — how does that change the flow of combat?


AH: We wanted him to feel more like a predator, so all of his combat is two-handed whether it’s tomahawk and knife, or hidden blade and knife. There’s a lot of new gear, and if you’ve watched movies like The Last of the Mohicans you can probably figure out some of them! But the core combat system has been rebuilt completely. What the buttons do, how they do it, the enemy types, the strategy, and so forth.
PSB: The climbing controls seem to have been simplified. Have you fundamentally changed the way traversal works for Assassin’s Creed III?


AH: The goal was to create a character who was as nimble and as capable in a wilderness environment as Ezio and Altair were in cities. We wanted to turn the frontier into a 3D playing space of uneven surfaces and slopes and trees….so when we looked at the controls, we thought we could clarify them. Having to hold two buttons at once in order to climb was definitely something we wanted to address.
In Assassin’s Creed III, if you hold R1 you’ll free run safely. You’ll stay relatively horizontal, so Connor will run past trees and he’ll only take “safe” jumps. But if you hold X as well, then the run becomes “unsafe” — he’ll try to go vertical, and if he hits the edge of a cliff, he’ll jump. Hopefully it’ll give peoples’ hands some relief, but it’s also a way of telling the game whether you want to take risks or not.
And we’ve managed to unify that new control scheme with our fighting. R1 is always sprint, so you don’t have to lock onto enemies anymore in order to attack them. And if you wanna get out of a fight, you just hold R1 and off you go. We have this idea, too, that Connor is always in motion — that he can assassinate on the run. So we have ways to run past a guard, snatch his musket, shoot his buddy, kill the next guy, and keep on moving.

Tune into the latest episode of PlayStation Blogcast (episode 018) to hear our full 15-minute interview with Hutchinson.

New PlayStation 4 rumor boasts raw power

New PlayStation 4 rumor boasts raw power:


Sony has held the line publicly regarding the PlayStation 4, but today a new rumor suggests that the next generation console from Sony could come as early 2013.  According to Kotaku, an inside source has spilled the beans on what to expect from Sony in the next generation, and those details include raw power, no backwards compatibility, and no used games measures where new copies are tied to a PSN account.


The inside source supplied some basic system specifications for the unannounced console, but these could definitely change as there is plenty of time between now and holiday 2013.  The chipset will include an AMD x64 CPU and an AMD Southern Islands GPU.  The Southern Islands GPU moniker is attached to many of the company's high end graphics cards that are set to arrive in 2012 and beyond.


The leaker outs the next gen console as "The PS Orbis" or "Orbis", but its unknown whether this is just a codename or whether Sony will be following the lead of the PS Vita, straying from their conventional hardware names.  The source also indicates that the next console's GPU will be capable of displaying games at a resolution of 4096x2160, playing 3D games at 1080p.


Development kits are already said to be in the hands of some developers, and aside from the technical specs that are shipping with the beta kits, it is said that there are a couple of features that might be industry changing inclusions.


First and foremost, similar to what was rumored out of Microsoft, Sony's next console will eliminate the used game market.  Said to be built in to the console, buying a new game will lock that game to your PlayStation Network account whether it is a digital purchase or traditional boxed buy.  Whether or not you'll need to be connected to the PlayStation Network during gameplay was not explained in the leak.


Of course, none of this information has been confirmed nor denied by Sony.  It very well may false, things could change going forward, or it could be entirely true... its hard to tell.

The Walking Dead: The Game - Official Debut Trailer - March 2012 (1080p HD)

EA & DICE Announce Three Battlefield 3 DLC Packs To Be Released This Year

EA & DICE Announce Three Battlefield 3 DLC Packs To Be Released This Year:

EA and DICE’s visually stunning FPS, Battlefield 3, will be receiving three downloadable content packs before the end of the year.
EA and DICE have announced three DLC packs that are currently scheduled to be arriving for BF3 in 2012.
The first content pack is called Close Quarters and features four new maps and ten new weapons. The infantry maps, though, are all inside buildings. Close Quarters will be released in June. PS3 version owners will receive the pack one week early.
The next DLC pack for the game is called Armored Kill. The pack features the largest map that the BF3 team has ever designed and also includes unspecified new vehicles. Armored Kill arrives this fall.
The final DLC pack is called End Game. No details are available for the pack at this time. It is scheduled to be released this winter.
PS3 and Xbox 360 version owners will also receive access to the PC version’s “rent-a-server” feature as well, which will enable console gamers to play customized matches with one another.
Will you be picking up Battlefield 3‘s DLC? Let us know in the comments below.

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© nickmichetti for PlayStation LifeStyle, 2012. | Permalink | No comments |
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Sniper Elite V2, a sua chance de matar Hitler

http://meiobit.com/games/

Sniper Elite V2, a sua chance de matar Hitler:



Pode ser que para a Danger Close colocar o jogador em missão para matar o Osama Bin Laden seja algo muito hardcore, mas a Rebellion Games parece não ter o mesmo medo e no seu Sniper Elite V2 ela nos dará a chance de fazer aquilo que muitos tentaram na vida real sem sucesso, por um fim à vida de Adolf Hitler.


Para incentivar a pré-venda do FPS que chegará no dia 1º de maio para PC, Xbox 360 e Playstation 3, a desenvolvedora resolveu oferecer a quem fizer a compra antes do lançamento uma missão exclusiva chamada “Kill the Führer”, onde teremos a oportunidade de interceptar o trem particular em que o anticristo viajava de Berchtesgaden para Berlim e disparar o tiro certeiro quando ele descer na estação. Além disso, ganharemos ainda dois novos rifles, o SVT-40 usado pelo Exército Vermelho e o alemão Kar 98.


Continuação de um título lançado em 2005, o jogo deverá ser um prato cheio para quem gosta de jogar como sniper nos games de tiro em primeira pessoa e com este extra a equipe responsável pelo game não só garantirá algumas vendas, como mostrará que a expressão de que uma bala pode mudar toda a história talvez nunca tenha feito tanto sentido. Caso duvide, dê uma olhada nos trailers abaixo.

http://meiobit.com/games/

[via IGN]

PSN Down For 14 Hours For Maintenance Tomorrow

PSN Down For 14 Hours For Maintenance Tomorrow:
PSN fora do ar por 14 horas para manutenção amanhã.


It seems like this happens every week, and hey, the PlayStation Network will be down tomorrow for yet another round of maintenance. The downtime is scheduled for 14 hours, from 8 a.m. PST to 10 p.m. PST.


Parece que isso acontece toda semana, e olha só, a PlayStation Network vai estar fora do ar amanhã para outra rodada de manutenção. A manutenção está agendada para 14 hours, das 8 a.m. PST às 10 p.m. PST (13 p.m. PST às 3 a.m. em São Paulo).


Read more on GameRevolution.com

Rumor: AMD to Power PlayStation 4

Rumor: AMD to Power PlayStation 4:

The PlayStation brand has relied heavily on Nvidia technology in the past, as the PS3 has been powered by their brand since it launched over five years ago. However, if a rumor from former AMD employees is to believed, that may no longer be the case, as reports indicate that Sony’s next-gen console will make use of AMD tech.

The report comes from Forbes, which claims that this essentially confirms the reality of a next-gen console in the works at Sony, something I don’t think anyone has doubted. When the publication reached out to Sony for comment, George Bailey, the company’s Chief Transformation Officer refused to offer any information. AMD remained tight-lipped as well.
As signs point to yes though, as this rumor bears a substantial amount of weight. In fact, at AMD’s analyst month held earlier this year, Chief Financial Officer Thomas Seifert was clear in mentioning that gaming will be a primary factor in the company’s growth over the course of this year.
Be sure to check back here at PlayStation LifeStyle for future info on Sony’s next-generation home console.

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© Alex for PlayStation LifeStyle, 2012. | Permalink | 9 comments |
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Battlefield 3 Getting A Major Patch Soon

Battlefield 3 Getting A Major Patch Soon:

Battlefield 3 was a beast of a game when it released last October, breaking EA sales records and gaining a huge fanbase. But the game is not a perfect game by any means, with numerous bugs even though it received several patches since then. That is about to change however, as DICE is planning to release their first major patch for the game pretty soon.


Community Manager of DICE Daniel Matros detailed the list of fixes and tweaks that will come to Battlefield 3 over at the Battlelog blog, which we’ve listed below. The patch consists of a huge number of fixes that were demanded by fans, with the tweaks covering vehicle, weapons and game types updates.
DICE noted that the list is not final and is subject to change. The update has no release window at the moment, but it applies for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC versions of the game.
GENERAL GAMEPLAY FIXES:
-Players should no longer take fall damage from short falls.
-Players now get up from Prone slightly faster, allowing better odds of getting away from a grenade or threat when prone.
-Fixed some situations that would unintentionally make a player unrevivable.
-Reduced the black screen fade in time on spawn. The fade is still necessary for properly streaming in loading content at spawn, but it has been substantially reduced.
-Increased the spawn protection time from 1sec to 2sec. The protection will still be immediately canceled as soon as the player moves or shoots.
-Spawn protection will no longer be canceled by the player looking around.
-Increased the speed at which a player regains accuracy when aiming after moving for a more responsive experience. Firing before fully zoomed will still result inaccurate fire.
-Increased the inaccuracy and recoil added when a player is fully suppressed.
-Shotgun Buck and Flechette rounds now have a less suppressive effect at medium to long range.
-Tweaked the damage levels of Buck and Flechette rounds to balance them with other weapons.
-Improved the suppression of the .44 magnum, .357 magnum, and the 5.8x42mm DAP88 rounds from the Type88 sniper.
-Attempting to Crouch (like Prone) will now properly interrupt Sprint.
-Increased the effectiveness of Suppression Resist Specialization.
-Parachutes now respond to turn and throttle inputs more quickly.
-Switching from primary weapons to sidearms and back now takes less time.
-Increased the effectiveness of explosive resistance.
-Tweaked bipod deploy settings so players can no longer deploy a bipod in places higher than chin level.
-The bipod should now be more reliable when deploying on top of sloped objects like cars and rocks.
-Fixed several issues with vaulting objects, especially for thin railings.
-The Knife now only takes two swipes to kill when attacking from a position where a takedown is not possible.
-CRAM weapons on Carriers now count towards stationary weapon awards.
VEHICLE FIXES:
-The A10 properly gives Jet score again.
-Unguided tank rounds and RPGs will now instantly destroy Jets, Attack Helicopters, and Scout Helicopters.
-Increased the damage the MBT’s primary weapon does to the front and side armor of other main battle tanks. Primarily this means 1 less shot to the front, and very good hits to the side can result in a 1 hit to disable.
-Slightly reduced the repair speed of the repair tool.
-Increased the damage done by TOW weapons to armored vehicles.
-Increased the rate of fire and minimum damage of the Coax HMG.
-Increased the damage mounted gunner .50cal HMGs do at long range.
-Increased the power of the repair tool when killing soldiers or destroying vehicles slightly.
-Fixed a problem when locking on to two nearby targets, the locking should no longer jump rapidly between multiple targets. This applies to all locking weapons and Laser Designators.
-Increased the damage of the Javelin and Air to Ground missiles against laser designated targets.
-Javelin missiles fired without Laser targeting now do more damage to the side and rear of MBTs.
-Slightly reduced the locking time of all weapons vs Laser Designated targets.
-Laser Guided missiles can now be distracted by Flares.
-Increased the locking distance for AGM Missiles for Jets when locking on laser designated targets.
-Reduced the locking time for the AGM Missiles for Jets to make them more viable against ground targets.
-Reduced the locking time for AA Missiles for Jets to make them more viable against air targets.
-Flares will no longer break the lock of a vehicle that is locked on, it will only distract the missiles.
-Flares now more reliably distract missiles, especially for Helicopters.
-Flares for Jets and Choppers now reload at 11 seconds again, except for the gunner, which remains unchanged at 20sec.
-AA Missiles are more difficult to dodge in Jets, this was unintended behavior that created an imbalance against skilled pilots.
-AA Missiles should no longer kill the pilot instead of the vehicle.
-AA Missiles should no longer detonate before hitting their target or a Flare/ECM chaff cloud.
-Reduced the damage AA missiles do to jets to 45%.
-Fixed the SU-35 firing Air to Air missiles at a lower rate of fire than other vehicles.
-The IGLA and Stinger now lock on much more quickly and disable an attack aircraft in 1 hit, but have significantly reduced range. This should allow Stingers to mount an effective close range point defense, without dominating an entire airspace.
-Increased the speed of the Helicopter AA missiles lock on to reduce the tedious nature of Helicopter dogfights and improve the Helicopter’s defensive abilities vs Jets.
-Slightly reduced the damage of Jet cannons against Aircraft. Damage is now only slightly higher than it was originally at launch.
-Increased RPG and SMAW damage against aircraft.
-Guided Rockets will now only track ground targets, as originally intended.
-Reduced the direct damage done by Attack Helicopter gunners vs Armor.
-Helicopter guns should now suppress correctly.
-Improved the accuracy of the Attack Helicopter’s Rocket Pods, both guided and unguided.
-Slightly increased the damage of Attack Helicopter’s Rocket Pods vs Infantry and other Helicopters.
-Additional fixes have been made to the TV missile to prevent it from blowing up the lauching vehicle.
-The Mi28 has received upgrades to its climbing and yawing abilities.
-Fixed an issue where guided rockets from the Mi28 did not follow the crosshair properly.
-Improved the accuracy of the Mi28 gun to match the AH1 gun.
-Increased the direct hit damage of the APFSDS rounds for the IFVs.
-Decreased the locking time of the IFV Guided Missile to make it more viable as an unlock.
-Miniguns and Helicopter Gunners now more quickly destroy parked cars.
-Increased the power of explosions from cars and other explosive static objects.
-Dying from the explosion of a car or other explosive static object should now correctly credit the player who caused the explosion.
-Adjusted the F35′s Center of Mass and Hover Engine for more stable, level flight in all flight modes.
-Updated the F35 weapon systems to be consistent with the other Jets.
-The F35 will now only attempt to enter Hover at low altitudes, though it will maintain the hover until forward flight is resumed, even if it reaches high altitude.
-The F35 and SU35 now properly have Ejection seats to prevent players from being killed when exiting the vehicle.
-Changed the Kornets to TOW launchers on Wake Island and moved the spawn position of the AAV to a more level position.
-Fixed several bugs with air vehicles colliding with objects at high speeds and taking no damage.
-Players will no longer receive suicides or team kills if they crash their vehicle (dying is punishment enough).
-The MAV will no longer destroy vehicles that run into it, instead it should be destroyed.
-Jet and Helicopter collisions should now properly result in the death of both vehicles.
-You can now spot with the EOD bot.
-Increased the base accuracy for AA guns and added a decrease in accuracy over the course of a burst.
-Reduced the damage AA guns (both mobile and stationary) do to infantry.
-The carrier based CRAM stations are now properly tracked as stationary weapons.
-CRAM and Pantsir stationary AA weapons now have Air Radar equipped by default.
-Improved the sound feedback for damage to help players better understand the amount of damage their vehicle is taking.
-The A10′s extinguisher should now function properly.
-Disabled vehicles now have an increased reverse speed to help escape to cover after being disabled.
-The T90′s crosshair now more accurately represents the trajectory of the main gun.
-Toggle and Hold zoom settings now also apply to soldier controlled turrets on jeeps, transport helicopters, boats, and IFVs port guns.
-The AAV now has zoom and a 3P camera when using the turret.
-Tweaked the AAV’s turret controls to be more useful when the vehicle is moving.
-The Z11w now properly functions with Below Radar.
-Below Radar will now also prevent the lock on of Stinger and IGLA missiles.
-Added Horns to all Jeeps.
-Tanks can no longer drive into the water and cross the Wake Island lagoon completely submerged.
WEAPONS:
-Added Extended Mags to the ASVAL. The Extended Mags can be unlocked at 200 kills with the AS VAL.
-Reduced the recoil of the SKS rifle and increased its maximum damage at close range.
-Fixed aimed firing max accuracy on the Pecheneg to be consistent with other LMGs.
-Semiautomatic and automatic shotguns firing FRAG rounds now do slightly less splash damage.
-The M26 MASS frag and slug rounds are now the more effective pump action versions.
-The M26 MASS and M320 now benefit from the Laser Sight when mounted with an Underslung Rail.
-Fixed the bolt action timer on the L96 that would cause an animation glitch.
-9x39mm rounds no longer benefit from the Sniper headshot bonus.
-Increased the damage of the 9x39mm rounds at long range.
-Fixed the AKS74u damage at max range, it was incorrectly higher than other carbines.
-Increased the damage of the .357 and .44 magnum rounds at max range.
-All semiautomatic and bolt weapons, including all shotgun slugs, now have their maximum damage out to 15m.
-Semiautomatic weapons will no longer “jam” if the player presses fire faster than the weapon is capable of shooting. Some semi-automatic weapons have had their rates of fire adjusted to fit this change.
-Bolt action sniper rounds now have a chance to kill at close range if the player is hit in the upper chest.
-Semiautomatic sniper rifles, Assault Rifles, LMGs, and shotgun slugs now have more consistent damage over long range. At maximum range shots to the legs will not require more hits to kill.
-The spread for Flechette rounds has been reduced slightly on all shotguns.
-The spread for Buckshot has been reduced on the M1014, DAO-12, and S12k. These weapons have an accuracy advantage over the USAS12 but are not as accurate as the 870.
-Zooming shotguns with Buckshot and Flechette loads will now result in a slightly tighter cone for the pellets.
-Reduced the delay time between quick knife attempts slightly. Attacks with the knife drawn are still significantly faster.
-Fixed the Rate of Fire when the USAS and MK3A1 are equipped with FRAG rounds. All other shotguns correctly had a reduced rate of fire with frags, except the USAS and MK3A1.
-Fixed an Accuracy bug when the MK3A1 shotgun is equipped with FRAG or Slug rounds.
-Shotguns equipped with slugs will no longer automatically begin reloading if the weapon is zoomed when the clip is empty. This allows players to see where the slug lands before reloading.
-Fixed 12g FRAG rounds not breaking glass at long range.
-Players can now earn the shotgun Ribbon using the M26 MASS.
-The underslung grenade launchers for Russian rifles now properly report GP30 in the kill log.
-Fixed the AEK971 40mm shotgun round listing itself as FRAG in the kill log.
-Fixed the 40mm smoke grenade so it no longer passes through soldiers and unbroken objects before it detonates.
Several weapons have had recoil or accuracy adjusted in order to balance these weapons in effectiveness and also increase the feeling of individuality in each gun effectiveness and also increase the feeling of individuality in each gun.
M27 IAR: No change. The M27 is a heavier version of the M416, giving it good all-around performance though it has worse performance on the move.
RPK-74M: Reduced the initial recoil and vertical recoil. The RPK-74M is a more stable firing platform than the comparable M27, though it lacks the M27′s higher rate of fire.
M249: Added an initial recoil. The M249 is the fastest firing belt fed LMG, giving it superior suppressive and damage abilities. The initial recoil makes it a bit harder to run and gun, while making little overall impact on performance.
Type-88: Slightly increased the initial recoil, reduced muzzle drift. The Type88 fires the slowest of the medium caliber LMGs, though what it lacks in rate of fire it makes up for in controllability.
PKP: Reduced recoil but added a slight initial recoil, increased damage at max range. The Pecheneg has a heavy vertical recoil with a hard hitting round and little drift, this makes it excellent at sustained fire.
M60: Reduced the initial recoil, increased damage at all ranges. The M60 has a very low rate of fire that makes it the most controllable with the powerful 7.62x51mm round.
M240B: Added an initial recoil, increased damage at all ranges. The fastest firing medium MG, the M240 has a substantial muzzle kick and drift that makes all that power difficult to control.
QBB-95: Reduced the total recoil but increased muzzle drift and initial recoil. The QBB-95 should now kick harder but settle into full auto fire better, combined with the bullpup hip fire bonus this makes the QBB-95 a highly mobile LMG.
MG36: Added an initial recoil. The MG36 fires at a fast 750rpm and makes a nice middle ground between the controllability of a clip LMG and the sustained firepower of a belt fed LMG.
870: No change. The 870 is a popular and highly effective weapon.
DAO-12: Reduced the total pellets fired from 12 to 9. The DAO-12 has a high magazine capacity with a slow reload that makes it a solid all around shotgun.
M1014: Increased the rate of fire from 200 max to 210 max. Reduced the total pellets fired from 12 to 9. The M1014 was underperforming compared to the USAS12 and 870, it should now be more viable in CQB thanks to a higher rate of fire.
S12k: Increased extended mag from 8 rounds to 10 rounds. Reduced the total pellets fired from 12 to 9. The S12k larger extended magazine but slower rate of fire should make it stand out against the M1014, while the DAO-12 has a higher capacity over all, but a slowe reload.
MK3A1: Increased magazine capacity to 8 and 12 for normal and extended mag respectively. Reduced the total pellets fired from 12 to 9. The MK3A1 has a lower ROF than the USAS12, giving it slightly more ammo makes this an edge vs the USAS.
USAS-12: Increased the initial recoil. Reduced the total pellets fired from 12 to 9. The USAS 12 has a higher ROF than other shotguns, this recoil change better balances that advantage and the pellets balance its damage output.
M4A1: No Change. Well-rounded carbine, with good rate of fire and controllable recoil.
M4: Increased vertical recoil, reduced horizontal recoil. The Burst only M4 should now feel different to its automatic sibling, the reduced horizontal recoil emphasizes the greater control you have in burst fire.
AKS-74U: Reduced initial recoil and vertical recoil. The AKS-74u’s low rate of fire is paired with great controllability. The overall increase in sustained fire control should help this carbine stand out, while the first kick gives it character.
SG553: Reduced initial recoil and vertical recoil. The SG553 is a lower rate of fire carbine with greater controllability than the G36C. The change to initial recoil should better highlight this difference.
A91: No Change. The A91′s high rate of fire and bullpup from the hip accuracy is offset by a poor controllability on full auto.
G36C: Reduced initial recoil. The G36C is a well-rounded carbine, with a medium rate of fire and a medium recoil. The 2 round burst mode gives this weapon an edge at mid-range.
SCAR-H: Increased damage at maximum range and increased max range. The SCAR-H fires a heavier round than all other carbines, giving it better stopping power at range at the cost of a low fire rate that penalizes it in CQB.
G53: Reduced recoil and drift, recoil settle times now similar to other carbines. The HK53 is a short carbine with a lot of initial kick but a stable recoil pattern and a medium rate of fire. The changes give it more character compared to the G36.
QBZ-95B: Reduced muzzle sway, recoil settle times now similar to other carbines. A bullpup like the A91, the QBZ-95B is steady on the move with a lower rate of fire for controllable shots at longer range. The built in foregrip is now properly reflected in the weapon’s stats.
AK-74M: Reduced initial recoil and vertical recoil. The AK-74M sacrifices rate of fire for controllable automatic fire, the initial recoil was negatively affecting the feeling of controllability.
M16A3: No Change. The M16 (both A3 and A4) provide a well-rounded stable firing platform with a high rate of fire that is relatively controllable.
M16A4: Increased vertical recoil, reduced horizontal recoil. The Burst only M16A4 should now feel different to its automatic sibling, the reduced horizontal recoil emphasizes the greater control you have in burst fire.
M416: No change. The M416 is the middle ground AR, blending a medium recoil and rate of fire.
AEK-971: Increased initial recoil, reduced aimed accuracy slightly. The AEK has a very high rate of fire, and also a large muzzle drift that makes control difficult. The low initial recoil allowed a player to kill before the weapon’s weaknesses kicked in while the reduced accuracy highlights its close range role.
F2000: Reduced vertical recoil, increased zoomed accuracy slightly. As a bullpup, the F2000 has a bonus to accuracy on the move and from the hip while its high rate of fire sacrifices controllability for saturation. The previous changes were an overreaction, this is a corrective update.
AN94: Reduced vertical recoil. The AN94′s 2 round burst mode is incredibly accurate, but it suffers from a low rate of fire on fully automatic. The recoil in full auto has been reduced somewhat to offset this penalty and make the AN94 more attractive.
G3A3: Increased damage at all ranges, reduced vertical recoil. The G3A3′s heavy recoil and heavy round are offset by a low rate of fire and a small magazine. The G3A3 was clearly outclassed at all ranges.
KH2002: No Change. The KH2002 is locked to burst fire, with a high rate of fire and a large muzzle drift the weapon favors accurate mid-range fire.
L85A2: Increased accuracy, reduced muzzle drift. The L85 differs from other bullpup style ARs by having a low rate of fire, the accuracy and controllability were too low to offset the rate of fire.
FAMAS: The FAMAS combines an extreme rate of fire with extreme recoil making it very difficult to use at anything other than close quarters combat. Due to update restrictions, the FAMAS had different stats on all 3 platforms. The FAMAS is now uniform on all platforms and now has the correct 25 round magazine.
PP2000: Reduced the initial recoil. The PP2000 has a lower ROF than other PDWs and needed the controllability to be balanced.
UMP45: Reduced accuracy loss during full auto. The UMP45 hits hard and has a controllable recoil at the cost of a heavy initial recoil kick.
MP7: No Change. The MP7 has a very low recoil and a high muzzle drift that favors longer bursts than the P90.
AS VAL: Increased vertical recoil, reduced first shot recoil, reduced accuracy on the move. The AS VAL fires a long range, highly accurate, high damage projectile that favors short bursts or single fire when stationary. While still quite good from the hip, the AS VAL will suffer if fired while moving and aimed.
PDW-R: Reduced the initial recoil. The PDW-R has high recoil and favors burst fire, the added initial recoil was making it less effective in small bursts.
P90: Reduced the initial recoil. The P90 favors a run and gun play style using long bursts to control muzzle drift, the initial recoil was making bursting ineffective.
PP-19: Slightly reduced the initial recoil when firing, increased base damage. The PP-19′s high initial recoil was over penalizing the burst fire needed to be effective on the low damage, high capacity weapon.
WEAPON ACCESSORIES:
SCOPES:
-Fixed the 7x scope not zooming to the full 7x on all weapons.
-Corrected the M39′s laser sight so it points at the point of impact and aligns with scopes when zoomed.
-Fixed a misaligned scope crosshair on the G3A3 using the Rifle Scope 6x.
-Fixed the PKA and PKA-S scopes on the M416 having swapped zoom levels.
-The L96 Straight Pull bolt now functions properly.
-The L96 ironsights have been adjusted for a clearer aiming picture and correct use of the integral front sight.
-The L96 now properly shows scope glint when using the 8x, and 12x scopes.
-Tweaked IRNV to be more consistent across all levels.
-Fixed a rendering issue with IRNV view when taking damage.
-Tweaked the IRNV zoom times and scope visible areas to be the same across all weapons (some were faster than others).
-Fixed the QBU-88 sniper and the L96 IRNV scopes to use the proper sniper reticule
BIPOD:
-The Accuracy increase and Recoil reduction of the Bipod has been significantly improved for Assault Rifles and Carbines.
-The Bipod now provides similar Accuracy and Recoil benefits no matter if the weapon is fired while aiming or without aiming for all weapons. Previously only LMGs were worked this way. This especially improves the speed at which snipers can make follow up shots, and also allows effective unaimed suppressive fire with Assault Rifles and Carbines.
-Increased the Speed at which a bipod is deployed, allowing the user to obtain the bipod’s bonus sooner after the deploy has started and allowing the weapon to be aimed in a far shorter time. The speed has been increased 40-50%, depending on the weapon and animation.
HEAVY BARREL:
-The Vertical Recoil penalty of the Heavy Barrel has been reduced. The value has been changed from a global percent increase to a weapon specific value.
-A small Hip Accuracy penalty has been added to the Heavy Barrel to represent the added weight of the accessory, as well as focus the attachment on accurate mid and long range fire. The exact penalty amount is a weapon specific value.
-Several weapons with low default bullet speed now have their bullet speed increased when the Heavy Barrel is equipped. This is in effect for the A91, G3A3, AKS-74u, G36C, M4A1, SCAR-H, SG553, G53, and QBZ-95B.
-The Heavy Barrel is now also paired with Match Rounds which increase the maximum range of the weapon. The minimum and maximum damage are unchanged, weapons with the Heavy Barrel will be more effective in mid range.
-The Aimed Accuracy bonus provided by the Heavy Barrel has been increased. This will increase the effectiveness of the Heavy Barrel for small bursts, as originally intended.
IRNV FIXES:
-Tweaked IRNV to be more consistent across all levels.
-Fixed a rendering issue with IRNV view when taking damage.
-Tweaked the IRNV zoom times and scope visible areas to be the same across all weapons (some were faster than others).
-Fixed the QBU-88 sniper and the L96 IRNV scopes to use the proper sniper reticule.

FOREGRIP:
-The Horizontal Sway reduction has been changed from a global percent reduction to a weapon specific value reduction. For most guns this means very little change, for guns which have a large horizontal recoil the change is more substation. The FAMAS, F2000, and AEK971 are most effected, the AK-74, M16, and M416 are nearly unchanged.
-A small long range Aimed Accuracy penalty has been added to the foregrip. Players who generally find themselves fighting at mid to long range may want to change their accessory, while players fighting in CQB will go largely unaffected. Combining the Foregrip with a Silencer or a Heavy Barrel will offset this penalty.
LASER SIGHT:
-The Hip Accuracy bonus provided by the Laser Sight has been increased. Some PDWs have had their crouch and prone base stats adjusted to prevent hip firing being more accurate than aimed fire when using a laser sight.
-The bonus is now a weapon specific value instead of a global percentage, some guns receive larger or smaller bonuses, though all bonuses are better than they were previously.
SUPPRESSOR:
-The Suppressor no longer reduces the maximum damage of a weapon when equipped. Instead the Suppressor reduces the minimum and maximum range of the weapon, making it ideal for CQB and Stealth. This change will make the Suppressor slightly more effective at long range, where the bullet drop and speed makes shots difficult already, and reduces the power of the suppressor at mid range slightly.
-The Suppressor’s recoil bonus remains unchanged at a global 10% decrease. This is less than the Flash Suppressor’s bonus for all weapons.
-The Hip Accuracy penalty of the Suppressor has been changed from a global percentage to a per weapon value. Generally this penalty is higher now, but not for all weapons. Specifically, the belt LMGs and bolt Snipers do not have any additional hip fire penalty, as their penalty is already at the maximum possible value.
-Reduced the Aimed Accuracy bonus of the Suppressor from 50% to 25%. A Suppressor and Foregrip combo will have similar accuracy to a weapon without any Accessories, at the penalty of worse Hip Fire Accuracy and Range and with the benefit of much improved Stealth and reduced Recoil.
FLASH SUPPRESSOR:
-The Flash Suppressor no longer reduces accuracy for Automatic Fire.
-The Flash Suppressor now also works as a recoil compensator, reducing the Vertical Recoil by a weapon specific value. This bonus is larger than the bonus provided by the Suppressor.
-A small Hip Accuracy penalty has been added to the Flash Suppressor to represent the added weight of the accessory. The exact penalty amount is a weapon specific value.
GADGETS:
-Reduced the spot times on C4 and Claymore projectiles from 30 to 15 sec.
-Tweaked the controls and physics for the EOD bot to improve its handling and aiming capabilities.
-The Radio Beacon, Mortar, MAV, EOD bot, T-UGS, and SOFLAM should now be much easier to deploy.
-The MAV will now be destroyed when running into a soldier or vehicle at high speed. It is still possible to strategically sacrifice your MAV on a soldier; it will be destroyed in the process.
-The MAV now properly shows up in the Kill Feed. Previously it simply displayed “KILLED.”
-The MAV can no longer be used as an elevator.
-Matched the motion sensor sweep frequency and range on the MAV to the TUGS.
-Players will no longer auto enter SOFLAM, MAV, and EOD bots after they are deployed.
-Players may now use their knife to destroy enemy equipment.
-C4 will no longer be detonable after a player respawns, if the player is revived within 5 seconds he can still detonate his C4.
-The player may now have a maximum number of mines which will persist after the player’s death. Deploying more than the maximum of 6 mines will remove a previous mine from the world.
-Claymores now live up to 5 seconds after a player dies, the player can have a max 2 claymores planted at the same time.
-Claymores can now detonate from vehicles and can be used to disable jeeps or kill the passengers in light jeeps. Claymores will not do any damage to heavy vehicles.
-Ammobags now stay until the user redeploys them like Medkits.
-Ammobags resupply bullets more quickly, but explosives resupply more slowly, especially 40mm grenades.
-Slightly reduced the effective blast radius of the RPG, SMAW, and 40mm grenade projectiles against infantry.
-Reduced the total number of RPG and SMAW missiles carried from 5 to 4. Players desiring more rockets will want to use the Explosive spec.
-Slightly increased the heal rate of the Medical Crate.
-The MAV now will also descend by pressing the Crouch Toggle key. (PC)
-The M224 Mortar can no longer be deployed in an area that is out of combat for another team like a home base or other protected spawn.
-Tweaked M224 exit points so the player faces in the direction of the mortar when he exits.
-Mines, Claymores, C4 and other deployable items will now only appear on the minimap when spotted by a teammate.
TEAM DEATHMATCH:
-Fixed a bug where players would spawn close to the enemy team at the start of the round.
-Tehran Highway playable area has been doubled and is now the same as the Squad Deathmatch set up. Spawn points have been tweaked, and an extra spawn zone has been added north of the footbridge.
-Kharg Island has a new spawn zone layout, along with a bigger playable area and new cover objects. Spawn points have also been tweaked.
-Strike at Karkand spawns zones have been tweaked to improve player flow. Spawn points have been tweaked to improve safety upon spawning.
-Sharqi Peninsula spawn zones have been adjusted to optimize player movement. Spawn points have been tweaked so players spawn more safely.
-Seine Crossing spawn zone set up has been improved. There is a new spawn zone by the alleyway to the northwest with additional spawn points.
-Caspain Border spawn zones have been tweaked slightly.
SQUAD DEATHMATCH:
-Fixed a bug where players would spawn close to the enemy team at the start of the round.
-Damavand Peak layout and spawn zones have been tightened to reduce the spread of players across the map
-Tehran Highway now features an extra spawn zone north of the footbridge, along with tweaked spawn points.
-Noshahr Canals spawn zones have been tweaked. Removed unsafe spawn points in the Northeast corner, and in the middle of the container area to the Southwest.

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© magpie4life for PlayStation LifeStyle, 2012. | Permalink | One comment |
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Modern Warfare 3 Elite Clan Operation announced for Call of Duty

Modern Warfare 3 Elite Clan Operation announced for Call of Duty:
Call of Duty Elite creator Beachhead has exposed brand-new information as well as screenshots for the Modern Warfare 3 Clan Operations mode.

Clan Operations should really offer clans the ability in advancing up, a rewards system, special challenges, in addition to a quantity of other community enhancing functions. Clan Procedures remain in testing and does not come with an official release date yet.

"We are presently placing almost all Clan Operations through considerable tests even though we can not provide you with a date on when it will likely be ready, it's getting closer every single day, mentioned Beachhead galleries.

To date, it's been a hardship on Elite customers to gain levels with their clans in COD: Modern Warfare 3. This appears to be changing soon, using the arrival from the prolonged and anticipated Clan Operations mode.

Inside Clan Operation:

To join a Clan Operation, Leaders will visit the Compete section and select a Clan Operation in the new Clan Operations section. The enlistment standing will probably be confirmed and shown for all Clan members.

Clan Operation Specifics Page:

The amount of Clan XP that one should earn if you take part in Clan’s enlistment status within the presently observed



- Clan Operations Start time and date and finish time

-Members may also see the awards, badges, scoring and winning criteria before the beginning of a Clan OperationClan Showcase:

Just in case the Clan carried out satisfactory experience inside a Clan Operation to get a badge, your prize will probably be confirmed inside your Clan Showcase within your Elite Clan page, below your Clan Feed.

Drop Zone Game Mode Re Added to Modern Warfare 3

Drop Zone Game Mode Re Added to Modern Warfare 3:
Drop Zone, rapid ranking gaming mode has returned with the Public Community Playlist on MW3, being formerly removed, currently in place of Infection. The add-on of “Infected” game mode to MW3 pushed off Drop Zone in the community playlists angering fans along the way.

Regrettably, MW3 is presently “limited on playlist space,” according to Infinity Ward, that was the main reason it was removed to start with.



mw3 drop zone call of duty

Drop Zone is a game title in which all players must capture the Drop Zone red-colored smoking screen area to acquire points as well as Killstreak Reward drops. For hardcore players you'll be able to accumulate 4000 points per match in the event you participate in the objective mode and never address it simply as an extra Team Death Match.

Infected game type adjustments created:

1. Knife Versus. (Gun): Within this version, Non-infected gamers acquire whichever gun shows up without any kill streaks, but pre-outfitted using the SOH, Scavenger, Quickdraw, and Steady Goal. To provide the Infected with some assistance they are now outfitted with dead silence, causing them to be tougher to detect and take absolutely no falling damage.



2. Tossing knifes Versus. (Gun): Within this version, Non-infected gamers receive the appointed gun plus there's a professional Strike Package to earn so when you get the eighth kill you're a super solider. To even the odds the Infected receive tossing knifes making camping very hard and integrating a greater intensity, adrenaline packed feel for this game type.

Which game type would you prefer? Infected or Drop Zone?

God of War IV Outed by Mo-Cap Animator

God of War IV Outed by Mo-Cap Animator:

God of War IV has been heavily rumored for some time now, and a recent LinkedIn posting by a mo-cap animator only serves to further solidify our suspicions.

According to David Thornfield’s profile on LinkedIn (via VG Arabia), motion capture work is currently being done for God of War IV as well as a new Medal of Honor. As one might expect, Thornfield has since removed the information from his profile, but we managed to track down a cached version of the page and have also included a screen capture of the original post below:

As you can see from the posting, Thornfield is an employee of “House of Moves” and has been working on the game since November 2011. It is also important to note that he is working on both the new Medal of Honor and WWE 13 so it is hard to gauge exactly how far along Kratos’ next adventure actually is.
Sony still has yet to confirm the existence of the game, but it’s fair to assume that if they don’t announce something within the next couple of months, we’ll likely see the big reveal at E3.

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© Alex for PlayStation LifeStyle, 2012. | Permalink | 9 comments |
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5 novos níveis de "prestige" vão ser liberados em breve no PS3 e no Xbox 360

Tô sabendo que vc gosta de prestígio no "Call of Duty".


Um "patch" do "Modern Warfare 3" para PC liberado poucos dias atrás adicionou 5 novos níveis de "prestige" aumentado o número de  níveis para um total de 15.

Além disso a MP1st revelou que foram adicionados mais 10 emblemas de "prestigie" nos arquivos da versão do PC, o que pode significar que uma eventual mudança para20 níveis está a caminho.


Finalmente mais tarde chegou um comunicado oficial da "Infinity Ward", quando Robert Bowling tweetou "Acrescentados 400 novos 'ranks' dos 5 novos níveis de 'prestigie' no último 'patch' do PC".
Depois ele adicionou "Espero o mesmo para breve nos consoles para todos!"

Nada foi dito de quando essa mudança ocorrerá...

5 new Modern Warfare 3 prestige levels coming 'soon' to PS3, Xbox 360

I heard you like Prestige in Call of Duty

Posted by: Matt Liebl

A Modern Warfare 3 patch for the PC a few days ago has added five new prestige levels to the game, raising the level needed to reset stats to 15.  In addition, a discovery from MP1st has revealed 10 new prestige emblems were added to the PC version's game files, meaning an eventual move to 20 prestige levels will come.

Late last night we finally got official word from Infinity Ward, as Robert Bowling tweeted, "Added 400 new ranks of 5 new Prestige levels in Modern Warfare 3 on PC in latest patch."

He then added, "Expect the same on consoles soon for everyone!"

There is no word as to when the prestige levels will be added to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game, but the new five levels will also raise the maximum console prestige level to 15 as well.

Sony Entertainment Network

A PlayStation Network (PSN) vai passar a se chamar "Sony Entertainment Network" (SNE), em 7 de fevereiro!

A Sony Computer Entertainment International anunciou que, a partir de 7 de fevereiro, a PSN vai passar a se chamar Sony Entertainment Network.
A empresa tem como um dos objetivos unificar os serviços da PSN e da SEN, como o Music Unlimited.
Não se preocupe!!!  A mudança é basicamente uma questão só de aparência, ou seja, suas informações de conta corrente e serviços relacionados permanecerão os mesmos.
A atualização de nome não se aplica ao PSP, que curiosamente permanecem sob o nome de PSN para serviços de rede.

PlayStation Network moniker sacked, falls under Sony Entertainment Network umbrella on Feb. 7

PlayStation Network moniker sacked, falls under Sony Entertainment Network umbrella on Feb. 7:

Listen up, those of you with PlayStation Network IDs. Sony Computer Entertainment International has announced that, as of February 7th, the PSN will fold into its existing Sony Entertainment Network. The company has aimed the move at clearly unifying the services of PSN and SEN, such as Music Unlimited. Fret not, however, as Joystiq notes that the change is basically a looks-only affair, meaning your current account information and related services will remain the same. Notably, the moniker refresh won't apply to the PSP, which will curiously remain under the PSN moniker for network services. The news comes as a part of SCEI's updated Terms of Service and privacy policy, both of which take effect on the same day. Those changes, by the way, appear to mainly be regarding location-based services for PS Vita, and parental controls for sub-master accounts. After all of the bad times PSN has been through, its upcoming SEN identity might just be the new outlook on (online) life it needed all along -- and hopefully with less downtime. Hit up the source link below for the full details.

PlayStation Network moniker sacked, falls under Sony Entertainment Network umbrella on Feb. 7 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Feb 2012 07:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gran Theft Auto V poderá ser lançado apenas em 2013

Gran Theft Auto V poderá ser lançado apenas em 2013:


Apesar de existir uma enorme expectativa por parte dos fãs para jogar o próximo capítulo da série Grand Theft Auto, de acordo com as lojas GameStop e Gamerzone, localizadas respectivamente na Alemanha e na Noruega, o GTA V só deverá chegar ao mercado no ano que vem.

Por quanto tudo não passa de um rumor, já que as datas para a entrega do jogo, março de 2013, podem ter sido colocadas apenas como precaução, mas se levarmos em consideração o histórico recente da Rockstar, de lançar seus principais títulos nessa época e de não disponibilizar dois gigantes no mesmo ano (em 2012 teremos o Max Payne 3), faz sentido eles deixarem a sua maior franquia apenas para o próximo ano.

O que me deixa um pouco confuso porém, é a possibilidade de termos o anúncio do sucessor do Xbox 360 ou mesmo do Playstation 4 durante a próxima E3, o que provavelmente faria com que seus lançamentos acontecessem no final do ano que vem e poderia atrapalhar as vendas do game.

Mas aí estamos falando de uma quantidade muito grande de possibilidades e então o melhor a fazer é curtirmos os jogos que chegarão nos próximos meses (além daqueles do ano passado em que nem colocamos as mãos ainda) e deixarmos para pensar no Grand Theft Auto V apenas quando estiver mais perto do seu lançamento, como se isso fosse possível.

[via PSXExtreme]

Patch v1.08 do Modern Warfare 3 liberado para o PS3

O último patch (correção) do Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, v1.08 foi liberado para o PS3.


A oitava atualização do título no PS3 tem só 22MB e é obviamente mandatória se você quiser jogar online. A patch corrige ou melhora os seguintes ítens:

• Melhorias na qualidade do microfone (só PS3)
• Uploads de videos HD (só PS3)
• Melhorias na rede
• Correções e melhorias no Theater
• Melhorias no “Host Disadvantage” / “Lag Comp”
• Aumento da velocidade de upload para o YouTube de 32k para 256k
• Redução para todas as armas Akimbo (reduz a taxa de tiros)
• Rebalanceamento das Shotgun (reduz ligeiramente para a Striker, melhora um pouco para todas as outras)
• Correção do problema com usuários que não recebem o token do prestige
• Corrige o problema da estatística, que preserva os “games played” entre prestiges.