World of Warcraft's newest expansion, Mists of Pandaria , is getting a new content patch soon. Although the patch has been delayed a few times, the expectation was that it would launch this week -- specifically, tomorrow -- which Senior Community Blizzard Rep Jonathan Brown has now confirmed.

As we've mentioned before, the patch will bring about a large number of instances, new mounts, and more. I've always been a huge fan of subscriptions in MMOs when done right -- and Blizzard has always handled them extremely well when it comes to World of Warcraft.

via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/world-of-warcraft-content-patch-5-2-will-launch-tomorrow-247694.phtml

Ashraf Ismail, game director for Assassins Creed IV Black Flag, took a brief break from bringing the early 18th Century islands of the Caribbean to life to talk about how Ubisoft is blending real pirates and history with its latest fictional tale of the battle between the Assassins and Templars in this exclusive interview.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1186024/ubisoft-developer-reveals-the-real-pirates-of-the-caribbean-in-assassins-creed-iv-black-flag

GameDynamo - "BIT.TRIP Presents Runner 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien is the first sequel to be based on one of the six BIT.TRIP games, and while it breaks away from tradition graphically, it's still very much the same type of game, in the best way possible."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1186000/bit-trip-presents-runner-2-future-legend-of-rhythm-alien-review-gamedynamo

Desmond's gone, but Ubisoft has found a new hero to anchor its Assassin's Creed franchise through the modern-day Assassin/Templar war: You, the player.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1186007/you-are-the-new-desmond-in-assassins-creed-iv-gamesbeat

Ubisoft doesnt want you to see AC4 as a sea game because its not. They have taken the opportunity to let the player be more part of the story. Now, the player is the hero instead of just the character.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185952/assassins-creed-iv-black-flag-character-world-gameplay-multiplayer-and-more-details

Ubisoft has just released the Keyfeatures in the game, Check Out:



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185851/assassins-creed-iv-key-feature-list

About 60 percent of the main path is on land, says Ashraf Ismail, game director on Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag. 40 percent is naval. While he hesitates to call the previous game a usability test for Black Flags pirate adventures, he does admit that Assassins Creed III helped push the technology where his game needed it to go. Then his team took it further.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185984/ubisoft-40-percent-of-assassins-creed-iv-is-naval-missions-gamesbeat

GameInformer: "In addition to showcasing all-new expansive cities in the Caribbean, the latest entry introduces an open-world ocean to explore and fully realizes the ship mechanics that were, in hindsight, merely teased in the last game. Welcome to Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, a new course for Ubisoft's blockbuster franchise."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185816/assassins-creed-iv-black-flag-preview-gameinformer

"The video showcases 4 things. plenty of footage of the game looking absolutely gorgeous, gameplay looking amazing, puzzles making me feels great and no subtitles for the 2 people speaking in the background drowning out all the audio from the game!"



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185869/new-30-minute-resident-evil-revelations-hd-hits-the-web

With the stability problems and lackluster multiplayer,we wouldn't recommend paying twenty dollars for it. Fortunately theres a demo available so wed recommend trying that before parting with your hard earned cash



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185765/christcenteredgamer-com-impire-review

Equipment changes in Shin Megami Tensei IV will be reflected in the character models. A new video posted to the game's official website shows exactly how this works. Atlus plays dress-up with the game's protagonist, showing off all the funny little hats he can wear.

Everything from clothing to shoes has its own graphical representation in SMT IV, and this shows in menus as well as in actual gameplay.

With the store-themed DLC they're bringing to Japan, the sky's the limit. We should get a Destructoid costume in there.

via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/shin-megami-tensei-iv-characters-show-gear-changes-247708.phtml

_{[Every Monday, Destructoid will pose topical a question to the community. Answer it if you want!]}

Our games are becoming ever more connected to social networks and features, but does anyone care? This week, we're asking if you think connecting to others socially is an important aspect of gaming.

Do you love to share? Are you sick of tweets coming from within games? Answer The Question for yourself in the comments below!

via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/does-social-integration-in-games-matter-to-you--247723.phtml

Battlefield 3's End Game downloadable content is almost here! Battlefield 3 Premium members on the PlayStation 3 get the content first this week on March 5. Then Premium users on PC and Xbox 360 get it on March 12. Non-premium PS3 users will then be able to buy the new content starting on March 19. Xbox 360 and PC users can finally buy the DLC on March 26.

The final DLC will include four new maps each based on a different season, two new transport vehicles that each have an AA device on them to fight against air units, a dirt bike for super fast gameplay, a new dropship that teams can control as a mobile spawn point, and the return of Capture the Flag and Air Superiority modes.

I played through End Game last week at EA's offices and the two new modes are pretty fun. Air Supority sees everyone in jets having to control three key points in the air in a 12 versus 12 setting. CTF is pretty fun too, largely thanks to the dirt bikes. You have to stand on the flag for a few seconds before stealing it, and you can only score when your own flag is back at base. Plus, both flags always appear on everyone's radar, so no hiding here.

There's a bunch of new dog tags, Achievements/Trophies, and new Assignments as well. Finishing all the assignments will actually unlock a new gun, the M1911 S-Tac that features a flashlight and silencer. This gun was previously a DICE only weapon and is being released as a reward to fans that have stuck out with Battlefield 3 for this long.

Read more...



via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/battlefield-3-s-end-game-dlc-starts-rolling-out-this-week-247667.phtml

Kotaku: "It's late winter. For the third time in four years the images of the next Assassin's Creed have leaked early. If you're paying enough attention, you know what the deal is: Assassin's Creed IV, a new numbered AC game, but, oddly, with a subtitle affixed: Black Flag."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185784/assassins-creed-4-black-flag-preview-kotaku

PSX-Sense writes: "The entire gameworld of the new Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag will have no loading times whatsoever, Ubisoft has told us"



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185931/assassins-creed-iv-black-flag-has-no-loading-times

Succeed in combat, master the right skills, find every collectible and more...



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185809/tomb-raider-guide-10-essential-tips-for-becoming-a-survivor-cvg

Rum, gold, wenches - you'd think the Order would have outlawed these vices, but a new hero and a clear horizon make for fresh conflict and new rules for another battle between the Assassins and the Templars.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185908/assassins-creed-iv-black-flag-preview-gamerevolution

Apparently, Chris was the only BGB staff member brave enough to take on the Necromorphs. He survived several surprise attacks and the love of his life leaving him for a complete douche in order to bring us this audio review. Is Dead Space 3 worth your time, or should we slice it up into little pieces and stomp it out? You gotta listen to find out.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185888/dead-space-3-audio-review-better-gaming-bureau

The scale, scope and breadth of new content in Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag earns the sequel the right to be a numbered entry in the franchise, an Ubisoft developer has said.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185850/assassins-creed-4-moniker-completely-warranted-insists-ubisoft-dev

While Blizzard gears up to launch StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm in about a week, you can gear up for StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty now for 50% off on Blizzard's Store.



Originally the game was dropped down to $39.99, and now, you can grab it for $19.99. As of this moment, this is only at the Blizzard Store, and the deal is only applicable to the physical copy of the game.

Save 50% [Battle.net]

via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/starcraft-ii-wings-of-liberty-is-50-off-until-march-12-247697.phtml

Today's the big coming out party for Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. While we already knew the PlayStation 3 version was going to have this, we can now also confirm that the PlayStation 4 version of Black Flag will include 60 minutes of additional gameplay as well. It'll be made available to either platform through the PlayStation Network sometime after launch on October 29.

Assassin's Creed III also had exclusive story content during the initial release. If Ubisoft follows the same pattern, then whatever this exclusive content is will be released to other platforms once some kind of "Complete Edition" is revealed that will include the full game and all the downloadable content, like the Washington Edition Europe is getting.

For more on Assassin's Creed IV, check out our first look preview, how the team knew naval combat would be successful, and how Far Cry 3 influenced the new design.

via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/assassin-s-creed-iv-will-have-exclusive-content-on-ps4-247706.phtml

Excerpt from the article "Having bought the Assassins Creed season pass, only to gloss over its alright-ish multiplayer dlc, its nice to see that Ubisoft has released some additional single player content. Finally, a reason to dust off my copy of Ass Creed III. I readied myself to once again don the mantel of the Assassin, and plunge head first into the bale of hay that is Assassins Creed. However, was it worth the purchase?"



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185920/ac3-the-tyranny-of-king-washington-the-infamy-review-vgfury

Embark on one last adventure with your team in Mass Effect 3: Citadel. When a sinister conspiracy targets Commander Shepard, you and your team must uncover the truth, through battles and intrigue that range from the glamour of the Citadel's Wards to the top-secret Council Archives. Uncover the truth and fight alongside your squad -- as well as the cast from the original Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2, including Urdnot Wrex! Available in most areas March 5th, 2013 on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185906/mass-effect-3-citadel-dlc-trailer

John from We Got This Covered wrote: Developer Gaijin Games has made a name for themselves with the downloadable Bit.Trip series. Originally available on the Wii, with later ports to home computers, iOS, and the 3DS, the games were notable for incorporating rhythm-based gameplay and meshing it with various other genres at the same time.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185742/runner2-future-legend-of-rhythm-alien-review-wgtc

In some ways, this port reminds me of Dark Souls when it got transferred over to PC in 2012. As a straight port its actually pretty awful, but the core game is such a unique and fantastic experience that Im willing to forgive quite a lot just to have had the opportunity to experience it.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185880/brutal-legend-pc-review-twinfinite

Oliver at El33tonline writes: "When it comes to a computer mouse, Im not fussy. Well let me rephrase that. When it comes to the features of a computer mouse, Im not fussy. A mouse needs to be just large enough, with just the right amount of weight to it so that it feels comfortable to use. Too light or too heavy, and its difficult for me to use accurately. Too small or too large, and it doesnt feel right. So when I cracked open the very fancy carry case housing the Razer Ouroboros gaming mouse, I was a little overwhelmed by the features, add-ons and extras that Razer has included with the device, but as a famous millionaire cat once said, Inch by inch, lifes a cinch. With those wise words in mind, I took a step-by-step approach to getting used to the Ouroboros and discovered a gaming mouse worthy of its epic name."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185864/razer-ouroboros-gaming-mouse-review-el33tonline

Triumph Studios' Lennart Sas assures us that the newly announced Age of Wonders III "absolutely stays true to its turn-based roots," fantasy setting, empire building and role playing elements. They have gotten "a lot of the original team together" to recapture the 'more magical atmosphere' of the first game. Their "biggest change" is more focus on leader characters.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185865/age-of-wonders-iii-absolutely-stays-true-to-its-roots-leaders-now-more-central

GI:By now you've probably heard that the next installment of the Assassin's Creed series will put you in the role of Connor's grandfather as he builds up a pirate crew and sails the Caribbean sea, but why? With a universe that can take you to any point in history, what was so attractive about the pirate setting? While visiting Ubisoft Montreal we spoke to the game's director, writer, and art director to learn more about what excites them about creating the ultimate pirate fantasy wish-fulfillment.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185871/why-pirates-assassins-creed-ivs-developers-explain-the-new-setting

From Strategyinformer.com: "We strategy connoisseurs have had a pretty good time of late. XCOM won hearts late last year, we've had news of a new Stronghold Crusader game and, this year, Age of Wonders is set to grace monitors for the first time in nearly a decade. Early images suggest this one's a looker having made the leap to 3D, while Triumph are developing the game with support from Notch. With interest piqued, Strategy Informer fired some questions in the direction of Triumph Studio's co-founder and Development Director of Age of Wonders 3, Lennart Sas. ".



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185878/age-of-wonders-iii-interview-strategy-informer

VideoGamer: "Tomb Raider is not a brave game. Nor is it one thatll likely live long in the memory, but while youre walking in Laras muddy size fours, it is spellbinding."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185879/tomb-raider-review-videogamer

XGN;This game follows so the beginning of Lara as we know it. The 21-year-old graduate has started an expedition relics to be found off the coast of Japan. Then disaster strikes: her ship broke in two in a storm, she washes with her crew on a mysterious island, and if that was not enough, she immediately thereafter captured by the strange inhabitants of the island.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185763/xgn-tomb-raider-review

Call of Duty creator Infinity Ward has released a shot of a Xi3 micro PC that's partially funded by Valve, and which was unveiled back in January at CES. IW posted the image on Facebook and Twitter. The studio didn't elaborate much beyond the images, other than asking 'what's this?' via Twitter and writing 'game development' on Facebook. Xi3 is powered by Steam software.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185741/infinity-ward-release-shot-of-xi3-micro-pc-bearing-studios-logo

"Why dont they make games like Descent anymore is the perpetual whinge of a small but vocal community of gamers who are immune to motion sickness. Well, those gamers are in for a treat, because Retrovirus by Cadenza Interactive is here, and it offers fully 360 degrees of control in a 3D, floating sick-bucket of brilliance. If youve got the stomach for this kind of title (which our original reviewer didnt), it might be exactly the type of game youve been waiting for.", says CalmDownTom



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185854/retrovirus-review-at-calmdowntom

French reporter Sebastien-Abdelhamid recently interviewed Yu Suzuki, creator of the Shenmue series at the Monaco Anime Game Show, and has a bit of a bomb to drop on us.

Apparently, Suzuki may entertain the idea of crowdfunding Shenmue III , and/or a potential anime or manga series. The full interview with all of the details is coming soon.

I would support this effort in a second. As many people know, Shenmue II was one of my favorite games of all time, and learning how this story concludes would be a proper resolution for one of the biggest cliffhangers of all time.

Make it happen Suzuki!

Yu Suzuki [Sebastien-Abdelhamid via Game Informer]

via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/rumor-yu-suzuki-may-head-to-kickstarter-for-shenmue-iii-247707.phtml

Quote: "Of all the age-old debates known to man, there is one that stands above the rest. No, its not which came first between the chicken and the egg. No, its not creationism versus evolution. No, its not Damon or Stefan. No, its not even which wins in a fight between dinosaurs and robots (Pacific Rim, everyone; watch it when its out). The debate that has raged the longest, the one choice that defines a person entirely, the question I ask anyone I meet before I get to know them better, is simply: Ninjas or pirates? Which is better, which would win in a fight between the two, so on. The answer is irrelevant; its your motivation which tells the world what youre all about. Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag was confirmed last week following a leak and then trailered over the weekend following another leak seriously Ubisoft, plug those holes or your ship is sure to sink (sailor puns, everyone!) and I have to admit that its got me very excited, for three reasons. "



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185663/assassins-creed-iv-kind-of-excites-me

Polygon: "Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag may be the franchise's mid-life crisis. Set in the hot waters and islands of the Caribbean during the 17th century, the player inhabits the role of a charismatic pirate named Edward Kenway father of Assassin Creed 3's Haytham Kenway."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185793/assassins-creed-4-black-flag-aims-to-refresh-the-formula-polygon

Polygon: "SimCity is a near-perfect fusion of the classic simulation game with modern social and online play elements. It is in every way the fully realized evolution of the franchise and a much welcome iteration, perfectly engineered to dispense the maximum amount of fun in the most efficient way possible. It is highly addicting, but there are worse things to be addicted to. Just be sure to set an alarm."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185822/simcity-review-engineering-addiction-polygon

VentureBeat: "Its a joy to see SimCity return in a better form than it has ever been. It is wonderfully complex, but very easy to play. The title is a massive undertaking and it has come together beautifully overall. Hopefully, EA will be able to improve the connected parts of the game, and the experience will become more fun with more players."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185830/review-a-big-data-experience-revives-the-glory-of-simcity-venturebeat

The Tomb Raider series has seen many renditions of Lara Croft since her debut in 1996. Though each version generally carried the same aloof, attractive and darring theme for Lara, the new reboot is the first time that Lara Croft has been developed into a leading-woman.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185849/tomb-raider-review-the-slanted

We have Gamers Only Older's Scott Sauer on for a very special episode about pandas, Days of Goo, and much much more.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185558/irrationalpod-ep-119

'Before Nathan Drake came into existence and became the worlds most famous archaeologist videogame character of this generation, there was Lara Croft. Following almost half a decade since the release of the last Tomb Raider game, Crystal Dynamics has finally brought the latest game in the series, redefining everything in past entries.' - JPS



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185824/tomb-raider-review-jps

As Dota 2 consistently racks up new content updates, it seems like fans have been racking up big numbers for Valve in terms of overall playtime. Breaking the record for overall concurrent players for a Steam game set by Skyrim (287, 411), Dota 2 now boasts the title of the most popular game on Steam ever with 297,116 concurrent users.

For reference, it is free, and people could easily get a free beta code, but the game isn't even officially out yet, and go only go up from here as more content is added. 297,116 concurrent players is still nothing to scoff at for a MOBA.

If there was ever any doubt in people's minds, Valve does it again!

Dota 2 has just broken another record [Reddit]

via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/dota-2-is-officially-the-most-played-steam-game-to-date-247700.phtml

NowGamer: A console version of Project Eternity 'would be very tough', according to Obsidian's lead programmer, but a touch pad version might work.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185831/project-eternity-could-work-with-touch-pad-controls-says-obsidian

Ben of Xboxer360 writes, "Since receiving the mysterious invite, emblazoned with the notorious Assassins logo, to what could only be an Assassins Creed event, I was excited. Once there, I was ushered into a small smoke-filled room, tinted blood-red and decked out with the armour of great Assassins from our past. Altair, Ezio, Connor, the room steeped in Assassins history. My anticipation was building and after a short but heart-felt monologue from a great British thespian, the room heard a bang before the walls were covered in falling black pirate flags. These werent just any pirate flags, the crisp Assassins logo was etched onto the skull and cross-bones. This is Assassins Creed 4: Black Flag"



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185639/assassins-creed-iv-black-flag-details-revealed-xboxer360

PlayStation Network will be down all day today as Sony does some upgrading to the PlayStation Store software. The downtime started at 5:00AM Pacific, and is expected to be down until around 9:00PM Pacific.

If you signed into the PlayStation Network within the last five days however, you should be able to play games online and use apps like Netflix, Hulu, Music Unlimited during the downtime.

For those sad they won't be able to access PSN, here's a picture of a dog on top of a tortoise with dollar bills all over them because this is the Internet.

[Via @PlayStation, PlayStation Support]

via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/playstation-network-undergoing-maintenance-today-247701.phtml

Buckle up, soldier! Welcome to Aliens: Colonial Marines. Created by Gearbox, the critically acclaimed and fan-favourite developers of Borderlands and Brothers In Arms, this first-person shooter is steeped in the eerie, claustrophobic and terrifying atmosphere that made the Aliens films successful worldwide. You and your friends will become the most badass military outfit in the galaxy the US Colonial Marines. Its down to you to not just survive but wipe out the Xeno infestation.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185808/gertlushgaming-presents-our-aliens-colonial-marines-review

DSOGaming writes: "Nvidia has released some new drivers for its graphics cards today. According to the release notes, this new set of drivers offers 23% better performance in a variety of games for GeForce 400/500/600 series GPUs."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185813/new-nvidia-geforce-drivers-offer-a-23-performance-boost-in-a-variety-of-games

Stafa, Ali, and Trevor talk about Plants vs Zombies, Final Fantasy 9, and DmC Devil May Cry. Main topic is on next generation consoles. After that, news on dad stealing from a hospital, THQ's remaining IPs, poll on games causing violence, Skullgirls, The War Z, and Code.org promoting learning how to code



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185552/out-of-continues-ep-65-next-gen-consoles

Only the best community members will receive this gift from Riot Games.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1185802/riot-games-rewards-their-fans

One of the biggest things about the new Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is its promise of a big, emergent, seamless open world. Granted, pass Assassin's Creed games have offered huge environments before, but this is something more. Something similar to that of Far Cry 3's world.

As Ashraf Ismail, game director on Black Flag, described all the major points about the new game to me, I couldn't help but compare it to Far Cry. And as it turns out, the first-person tropical shooter influenced some of the new design decisions, to the point of even bringing some of the team that worked on Far Cry 3 on board.

"We learn from the games that we develop internally at the studio," Ashraf told me. "Far Cry 3 had that awesome element of completely distracting the player and having you pulled off the main path. We actually have a bunch of Far Cry 3 development members in our team and they're helping us bring this to the naval world.

Read more...



via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/how-far-cry-3-influenced-assassin-s-creed-s-new-direction-247551.phtml