Placeholder boxart gives little away.
What is this, Internet Butterfingers Day over at Tesco Direct? Mere tens of moments after the discovery of a Call of Duty: Ghosts listing, now removed, Videogamer has winkled out another one for "upcoming Halo".
Not Modern Warfare 4, then?.
A listing for something called Call of Duty: Ghosts has appeared over at Tesco Direct, dated for release end of December 2013. Check out the boxart below. Whatever happened to Modern Warfare, Activision?
"It's a no-brainer, says Just Add Water.
Microsoft needs to let Xbox Live users trade in digital games, for the good of developers, publishers and players alike, Just Add Water's Stewart Gilray and Dan Morse have told OXM.
Studio also hit by "a small number of layoffs".
Due to "shifting staffing priorities for Harmonix's multiple future projects", a small number of Harmonix employees have been let go, as confirmed by a company spokesperson speaking to Polygon today.
Publisher exploring ways to bring the shooter series to the small screen.
Activision has recently revealed that its development teams are researching ways to bring the Call of Duty franchise onto mobile and tablet devices, and will be eschewing ports for original titles. The company currently has "dedicated internal studios to work on it, and folks from outside the industry that we're bringing in."
Now "a high-stakes narrative experience imbued with core XCOM concepts.".
Oh hai, XCOM. Wherever have you been? Out in the suburbs, splatting extra-terrestrials made of right angles, you say? Well, try not to get any cuboids on the carpet.
"I don't think Microsoft would have acquired us if they weren't interested in indies.".
Is PlayStation Network becoming the new home of independent development, ousting the mighty Xbox Live Arcade? Does Microsoft's decision to cease support for the long-running XNA development toolset mean that it's less interested in small fry developers nowadays? Not a bit of it, says Press Play's lead designer Mikkel Thorsted, one of the minds behind promising platformer Max and the Curse of Brotherhood.
"I'm sure we can find a solution for at least one of the IPs, or a few of the IPs, this year.".
Nordic Games was on the blower to GameInformer last night, discussing plans for the licenses it has acquired from the remains of THQ. Long story short: there won't be a new Darksiders game this year, but CEO Lars Wingefors is confident he can find a "solution" for one or more of the IPs this year. Whether that entails actual new games this year is up to guesswork.
Players control a variety of rogues bent on taking down the Bats.
Multiple sources have outed the existence of a multiplayer component in the upcoming Batman: Arkham Origins, according to Kotaku.
Saints Row developer no longer interested in working with the IP, however.
Volition's general manager Dan Cermak has welcomed the acquisition of the long-dormant Red Faction IP by Nordic Games, but says the Saints Row developer doesn't intend to work with its sorely missed sci-fi franchise again.
Coming soon to a shelf near you: a decapitated bust.
If you were anywhere near the internet on the 16th January, you may remember the storm in a teacup that ensued after a press release for Dead Island: Riptide revealed plans to ship a grotesque, decapitated torso as part of their 'Zombie Bait' edition.
Three new maps, one new mode, new weapon and armor skins.
Thought you were done killing things on Sera? You thought erroneously. Microsoft has released the Gears of War: Judgment map pack Call to Arms to Season Pass holders, comprising three new multiplayer maps, a new mode and six armour and gun skins. There's 10 new Achievements and 250 Gamerscore to be had, so dust off that Lancer and get involved.
Far Cry: Blood Dragon, AC3 DLC, more Arcade discounts.
This week on What's New This Week, not much that's new. The offerings are enticing, however - a standalone Far Cry 3 spin-off modelled on the cheesiest of '80s action flicks, and some triumphant final DLC for Assassin's Creed 3. Dig in.
$60 new - get the extra content free by pre-ordering.
As is Nature's Way, Saints Row 4 has a special preorder-baiting edition with exclusive in-game content. It's known as the Commander in Chief Edition, and goes large on patriotic props like eagles that shoot rockets and a gun made of all the other guns. Witness the first image, below.
Also "very mild impact nudity", "strong impact violence". Erm?.
Got to love the Australian Classifications Board and its irrationally picky prudery. As reported by VG247, the ratings organisation has outed Endless Summer, a game published though not necessarily developed by Bethesda Softworks. What could it be? Something "mildly sexy", apparently.
Landfall, Dispatch, Simplex and Scythe thrown into the rotation.
Spartan Sanitation Officer Third Class Epsilon here, with another Halo 4 matchmaking update. This one's all about Regicide (king-killing) and Grifball (goal-scoring with hammers) - both playlists of the same name are the recipients of new maps and rules.
Company's EVP for digital outlines trans-media strategy.
Robert Nashak, BBC's EVP for digital, has stated his interest in developing more trans-media properties within the company, inspired by the success of SyFy's Defiance.
John Needham appointed as studio head, touts free-to-play experience.
Meet the new boss, the same as the old boss! Or not. Microsoft has appointed the decidedly non-Molyneux-esque John Needham as studio head at Lionhead. Where the sorely missed Peter M gave us emotional simulations, moral quandaries and cartoony meditations on the nature of God, Needham's all about multiplayer of the massive variety. Moreover, his "deep understanding" of subscriptions, free-to-play and mobile gaming "will be a huge benefit" to both Lionhead and Microsoft's wider operations in our hemisphere. A hint as to the future of Xbox? Quite probably.
Also sheds light on Black Tusk Studios project.
You know what's fun? Literally anything that isn't combing through dozens of Microsoft job listings in search of telling phrases such as "next generation Xbox". Still, every now and then I just can't help myself, and every now and then, the effort proves worthwhile.
No comment on rumours of Witcher multiplayer component.
Will they? Won't they? The fuss over The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's possibly mythical multiplayer component continues, with CD Projekt gameplay producer Marek Ziemak refusing to comment on rumours in a chat with OXM. Ziemak was, however, prepared to say that multiplayer and narrative aren't best of friends.