Black Ops 2 Multiplayer Patch 1.12 Released (Full Details Inside)

Earlier today patch 1.12 for Black Ops 2 went live for both the PS3 and Xbox 360, it's not a particularly long list compared to previous updates but I have a feeling they might've implemented a few behind the scenes changes that weren't noted. Mostly the patch deals with issues such as exploits and glitches in multiplayer and zombies, nothing got nerfed this time, which is a pleasant surprise. Anyway, you can check out the full patch notes for yourself below:

PS3 Game Update (1.12) Notes: Jun. 27, 2013

Multiplayer Issues Addressed

• Addressed an issue reported by the community where camos and reticles would change or disappear.
• Addressed an issue reported by the community where players could run away with the bomb in a Search and Destroy or Demolition match.
• Addressed an issue reported by the community where players could become invincible for a period of time.

Plants vs. Zombies 2 Launch Date Pushed Back and Rumours of Apple Exclusivity

 

Earlier this month I wrote a short article about Edge magazines exclusive preview of the new Plants vs. Zombies title and one of the main points was that the game was slated for a July 18th release, this was also confirmed at the E3 event a couple weeks back. Most fans have been waiting the best part of four years for this sequel and so you can imagine the surprise and disappointment when a tweet from the Plants vs.Zombies team, was posted with the following information. It said that the original stated release date would not be met and that the games launch would take place later in summer but how much later in summer they've not indicated. If this delay wasn't already a slap in the face for us eagerly waiting fans, apparently this wasn't the only revision of the details discussed in the Edge magazine piece, apparently PvZ2 will now not only launch later but it is said to also be an Apple product exclusive, whereas before it was said to be a generic mobile device exclusive.

Microsoft Revise Their DRM and Used Game Policies For Xbox One Console

A little over a week ago at E3 2013 both Microsoft (Xbox One) and Sony (PS4) unveiled their new consoles and while hardware wise there might not be that much of a difference (apparently the PS4 is slightly better), the way each company approached how consumers could use their platforms was like night and day. Microsoft revealed their game plan first (no pun intended XD ) and it couldn't have gone down any worse with it's fan base; a hefty price tag for additional features that most gamers don't care for, a mandatory link up with Xbox servers at least once every 24hrs for all games to continue working (on or offline) and complex restrictions on how gamers could handle their game disks. Well, late last night, Microsoft posted an update on their Xbox website regarding the Xbox One, which was nothing short of an embarrassing U-turn on policies that they were stringently defending, not more than a few days ago. You can head over there to read the entire article in full (link at end of article) but if you just want a quick summary, basically out of the three points I mentioned above, the last two have now been scrapped/altered significantly. I've quoted the changes below for your convenience:

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 - Vengeance DLC (Map Pack 3) - Coming 2nd July [Reveal Trailer Inside]

 
The third Black Ops 2 DLC comes in the form of 'Vengeance' and will be released on the 2nd of July and as per usual, will appear first on Xbox, then one month after on other platforms. This latest pack contains four new multiplayer maps: Cove, Detour, Rush and Uplink, the last map is in fact a re-make of the popular CoD: Black Ops map, Summit. In addition to those multiplayer maps, there's of course also one new Zombies map, titled as 'Buried', this adventure brings back the four original characters featured in the Tranzit map and has them fighting zombies in an underground Wild West town. But that's not all, this DLC drop will once again come with a new weapon, though instead of being for multiplayer, it's an exclusive to the Zombies game mode. It's come as a bit of surprise to have another new weapon added to the game, let alone one that can only be used in Zombies but apparently Treyarch feel there's enough of a demand for it and so they've introduced the 'Ray Gun Mark II'. It does look pretty cool but what I want to know is, how well does it kill zombies? Anyway, I've embedded the reveal trailer below, so you can see for yourself what the pack has to offer, enjoy.

PS3 To Get Free Trial of Black Ops 2 Revolution DLC, Starts 20th June 2013 *Updated*

Last month Black Ops 2 players on Xbox 360 were granted a free trial of the first map pack DLC, Revolution and this month it's the turn of the PS3 players. Currently it's unclear whether we'll be able to sample everything in the DLC i.e. the multiplayer maps, new multiplayer weapon (the Peacekeeper) and the Zombies map (Die Rise) or just certain parts. Also there's no indication of how long this trial will run for and whether we have to download the entire pack, even if we're only interested in one particular part of the DLC. Either way, the trial starts tomorrow (Thursday 20th June), so we'll find out soon enough, here's hoping we get to try everything ^_^

PlayStation 4 Launch Price and More, Detailed At Sony Press Conference E3 2013

 
Earlier this week the biggest event in the gaming calendar took place, in the form of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2013. Every year the show is a pretty big affair, with game developers from around the world converging on LA, to pitch and discuss their upcoming releases/projects but this year was just that bit bigger. Even if you don't play videos games that often, it's highly likely that you'll be aware that this year marks the start of the next console war, as both Sony and Microsoft are due to launch new products later this year. We learnt very little about the new PS4 at Sony's February press conference but one could argue it was still better than Microsoft's first press release on the Xbox One in May. Anyway, on the opening day of E3 2013 both companies revealed further details on their new game consoles and one of the main new pieces of information was the launch price of their units. I've provided a brief summary of what Sony talked about at E3 regarding the PS4 including their proposed launch price and I've also embedded the video, just in case you fancy watching the whole thing yourself.

Plants vs. Zombies 2 Coming First To Mobile Devices [Edge Magazine Exclusive Preview Inside]

In a first look exclusive interview with Edge magazine, PopCap have discussed why it's taken soo long for a sequel to the 2009 PC sensation that was Plants vs. Zombies and what we can expect from the new title. The four year hiatus has obviously not gone unnoticed by the studio and while the games title "It's About Time" seemingly pokes fun at the fact, it's actually also the main theme behind the game, that is to say time travelling. The first piece of big news regarding PvZ2 is that it will be coming first and exclusively to mobile devices, PopCap are planning to release it for other platforms in the future but we're not given any sort of schedule. I'm actually really disappointed with this news, I do agree that PvZ was a lot of fun to play on a touch screen device but at the same time I think the PC version was a lot smoother and so that's my platform of choice. The second piece of big news (unfortunately also bad) is that PopCap are releasing PvZ2 as a free-to-play game, couple this with the fact they are now owned by EA and I bet you're starting to have reservations just like I am. Obviously it's slightly unfair to pass judgement before I've played the game but if history has taught us anything, free-to-play does not benefit the gamer and EA makes terrible decisions when publishing games. Anyway, I've linked the article below so if you want to read the whole thing yourself and/or have sneak peak at some of the new plant types and garden arenas, then scroll down for the PDF. For those that just want a quick summary, I'll highlight what I believe to be the important points.

Call of Duty: Ghosts - E3 All Access Event [Gameplay Footage and Analysis Inside]

Yesterday Activision held a special presentation for their upcoming new game, Call of Duty: Ghosts, which felt like a direct follow up to the reveal trailer released a couple weeks back. While most developers are happy enough to be showcasing at the E3 event, Activision decided it wanted to (unofficially) kick off the expo and hosted an 'All Access' event a day before the convention doors opens because they wanted to "bring E3 to our fans" (the ones who couldn't make it).. The whole show lasts for about 30 minutes and you can watch it below, YouTube does require you to log in to view it but if you can't be bothered with that, there are a few other versions floating around, though none as good in terms of visual quality. There's a bit of chatter between the presenters (Jeff Keighley and Justine Ezarik) with the various people from Activision and Infinity Ward but it's mostly introducing or discussing the three video clips. The first two videos show footage taken from separate missions and the third one is sort of a preview of the entire game, I highly suggest you read my summary of the third video (below) before you decide if you want to watch it because some people might consider the clips as campaign spoilers. As per usual I provide a round up summary/analysis after the video, though in all honesty the footage shown is pretty clear cut but if you're still interested in my thoughts, be sure to scroll past the video, enjoy.

Plants vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time! Reveal Trailer Released [Video and Analysis Inside]

It's been a long four years since the first Plants vs. Zombies game hit shelves but finally the sequel is nearing launch, PopCap have stated a July (2013) release but a solid date has yet to be announced. With a title that is seemingly mocking itself for the ludicrous production time, the game appears to be centred around the aspect of time travelling. You can check out the reveal trailer for yourself below and then if you're interested, I do a personal in depth analysis of the footage, which you can read further down, enjoy.

IGN's Pre-E3 Call of Duty: Ghosts Exclusive Sneak Peak

Earlier today IGN released an article on their exclusive sneak peak at what Activision is planning to show the rest of the world tomorrow, regarding their new game, Call of Duty: Ghosts. There's not a great deal of information to be had, not entirely surprising given it was only meant to be a brief glimpse into the full reveal but I still think the article is worth reading. There are two short video clips to go with the article but these don't really show us anything that we haven't already seen from the reveal trailer and behind the scenes footage. But again if you're interested in hearing what Mark Rubin (first video) and Zach Volker (second video, title image above) have to say, then these will be worth watching to learn a very small amount about the direction they wanted to take the game and some of the new features they've implemented.