Cloud Monday - Marvel's Midnight Suns - Part 2 - Well Designed To Be Streamed From The Cloud

This week's Cloud Monday video is part 2 of playing the PS4 version of Marvel's Midnight Suns via the PlayStation Plus Cloud Streaming Service to my Japanese launch model PlayStation 4.

Right from Part 1, https://youtu.be/IZ948UHlLsM, the slower turn based pace of the combat and frequent auto saves and very accessible manual saves gave me a positive first impression of Marvel's Midnight Suns. In this part that didn't change. i felt at ease playing the game as i was secure knowing that if there were issues, saving wouldn't be an issue. i was able to focus more on the game itself and the story it was trying to tell.

And that brings up a different issue. Marvel's Midnight Suns may work great as a game in the cloud, but does it work great as a game. i chose to play the game with the focus on story so that's what i was expecting. but more and more fluff was being added into the game with little to no explanation how it relates to the game. the thing that triggered me the most was i gifted access to a social network with seemingly no explanation as to how that would benefit me or the story. it was yet another system being added. 

Again, with my focus being on the story and how grim things were turning. i expected the game to have a quicker pace, to want to deal with things. and yet i didn't get that sense of urgency from any of the other characters or in the pace of the game. i don't mind that combat takes time, i feel that the game's combat and mechanics are it's strongest part and i enjoyed the strategy challenge. It's just that in a story with the fate of the world at stake, it didn't feel like the fate of the world was at stake. Like, why do i have options to customise my room, surely this will all be over in a day or two?

The graphics are kinda an example of this ambivalence. Most of the big stuff and the backgrounds look great. even up close some of the stone work looks highly textured and great. and then you get the characters. at times i wonder if they look any better than some characters on #PS3. especially the faces, it's one thing to look emotionless but it's another to also look plastic.

Personally, i feel like Marvel's Midnight Suns needs a remaster or directors cut. something that'll focus it on it's two core things, it's story and it's combat. in a way, Marvel's Midnight Suns would've been perfect on a Pocketable Portable as it's likely a lot of the fluff would've been cut. plus the auto save would've worked great on such a system. the Marvel's Midnight Suns we got is bloated and that bloat feels disconnected from what makes it good. It's possible that it isn't fluff and that it all ties together. but they failed in these 2 hours to tell me that, which in itself could be telling of other issues.

as a game played in the cloud, Marvel's Midnight Suns is a great choice. but is it a game worth playing, that's up to you. i'm not too sure, but the fact it's part of PlayStation Plus and i can stream it and not buy it does help make it more worth playing.

Cloud Monday - Marvel's Midnight Suns - Part 1 - A Good First Impression, Auto And Manual Saves Too

This week's Cloud Monday video is part 1 of playing the #PS4 version of Marvel's Midnight Suns via the #PlayStationPlus Cloud Streaming Service to my Japanese launch model PlayStation 4.

This game, from developers Firaxis Games, is one that was seemingly well received from reviewers but not necessarily the public at large. I've heard quite a lot of non specific praise about playing it but also reports on how poorly it sold, either in general or when compared to expectations. Thankfully, the point of this series is to talk about how suitable the game is as a game being played in the cloud. And i can say that it makes a great first impression.

Much like the previous game i played, The Wild At Heart https://youtu.be/Cg0q3nv-E58, this game starts with a choice on how you want to play it. i went with a focus on story, but there's also normal mode. If you've played one of these before, streaming the other from the cloud is a great option to have as this game is a fairly sizeable download around 32GB. I also chose to do the tutorial mission. 

I couldn't say where the tutorial mission ended and the game started. they did a great job incorporating the tutorial into the story. admittedly, playing a strong super heroes and being limited because of the tutorial could've been delt with better, like with a side comment that these are just henchmen so don't go all out just yet as someone stronger may come later. But after it, i did feel mostly confident that i understood the systems taught to me.

As well as the tutorial and options, the game's story also makes a great first impression. it's always made clear who is talking and when someone new is introduced there's a quick little banner to say who they are. about half way into the video i explore the save system and it's clear that at this early point in the game the auto save system has been working quite frequently and not overwriting one auto save. there are 4 auto saves the game makes and we can do manual saves, too. this sense of security means i can focus on the game instead of worrying about when or if i can save next.

In this part, the connection to the cloud was mostly fine. early on there were a couple of moments of macro blocking, where instead of fine details there are larger squares of color. but this was never an issue with gameplay. a lot of the text, characters, and pictures are quite big so were still legible. Later on there were more incidents of Stream Tearing, where there's grey on screen, and these do get in the way of gameplay. thankfully, there were no audio issues nor controller issues so i was still able to continue and understand what was happening. 

I'm looking forward to part 2. it'll be interesting to see how the game holds up on the PS4, especially when there are more effects and more enemies on screen in the first mission of the game. the card battle system we've played so far is slow enough that i always felt in control, again a good fit for being played in the cloud. But there were some hints that the PS4 was being pushed hard by this game.

2K And Firaxis Have Released A New Trailer For The Brave New World DLC For Civilization V

2K and Firaxis have released a new trailer for Civilization V expansion Brave New World. this video focuses on near the end of the game where there is the World Congress. it details and provides tips on how to use this system to not only better the world bu yourself.

2K Have Released A New Civilization V Trailer Showing Trade Routes In The Brave New World Expansion

2K have released a new trailer for Civilization V. this video focuses on the Brave New World Expansion, showing how you can create trade routes. as well as routes, the video talks about the threats to your routes and the new units that are used for trading.

2K Have Released A New Civilization V Trailer For The Brave New World Expansion

2K have released a new trailer for Civilization V. this video is for the upcoming Brave New World expansion and focuses on the new Policies and Ideologies that have been introduced. in-game action is used to help explain the new additions and changes to Policies and Ideologies.

2K And Firaxis Have Released A New Video For Civilization V Showing Action From The Brave New World Expansion

2K And Firaxis have released a new trailer for  Civilization V. this video is for the upcoming, out 9th July, Brave New World expansion for the game. the video uses in-game action to highlight the new features and to offer some tips on how best to use the new features.



Brave New World - Key Features

2K And Firaxis Have Released A Launch Trailer For Sid Meier's Ace Patrol

2K and Firaxis have released a launch trailer for Sid Meier's Ace Patrol, a new iOS game that's out now for free.

2K And Firaxis Announce Sid Meier’s Ace Patrol Comes To iOS On 9th May For Free

2K and Firaxis have announced Sid Meier’s Ace Patrol comes out on iOS on 9th May. this free to download game was conceived, designed and programed by the legend himself, Sid Meier.

Key Features Include:

• Piloting a selection of 30 vintage and historical WWI aircrafts through more than 120 missions;
• Building out a team of Aces that each offer a special skill set to expand gameplay options;
• Upgrading and promoting the top fighter pilots throughout the course of the campaign;
• Playing Turn-based Single-Player, Two-Player Hot-Pad or Asynchronous Multiplayer through Game Center.

Screenshots


Press Release

Feral Interactive Announce XCOM: Enemy Unknown Elite Edition Comes To Macs On 25th April

Feral Interactive have announced they are bringing Firaxis and 2K's XCOM: Enemy Unknown to Macs on 25th April. the game will be coming out at retail and digitally for $49.99, £34.99, €44.99. This Elite edition of the game includes the Slingshot and Elite Soldier Pack add-ons and the Second Wave Update.

Minimum system requirements:

2.0GHz Intel Mac

4.0GB RAM

256MB or better graphics card

Mac OS 10.7.5 or later. 

The game does not support the following graphics cards: 

ATI X1xxx series, ATI HD2xxx series, Intel GMA series, NVIDIA 7xxx series and NVIDIA 8xxx series. 

The following graphics cards require 8GB of system RAM:

Intel HD3000, NVIDIA 9400 and NVIDIA 320M.

Press Release

2K And Firaxis Announce The First DLC For XCOM Is Out From Today For $6.99/560 MS Points

Firaxis and 2K Games have announced the first Add-On DLC for XCOM is out from today. the Slingshot Content Pack costs $6.99 on PS3 and PC and 560 MS Points on Xbox 360. The DLC introduces a Triad operative, has you diverting an alien ship's course, fights over China and new council missions.



Press Release

Feral Interactive Announce They Are Bringing Sid Meier’s Railroads! To Macs This Fall For $29.99/£19.99/€24.99

Feral Interactive have announced they will be bringing Sid Meier’s Railroads! to Macs this fall. Sid Meier’s Railroads! was originally released on PC back in 2006 by Firaxis and 2K Games and this Mac release is going to be on Feral Interactive's Feral Legends Label, which aims to release classic PC games on Mac. Sid Meier’s Railroads! will be available at both retail and online for $29.99/£19.99/€24.99. There are 46 historically accurate trains, 16 Maps and seven mission driven scenarios that span 2 centuries of EU/USA history.

Screenshots

Minimum system requirements:
1.8GHz Intel Mac
3GB RAM,
128 MB or better graphics card,
Mac OS 10.6.8 or later.
The game does not support the following graphics cards: ATI X1xxx series, NVIDIA 7xxx series and Intel GMA series.

Press Release

2K And Firaxis Have Released The XCOM: Enemy Unknown Gameplay Walkthrough They Showed At E3 And PAX

2k And Firaxis have released a new gameplay video for XCOM: Enemy Unknown. this is the same video that they showed at both E3 and PAX Prime. it features Firaxis Lead Designer Jake Solomon providing the narration of the gameplay breakthrough.

2K and Firaxis Announce XCOM: Enemy Unknown Features Multiplayer

2K Games and Firaxis have announced XCOM: Enemy Unknown features multiplayer. in what 2K are saying is a first for the series, this multiplayer mode pits the aliens vs the soldiers (or a mixture of both) as you attack or defend Earth from the other player. the multiplayer features the gameplay, tactics and strategy from the single player mode but stands alone from it. you can create squads of up to 6 players.

Press Release

Firaxis Have Released A New Civilization V Video Showing The New Features Gods & Kings Brings

Firaxis have released a new video for Civilization V. this video details the new features the upcoming Gods & Kings DLC brings to the game. the video features devs who talk about the new features and show in-game action. the video talks about Religion, details how it starts and grows. they also talk about Espionage and talk about how they can do more for you as they level up. they also talk about changes to the game, focusing on changes to Naval changes and more.

2K Games And Steam Have Announced Sid Meier's Civilization V Is Now A Part Of Steam Workshop

2K Games and Stream have announced Sid Meier's Civilization V is now a part of Steam Workshop. this means gamers can browse, comment, rate, and subscribe to Civilization V mods from Steam Workshop. modders can now post their Civilization V mods in Steam Workshop.

Press Release

Firaxis Games And 2K Have Released A New Trailer For Civilization V Showing The Gods & Kings DLC

Firaxis and 2K Have released a new trailer for Civilization V. this video is for the upcoming Gods & Kings DLC and it features a couple of members of the dev team talking about the update. they focus on a few new civilizations that will be added and detail their unique features. in-game action is also shown in this video regarding the new civilizations.

Firaxis And 2K Announce XCOM: Enemy Unknown Comes To The UK On 12th October For PS3, PC, And Xbox 360

2K Games and Firaxis Games have announced that XCOM: Enemy Unknown is set to come out across the UK on PS3, PC, and Xbox 360 on 12th October. they have also revealed some pre-order bonuses, depending on retailer. the Elite Soldier Pack will be limited in quantities, and the PC version of the game will have it's own Pre-Order Exclusive. The Elite Soldier Pack comes with:

• Classic X-COM Soldier: Players will instantly receive a new recruit in their barracks inspired by the original X-COM: UFO Defense. The iconic soldier with the blonde, flattop hairstyle will return in his full glory, modernized with the rest of the XCOM universe.
• Soldier Deco packs: Players can customize their soldier with several aesthetic upgrades to armor suits, including the new Hyperion and Reaper soldier armor kits.
• Complete color customization: A variety of colors and tints for all armor sets in the game allow players complete control to customize their squad’s look.

Screenshots


Press Release

Firaxis And 2K Games Announce The Gods & Kings Expansion Pack For Civilization V Comes Out 19th June

Firaxis and 2K Games have revealed the release date for the Gods & Kings Expansion to Civilization V. this pack comes to the USA on 19th June and internationally on 22nd June. The Gods & Kings Expansion brings new civilizations, leaders, units, technologies and more, as well as the return of religion and espionage, to Civilization V.

Press Release

2K And Firaxis Announce XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Coming Autumn 2012 To PC, Xbox 360, And PS3

2K Games and Firaxis announce XCOM: Enemy Unknown, their upcoming action strategy title coming Autumn 2012 to PC, Xbox 360, and PS3. XCOM: Enemy Unknown builds on the original XCOM game released in 1993, breaking new ground in strategy. the game has you playing as the XCOM commander and you have to defend against a global alien invasion. Firaxis say their game will be faithful to the original XCOM whilst also providing a new storyline and gameplay experience that both new and old fans will enjoy.

2K have also announced the original XCOM is available on Steam.

Picture from Gameinformer

Press Release

2K Games Announce Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution For The iPad Is Out Now

2K Games have announced that a iPad version of Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution is out now. The iPad version of the game comes with a exclusive feature called World/Scenario Creator. this new feature allows players to customise the world and set the games parameters. The game has also been optimised for the iPad, bringing a improved UI to the game, new leader portraits and icons, and a improved world map. The game is out now for $12.99 on the App Store.

Screenshots


Press Release

NEW YORK --(Business Wire)-- Apr 02, 2010 2K Games today announced the Sid Meier’s Civilization® Revolution™ App for iPad is now available on the App Store. The game offers hundreds of hours of gameplay from legendary developer Firaxis Games. Exclusive to the app is the World/Scenario Creator, an entirely new feature which allows players to customize the world and game parameters to create hundreds of different scenarios and game types, providing limitless hours of entertainment. Additionally, Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution App for iPad has been updated and optimized for the iPad’s large screen and includes an enhanced user interface that improves the fidelity of world map tiles, leader portraits and icons; and offers a broader view of the world map, enabling increased vision and strategy for tactical gameplay.

"Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution is already a huge success for 2K Games," said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. "Now, the iPad’s large Multi-Touch screen and impressive capabilities allow for high resolution graphics; a larger viewing and playing area; and expanded gameplay functionality that extend the addictive ‘just one more turn’ gameplay that has been synonymous with the Civilization series for decades.”

"We’re excited to deliver our signature strategy game at the launch of the revolutionary iPad," said Sid Meier, director of creative development at Firaxis Games. “The popularity of Civilization Revolution on the iPhone and the Nintendo DS™ is a clear indicator that people want to play Civ wherever and whenever they want. We’re happy to be able to give them that opportunity with iPad.”

The Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution App for iPad is available for $12.99 from the App Store on iPad or at www.itunes.com/appstore/.

Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution for iPad was originally developed by Firaxis Games and adapted for the iPad by 2K China. As one of the most respected franchises in the gaming industry, the Civilization series has sold more than nine million units worldwide. In 1991, Sid Meier put computer gaming on the map when he first delivered Civilization to the PC gaming world, launching the "God Game" genre and creating one of the most award-winning and addictive strategy series of all time. Built specifically for console and handheld systems, Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution features the franchise's fastest pick-up-and-play action to date and still honors the most beloved elements from the core series: strategic global reign and encounters with history's most intrepid leaders.

For more information on Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution please visit http://civilizationrevolution.com.
2K Games is a division of 2K, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).

About Firaxis Games
Firaxis Games™ is one of the world’s premier game development studios, and home of legendary designer Sid Meier. Firaxis has developed some of the most successful and award-winning computer and video games on the market today including: 2005 PC Game of the Year - Sid Meier’s Civilization IV®, the expansions Civilization IV: Warlords®, Civilization IV: Beyond The Sword™, and Civilization IV: Colonization™, the blockbuster Sid Meier’s Civilization® IIIseries, Sid Meier’s Pirates!® (PC, Xbox® and PSP®), Sid Meier’s SimGolf™ and Sid Meier’s Railroads!™. Firaxis legacy titles include the Sid Meier's Civil War Series!™ (Gettysburg!, Antietam!, and South Mountain), and the Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri® series. In 2005, Firaxis Games was acquired by Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., joining its 2K publishing label. The company recently released Sid Meier’s Civilization® Revolution™ for console and handheld platforms to great critical acclaim and is currently developing Sid Meier’s Civilization V® for the PC and Sid Meier’s Civilization® Network™ for Facebook.

About Take-Two Interactive Software
Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a global developer, marketer and publisher of interactive entertainment software games for the PC, PlayStation®3 and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment systems, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Wii™, Nintendo DS™, iPhone™ and iPod® touch. The Company publishes and develops products through its wholly owned labels Rockstar Games and 2K, which publishes its titles under 2K Games, 2K Sports and 2K Play. The Company’s common stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TTWO. For more corporate and product information please visit our website at www.take2games.com.

Nintendo DS is a trademark of Nintendo.
All trademarks and copyrights contained herein are the property of their respective holders.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
The statements contained herein which are not historical facts are considered forward-looking statements under federal securities laws and may be identified by words such as "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "potential," "predicts," "projects," "seeks," "will," or words of similar meaning and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the outlook for the Company's future business and financial performance. Such forward-looking statements are based on the current beliefs of our management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to them, which are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Actual outcomes and results may vary materially from these forward-looking statements based on a variety of risks and uncertainties including: our dependence on key management and product development personnel, our dependence on our Grand Theft Auto products and our ability to develop other hit titles for current generation platforms, the timely release and significant market acceptance of our games, the ability to maintain acceptable pricing levels on our games, our ability to raise capital if needed and risks associated with international operations. Other important factors and information are contained in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009, in the section entitled "Risk Factors," as updated in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended January 31, 2010, and the Company's other periodic filings with the SEC, which can be accessed at www.take2games.com. All forward-looking statements are qualified by these cautionary statements and apply only as of the date they are made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.