Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain Officially Revealed

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What is the fifth Metal Gear Solid? Why, it's the previously revealed Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain combined.

Series creator Hideo Kojima took to the stage at GDC 2013 to unveil the new installment, and he even showed off a five and a half minute gameplay demo. It also gives us our first full look at the much-vaunted Fox Engine.

The story starts after Snake awakens from a 9-year coma. He wakes up next to the figure of Ishmael, whose face was covered in bandages in The Phantom Pain. The demo shows off MGSV's tutorial level and as you can see, Snake has trouble with even simple coordination after 9 years on his back. But he soon regains his ability and at that point, I'm sure we're off on another memorable MGS adventure. The game is slated to hit the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 but we don't have an estimated release date; here's hoping it's ready for the holidays! The sooner the better with this one, right?

Unfortunately, long-time Snake actor David Hayter will not be reprising his starring role. As he recently Tweeted:

"Well look, at least I had a good run."

A fan wondered if Hayter was even asked to play Snake and his reply was simple- "Nope." That's really too bad, but we have to assume Kojima knows what he's doing, right?

Fez coming to Steam May 1

A Windows version of Polytron's infinite puzzle dimension portal, Fez, will be released on May 1, as revealed by the game's new Steam page. Like the XBLA version, it's listed as developed by Polytron and published by Trapdoor.

The Steam page does not show any new features, but at the very least it'll be easier to take screenshots of all the beautiful things you'll see, and, for the sake of your own sanity, the occasional screenshot of a glyph you hope to translate later. Patches should be easier too.

If you'd like to start the fun before the release of the game, you can ask creator Phil Fish anything on Reddit right now.

Phil Fish: Fez 'should be out on pretty much everything,' eventually

Fez has found its way to Steam, hitting PCs on May 1 – but that's not all developer Phil Fish has up his tiny, red hat. Fish hosted a Reddit AMA today, where he revealed Mac, Linux, Vita, Ouya and iOS versions of Fez are all in various stages of planning and development.

Mac and Ouya ports are definitely on the way, while Linux is part of some "vague plans, but plans nonetheless. Fez should eventually be out on pretty much everything," Fish said. For Vita and PSN, Fish said he's working with Sony "to figure something out." An iOS launch is "highly probable."

Fish also says "thanks for all the spreadsheet jokes." And you all thought you were so original.

Check out all of the Fez information you never knew you wanted right here, and make sure to see the Fez Fish Gaijin Games created for Runner 2 (Warning: It's a fish in tightie whities, and we do mean tight).

Pachter: PS4 "Impressive," Will Sell 85-95 Million Units

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Everybody likes more RAM.

For developers, one of the most appealing aspects of the PlayStation 4 is its drastically increased RAM. And in addition to the 8-core CPU, analyst Michael Pachter believes Sony's new console is "impressive" and capable of great innovation.

Furthermore, in speaking at the SXSW panel (as cited byGameChup), Pachter said he believes the PS4 will go on to sell 85-95 million units lifetime; in direct comparison, the PS3 has sold about 77 million units since its launch in 2006. The analyst added that he expects the new console to sell below the $599 price point, which should give it an early boost.

In regards to the competition, Pachter sees the new Xbox selling the same amount as the PS4 when all is said and done. So essentially, it seems he sees the trends set this generation to continue going forward, which probably seems likely. But I have to reiterate- As I said in my Week in Review, the availability of PS4s come launch will be critical. And that's lookin' good, so... Cross your fingers!

Just Cause Dev: PlayStation 4 Is "The Best Of All Worlds"

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When Sony announced the technical specifications for the PlayStation 4, some were just a little underwhelmed.

After all, it didn't appear to be some futuristic, next-level tech; it just appeared to be some relatively high-end PC technology. Developers really seem to love it for its accessibility, but what about the overall raw power?

Well, Just Cause developer Avalanche Studios says we really shouldn't be too concerned about that. Co-founder Linus Blomberg told GamingBolt that Sony's new machine will "out-power most PCs for years to come." He also said due to aging tech, consoles are in "desperate need" of a new generation:

"It’s always very exciting with a new console cycle, for a number of reasons. The consoles desperately need a boost since having been overtaken in terms of performance by PCs several years ago, and also losing market share to mobile platforms."

This generation has lasted longer than any previous generation in the industry's history (at least as far as I can remember), and many game makers have complained about battling gamer fatigue. In other words, we're all waiting for the new hardware, so even the most anticipated titles for current hardware seems a little less exciting. Anyway, Blomberg definitely seems to like the PS4:

"It’s the best of all worlds in a way; great performance for demanding high-end gaming, good social ecosystem and connectivity, and integrated business marketplace. For Avalanche Studios as an open-world games developer this is super exciting and opens up many new opportunities."

Avalanche is rumored to have several next-gen projects in the works, including Just Cause 3 and a new Mad Max game. As for next-gen power, we'll have to wait and see what the PS4 is truly capable of..

Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag debut trailer sets sail, screens too

Blackbeard's here to introduce you to the newest hero in the Assassin's Creed lineage, one Edward Kenway, as well as the latest, piracy-stuffed entry in the series. Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag docks on the shores of North America on October 29, and Europe on October 31 (UK November 1). The game is coming to PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, PC, and next-gen consoles (at some point) including the PS4.

Assassin's Creed 4 (Announcement)

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Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag confirmed for PS4

As the prior week's leaks suggested, Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag will boast next-generation ports ... rendered by the PlayStation 4. (Here you go.)

Speaking to Joystiq in San Francisco last month, Assassin's Creed 4 game director Ashraf Ismail said the AnvilNext engine, which powers Ubisoft's pirate game and debuted with Assassin's Creed 3 in 2012, was built for platforms beyond the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii U.

Ubisoft hasn't confirmed a launch date for the PS4 version yet, since the exact timing is entwined with Sony's guarded launch plans. All other versions ofAssassin's Creed 4: Black Flag (that we know of) are due on October 29 in North America.

Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag 'pushing hard' for more assassinations, less hand-holding

It has become necessary to ask about the prevalence of assassination in a series called Assassin's Creed. Ubisoft's massive franchise has grown to encompass different developers, protagonists, historical contexts, and design ideals. The central thrust of the hidden blade has been obscured by an ever-growing stack of systems, plots and economies, some of which suit the business of killing – and some that allow you to manufacture and sell barrels.

"Yes, we are a pirate game, and we advertise ourselves as a pirate game. It's even in our title," says Ashraf Ismail, Game Director at Ubisoft Montreal forAssassin's Creed 4: Black Flag. "But it's an Assassin's Creed game, and this is very important, because this is how we're able to build a pirate game. We have this really solid foundation that is the core and the heart of the experience. The story is about a guy who is an assassin and the conflict he goes through to become this guy. We actually have more assassinations than AC1 had."

Following a presentation at Ubi's offices in San Francisco, Ismail explains the "older philosophy" of Assassin's Creed as an important consideration for Black Flag, even if its appearance suggests otherwise. "This is something we did learn, we do listen to our fans a lot," Ismail says. "We know that in AC3 there was a lot more handholding done, and we do want to go back to an older philosophy where we just present you with a simple objective and we let you choose the gameplay you want."

Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag debut trailer leaks

The (potentially not safe for work) debut trailer for Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flaghas leaked onto the internet like water into the bowels of a poorly-built schooner. As our first look at the new game's setting and characters in motion, the above trailer details the game's hero, Edward Kenway, and all of the various ways in which he is, apparently, even cooler than Blackbeard.

As we learned yesterday, Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag will launch on October 29 and will also be coming to "next-gen consoles." 

Project Awakened's Unreal Engine 4 tech demo is impressive, gross

We don't know if you guys are aware of this or not, but the human body is a disgusting thing. Even the really top notch, showroom-quality human bodies are essentially sacks of greasy tubes and cartilage. Here to remind us of that fact in stunning detail is Project Awakened's Unreal Engine 4 tech demo, which shows just how elaborate the game's character creation system could be.

Now, we doubt Project Awakened will allow players to select from a multitude of different organs or anything, but the super powers shown off are quite impressive looking, if a bit disturbing at times -- we're looking at you, weird split-open-hand-bone-thing.

Of course, Phosphor Games will only be able to turn this flashy demo into something tangible if its ongoing Kickstarter proves successful, but with only four days left on the clock, and around $300,000 in funding still needing to be raised, that looks increasingly unlikely.

EA CFO suggests 'new Battlefield' running on PS4

During a recent investor conference call, Electronic Arts' chief financial officer Blake Jorgensen specifically referenced having seen "the new Battlefield" running on a PlayStation 4. EA has not announced Battlefield 4 as coming to Sony's new flagship box, though it's hardly a stretch to envision the military shooter on the new platform.

Jorgensen shut down the implication that EA's absence from Sony's PlayStation 4 press conference last week meant its support of the new system wouldn't surface until 2014 or 2015. "I'd say between now and E3, you're going to see a lot of stuff from us," he said.

"The technical power on the platform is going to allow us to do a substantial amount of things that we've never done before," Jorgensen continued. "I've seen the new Battlefield and it is stunning, I mean it is just amazing; what the imagination of the game developers are allowed to do with that much power."

We've reached out to EA for more information about Jorgensen's statement and will update with any new information we receive.

Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag hoists new hero onto PS3, 360, Wii U, PC

Ubisoft has announced Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, which introduces a new coarse heir to the century-spanning action series. As you can gather from the artwork, the sequel shifts to the Caribbean in an era of piracy and formidable pistol-to-hand ratios. The game is so far confirmed for PS3, Xbox 360, PC, and Wii U, with the PS3 version including "60 minutes of exclusive gameplay."

Joystiq will have more information and opinions about Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag on Monday. We'd love it if you checked back then to learn about the game's protagonist, goals, and guiding principles.