Along with the game disc itself, fans who pre-order either the standard or Collector’s Edition will receive the following exclusive in-game content:

• Early Access: Access the game servers ahead of the official launch. Get your head start and make your mark in the realm of Eorzea!
• Cait Sith Doll Minion: On sabbatical from Shinra Inc. and looking for adventure, Cait Sith will join your party as a non-combat pet.
• Mog Cap: Show your love of Final Fantasy and strut around the world of Eorzea in this Moogle themed hat. Kupo!

The Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Collector’s Edition contents include:

• Collector’s box designed by Yoshitaka Amano, legendary FINAL FANTASY artist
• 80-page “Art of Eorzea” hardcover art book featuring never-before-seen concept art
• “The Waning of the Sixth Sun,” a special bonus video disc that takes a cinematic look at the events that led up to the realm being reborn
• “Sounds of Eorzea” album that features musical scores by renowned FINAL FANTASY series composers
• Five collectable character art cards
• A FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn-branded security token to secure user accounts
• In-game bonus items: Helm of Light, Baby Behemoth Minion, Coeurl Mount and Behemoth Barding

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is scheduled to be released on the 27^th August 2013, for both PlayStation 3 and Windows PC systems. Monthly subscriptions for the game will start at £7.69/$10.99.

Source: Square Enix press release

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Batgirl or as she goes by day ‘Babra Gordan’ comes as the second DLC pack released for Injustice and is available for purchase now on the XBLA store for just 400MP and the PSN store for £3.99 or for free download if your purchased the Injustice pass. The DLC also arrives with a series of new skins for the current characters.  Check our her gameplay reveal trailer below to see how she kicks ass.

As you can see Batgirl is all about the gadgets to defeat her foes, drawing from One Earth  where Batgirl started life as ‘Oracle’ a character with unparalleled ability to avoid detection using her technical skills, NetherRealm studios has decided to gift Batgirl with a baffling array of technology to use in order to execute her various special moves such as her ‘Smoke Bomb’ attack which launches her into a teleport followed by a grab or her ‘Bab’s Bola’ an attack which uses her wire to ensnare your opponent leaving them at the mercy of any combo’s you have to follow up with. the Batbike also makes an appearance in her ‘Batwheel’ move.

Batgirl looks set to be an extremely fun addition to the Injustice roster and for the lowly sum of 400Mp or £3.99 with some extra character skins thrown in its good value for money. But will you be pounding on the joker as the Dark Knights female accomplice? Why not leave us a comment and let us know.

The post Batgirl Joins the Injustice Roster. appeared first on ExpansiveDLC.

For the first time ever, writers can pen fan fiction and actually earn money from it.

Introducing Kindle Worlds. Amazon have come to terms with several leading rights holders around the world and are piloting an experimental program that sees writers getting paid for expanding the worlds of their favourite intellectual properties in their own way. The licenses Amazon have acquired  include Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars and Vampire Diaries. More licenses will be announced soon.

The campaign will allow writers to produce fan fiction for their favourite TV, films and yes…games.

Once submitted, the works will be available to download on the Kindle store.

Amazon will pay royalties to the holders of the rights, as well as the author.

The standard author’s royalty rate (for works of at least 10,000 words) will be 35% of net revenue. As with all titles from Amazon Publishing, Kindle Worlds will base net revenue off of sales price—rather than the lower, industry standard of wholesale price—and royalties will be paid monthly.

In addition, with the launch of Kindle Worlds, Amazon Publishing will pilot an experimental new program for particularly short works—between 5,000 and 10,000 words. For these short stories—typically priced under one dollar—Amazon will pay the royalties for the World’s rights holder and pay authors a digital royalty of 20%.

The Kindle Worlds store is expected to open in June and will have over 50 commissioned works at launch.

This could create some potentially interesting scenarios, especially for gaming.

Would you use this?

(Source: Amazon)

(Via Leaky News)

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The season pass will cover 4 DLC packs. The Faction Pack and The Chronicles Pack will extend the single player universe and story. The Tower Pack will offer veterans of Metro a set of ‘unique solo challenges’ and finally The Developer Pack will give all you creative types the chance to use some interesting tools to ‘explore the world of Metro’ (that last one sounds pretty interesting).

If that wasn’t enough, you will also receive the ‘Abzats’ which is an all new semi-automatic shotgun rifle that can rip through those ‘Dark Ones’ six shells at a time. Tasty! Also PlayStation plus subscribers from 21st of May through to the 5th of June can get the season pass at a 25% discount.

4A games creative director a Mr Andrew Prokhorov along with the announcment of the four DLC packs said

“Since completing the game we have been working on these new stories and hope to release them throughout the summer.”

4A games has offered no full release schedule for all four packs, but we can at least expect the first pack the Faction Pack to be released in June with the other three to follow over the course of the summer.

Why not check out our expansive overview of Metro for more on the game.

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Today has been packed with news on the XboxOne, some more interesting than others.  Possibly one of the more notable pieces to come out of Microsoft’s big Xbox Reveal was the news that the XboxOne will receive 15 exclusive titles within its first year of going on sale.

8 of the 15 games set to be exclusives will be entirely new franchises, one of which has already been confirmed as Remedy Games TV-Game cross over, Quantum Break.

The battle to snap up console exclusives is going to become ever more prominent in the coming console ‘war’ between Sony and Microsoft as audiences become more segregated in the revival of PC gaming and the rise of handheld and tablet gaming. We’ve already seen this happening toward the end of the current console generation as Microsoft were quick to tie up console DLC exclusive deals (for a period of time) for the latest Call of Duty Black Ops 2 DLC.

Microsoft clearly has its eyes on dominating the exclusive market for the coming generation also. Not only have they announced 15 exclusive titles but they’ve also tied up exclusive FIFA 14 Ultimate Team DLC for the next Xbox and as with the previous titles in the Call of Duty franchise, any DLC for Call of Duty: Ghosts is set for release on the XboxOne first.

Will this battle over console exclusives entice the brand rivalry that exists between the two company fan bases or will it simply push the console audience to more open platforms? 

The post Xbox One gets 15 Exclusive Titles. 8 will be new IP appeared first on ExpansiveDLC.

In an announcement for Xbox One and Playstation 4 specifically, EA have indicated that ‘the next-generation of Battlefield releases November 1st’.

This suggests that next-gen hardware could come as soon as November 1st, if not sooner. There’s also the possibility that both systems could launch at the same time. Holy cow!

There has been no official word on release dates for either of the consoles. However, Battlefield IV has been previously revealed for an October 29th release in NA on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC and now November 1st in the EU.

If you pre-order the game, you’ll receive a Battlefield 4 China Rising Digital Expansion Pack. The PR blurb goes on to say…

In this sprawling expansion, players fight for dominance across the vast and majestic Chinese mainland in four massive multiplayer maps, using all-new vehicles and high-tech military equipment. Separately, players that pre-order the Battlefield 4 Digital Deluxe exclusively on Origin™ will receive the base game, bonus in-game digital items, the Battlefield 4 China Rising digital expansion pack and access to the exclusive Battlefield 4 multiplayer beta*.

Battlefield IV multiplayer will be shown off with a live demo at “The Download: EA 2013 Preview” at E3, taking place at 1pm PST on June 10th.

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Next-Gen Kinect offers more accurate data and a wider field of view. The six-player opportunities will create some immense, frantic party-play possibilities. Just imagine Just Dance or Dance Central…

The voice functionality of Kinect will have improved usage in the home menu and will also allow people to better multi-task through with music, TV and games.

It has also been confirmed that next-gen Kinect HAS to be plugged into Xbox One for the system to be used.

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Introducing Xbox One.

Microsoft have blown our minds with Xbox One. Not only have we seen the console and controller, we’ve also seen the brand new Kinect. It’s…boxy.

Kinect seems to have much more interaction with the Home Menu than ever before, but the system also uses Smartglass much more intelligently. Xbox is tied in much more with live TV and with simple voice commands, users can switch between their games, music and tv with just one voice gesture.

Users can see a TV guide, say their favorite show then watch it. There is also a favorites tab where users can access their top shows.

They can also look at ‘trending topics’ which gives users a glance at what everyone is watching and jump into popular shows. Trending isn’t just for Live TV though, it also works with Video on Demand.

Users can also check out league standings and fantasy teams with ESPN sports. They can even see featured highlights of favourite athletes.

The Xbox One contains 5 billion transistors. 8gb Ram. 500gb HDD, as well as a Blu-Ray Drive. The Architecture powering the system allows the best of the Xbox Operating System, but also Windows. This allows for instant switching between the two components. Xbox One Architecture makes for no waiting times and unprecedented multi-tasking.

The new Kinect Sensor is also truly amazing. Next-Gen Kinect has been redesigned to react to an individual in new ways, such as the twist of a wrist or the beat of a heart. The  new Kinect is more intelligent and reacts to voice conversations. There is also a 1080p camera and 2GB data is transferred per second.

Microsoft have made a big deal about the three input methods for Xbox One. Kinect. The controller and Smartglass. This creates some truly new and exciting console possibilities.

New Xbox Live is built on same membership, but more powerful, personal and intelligent. There are over 300,000 servers for Xbox One. Xbox Live will also be powered through the Cloud. The most exciting feature? Players can search for a multiplayer game in one title, then play another, or watch a movie, or go and listen to music.

More as we get it…

The post Xbox One officially announced appeared first on ExpansiveDLC.

The wait is finally over. The speculation can cease. Microsoft are about to spill the beans on everything next Xbox.

Over two years in the making, let’s find out what all this is together.

Microsoft are already rolling out the new stuff, even if this one was a little under the radar. As reported by GameInformer earlier today and as some of the more eagle eyed among you may have noticed, there was a slight change to the Xbox logo on the site.

Could this possibly be the new Xbox logo? It would tie in nicely with the rumors that the next Xbox is going to be titled simply ‘Xbox’. Not long to now till we no for sure!

17:24 - Just under 40 minutes to go! The worlds press according to the timetable at least should now be full up on a hearty Microsoft breakfast and congregating within the official Microsoft tent by now. Exciting times.

What exclusives (if any) do you think were gunna’ see guys?

17:28 -  Gamespot live-stream advert for Call of Duty: Ghosts on the Xbox has launched early, shows off footage from the shooter and Xbox logo at the end.

17:44 - 

Not long to go now till we know the future of Xbox, what would you give to be in that seat right now?

Also the Xbox.com stream is now broadcasting http://www.xbox.com/en-GB/hub/reveal

17:49 - Call of Duty: Ghosts trailer leaks early,

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1036df_call-of-duty-ghosts-teaser-ad_videogames#from=embediframe

17:55- Less than 6 minutes to go guys whats your predictions?

 18:01 We are live! and It’s all about us

18:04 – Don Mattrick out on stage giving us a brief history of the Xbox

It’s all about the next Xbox tonight, Don Mattrick saying more news for Xbox 360 set for E3 in June

18:08  and he name is? Xbox One!  what do we think of the new name guys?

18:12 Here it is guys the Xbox One

18:15 -  Skype coming to XboxOne

What do you guys think of the throwback Xbox One, anyone have a VCR like that during the 80′s?

18:17 -Quarter of an hour in and still no videogames

Xbox one is going to be the center of your home entertainment, here come the specs. 

18:21 - Xbox 8GB RAM and a 500GB HD, Three operating systems Windows and Xbox operating system to work simultaneously on the same console.

18:24-  New Kinect offers higher accuracy of voice commands and body tracking.

When you pick up a XboxOne controller, Kinect recognizes you and the controller, getting you into your latest game save instantly.

18:29 - EA has arrived, can we have some games now please? FIFA 14, UFC, NBA and MADDEN confirmed for XboxOne to be released within the next 12 months.

18:31 - EA announces new game engine ‘Ignite’ for Its sports games that will “Blur the lines between reality and the real”

FIFA 14: FUT  will have exclusive content only on XboxOne

18:37 -  Forza 5 confirmed for XboxOne as launch title, lots of sports and racing so far, where’s all the alien shootin’?

18:40 - From Alan Wake creators comes a new  IP ‘Quantum Break’ along with a fancy Live action trailer.

18:42 - 15 XboxOne exclusive titles scheduled for release in XboxOnes first year.

18:46 - Steven Spielberg working on a Halo live action series exclusive for XboxTV

Is this news of a Halo live action series coming to Xbox going to be the biggest news we’ll see tonight?

18:51 - XboxOne will be released later this year, but that’s all for tonight folks!

18:53 -  No wait one more thing.. COD: Ghosts launching first on XboxOne and all Call of Duty: Ghosts DLC will be coming to XboxOne first…yet again.

18:57 - Ghosts is being developed on a new game engine.

The post Xbox Reveal Event: Liveblog appeared first on ExpansiveDLC.

I should start off by saying there is always something to do when playing Defiance. That may seem obvious since it’s a MMO, but it’s also one that’s completely free(bar the initial game purchase) and so doesn’t require a monthly subscription.

Instead, the developers Trion have implemented optional in-game item purchases. For most, this won’t matter since it’s still possible to experience everything the game has to offer without buying anything with real currency.

The whole point of this regular column, however, is to give players an insight as to what it’s like to play Defiance, looking at all aspects.

As already mentioned, there are quite a lot of activities to take part in. For instance, this past week I participated in the Hellbug challenges. These challenges are a great way of seeing what it’s like to play with others. They require you to join a group of other players and attempt to destroy the vile Hellbug creatures scattered around in an area. Bonuses are given based on various conditions, such as how many creatures a player has killed.

One particular Hellbug challenge comes to mind. I joined a group of players who were already fending off a Hellion creature. Hellions are protected by an oval-like mass. To defeat a Hellion, players must distract and gain its attention so it moves outside of this mass. This is when the creatures are the most vulnerable to damage.

To make things more difficult, however, a Hellbug matriarch will sometimes come out to protect the Hellion. This gigantic Hellbug has a tougher outer shell that makes it more difficult to damage.

It took some time but bringing it down was quite exhilarating. It was a genuine thrill successfully completing this challenge, especially as it involves all players working together to bring down a common foe.

The Hellbugs have been busy, though. A few variations of this aggressive species have recently popped up all over the land. Facing them requires making use of different strategies, especially as they have completely different powers when compared to the typical Hellbug.

In-between these challenges, I also found time to continue the story. Fighting against Cyborgs is a lot tougher than the average thugs that pop up during earlier story missions. As usual, there are plenty of side missions added with story progression.

A new episode mission has also been added recently and many episode missions contain characters from the TV show which creates some interesting and exciting links.

All of this culminated over a weekend where I took advantage of the rare bonus loot special. I even managed to get a better rifle weapon.

Stay tuned for the next installment to find out more about episode mission and anything new in the world of Defiance. Or why not grab a copy of Defiance and experience it for yourself?

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