Fable Fortune has reached V1.0 and will be going free-to-play from February 22nd 2018!
Fledgling Heroes can get ahold of it from Xbox One and Windows 10 storefronts.

Source: XBOX YouTube
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Welcome back to Paradise City! Make action your middle name as you rule the streets in Burnout Paradise Remastered!

Tear it up in the ultimate driving playground, from hectic downtown avenues to the wild mountain roads. Relive the high-octane stunts and wanton destruction of one of the greatest arcade-driving games ever!

This remaster includes all DLC from the Year of Paradise, including the Big Surf Island update, meticulously recreated and ready to wreck in 4K on the Xbox One X.

Burnout Paradise Remastered will be releasing on Xbox One.

EA Access members can start racing early on March 9 with the Play First Trial for 10 hours of unrestricted gameplay. Get EA access: http://www.xbox.com/entertainment/xbox-one/live-apps/ea-access

Release Date: March 16th, 2018
Pre-Order now: https://www.microsoft.com/store/p/burnout-paradise-remastered/bqmq3k1blv1t

“Paradise City”
Performed by Guns N’ Roses

Source: XBOX YouTube
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It’s hard to match the narrative scope and immersive experience that a compelling story-driven game has over other storytelling mediums, allowing players not only to fall into the world of a well-crafted story but to experience it firsthand. These types of games can empower someone with a new perspective, or let us live a double-life as a superhero. Narrative-driven games allow us to become someone we’re not, which is perhaps the biggest reason we enjoy these experiences. Now, with the power of Xbox One X, creators are able to bring us even closer to their vision. With our Xbox One Storytellers series, we’ll sit down with some of the industry’s greatest creators to talk about the strength of storytelling within games, their inspirations, and how they see the genre growing in the years ahead. Today, we’ll be talking to Jens Matthies, Creative Director at MachineGames.

Is there a secret to crafting a compelling single-player narrative?

Yes, there are many secrets! The type of genre will put limitations on which kind of methodologies you can deploy, but in general, I consider “player/protagonist parity” most important. In short, this means aligning the player’s motivations with the main character’s motivations through shared experiences.

Do you think single-player experiences create a better sense of immersion than multiplayer experiences?

No, I think immersion can be created just as effectively in a multiplayer game. However, there’s a level of intimacy that is hard to reach in multiplayer. You can get really personal when it’s just the game and the player when the experience isn’t filtered through social considerations.

How do you balance your narrative goals with your gameplay goals?

That is the hardest challenge. It is always very tempting to sacrifice gameplay on the story altar, or vice versa. Our strategy is making sure to have empowered representatives championing the various aspects of the game. We meet and negotiate with each other until we find a solution that satisfies our mutual needs. This takes patience, respect, and charitability, but it is always worth it in the end.

Have things like branching missions and multiple unique endings changed single-player game development?

I would say there’s an eternal increase in the complexity of triple-A games, but I think this change is something you need to thrive on in order to be a good developer.

Are there any genres you think story doesn’t matter, or ones you think fit the goal of telling a story better than others?

Yes, there are many types of game that do not need a story. A timeless classic like Tetris for example.

What sort of benefits do more powerful consoles and PCs offer to single-player storytellers?

Fundamentally, increased power enables the developer to more accurately realize their vision. When I started in this business 20 years ago, making the jaw of a character waggle as they spoke was the cutting edge. These days I obsess over the design of each character’s teeth.

Were there any particular single-player experiences in your gaming life that inspired you to create or really struck a chord with you?

For sure! Games like Space Quest, Half-Life and Ico have been hugely inspiring to me.

Is there a specific game’s single-player level or narrative moment you consider close to a perfect narrative experience?

I think The Last of Us is as close to perfection as it gets. There’s a moment when Joel falls down an elevator shaft and ends up in a flooded basement. He calls up to Ellie, asking her “Are you ok?” She shouts back down to him “No!” This moment sums up their characters and relationship in a way that cannot be translated into writing. Of course, the scene is written in the script, but it is the perfect harmony of stellar performances, clarity of vision, and flawless execution that turns these two modest lines of dialogue into a perfect moment.

How have single-player/narrative games changed most over the last 10 years?

The bar has been raised sky high in terms of storytelling ambition. We see a lot more complexity in themes and execution, and much better integration between story and gameplay.

How do you see single-player games evolving over the next 10 years?

I’d love to see a continued emphasis on intimacy in the stories we tell. The video game format is the closest we have to experiencing things from a different perspective than your own. To step into the shoes of another person. When done right, it can be very powerful.

See the rest of the story on Xbox Wire

Related:
Creators Corner: Dreaming Sarah
Turning Jurassic World and Jurassic Park into Prehistoric Pinball Perfection
The Ys Series is Coming Soon to Xbox One with Ys Origin

Source: Xbox Blog
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Xbox Live Creators Program empowers passionate developers everywhere to share their games with the world. In the Creator’s Corner series, Xbox Live Creators Program developers will share what inspires and motivates them to design and create their games, what challenges and creative solutions they pursue to bring their games to fruition, and how they leverage Xbox Live capabilities to enhance their games for Xbox. Today, we’ll be chatting with Andre Chagas about his experience creating and bringing Dreaming Sarah to the Xbox audience.

Tell us about your developer journey — what inspired you to start developing games and what continues to motivate you?

My developer journey started very early. I came across some ads for a game developing program (Klik ‘n Play) when I was a kid, and it really got to me. I got hold of a demo and played with it all day long. Of course, at the time it was no more than a hobby. A few years later I decided to check out newer versions of it and ended up liking a similar program a lot (Construct Classic). After that I went through some rough times where I simply couldn’t get a job or pay for college. At that time, I also heard about a game called Yume Nikki, which served as a great inspiration. Then I decided to use my free time to make a game and it ended up being Dreaming Sarah.

What was the first game you created, and how did that experience contribute to Dreaming Sarah?

Dreaming Sarah was my first big project, but before that I made small games and worked as a freelancer artist for other game developers. This was essential for me, as that experience helped me a lot when making Dreaming Sarah.

Tell us about your team and how you came together (briefly).

We’re a very small team – it’s just the composer, Anthony Septim, and me. While I was working on Dreaming Sarah I listened to a lot of trip-hop songs. I decided to search around on the internet for a composer who made that kind of songs, and I ended up finding one – Septim. I tried reaching him but the website I used just wouldn’t send my messages! So, I continued working on my game while listening to his songs. A year later, when pretty much all my hope was lost, I was lucky enough to find out he had just uploaded his music to another website. I tried reaching out there, and he finally replied saying he loved Dreaming Sarah and would be glad if his music was in it! I was extremely lucky to find such a talented composer.

What’s been the most rewarding part of developing and shipping your game in the Creators Program?

From the start, my dream was to ship a game on a console. Getting it to run on the Xbox One through the Creators Program was mind-blowing. Most game developers who are just starting out feel that getting in touch with companies to get their games on their consoles is just impossible, but Microsoft helped me from the start. I still can’t believe how far I’ve gotten.

What’s been the most frustrating roadblock/challenge you’ve faced in developing a game, and how did you solve for it? 

When you work too long in the same game, you start to feel a little overwhelmed. Everything starts to feel boring because you must do the same things over and over again, in order to test the game. Sometimes you even feel like giving up because of that. My way to get around that was very simple – I started watching other people play the game instead of playing it myself. It was perfect because not only it didn’t wear me down, but I also got to see how people would react when playing my game, and everyone had different reactions! I also got to see whenever they had any sort of difficulty when playing the game, or when they got stuck and didn’t understand what needed to be done, or even when they found bugs. Getting other people to play your game turned out to be extremely important for the development of Dreaming Sarah.

Now that the game is available in the Creators Program, what would you/team like to work on next?

We’re currently working on a sequel for Dreaming Sarah, called Awakening Sarah. We’re also working on a top-down adventure game, full of puzzles and action called Dandy & Randy.

What’s your favorite game, ever, and why?

I have tons of favorite games, but if I had to make a Top 10 list, the number one would definitely be Yume Nikki. It’s my biggest inspiration and if it wasn’t for it, Dreaming Sarah would never have existed. Everything about it is as beautiful as it is creepy and unnerving. It has a cult following and tons of other game developers were inspired by it too, so I urge you to check it out!

If you could be any character in any game, who would you be and what would be the first thing you do?

Probably Sonic the Hedgehog. And of course, I would run away from my problems like there was no tomorrow!

Who is your game designer hero and why?

Edmund McMillen, no doubt about it. He comes up with the weirdest games, games that a bigger company would never understand, and does well with them. Also, he and so many others opened up the gates so we could be here today.

Thanks so much to Andre Chagas for this interview and bringing the Windows/Xbox community Dreaming Sarah.

Check out all the other incredible games in the Microsoft Store or in-console within the Creators Collection and stay tuned to Xbox Wire for monthly posts featuring Creators Program developers from all around the world in the Creators Corner!

See the rest of the story on Xbox Wire

Related:
Xbox One Storytellers: MachineGames Talks Wolfenstein
Turning Jurassic World and Jurassic Park into Prehistoric Pinball Perfection
The Ys Series is Coming Soon to Xbox One with Ys Origin

Source: Xbox Blog
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Welcome Ivy Valentine and Zasalamel to the stage of history.

Source: XBOX YouTube
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Greetings from Zen Studios! As you may know, we launched Pinball FX3 last fall alongside three great new tables in the Universal Classics Pinball collection. Half the fun of creating new experiences based on “Back to the Future,” “E.T.,” and “Jaws” came from conceptualizing how we would represent your favorite scenes from those movies in pinball form. Your kind reviews make us feel like we did a pretty good job there—and we’re not done adapting iconic Universal films yet! My friends…

Welcome to Jurassic World Pinball.

Don’t let the name of this three-pack fool you! In addition to Jurassic World Pinball, we’ve also got two more: Jurassic Park Pinball and Jurassic Park Pinball Mayhem, inspired by the movie that started it all.

Much like the classic films in Universal Classics Pinball, we loved turning our favorite scenes from “Jurassic World” and “Jurassic Park” into gameplay. And they all feature some epic movie moments – so hold on to your butts and enjoy some of our favorite examples!

From “Jurassic World”

Other than watching “Jurassic World” again and again on Blu-ray (always a fine idea), we can’t think of a better way to tide ourselves over until the release of “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” on June 22, 2018, than to top the leaderboards on the Jurassic World Pinball table.

Take a Ride in the Gyrosphere
The genetically modified Indominus Rex looms as a constant threat on the table — you’ll have to avoid her many times! One of the highlights is our re-creation of the thrilling Gyrosphere ride through the valley taken by the kids in the film. For this mode, the pinball literally turns into the Gyrosphere, and you must use all the power you have in your flippers to avoid the deadly dinosaur. To put it simply: don’t get eaten.

“See, Charlie? That’s Whatcha Get!”
“Jurassic World” surprised us all with Chris Pratt’s character, Owen, having found a way to train – and befriend – the deadly Raptors on the island. But they’re not gonna remain friendly unless you feed them a healthy diet of digital spherical steel. Nail those shots, listen to Owen’s dialogue directly from the film…and brace yourself for the Part Raptor mode when the clever girls join forces with the Indominus Rex and decide to turn on you.

Making a Big Splash
Remember that huge aquatic dinosaur in the film that eats an entire great white shark in one bite? That’s the Mosasaurus, and like Owen’s Raptors, she’s also got quite the appetite for pinballs. Hit the shots and enjoy the show!

And it gets even better! You’ll get an Achievement if you can make this happen by defeating the wizard mode…

From “Jurassic Park”

We’re truly honored to be part of Universal’s yearlong 25^th anniversary celebration for “Jurassic Park.” It’s been such a thrill for our team to adapt iconic scenes like these to pinball gameplay.

“Must Go Faster!”
See that conveyor belt? That’s no T. rex treadmill – rather, it’s a fun way to relive some of the most exciting moments from “Jurassic Park” while keeping all the action on the table! The scene depicted above – where Dr. Ian Malcolm and team step on the gas to escape the T. rex – is one of our all-time favorites! Of course, the action itself is downright intense…but it’s the actual movie dialogue that really sells the scene.

Stampede!
Another “Jurassic Park” T. rex scene we love involved her pursuit of a herd of Gallimimus – with Dr. Alan Grant and the kids caught in the middle. You know what that means for pinball gameplay, don’t you? Multiball! With the T. rex terrorizing each of the four stampeding dinosaurs – er, pinballs – that pass her, you’ve got more to worry about than just making sure they don’t pass through your flippers!

Wrath of the Raptors
And what would a “Jurassic Park” table be without the dinosaur that has become one of the most famous and feared cinematic creatures in pop culture today? “We’re being hunted,” you’ll hear Muldoon say as you face the Raptors yourself, trying to get him and Ellie safely to the maintenance building (spoiler alert: even if you win, only one of ‘em makes it…).

At the same time, we’re just as excited about the classic film scene in the kitchen with the kids doing their best to stay alive by outsmarting the clever girls. You’ll need to nail spatulas, ladles, and other silverware in the game to distract them and survive.

And Total Mayhem Ensues!
You won’t be reliving any iconic film scenes on the Jurassic Park Pinball Mayhem table, but there’s a very good reason for that – it’s an entirely original experience! Enjoy all-new colossal moments on Isla Nublar, including a chance to fight a T. rex as a Stegosaurus!

Jurassic World Pinball is available now and we can’t wait to hear what you have to say about it. Let us know on Twitter at @pinballfx and @zen_studios, or on Facebook at. Also, keep your eyes open for news on tournaments where you can win great prizes, no matter your skill level! See you on the leaderboards, everyone…

See the rest of the story on Xbox Wire

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The Ys Series is Coming Soon to Xbox One with Ys Origin
Sci-fi Mystery The Station Available Now on Xbox One
Xbox Live Sessions: Chandler Riggs and Brendan Greene to Play PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds on Xbox One X

Source: Xbox Blog
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Roll up! Roll up! Step right up and attempt to escape the most entertaining inmate compound yet! Big Top Breakout features all the bells, whistles and squirty flowers you’d expect from lifetime imprisonment in the circus. Serving your time as a clown in the travelling circus, you have to earn your keep by lion taming, face painting and making balloon animals, whilst making sure you show up for Show Time to perform for the paying circus attendees.

Big Top Breakout is available separately, or as part of the Season Pass.

About Team17 Digital Ltd
Founded in 1990, Team17 Digital Limited is a leading international games label that hosts the Worms franchise, Aven Colony, The Escapists, Forged Battalion, Genesis Alpha One, My Time At Portia, Overcooked, Sword Legacy: Omen, Yoku’s Island Express, Yooka-Laylee and many more from developers around the world.

Source: XBOX YouTube
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