A&E Network and Activision have teamed up to expand the Duck Dynasty franchise into the gaming world, with a video game launching on PlayStation and Xbox.
The T (Teen) rated Duck Dynasty game is available now for $49.99 on the PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system and Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft. It’s available for $39.99 on the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system, and the Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC. Users of the Nintendo 3DS hand-held system can buy a $29.99 version rated E10+ (Everyone 10 and Up), which features a more animated look at the show, along with a variety of mini-games.
A&E Network and Activision have teamed up to expand the Duck Dynasty franchise into the gaming world
Players take the role of John Luke, the oldest son of Willie and Korie Robertson, as he earns his feathers as the newest member of the family’s duck call business. While learning the ins and outs of duck hunting, John Luke will run into all of his eccentric relatives, including Si, Jase, Phil, Kay and more. Along the way, players will get to take part in comical quests, airboat racing, truck and ATV driving, shooting galleries, shotgun golf, fishing, frog catching, collectible hunts and more while exploring the famous Robertson backwoods homestead.
For a limited time, fans who purchase Duck Dynasty at release can play Uncle Si’s exclusive Redneck Logic™ trivia challenge, which tests players’ knowledge of the show for a chance to win a bonus in-game reward.
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Sony has announced the launch dates for its PlayStation 4 console: the next-generation games machine will become available in North America on November 15 and Europe on November 29.
Its rival Microsoft has only said that the Xbox One will go on sale some time the same month.
Experts suggested that the latest revelation might help gain the Japanese firm headlines, but that it would be software that ultimately decided which company came out on top.
“Sony has made fantastic progress as it prepares to release the PS4, but the console still lacks a show-stopping exclusive game,” said Rob Crossley, associate editor at the Computer and Video Games news site, following the announcement at the Gamescom trade fair in Cologne.
“That will certainly come eventually, but some might argue the most crucial time is now.
“Sony’s press conference once again demonstrated the company has an enviably deep and meaningful relationship with the indie developer community… but Sony executives will no doubt be feeling uneasy as the list of major Xbox One exclusive games continues to grow.”
Lewis Ward, a games expert at the consultants IDC, agreed that at this point the launch date was of limited importance.
Sony has announced the launch dates for its PlayStation 4 console
“If it turns out that the PS4 goes on sale a week before the Xbox One, for example, then clearly Sony will have time to itself to make some hay,” he said.
“But until we know when Microsoft is going to land I’m not sure what putting the date out there does much beyond making a news story – it won’t change people’s buying intentions.”
Sony said there had already been more than one million pre-orders of its new console worldwide. It added that a total of 32 countries would be able to buy the PS4 during the Christmas holiday season.
Previously unannounced PS4 titles unveiled in Germany included:
- Shadow of the Beast – a reboot of the 1980s Commodore Amiga title – as a Sony exclusive
- Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, a post-apocalyptic game from the UK-based developers of cult title Dear Esther
- Minecraft, the landscape-building title which has already been a hit on the Xbox 360 and PCs
Sony also announced a price cut to its handheld console, the PlayStation Vita.
It said the “Wi-Fi only” version of the device would now cost $199 excluding tax – a $50 reduction. It also promised cheaper memory cards.
Similar cuts are being made in Europe after the machine’s price was reduced earlier in the year in Japan.
“The handheld business has not been performing well, but I think a $50 cut will push up Vita sales significantly,” said Lewis Ward.
“But the real driver over the long term will be must-have games and the choice is still thinner than some consumers would want.”
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Sony has announced its forthcoming PlayStation 4 will cost $399, which is $100 less than the competing Xbox One.
PlayStation 4 will cost 399 euros in Europe and £349 in UK.
“The gaming landscape is changing with new business models and new ways to play,” said Andrew House, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment.
The price announcement wasn’t the only shot fired at Microsoft during Sony’s presentation at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the gambling industry’s annual U.S. trade show.
The loudest applause at the company’s event show came when Jack Tretton, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America, announced that the company would not try to restrict used game sales.
Jack Tretton also said the PS4 would not require a persistent online connection.
“PlayStation 4 disc-based games don’t need to be connected online to play or any type of authentication,” said Jack Tretton.
“If you enjoy playing single-player games offline, PS4 won’t require to you check in online period and it won’t stop working if you haven’t authenticated in 24 hours.”
Microsoft has been criticized for its vague statements about whether it will allow buyers of its Xbox One to play secondhand software, as well as its requirement that the new console be connected to the Internet at least once every 24 hours.
Beyond those issues, Sony gave potential PS4 buyers plenty of games to look forward to later this year.
Sony has announced its forthcoming PlayStation 4 will cost $399, which is $100 less than the competing Xbox One
The company’s Santa Monica Studios, the developer of the God of War franchise, introduced the steampunk thriller The Order: 1866. Quantic Dream, the French studio behind Heavy Rain and the upcoming Beyond: Two Souls, provided a comical glimpse at the fantasy The Dark Sorcerer.
Shu Yoshida, president of Sony Worldwide Studios, said the company’s studios have more than 30 PS4 games in development, including 12 brand new intellectual properties.
Sony also showed new footage from previously announced PS4 games like the superhero adventure InFamous: Second Son, the auto racing simulator Drive Club and the sci-fi shooter Killzone: Shadow Fall.
Several third-party developers also debuted next-generation titles at Sony’s event.
Bungie, the creator of the blockbuster Xbox series Halo, showed the first in-game footage of its highly anticipated first-person shooter Destiny. Warner Bros. showed a clip from a new Mad Max game, while Square-Enix announced the long-awaited Kingdom Hearts III and Final Fantasy XV. Overall, Jack Tretton said, more than 140 PS4 titles are in the pipeline.
That includes an assortment of games from smaller, independent developers, which Sony featured onstage next to giant publishers like Activision and Ubisoft.
The processing chips in the PS4 are similar to those in PCs rather than the complex, idiosyncratic “Cell” architecture used in the PS3. That should make it easier for developers of all sizes to build games for Sony’s new console.
Like Microsoft, Sony is betting big on social networking features. The new version of its DualShock controller includes a ‘share’ button that allows you to post gameplay footage and screenshots.
Friends can watch as you play a game, and you’ll even be able to let a pal take control of your game from afar if you can’t get past a tough battle.
The controller also includes a touchpad and a Move motion sensor that works with a camera placed near the TV set.
The PS4’s main features include:
- New DualShock 4 controller with built in touchpad
- Dramatically improved graphics and processing power
- Based on same X86 chips used in desktop computer to help game developers
- 3D camera that can track the controller, and the player
- Games can also be played on Sony’s Vita handheld console
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