Voice actor David Hayter is well known for voicing Solid Snake in the Metal Gear Solid franchise, as well as Naked Snake (a.k.a. Big Boss) in the chronologically earlier games of the series. We recently reported a rumor that Snake's voice will change in the upcoming Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, as David Hayter will not reprise his role as Big Boss. This would mark the first time that David Hayter would not portray the main protagonist of a Metal Gear Solid title, as he has since 1998.

The rumors began at the last Game Developers Conference where Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima announced the newest game in the series: Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. For more details and background information on this story, read further inside.

A new level designer might just make its way to home consoles. It is Pixel Press, and works code free. This NES-inspired app lets you draw, upload, refine and play your own platforming creations. With a set release for iOS and Android, it isn't a stretch to imagine this game on the camera-ready Wii U and 3DS. It isn't much of a stretch for the developers, either. When asked about the possibility to bring the game to Wii U, Robin Rath of Roundthird was definitely enthused. He says that Pixel Press was inspired by Donkey Kong's Crash Course in Nintendo Land. 

In aiming to make the game the best it can be, Rath launched a Kickstarter for their nostalgia-borne "tool for learning." Through it, they aim to enhance the app's features, like making it possible for users to upload their own sounds and graphics to the levels they draw. Regardless of the Kickstarter's success, the project will be moving forward. Do you hope Pixel Press makes its way to Wii U soon?

Back at the Xbox One reveal, Activision showcased a few features coming up in Call of Duty: Ghosts which have ultimately garnered quite a bit of teasing from the gaming community. One of the most memorable new features was a riveting new AI system that really isn't all that new, but also prime among them is the addition of a canine companion.

Recognizing what a wonderful plot device it is to have furry pal by your side amidst all the blood and gore, the official Battlefield Twitter has revealed their very own plan: Battlecat! Casper the Battlecat is sure to be a major character in the next installment of the hit Battlefield franchise (or not), so keep an eye on this future superstar — the look of pure malice in his eyes suggests he'll be giving the competing CoD Dog a run for his money.

You know, he may be a little on the chubby side, but he certainly ain't husky! Oh-ho-ho! ...*Ahem*

Of course, this is nothing but playful mockery, but who doesn't appreciate a little friendly fire every now and again?

Shadow of the Eternals was announced by studio Precursor Games about a month ago as a spiritual successor to the cult-classic GameCube title Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem. Planned for both Wii U and PC, Shadow of the Eternals would be a 12-part episodic horror game, focused around sanity effects and psychological horror. However, things are not looking good for this intriguing horror title, as their crowdfunding campaign is on track to accrue not even half of the needed funds to get Shadow of the Eternals released. According to Kicktraq, the game's Kickstarter is currently "trending toward" attaining $230,096 out of the $1.35 million Precursor has asked for. Specifically, Shadow of the Eternals has so far made $157,470 via its own website, and $121,103 from its Kickstarter campaign, for a total of $278,573, less than one fourth of the money Shadow of the Eternals calls for.

Head past the jump to see what this means for the future of Shadow of the Eternals!

Warren Spector, the famous video game developer behind masterpieces like Deus Ex, as well as the not-so-masterful Epic Mickey: The Power of Two, recently sat down with GameSpot for an interview. Catching up with us, Warren Spector has said that because Junction Point, his former company, closed its doors, he had been looking forward to taking a nice long break from the video game industry. He also mentions that he's had several "very flattering" employment offers, so we may be seeing him back in the development game soon enough.

Perhaps more interestingly, however, Warren Spector makes it very clear to GameStop that he loves Nintendo. Spector has never been one to hide his thoughts on the gaming goliath, even developing the original Epic Mickey exclusively for Wii. But he has once again reiterated his sentiment, praising their "dedicat[ion] to games."

Head past the jump to hear what he had to say.

Reggie, my body is ready! Because the next Nintendo Direct is only nine days away! To prepare for the event, Nintendo unleashed its official E3 website onto the world wide web. This site, E3.Nintendo.com, is where you can watch Nintendo pull the wraps off Mario U, Mario Kart U, Super Smash Bros. U, and surely many other Wii U and 3DS games. But that’s not all, folks! During the week of E3, Nintendo will continually update the site with exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes video tours, game announcements, and many more surprises. According to the site, The Nintendo Direct @ E3 2013 Livestream begins at 10 A.M. EST on June 11. So don’t forget to add the event to your calendar! 

What games do you want Nintendo to announce at E3? I have my fingers crossed for "Nintendo Kart", because who doesn’t want to race with Link on Epona down Rainbow Road? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

In light of Microsoft's strategy to market the Xbox One as a media hub first, and a video game console second, Kaz Hirai, Sony’s CEO, wants everyone to know gamers come first on the PlayStation 4. During a press briefing at this week's D11 conference, Mr. Hirai gave the following statement to reporters: “The most important thing we need to make sure we do at least initially is that we all agree and understand that the PS4 is a great video game console that appeals to video gamers.”

Mr. Hirai most likely made this statement to assure Sony fans that gaming would be the PlayStation 4’s most important feature. However, when a reporter inquired about the PS4’s entertainment capabilities, Mr. Hirai made this comment: “We take a look at this first and foremost as a game console, but we don’t want to end there. That’s an area we reveal and talk about in the coming months.” Obviously, Sony will continue to expand the PlayStation Network’s current entertainment offerings, but don’t be surprised if Sony follows Microsoft's lead and positions the PS4 as a media hub, too. After all, there is a great deal of money to be made off of music, TV shows, and movies.

What do you think about Mr. Hirai’s comments? Sound off below! 

Like many other companies in the game industry right now, Sony is trying to restructure itself in preparation of the next generation of console gaming. Being the large company that it is, Sony has a lot of departments, and from time to time those departments need to be reorganized, mixed together, or dissolved. According to a report from Bloomberg, Sony is working with Morgan Stanley and Citigroup to try and break off some failing parts of their entertainment division.

The report claims that Sony chief Kazuo Hirai is being told by Daniel Loeb, CEO of Third Point LLC, to sell up to 20 percent of the company’s entertainment division. Third Point LLC is the largest owner of Sony stock, and if this deal goes through the company would be able to refocus on its electronic division in preparation for the PlayStation 4's release. It would also combat increasing competition with television and other electronics companies. This could mean that the company would be able to focus more on the electronics themselves as opposed to supporting software.

It is yet to be seen if Sony will sell off any of its entertainment division, but it is good to see that proposals are being considered for the future success of the company. With this past year being the first of profitability for the company in the past five, it is exciting to see how Sony is planning its future, hopefully for the better.

What do you think? Do you have any advice for Sony about restructuring? Are you glad to see Sony taking steps to ensure its future?

Yes, you read that right. It seems like EA [Electronic Arts] is turning over a new leaf. No, not the new Animal Crossing game; that's something else entirely. But EA has recently announced intentions to abolish its controversial online pass system. For those unaware of what an "online pass" is, it's a way for game developers to charge the player extra money in order to play online, as well as a way for them to cash in on the used game market. This long-hated process done by EA and many other gaming studios, such as Activision, Ubisoft, and Sony Computer Entertainment, was discontinued when the new executive chairman of EA, Larry Probst, assumed office after former EA executive, John Riccitiello, resigned in March 2013.

But now we have further information on this developing story. EA has recently announced its intentions to not only discontinue the use of online passes, but to remove them from current games as well. For more information on this story, read further inside.

A funny thing happened towards the end of the Year of Our Lord 2011. Bethesda released the latest entry in the ongoing Elder Scrolls saga, Skyrim. It was met with much fanfare and greeted with both critical and commercial success. People would play it, stories would be shared, and eventually the next thing would come along and replace it. That was how it was supposed to go—for that is the arc that most great games follow.

But something different happened with Skyrim. Something unprecedented for a single-player adventure RPG—it remained in the headlines. Even now, casual perusal of popular video game blogs and news sites will lead to brand new stories about Skyrim. It's been almost two years, and Skyrim is still in the headlines.

How is this possible? How did Bethesda manage to achieve this dream scenario in which their game is still being received as a major new title this long after release, with barely any input from themselves?

There's a simple and beautiful answer to this question—read on to find out what it is.

Well, I suppose it's time for the old PlayStation heads to toss in their hats and give up now, because when Microsoft's director of global marketing says that his company is going to "kill Sony at E3", you know you're in for it.  Surely nothing can possibly stand up to such strength, such powerful words.

Either that or Microsoft is further encasing itself in its own verbal tomb.  I don't think anyone can truly be sure about what's going on in the sprawling corporate situation of the Microsoft company at the moment, and foremost among said group is probably Microsoft themselves.  We've heard numerous conflicting reports about the Xbox One's policy regarding everything from online requirements to used games - and the kicker is that the conflicting comments are actually coming from various Microsoft employees, all "high up" ones at that.

It's made looking for solid fact about the new system a nightmare, and the last thing Microsoft needs right now is to be caught in yet another verbal snafu.  And yet, here they are, claiming that they are going to kill Sony at E3.  It's like a live stage production of The Cask of Amontillado in which both parts are being played by the same person.

Montreuil based French gaming studio Ubisoft believes that the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One will have a much larger install base than the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 did. Gaming journal CVG's Mike Jackson reported that Ubisoft believes that they will "sell double that of their predecessors during their respective launch periods." Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot stated the following in a press release:

"As the industry transitions to a new console cycle, past market trends and Ubisoft's internal estimates indicate that within two years, the [next generation] consoles' installed base could double that of the previous generation over a comparable period." — Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot. 
(Quote pulled from a Computer and Video Games report by Mike Jackson)

Gaming publication PSX Extreme's John Shepard reported that Yves Guillemot "believes that it will be a 'pivotal moment for the video game industry,' and [next generation] hardware sales could really surge." 

Head past the jump for more!

UPDATE: Banjo-Kazooie Symphony is now available on iTunes, plus we've added a few demos from our favorite songs on the album for you to check out after the jump!

Banjo-Kazooie Symphony is the latest endeavor by Blake Robinson, an accomplished musician well-known for his collection of orchestrated video game music on YouTube. Featuring 30 tracks and 72 minutes of music, Banjo-Kazooie Symphony aggrandizes nearly the entire soundtrack from the beloved Rareware title Banjo-Kazooie — which is already no easy feat — and yet Blake Robinson has succeeded with great aplomb. If the idea alone catches your interest, head on over to Loudr or iTunes to pick up your copy, but if you need further convincing, head past the jump to read all about the exciting tribute that is Banjo-Kazooie Symphony!

Back in May, indie developer Renegade Kid stated that they were submitting Mutant Mudds Deluxe to Nintendo of America for approval before going on the eShop, mentioning that there was still a chance that too many bugs would be found in the game and it could be sent back for revision. Well, it appears that the game was approved, as Renegade Kid's Jools Watsham has tweeted that Mutant Mudds Deluxe's release is now scheduled for June 13th. Keep in mind, the Wii U version of the game is also going to feature "20 New Ghost levels"-worth of exclusive content.

That's just two short weeks before you can get your hands on the platforming goodness known as Mutant Mudds Deluxe via the Wii U eShop. Head past the jump to see the full tweet!

Update: A Hat in Time has officially surpassed its current goal of $30,000! But why stop funding it when you could continue and get 2 bonus levels, a co-op mode, and full voice acting! Furthermore, thanks to Gustav Dahl we now have a prototype of A Hat in Time in our possession, and from what we've played its quite promising. So contribute while you can! Impressions coming soon!

Yes, it's true, Gears for Breakfast's upcoming A Hat in Time is now on Kickstarter. It's looking to raise $30,000 over the next month, and fortunately it's already well past a third of the way there, having raised over $12,000 so far. You can learn more of A Hat in Time over at its Kickstarter page, and while you're there be sure to contribute towards the Kickstarter by taking up Gears for Breakfast on some of their fantastic offers!

A Hat in Time is currently coming to PC/Mac with a possible release on the Wii U in the future. The game is also aiming towards a release on Steam, so by all means head towards Steam Greenlight and vote!

A Hat in Time is a 3D collect-a-thon in the spirit of classic N64 games, such as Zelda, Banjo-Kazooie and Super Mario 64. The game features Hat Kid, an interstellar time traveller. She is armed with her umbrella that can be used for a wide range of attacks and tools, such as a hookshot. Visually, the game is a mix of Banjo-Kazooie, Super Mario Galaxy and Zelda: The Wind Waker. It features huge worlds with tons of stuff to collect. The game's main goal is to bring back some of the magic that old games from the 90s gave us as kids.