Reboot: This Week In Games: "Call of Duty" Space Marines, "GTAV" Map Explained and Riot Game's PSA

Image via Complex Original

Microsoft’s upcoming personal assistant app for Windows phones is codenamed “Cortana”. Yes, that Cortana. The inextricably sexy hologram AI from Bungie’s Halo series will possibly be making an appearance as the updated version of Windows’ TellMe speech recognition technology for mobile, going head-to-head with Apple’s Siri and Google Now.

A new gaming system dropped earlier ths week and it's as last-gen as possible. The Retro5 N system from Hyperkin is compatibale with Nintendo Entertainment System, Super NES, Sega Genesis, and Game Boy Advanced cartridges. In addition, the console also works with Famicom, Mega Drive, Game Boy, and Game Boy color giving even more options for gamers. The package, which is now available for pre-order on Amazon, includes a wireless bluetooth controller and all the required ports.

In other news JJ Abrams spoke out about being "emotionally hurt" over how the last Star Trek video game was produced, or not. The game was half-baked and boring, earning it universal ire.

"To me the video game could have been something that actually really benefited the series and was an exciting, fun game with great gameplay, and instead it was not and was something that I think, for me emotionally it hurt, 'cos we were working our asses off making the movie and then this game came out and it got, this isn't even my opinion, it got universally panned and I think that it was something without question that didn't help the movie and arguably hurt it."

Rage in online games is just part of the experience. But as the makers of League of Legends, Riot Games, has shown in this cute little PSA, it can cost you. Besides, who wants to ruin their own game by screwing up there team? Riot did a little research and found that team infighting results in defeat.

Valve has announced a new program called Steam Family Sharing. Allowing sharing of games among 10 Steam accounts, as long as they’re not playing the games at the same time.

"Our customers have expressed a desire to share their digital games among friends and family members, just as current retail games, books, DVDs, and other physical media can be shared. Family Sharing was created in direct response to these user requests."

In other money-saving news, the Humble Indie Bundle 9 dropped earlier this week. The pay-what-you-want distribution platform offers a huge amount of content in many different genres. he latest bundle gives PC, Mac, and Linux users the action/puzzle platformer Trine 2: Complete Story, 2D side-scroller Mark of the Ninja, puzzle game beta Eets Munchies, and the rock-oriented RTS Brutal Legend. All for a $4.41 average going price. As an added bonus you can pay more than the meager average price and unlock award-winning space strategy game FTL: Faster Than Light and the critically acclaimed puzzle platformer FEZ.

Ubisoft has revealed a new game created in their indie-like UbiArt Framework, Valiant Hearts: The Great War. A game that was based in part around the real-world war correspondents from Felix Chazal, a French solider and great-grandfather to Yoan Fanise, one of the developers.

Another game using UbiArt Framework is "Child of Light." One of the most interesting features of Child of Light is that it's made with families in mind. The game's main character, a young princess, goes on an epic adventure through strange worlds, fighting monsters in a coming-of-age story. A second player can also help playing as Nicholas, a spark of light, that can used to help the main character in both solving puzzles and in battle.

Games of Thrones has been poorly represented in video game form in the past but now we get an 8-bit classic NES styled platformer that has everything we love about the series. It's got stabbings, dire wolves, white-haired freaks and lots of dying. Spanish artist Abel Alves created the game using Arcade Game Studio.

Another interesting indie game announced this week is The Stanley Parable. Watch the trailer, then go about your day and try not to think about it. Can't be done! The game is exactly what the name says, a parable of the life of an office worker venturing forth from his secure, womb-like office into the great corridors and stairwells beyond.

Grand Theft Auto V drops in just two days on September 17 and as such new info is coming out daily. So let’s wrap-up a little of what we learned this week. Rockstar released details of new characters in the game ranging from yoga housewives to Juggalo intellectuals.

GTAV's map was leaked earlier this week to which Rockstar offered a comparison to take into account its size compared it's other titles.

• GTA III = 3 sq. mi.


• GTA: Vice City = 3.5 sq. mi.


• GTA: San Andreas = 13.6 sq. mi.


• GTA IV = 6.8 sq. mi.


• Red Dead Redemption = 12 sq. mi.


• GTA V = 49 sq. mi.

This may be one of the contributing factors to make Grand Theft Auto V the most expensive game ever made. Rockstar reportedly put out roughly $265 million in combined production and marketing budget.

Another part of which is surely the huge online component GTA will have. Game Informer released a huge list of details about the online features giving details of how character creation works - by selecting lifestyle choices to determine skills - as well as the quick and dirty on how missions as wide ranging as corner store robberies to elaborate heists will be conducted. We also get some details about how players will spend their free time in GTAV Online, you know, when you're not robbing or shooting things you can just hang out with your cars.