The gaming release schedule showed no signs of slowing down this week, as fans welcomed the arrival of a number of new franchise sequels, including Grand Theft Auto 5 and Far Cry 4. Unfortunately, mirroring a recent trend in blockbuster releases, not all games launched without problems.
Elsewhere, Nintendo aligned themselves in the paid-for DLC debate, WoW hits 10 million subscribers and Telltale previewed its upcoming Game of Thrones series.
Read on for all the biggest gaming news of the week.
1. GTA 5 makes its Xbox One and PS4 debut:
Tuesday (November 18) saw the release of Grand Theft Auto 5 on Xbox One and PS4. Users reported several launch day problems, including issues with downloading the day-one patch, as well as transferring their old GTA Online characters to the new game. Check out our five-star GTA 5 review on Xbox One and PS4.
2. Far Cry 4 also lands, with users similarly experiencing stifling faults:
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The fourth title in the hugely popular Far Cry open-world shooter series also landed this week, achieving high critical acclaim including a four-star review from us. In what appears to be a drastically growing trend, however, fans experienced launch issues on many platforms, such as PS3 data corruption and PC crashes.
3. Telltale's episodic Game of Thrones game gets first trailer:
Telltale's episodic Game of Thrones tie-in received its first teaser trailer this week. Players take on the role of different members of the Forrester household, with in-game choices deciding the fates of the protagonists. The series will be coming to PC, PS4, PS3, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.
4. Xbox One celebrates end of first year with freebies:
Microsoft has marked the end of the Xbox One's first year by awarding fans with freebies. Users can celebrate today's (November 22) anniversary with a 'Year One' game picture and free rentals of Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn and Sunset Overdrive. Microsoft can also celebrate the fact that the Xbox One has hit 1 million sales in the UK.
5. World of Warcraft subscriptions reach 10m with release of Warlords of Draenor:
After enjoying a decade of success, World of Warcraft subscribers increased to 10 million following the release of the Warlords of Draenor expansion. The add-on to Blizzard's triumphing title reportedly shifted 3.3 million copies in its first 24 hours. Read our Warlords of Draenor review to find out more.
6. Super Smash Bros not planning paid DLC:
With the exception of bonus character Mewtwo, Nintendo has announced that they are not planning any paid DLC for Super Smash Bros. The recently released Wii U version received high praise from critics. It will be available to buy from November 28.
7. Elite Dangerous offering refunds after scrapping offline mode:
Following initial suggestions that Elite Dangerous would feature a fully offline single-player mode, Frontier has announced that customers can apply for refunds after the Kickstarter-funded game scrapped this plan. Customers who have pre-ordered the game, due for release on December 16, can get their money back if they have yet to play the alpha or beta.
8. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is the biggest entertainment launch of 2014:
Publisher Activision has revealed that Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is this year's biggest entertainment launch, although official sales figures are yet to be revealed. The latest entry in the shooter series outperformed all of this year's games, movies and books at launch. It was also revealed that the franchise has amassed $10 billion in sales since 2003.
9. Hands-on with the Resident Evil Remake:
This week we got a chance to go hands-on with the upcoming remake of the 2002 GameCube classic, Resident Evil. The preview offers an insight into the enhanced control system and visuals, which include full 1080p resolution and scrolling cameras. The Capcom title will arrive in early 2015 on PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.
