GamesBeat weekly roundup: GTA Online’s rocky launch, Mojang revealed, and going to League of Legends school

This week, legendary military thriller author Tom Clancy dies at 66, Grand Theft Auto V’s online mode launches but not without a few problems, and GamesBeat writer Stephanie Carmichael goes to “noob school” in League of Legends.

You’ll also find our review for Pokémon X and Y and a behind -the-scenes look at Minecraft developer Mojang.

News:

• The DeanBeat: With Grand Theft Auto V, has killing finally become fun?
• Rockstar Games disables microtransactions in Grand Theft Auto Online
• Tom Clancy provided the imagination for a generation of video games
• Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced Edition launches Nov. 15
• Sequel to popular indie sandbox adventure game Terraria in the works
• Survey shows why most play browser games instead of consoles
• Eidos Montreal working on next-gen Deus Ex
• State of independence: An inside view of Minecraft developer Mojang
• Tom Clancy, the name behind Rainbow Six and Splinter Cell, dead at 66 (updated)
• Grand Theft Auto Online goes live
• After Kickstarter failure, Axis Game Factory returns with pro game creation tools (exclusive)
• With a huge game like Candy Crush Saga, bad ads will happen
• Evidence mounts that King, maker of Candy Crush Saga, has filed for IPO

Announcements and reveals:

• Bethesda opens Australian publishing offices
• Surprise! Charizard has two Mega Evolutions in Pokémon X and Y
• Gaymer X convention’s second act is three times larger
• GTA Online and other digital content could generate $206M in next year for Take-Two
• Japanese developer Idea Factory opens U.S. branch
• GamesBeat speaker spotlight: Ouya’s Julie Uhrman on flipping publishing models
• GamesBeat speaker spotlight: ESA’s Mike Gallagher on changing games and gamers

Above: Driving on a flat surface causes the car to pull left.

Image Credit: John Koetsier

Tech:

• Apple’s iPhone 5S sensors are massively screwed up (and so are the games that rely on them)
• This new ultrasound touchless gesturing tech lets you control your Android phone like Xbox Kinect
• Netgear launches a ‘smart’ Nighthawk router with a gigahertz dual-core processor

Mobile news:

• Mobile developer earns record $1 million through new in-game video advertising network
• Chinese VC: Mobile game investments still in early stage of a boom
• Double Fine’s The Cave arrives on iOS devices
• Plants vs. Zombies 2 soft launches in Australia, New Zealand on Android; global launch coming ‘shortly’
• No excuses! You can build great mobile games using HTML5
• Stardock’s first iOS game, Dead Man’s Draw, is out now
• P4RC ‘achievement network’ gains ground with rewards for mobile gamers

Ruh-roh:

• Social gaming company Gree offering buyouts to 200 employees
• Founder of struggling social gaming giant Zynga Mark Pincus ‘bored’ with games
• Disappointing U.K. start for EA’s FIFA 14 causes concern
• Sega of America lays off some staff in the U.S.

All this funding:

• Mighty No. 9 quadruples original Kickstarter goal with a mega $3,844,464 haul

Reviews:

• Pokémon X and Y offer plenty of fun despite being stuck in tradition (review)

Pieces of flair:

• Stuck loading Grand Theft Auto Online? Try these fixes
• Great tabletop games for video gamers: Space Cadets: Dice Duel
• Sony’s G.I.R.L. internship program is about more than making concept art
• A League of Legends Nexus would cost $24,106 if it was real
• What I learned — and didn’t — from League of Legends noob school