Hit Points, in case you haven't come across it before, is an incredible free newsletter from friend of Eurogamer and former Edge editor Nathan Brown, delivering insight and commentary on the videogame industry. We're delighted to be partnering with Nathan to provide a platform for some of his pieces, starting with this profile of Tracy Fullerton - not a widely known dev, but someone whose work has had a profound impact on the industry. If you like this and would like more, do head over and subscribe!

Today's subject is Tracy Fullerton, an experimental game designer, author and pioneering educator. I will be honest and admit I had never heard of Tracy until she popped up in my inbox a few months back, replying to that day's edition of Hit Points to say it had struck a chord with her. We got chatting and I am honestly ashamed I did not know who she was before that email arrived. Now, after an hour-long video call with her, I am amazed she is not a household name. Her impact on the game industry has been pretty significant.

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Popular third-party studio PMDG released a development update about its upcoming Boeing 737 add-on for Microsoft Flight Simulator, which is one of the most anticipated by the sim’s users at the moment.

First of all, we hear that beta testing on the aircraft has officially started, which means another step has been made on the path to the much-awaited release of the aircraft.

We also get an extensive development update from CEO Robert Randazzo explaining the work that has been done this week, on top of two absolutely beautiful screenshots. You can see them and read the update below.

As usual, a release date has not been announced just yet, and detailed pricing info has not been shared for the moment.

Hello and welcome to the latest edition of the Giant Bomb Community Spotlight! I, @zombiepie, am once again honored to be your host as we look back at the best user-created works from the previous week! Well, I think we can officially say the site is moving on from GOTY. If you want to see how every single game ranked during Giant Bomb's Community 2021 GOTY voting, Rorie has you covered with an exhaustive write-up on how every single vote broke down! Also, I want to personally thank the one Giant Bomb user that voted for Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage!!

However, the big site-related news from the last week is that ArcadePit is coming to Giant Bomb each and every week, starting Wed. Feb. 16! If you don't know why this is exciting news, Arcade Pit is a weekly 2v2 retro game show that has teams compete in thousands of gaming challenges, as well as trivia, drawing, music and screenshot identification and more. Here's a link to their YouTube playlist of previous shows they have done.

Dying Light 2 has a large and cool Doom Easter egg in it. It’s very nice, complete with a special new shotgun and a visual filter that makes the game look more retro. However, the folks at Techland decided that wasn’t enough and stuck a separate and also cool Star Wars Easter egg in this already elaborate secret…

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Nexon and Arc System Works released two videos focusing on two of the music tracks included in their upcoming fighting game DNF Duel.

The first video lets us listen to the track “Linking” that plays on the character selection many, while the second features “First Step” appropriately dedicated to the main menu.

This follows another similar video focusing on the “Upward” track, another featuring “On the Sea,” one showcasing “TroubleMaker,” and one focusing on “The Rival.”

You can listen below.

The “A Ripple in Time” short that stars Ash, Pikachu, and Celebi is now available on The Pokemon Company’s Japanese YouTube account. This is part of a series of collaborations between the Pokemon franchise and contemporary artist Daniel Arshem. Kunihiko Yuyama, who worked as the executive director for the Pokemon anime series and several of its movies, directed the short. [Thanks, Famitsu!]

“A Ripple in Time” is about six minutes long and is available with English subtitles. It starts with Ash and Pikachu fighting a Cubone. During the battle, Pikachu’s Thunderbolt accidentally hits a spectating Celebi. Celebi then uses its powers to transport Ash and Pikachu into the far future of the Pokemon world. Together, they explore a world where human civilization has come to an end, featuring decrepit Pokemon statues and overgrown flora.

You can watch “A Ripple in Time” via The Pokemon Company’s Japanese YouTube, or here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1YE9OlstpM

Aside from “A Ripple in Time”, the Pokemon x Daniel Arsham collaboration will feature fictional archeological findings. The real-life statues (which are made of materials such as quartz crystal and bronze) are very visually similar to the ones that Ash and Pikachu stumble upon in the short.

Today third-party developers have showcased new assets of upcoming Microsoft Flight Simulator add-ons.

We start with IniBuilds, which revealed on its official Discord server new screenshots of the recently-announced London Heathrow Airport (EGLL) in the UK.

We get a couple of views of the aprons including the fact that each area will have the correct cargo containers for the airlines that operate there, on top of holding point Pluto near runway 27R.

Good to go! The Army Men rollercoaster is a ride I’m very familiar with. Wait, “roller coaster” is maybe a...

The post Army Men Sarge’s Heroes on Dreamcast might be the best game in the series appeared first on Destructoid.

And that creature is you Devolver Digital and VR are a combination I’m curious to check out, and the publisher...

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The original Record of Lodoss War anime series both conclude with happy endings. Lodoss is at peace. Parn got his answers and became a hero. He and Deedlit literally ride off into the sunset together. There’s the promise of new adventures together. But there’s also the mystery of what happens next. Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth attempts to offer a possible resolution. In so doing, it also broaches the idea of how Deedlit’s life might change and how things might go as time passes.

Editor’s Note: There will be story spoilers for Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth below.

This is because of the obvious. Deedlit is an elf and Parn is a human. During the Record of the Lodoss War anime, she’s 160. He’s 18 when he first deals with the goblins plaguing his hometown. There’s a gap. We know she’s going to outlive him. As Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth’s story begins, it seems like this could be an adventure set not long after the adventures we know of. Karla offers Deedlit a bargain as the adventure begins. We see her encounter people like Parn, Etoh, Ghim, and Slayn. She happens upon spirits she knows and fought with. We see nostalgic enemies. It offers the illusion of familiarity.

Lost Ark has become one of the very few games on Steam to reach over 1 million concurrent players. Not only that, but the Diablo-like MMO has now surpassed DOTA 2 to become one of the most played games in the entire history of Steam.

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Oh man, I am so tired of building sh!t It’s too early to tell if Uncharted (2022) will be the big,...

The post Fortnite is heading into Uncharted territory appeared first on Destructoid.

Rixia Mao and Crow Armbrust figures from The Legend of Heroes: Trails Into Reverie are on the way. Kotobukiya revealed that it is working with Nihon Falcom to develop figures of the two characters. There is no information on pricing, release dates, or what type of figure it will be. Furthermore, Kotobukiya is also selling two other scale figures of Legend of Heroes' Altina and Rean.

Both Rixia and Crow have appeared in several The Legend of Heroes titles in the past, including multiple Trails of Cold Steel games. They are also playable characters in Trails Into Reverie. Rixia is a performing artist and successor of the Yin title. Crow first appears as a student at the Thors Military Academy. The figures will be based on their appearance in Trails Into Reverie. Notably, the announcement image also shows both characters wielding their main weapon of choice.

https://twitter.com/Kotobukiya_EN/status/1491966340873162756

The moment Kirby sucked up a car in the latest Nintendo Direct, things changed. The internet is now filled with countless memes starring Carby—the name of Kirby when they have a giant car in their mouth. So it’s not surprising that after only a few days, someone has brought Carby into Mario Kart 8 via modding.

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Star Citizen developer Cloud Imperium Games released three new videos about the growing space simulator focusing on upcoming content and more.

The first video showcases plenty of upcoming content, from shops like the Drake Vulture, the Banu Merchantman, and the MISC Hull A, to parts of the Pyro System and more.

The second video is the trailer of the new HoverQuad vehicle by Consolidated Outland, while the third is an extensive interview with the planetary content team about what we can expect from planets in the future.

You can watch them below.

Cblogs of 2/5 to 2/11/2022 –Kerrik52 discusses Blasphemous: Wounds of Eventide, which is their game of the year for 2021....

The post Has a video game ever truly grossed you out? appeared first on Destructoid.

Today Developer SimulaM released a new gameplay video of its upcoming Jesus simulator I am Jesus Christ.

The gameplay, which certainly appears to be work-in-progress, shows one of Jesus’ most famous miracles (and the first he traditionally did), the turning of water into wine at the wedding at Cana.

As someone raised in a Christian family, receiving quests from Mary certainly feels a bit off, but we’re playing Jesus Christ, so…

You can check it out below.

Grand Theft Auto V is one of the best-selling games of all time. It has sold over 160 million copies since it was first released back in 2013 for PS3 and Xbox 360. But to really put that number into perspective, it helps to look at all the video game franchises that GTA V, by itself, has completely outsold. Be…

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Today Square Enix and PlatinumGames hosted a new livestream about the upcoming online action JRPG Babylon’s Fall.

This time around we see more gameplay including the initial tutorial and the “Siege” feature, which focuses on gathering special items.

Perhaps more interestingly, we also get a closer look at the business model for the game.

The game will have an internal currency named Garaz, which will be sold for 110 yen per 100 Garaz. While the western pricing has not been announced, this is likely to be $1 or $0.99.

Purchasing Garaz is entirely optional and lets you gain access exclusively to items that don’t affect gameplay performance, like cosmetics and emotes. No items that have any effect on gameplay performance will be sold, but there is a possibility that mechanics like “pay to catch up” will be added going forward depending on the life cycle of the game.

To be precise, Garaz will let you buy cosmetic armor, capes, and accessories, emotes, stamps, victory poses, premium Battle Pass (unlocking it and instant tier unlock), and Battle Pass Garaz Missions which will come at a later date.

below you can see an example of cosmetics sold for 1,500 and 500 Garaz.

More Danganronpa characters are joining Good Smile Company's Nendoroid line, though not as figures just yet. Pre-orders opened for a new series of Nendoroid Pins based on Danganronpa characters.

The Danganronpa Nendoroid Pins reflect the distinctive chibi style of the figure line, with an enlarged head and face and smaller body proportions. The pins themselves have a base of cast zinc alloy and an electroplated black finish. They stand two inches tall, and include a custom Nendoroid stand and packaging. Deluxe pin backings are also included. 

https://twitter.com/GoodSmile_US/status/1492196805647507457

The characters covered by the initial lineup span come from Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc and Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair. Junko Enoshima, the Ultimate Fashionista, represents the first game's cast. Ultimate Gamer Chiaki Nanami represents the second game's roster. Monokuma, as the series mascot, has played a role in all Danganronpa titles to date. Of the three characters, only Monokuma has an actual Nendoroid figure, released back in 2013. Chiaki received a 1/8th scale figure, while Junko appeared in the Pop Up Parade line. A Junko Nendoroid is in development.

There's a blueprint in Dying Light 2 that lets you perform a Star Wars-esque Force Choke on your enemies.

Interestingly, unlike some of the other secret blueprints secreted around Dying Light 2's world, this is a secret hidden inside another secret, as you need to access the hidden Doom level in the basement of the VNC skyscraper before you can acquire it the blueprint.

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Smilegate's recently released PC MMO Lost Ark continues to soar on Steam, recently surpassing 1 million concurrent players on its way to becoming the fourth most-played game in Steam's history.

Lost Ark is also only the fifth game ever to pass 1 million concurrent players on Steam, the others being Cyberpunk 2077, Dota 2, CS: Go, and PUBG, according to SteamDB.

Following its early access launch for people who bought the founder's pack, Lost Ark released officially for everyone as a free-to-play game on February 11 with some notable fixes at launch. The release was delayed slightly, but did eventually release that day.

Nathan Drake is seemingly headed to Fortnite.

While not formally announced just yet, an unlisted video on the official Fortnite YouTube channel gives us all the details, including a release date: 17th February 2022.

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More console versions are on the way following the PC and Nintendo Switch launch DigixArt and Ravenscourt are bringing Road...

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Halo Infinite developer 343 Industries is still working to improve the shooter, and most recently addressed "topics of concern", desync and "the overall online experience".

In a bid to maintain "an open discussion about the state of networked play in Halo Infinite", lead sandbox engineer Richard Watson confirmed in a recent Waypoint update that the team was prioritising low pings in the matchmaking process to help players match with those closest to them, "and therefore have a better connection, more often".

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Romantic films streaming on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, HBO, and more

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Season 2 of Jujutsu Kaisen will begin airing in Japan in 2023. While a proper release date has not been confirmed, Studio MAPPA said that it will announce further details later. There is no confirmed international release.

MAPPA announced the Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 release at a special viewing of the recent Jujutsu Kaisen 0 prequel movie. Veteran voice actress Megumi Ogata, who plays the movie's protagonist Yuta Okkotsu, appeared at the event alongside other actors. Previously, MAPPA teased that a "major announcement" would occur at the event. Additionally, MAPPA said that the first season of the anime would re-run on Japanese television starting April 2022.

https://twitter.com/animejujutsu/status/1492434543193718786

Series creator Gege Akutami also provided a special illustration of Yuta Okkotsu and his companion Rika. Akutami thanked fans, as well as everyone involved in production, for their continued support and the success of the latest movie. Jujutsu Kaisen 0 has grossed over 10 billion yen since it released in December 2021, becoming one of the fastest-grossing anime movies of all time.

Nearly as soon as Epic began teasing an upcoming Uncharted collaboration by sending select content creators treasure maps, the community solved the riddle and revealed the Fortnite Uncharted skins we had been hearing about. If you were wondering whether the skins would be based on the Naughty Dog games or the new movie coming to theaters next week, your best guess is right no matter what. The cosmetics include alternate styles for Nathan Drake and Chloe Frazer that capture both their game and movie likenesses.

The Uncharted collaboration launches on February 17 at 4 PM PT / 7 PM ET, while a new in-game item, Drake's Map, will come to the game the following morning. Drake's Map acts like the Chapter 1 treasure maps some players might remember, leading players on a hunt for buried "treasure," which in Fortnite means excellent loot for your inventory.

Because the game and movie likenesses for the heroes are different styles, not totally different skins, that means anyone who buys either version of either hero will instantly get access to both of them. There will likely also be a bundle that includes both heroes plus all Uncharted cosmetics. Here's all you can expect in the Item Shop in a few days:

A magical realism take on a very real COVID dilemma

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Platform: PlayStation 4
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Bluepoint Games
Release: October 9, 2015
Rating: Rating Pending

After tackling Metroid in season 1 and then Halo in season 2, Game Informer's Video Gameography podcast turns its gaze to one of Sony's biggest properties: Uncharted. Over the next several weeks, we'll examine all of the mainline entries in Naughty Dog's blockbuster action series, so sit back and relax as we kick the season off with Uncharted: Drake's Fortune.  

Bandai Namco briefly released the PC system requirements for Elden Ring on Steam, before taking them down shortly afterward. The minimum requirements listed 12 GB of RAM, in addition to some comparatively demanding CPU and GPU specs. The game's Steam page now lists the requirements as "TBD." [Thanks, PC Gamer!]

Below are the listed Elden Ring minimum PC system requirements:

• OS: Windows 10 or Windows 11
• Processor: Intel Core i5 8400 or AMD Ryzen 3 3300X
• Memory: 12 GB of RAM
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3GB or AMD Radeon RX 580 4GB
• DirectX: Version 12
• Storage: 60GB

The system requirements for Elden Ring look to be significantly more demanding than previous From Software titles. In comparison, 2019's Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice only required 4GB RAM and Intel Core i3-2100 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 to run.

That being said, Bandai Namco decided to pull the Elden Ring PC requirements from the Steam page. This could indicate that they aren't set in stone just yet. Given the lack of recommended system requirements, there is also the possibility that Bandai Namco mistakenly posted the recommended specs as minimum specs instead.

Sloclap has committed to improving the accessibility of its new fighting game, Sifu.

Talking to accessibility advocate and blind gamer Steve Saylor on a recent Twitch Gaming stream, Sloclap co-founder Pierre Tarno said that Sifu will be getting accessibility updates post-launch, including improved captioning, a high contrast mode for PS4/5 as well as PC, and difficulty modes (thanks, Can I Play That?).

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Elden Ring's minimum PC system requirements were added to its Steam page yesterday - and then promptly removed again.

While no one knows why the information was deleted just hours after it was published, those that managed to see the "minimum" specs before they were taken down again suggest they looked pretty demanding.

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Silt is one of those great Robert MacFarlane words. I want to lift it to my ear in a quiet room and close my eyes, so I can hear those sands shifting, tiny rocks brushing one against another. There's beauty to it - deep time and nature's endless grinding patience. But there's horror in that very patience: this world will take a billion gentle years to bury you completely.

Silt seems aware of this - the horror and beauty of certain words, the poetry of them. This is an adventure that starts with a poem - in short, there are beasts out there under the waves and you need to collect their eyes - but the second time I played through, I wondered: poem or incantation? Is there a difference? Just what is being summoned here?

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My sympathies to everyone taken by the Fool's Spring, who is now finding their hopes crushed by Second Winter. But consider it an opportunity: see some snow while you still can, and burrow back down into your blanket nest with a hot cup of cocoa before it's too late. And this is, of course, an ideal period to play video games. What are you playing this weekend?

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Platform: PC
Publisher: Amazon Games
Developer: Smilegate
Release: February 11, 2022
Rating: Mature

Traditionally MMOs are best played on mouse and keyboard, but Lost Ark isn’t a traditional game, is it? Before I get carried away, know you’ll probably have a better experience playing this isometric action RPG with classic inputs. However, Lost Ark is playable with a controller, if not entirely enjoyable. I’d even argue combat feels best on a controller, despite the general awkwardness of navigating menus, inventories, and action bars on a gamepad.

Bushiroad released new gameplay of its upcoming game dedicated to the popular manga and anime series Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid.

We already know that the game, which was announced back in September as ”Kobayashi-san Chi no Meidoragon Sakuretsu!! Chorogon Breath” (which translates into “Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid Explosion!! Chorogon Breath), will launch in Japan on March 24, 2022, for PS4 and Nintendo Switch.

We get to see plenty of shooting as you would expect from this kind of game, alternating between Thor and Elma, while Kanna is still held on the sidelines, it appears.

You can watch it below.