We've already seen some pretty funky physics from Valheim's abyssal harpoon, but beyond NASA space programs Valheim players have now found a more practical use for the weapon: as a way of transporting heavy goods by waterski. Or maybe it's more like those inflatable tubes you can tow behind boats - but close enough.

Over on reddit, user LostYugen yesterday posted a video showing that a player can be harpooned while holding a cart, then towed by boat, allowing for the transportation of a huge number of items. The maximum number of slots in a Valheim longship is 18, and by towing a cart you can double this amount to 36. Previously, some players had attempted to balance upturned carts on their boats to haul massive amounts of ore, but this technique can easily be scuppered by a storm - or simply some bad sailing. In fact, LostYugen explained they discovered the waterskiing method after one of their carts was knocked out of their longship by a wave. Others have found that placing a heavy cart on a boat can also make it much harder to steer. Could the cart-towing method actually be more reliable?

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The well-known Japanese pianist provided piano arrangements for the Balan Wonderworld soundtrack.

The post Marasy Shared Piano Arrangements of Balan Wonderworld Music appeared first on Siliconera.

Attack on Titan’s final season is soon coming to an end… well, kind of. Sure, there will be a phase 2 to cover the rest of the manga but that likely won’t be out for a while. In the meantime, to celebrate the series reaching its conclusion, why not put yourself to the test and see how well you can remember the show’s many side characters?

Time to see how big of a fan you truly are. Here are 15 characters from across all four seasons of the show.

When you finish this quiz, be sure to check out one of our other Attack on Titan quizzes and find out which character you are, which titan you are, or take the ultimate trivia quiz for the series.

(Images source Wit Studio/Mappa)

How Well Do you Know These Attack on Titan Side Characters?

Thanks to the gift that keeps on giving (Microsoft Store listings), we now have a bit more info on Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection's technical specs.

The listing confirms that the game will feature 4K Ultra HD visuals, as well as "60FPS+." That's great news for any Ninja Gaiden purists, as they'll probably want the game to favor the latter in any case. Still, both is good. Just in case the listing gets taken down, we've screencapped the pertinent parts below.

Note that while this technically only applies to the Xbox editions of the game, it stands to reason that the PS4/PS5 editions and the PC port will sport similar compatibility. 4K on the Switch though is probably not in the cards.

Note that the collection is still on track for a June 10 release, so we're still a ways out. But really, a competent re-release of just Ninja Gaiden Black and 60FPS is all we need. The rest is extra.

Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection Deluxe Edition [Microsoft]

Loop Hero was released on PC about a couple weeks ago, and has since become one of the biggest indie hits of 2021. The game has been lauded for its compelling deck-building and rogue-lite elements, as well as a badass soundtrack that’s impossible to get out of your head.

That being said, the game does have a few shortcomings, and with the developers promising that more quality-of-life and content updates are coming to the game soon, here’s a list of features we’d love to see in Loop Hero.

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A new report continues to lend credence to the ongoing rumors of a beefed-up Nintendo Switch model, as Bloomberg says Switch sales may benefit for the fiscal year ending March 2022 thanks to the launch of a new version of the Switch with an OLED screen. The site reported this information based on what it's heard from executives at component suppliers, game publishers, and retailers.

Overall, Switch console sales should be "flat or slightly higher" for the upcoming fiscal year, the report said.

Game sales, however, should surge in the coming year. The report said Nintendo may be able to sell 250 million games in the upcoming fiscal year, up sharply from the 205 million that are forecast for the current fiscal year that is scheduled to end later this month. The report said "a series of marquee game releases" will help improve game sales, though none were named outright.

Nintendo has a number of high-profile games coming to the Switch in the future, including the recently announced open-world Pokemon game, Pokemon Legends: Arceus, as well as Splatoon 3, Bayonetta 3, Metroid Prime 4, and a sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. These are just the games that have been announced so far; more high-profile first-party titles are expected to be in the works.

As for the new Switch model, Bloomberg said it's due to release in the second half of 2021. It may feature a larger, better screen and "upgraded graphics" for when it's plugged into the TV.

Sony has added PS4 Communities to the growing list of PS4 features closing down as the company transitions to its next-generation hardware, PS5.

The update over on PlayStation’s website reads as follows:

Thank you for using the PS Communities feature on your PS4 console. Beginning in April 2021, this feature will no longer be supported or available on your PS4 console.

However, you’ll still be able to stay connected and enjoy messaging features and more on your PS4 and the PlayStation App.

First added to PS4 with the 3.00 update back in 2015, Communities allows players to start their own communities centred around common interests, such as hobbies, games, genres, etc. Each featured a message board where members can engage in discussion, as well as share screenshots and captured clips. From the board you’re able to join other player’s parties and games, too.

The news perhaps isn’t all that surprising considering that Sony actually shut down the mobile app version of the Communities feature last year.

In other recent news of closing PlayStation features and services, Sony announced last week that it would be discontinuing the purchase of movies and television shows from the PlayStation Store.

The post PS4 Communities Feature Will Shut Down in April appeared first on Twinfinite.

It’s been a rough road for Red Candle Games

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Across each of its three books, Avatar: The Last Airbender takes its viewers to a number of awesome locations throughout the four nations that make up its world. To celebrate all of those different spots, we’ve come up with a quiz that’ll test your knowledge of all of the villages, mountains, and cities that appear in the show.

So get ready to see if you can match these 10 Avatar: The Last Airbender locations to their nations below.

And if you end up liking this Avatar quiz, be sure to check out our Quiz section of the site for even more fun!

(Image Source: Nickelodeon)

Japanese consumers can get their hands on a special Blu-ray and DVD release of the film in June.

The post Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Mugen Train Blu-ray Release Scheduled for June appeared first on Siliconera.

Microsoft has announced that a selection of Bethesda titles have today been bolstered by the developer's FPS Boost technology. Xbox Series X/S owners will be able to take advantage of the free fuel injection, which increases a title's frame rate from 30 FPS to somewhere around 60 FPS.

The five titles receiving the performance hike today are apocalyptic RPGs Fallout 4 and Fallout 76, fantasy epic The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition, sci-fi adventure Dishonored: Definitive Edition, and finally interstellar action-horror title Prey. All five titles are available now on the Xbox Game Pass paid subscription service.

Oh, and to access FPS Boost, make sure the feature is turned on in your console's settings, then buckle up and PREPARE TO FEEL THE Gs!* More Bethesda titles are expected to receive FPD Boost tech in the coming weeks and months, as Bethesda starts to feel the benefit from the ZeniMax Media acquisition.

_{*moderate increase in animation frames}

There will be no celebrity selfies at the Oscars this year. The ceremony itself will be split between two locations: the Dolby Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard—where the Oscars have been held since 2002—and a new spot, Los Angeles’ Union Station, chosen for its “cavernous” size. Festivities at both venues will be…

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Another developer has announced their departure from SIE Japan Studios.

The post Bloodborne Executive Producer Masami Yamamoto Leaves SIE Japan appeared first on Siliconera.

A new Zelda: Breath of the Wild glitch? Well I'd never!

Although folks have been sleazing the game into forcing a first-person camera for a while, Twitter user Axk helped bring a new glitch to light that will make things a lot easier for people from here on out. No mods, elaborate "%" requirements, or wacky items needed.

You can basically do this anywhere at any point. The gist is to use the Sheika Slate camera mechanic, hold an item, then cancel it. Need more help? Axk elaborates in this two-part video. As they state in their Twitter account, they are a "no mods" player.

One huge noteworthy element of all this is the accessibility of the bug. It's very common for a crazy glitch to make the rounds and become a hit with a percentage of the game's playerbase; but to see this level of accessibility is semi-rare.

Folks could create some really cool videos very easily based on this method.

Axk_000 [Twitter]

The loveable (and a bit decayed) Stubbs the zombie returns in... Stubs The Zombie, a remastered port of the cult classic game releasing later this week on Xbox One, PS4, Switch, and PC.

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In a strange year, streaming dominates

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Spread the word, because it's actually happening. As of tomorrow, March 16, Toby Fox's highly regarded indie RPG Undertale will finally be arriving on Xbox. Microsoft announced that Sans, Undyne, Flowey and friends will be making their presence felt on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and the Xbox Game Pass service. A physical edition will be released by Fangamer at a later date.

Originally released for PC in 2015, before being ported to almost every contemporary platform under the sun, Undertale is a dramatic, evocative, funny, and surprisingly resonant adventure which takes place in a subterranean fantasy kingdom. Controlling a young protagonist who wanders into the bizarre realm, players will meet a cast of strange and memorable characters, confront demons external and internal, and perhaps even learn a little about themselves.

No introduction necessary, frankly. But check out the new announcement trailer below.

When a game can be modded, it will be modded, usually with Thomas the Tank Engine. That being said, one Valheim player decided to bring the iconic 'choo choo that could' into the Viking game and said, "Mods? Don't know her." 

Usually, when 'ol Tommy boy joins the mix, it's because of the ongoing Tank Engine joke in the modding community. But Valheim is a creative experience all on its own, which means one player decided to take it upon themselves to continue on this tried-and-true modding tradition. Just without the actual mods. 

Last year's best Nintendo Switch Black Friday bundle is back and at an all-new low price - thanks to yet another eBay voucher code.

Over on the ShopTo eBay store, you can get a Nintendo Switch Lite with Animal Crossing New Horizons and a 3-month Switch Online membership for £190.39.

That's much less than the usual price of £240 and nearly £20 less than the discount it received over Black Friday.

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Cyberpunk 2077 (PC) | $25 | Eneba | Use code CPUNKMARCH

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UPDATE 15/3/21: Former WB Games developer Troy Leavitt has now, as promised, released his own video discussing his departure from Hogwarts Legacy studio Avalanche Software. It's an edited recording of a farewell Zoom call to former colleagues, in which he also shared his resignation letter.

In the letter, Leavitt wrote that he left the studio largely due to a family matter which WB Games had been helping him manage over the past year. "Unfortunately, things on that front have seriously deteriorated since the beginning of February," Leavitt said, "I now see the situation as chronic and likely to be high maintenance into the foreseeable future."

Discussing the timeline of events leading up to his resignation, Leavitt explained that articles about his YouTube channel were published after "family matters took a sharp turn at [the] beginning of February" and that after "reflecting upon the situation, I decided to prioritise family over work concerns... The articles were a catalyst in this - but not the cause. I decided to re-retire at [the] beginning of March."

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Devotion makes a return through the newly established Red Candle Games e-shop.

The post Red Candle Games Releases Devotion to Developer Run e-Shop appeared first on Siliconera.

Bethesda has released a trailer for a trailer, (because this is real life now), teasing the arrival of The Ancient Gods: Part 2, the next explosive DLC expansion headed to id Software's Doom Eternal.

The short video, which you can check out below, sees our pal the Doom Slayer rally up with some devastating intergalactic forces, preparing for one hell of an almighty showdown with his villainous alter-ego, The Dark Lord, who shows up to the war rocking some pretty almighty Warhammer-style battle armor. A brief glimpse of action, and we're done, with the full gameplay trailer dropping this Wednesday, March 17.

Doom Eternal, currently available on PS4, PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, is also expected to hit PS5 and Xbox Series X at some point later in 2021. As Doom is one of the properties that now falls under the Microsoft banner, (courtesy of the ZeniMax acquisition) it remains to be seen what the future holds for the franchise from an exclusivity stance.

Welcome to Morning Music, Kotaku’s ongoing hangout for folks who love video games and the cool-ass sounds they make. Today, lull yourself into productivity with the sound of nightmares. (Hmm, I’ma keep workshopping that.)

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Loop Hero is nothing like Monopoly. What is it like? It's kind of an RPG, and kind of an idle game. But it's not as much of an RPG as it seems, and really it's nothing like an idle game to play half the time.

In Loop Hero you look after a little adventurer as they walk in loops, battling monsters. The monsters and the loops, the walking and the battling, most of this is automated. Off your adventure goes and when they meet a blob they whack it. When they meet a spider they whack it. When they - you get it.

Enemies when defeated drop armour and weapons, which make the adventurer better at whacking things. You have to choose between the items you get and build the best ever-changing loadout. But enemies also drop cards, and cards are where it gets interesting. The cards allow you to build up the landscape around the loop. Rocks and mountains and treasuries all give you resources. Placement is a bit of a game - you're trying to slot the cards where they most want to be in order to maximise the resource payout. But there are also cards that you can put on the loop that your adventurer walks. Maybe these will give you a graveyard, which will grant you skeletons to fight, or they might give you a spooky house, which will grant you vampires.

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The PlayStation 4 communities feature shuts down in April, Sony has confirmed.

You will, however, be able to stay connected and use messaging features on your PS4 and the PlayStation App, Sony said in an update on PlayStation.com.

The communities feature, added to PS4 with the 3.00 update in September 2015, lets you create communities based around shared interests, such as games and genres. Communities include a message board with general discussion, screenshots shared by players, and the ability to join parties / games.

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Another new PlayStation event is on the horizon with PlayStation Japan's Play! Play! Play! showcase going down this weekend. The latest Team Blue celebration will particularly focus on Resident Evil Village and Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade for the PS5. 

The upcoming Japanese livestreaming event is happening on March 21, 2021, and will share another new look at the upcoming Resident Evil horror title featuring stomp-worthy vampire ladies and Ethan's return from director Morisama Sato and Kyao Sato. It will also dive deeper in the PlayStation 5-exclusive edition of the Final Fantasy VII Remake with Intergrade with producer Yoshinori Kitase and Takuya Nakamura. 

Don't expect anything super surprising with the upcoming Play! Play! Play! showcase, it's expected to be a smaller event meant to celebrate the two franchise experiences. There could be some new gameplay shared, but the teaser on the official website suggest that this could be more of a Fireside Chat style with the devs, versus a showcase meant to be purely news announcements. 

Epic Games has reportedly booted a Fortnite team from the ongoing Fortnite Champion Series (FNCS) tournament following a tweet from a teammate who had nasty things to say about Fortnite's director, Donald Mustard.

The tweet, from player Wrigley, has been deleted, while the entire account has also been deactived. But Eurogamer spotted the tweet and reports that it said, "Like literally fucking k!ll your$elf @DonaldMustard."

Teammate Dictate shared an email reportedly from Epic that spelled out what happened. It said that the team would be disqualified and removed from the FNCS effectively immediately due to a violation of the tournament rules. Specifically, Epic cited Section 8.1.2, which states, "Players must be respectful of other players, Event Administrators, spectators, and sponsors."

Wrigley's team was in last place at the time, but even finishing last would have made the team a good chunk of change. Wrigley's teammates are trying to appeal, and they also wondered why Epic didn't allow them to swap someone else in for Wrigley after the infraction.

God of War II recently celebrated its 14th anniversary, and to mark the occasion, game director Cory Barlog has shared his own history with the project. In short, he said he had "absolutely no idea" what he was doing with the game, praising his team for helping complete the game.

"I had absolutely NO IDEA what the hell I was doing pretty much the ENTIRE time," Barlog wrote. "Every day I felt like I was thrown on stage opening night to perform a musical that I had never even heard of, much less rehearsed."

Thankfully for Barlog, and to his credit as a team leader, there was a strong team around him. "Fortunately, I was inspired at every turn by a brilliant team," he wrote.

When the game finally did release, Barlog remarked that he "only KIND OF understood the MECHANICS of being a director." It took many years get better in this respect, Barlog said.

She is the new shipgirl that will replace Hiryuu META in the Ashes Showdown.

The post Ark Royal META Will Appear in the Next Azur Lane Ashes Showdown appeared first on Siliconera.

Halo Infinite, thankfully, is getting more time in the oven.

It must have been an excruciating decision to delay it beyond the launch of a new console, but 343 seems to be using this time to make the game better, based on numerous updates just this year.

So what's the latest? An expectation check. 343 confirms that there will be no playable Elites in the game ("we're not currently planning on adding playable Elites"), and no dual wielding ("currently no, that's not in the cards right now"). Yet, the open world will focus around a night/day cycle, as well as a weather system. Ups and downs!

This comes straight from the Halo Infinite "Ask 343" stream presented by community manager John Junyszek, lead world designer John Mulkey, gameplay director Troy Mashburn, and lead sandbox designer Quinn Delhoyo.

You can find the bulk of the presentation distilled at roughly the 38:00 mark. This is where the development team really digs into the nitty gritty of some mechanics, and delves into a few fan questions.

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Nintendo Switch Lite + $20 Gift Card | $200 | Amazon | Use code 8RLOZI4Z5INC

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Silent Hill director Keiichiro Toyama announced his newly formed Bokeh Game Studio back in December alongside Gravity Rush's Junya Okura and Puppeteer's Kazunobo Sato to make a new horror adventure for fans to enjoy. While the new project is estimated to release sometime in 2023, we don't actually know much about the mystery title at this time, but that hasn't stopped the director from creatively teasing what horror fans will have to look forward to. 

In a recent interview with AI Hub, Toyama teased that he has a special collaboration that he can't wait to share. When asked to share something new and excited, the director responded, saying, "We’re obviously still at an early period, so there’s not a lot we can actually say, but we are looking to create an experience that can be enjoyed widely by a range of people,” he told the site. “So, for example, we intend for our game to have a setting in Asian cities."

He added, “One thing we can say is that we are working hard right now to collaborate with a famous creator in Japan, and that’s something we haven’t been open about before.”