A 2016 documentary has everything in common with a PS2 classic

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Valheim hit the ground running at the beginning of February, and doesn't seem to be losing much momentum now that a month has passed. ...

Motorsport Games continues to make inroads into the world of sim racing, with the announcement that it has entered a binding term sheet to acquire Studio397 and its widely acclaimed rFactor 2 platform.

It formalises a partnership that helped make last year's officially sanctioned 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual race, with the highly praised handling dynamics of rFactor 2 set to underpin Motorsport Games' forthcoming takes on BTCC - a hugely anticipated comeback for the series into the virtual domain - and Le Mans.

"Studio397 has a clear passion for virtual racing and together we recognised an opportunity to work as one team to advance the genre to the next level," said Motorsport Games' president Stephen Hood in an official press release. "We see this as great news for the sim racing community as we can now leverage the best elements of the rFactor 2 platform, combine it with our foundational use of Unreal Engine (developed by Epic Games) and layer in the additional components our talented teams have spent the last two years developing. Our aim was to start out with a product that had heart and soul. When the planned acquisition is completed, we can operate safe in the knowledge that another piece of an ambitious puzzle has been secured."

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Studio calls changes ‘a foundational piece for our tuning in the future’

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Hu Tao is finally available in the new Genshin Impact banner, allowing players to spend wishes or primogems to take a chance and try to add one to their party. Yes, it's a gacha-style system, but players can save up currency over time to spend their primogems and wishes to get the characters they want. The issue is, there are probably a lot of characters that you'd like to have.

In this respect, while Hu Tao seems amazingly cool, she's almost certainly a "primogem sink" because if you've been playing Genshin at all so far, you probably have a high level, high power Xiangling in your team already, who fills the exact same pyro polearm combination. Sure, Hu Tao can push out some massive burst damage and also has a cute ghost sidekick, but is she really worth dumping your hard-earned currency on?

Well, I sure thought so. I mean, she has a ghost. Seriously. Oh, she also has a unique "blink" effect on her dash, so that's likely to be highly useful during fights, I'd love to turn it into my own personal invincibility-frame Dark Souls roll. Anyway, so I decided to hit up my wish bank that I've been saving for a while (Sorry Xiao, I never got around to spending wishes on you...) and take a chance. What happened? You can check it out in the video below!

You’ve got this, Trickster, make them work for it ... Boom.

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Among Us and Genshin Impact have boomed in a time when most people aren’t “mobile” at all

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Wednesday’s Best Deals | Kinja Deals

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Encountering a Divine Beast

One of the best things about Breath of the Wild is how open the setting is for exploration. While there are parameters and guidelines in place to help guide you on where to go, the world is your oyster when it comes to how you choose to explore it. 

Regardless of the path you choose, be it linear or non-linear, you’ll always run into one of the four Divine Beasts: Vah Ruta, Vah Medoh, Vah Rudania, and Vah Naboris. These creatures tower above you, putting in perspective just how small Link is and the overall scope of Breath of the Wild as a whole. 

And while every single encounter with one of these majestical beings is noteworthy in-and-of-itself, nothing beats the first time you find and explore one of them inside and out. 

UPDATE 8:36pm: Following Frogwares' decision to force the removal of The Sinking City from Steam via DMCA takedown, publisher Nacon has issued a lengthy response:

"Frogwares published an article on March 1st, 2021, accusing Nacon of having 'pirated' the game The Sinking City; Nacon hereby wishes to set the record straight regarding these unjustified accusations.

"Nacon is contractually the sole exclusive distributor of The Sinking City game on Steam.

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Some of the lead developers on Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild talk earnestly about how (and why) they designed the game's convention-breaking systems and mechanics. ...

A proposed bill before the Arizona House of Representatives could have big implications for Epic Games' legal battle against Apple and Google over Fortnite. If it is ultimately passed into law, it could create another facet for the ongoing litigation between the software giants.

The Verge reports that an amendment to Arizona's HB2005 prevents app stores in the state from forcing developers to use their preferred payment system. In practice, that would mean that Apple and Google can't require Epic Games or other software developers to go through their own proprietary payment systems for in-app purchases.

The legislation places the restriction on stores exceeding 1 million downloads, which would include Apple's App Store and the Google Play store, and bars those companies from retaliating against developers who use third-party payment systems. It also applies to state residents, keeping them from being required to use exclusive payment methods. It carves out an exemption for game consoles and other "special-purpose devices."

The amendment made its way through the Arizona House Appropriations Committee last week before going to a full House vote this week. Arizona Democrats have argued that the state legislature shouldn't insert itself into the middle of a legal battle between the software companies. Now that it has passed the House, it will go to the state senate and then, if passed there, to Governor Doug Ducey.

If successfully passed into law, it will represent another wrinkle in the legal feud between Apple and Google. It could very well impact both companies' business in the state, though it may also lead to further legal action.

In Siliconera's interview with Gust Producer Junzo Hosoi, Atelier Ryza 2, the possibility of Atelier Ryza 3, and the PS5 all came up.

The post Interview: Junzo Hosoi Says Atelier Ryza 3 ‘Depends on Everyone’s Support’ appeared first on Siliconera.

Newegg has just kicked off two new sales, one called Home Court Madness and another 72-hour flash sale. The Home Court Madness sale discounts a number of 4K TVs, gaming laptops, and PC components, while the 72-hour sale has deals on gaming peripherals and other products. Home Court Madness lasts until Sunday, March 7, while the 72-hour sale runs through Friday, March 5. One of the most notable deals is for the 256GB Oculus Quest 2, which comes with a $20 gift card. While that's not exactly a discount, this is the first deal we've seen for new VR headset.

We've selected some of the best deals and compiled them below. In addition to keyboards, mice, and controllers, there are also a number of discounts on PC gaming components, such as cooling systems, processors, and SSDs.

Ever listen to a song so powerful you stop, drop, and roll to frantically figure out what it is? That’s what happened to me last night while playing Maquette, a puzzle game out this week for PC, PS4, and PS5. Yes, the game’s fantastic, which we’ll get to in a moment, but first: that song.

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Pokemon has been around for 25 years now, and there are numerous ways to enjoy the well-loved franchise for its 25th Anniversary. The core RPGs where it all started, the massively popular trading card game, the countless spin-offs like the upcoming New Pokemon Snap, and even a few board games. However, there is a truly cooperative group activity perfect for a nostalgic crew of Dungeons & Dragons fans who want to play Pokemon while also being social (or, socially distant): Pokemon 5e, a set of unofficial tabletop RPG rules built just for Pokemon.

It’s been four years since Breath of the Wild arrived on the Nintendo Switch, changing the video game landscape with innovative ideas and gameplay. Fans are celebrating this anniversary and that innovation to the landscape quite literally, crafting hilarious Twitter memes comparing any game with a landscape overlook to Breath of the Wild.

We’ve rounded up the best ones we’ve seen so far and compiled them below. Be sure to comment on your favorites or even post your own hilarious versions of the meme in the comments below.

Without Remorse hits Prime Video on April 30

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This season of Fortnite has been a whirlwind of crossover skins and deranged players hoping that Epic puts Family Guy’s Peter Griffin in the game. But the latest in-demand item is a possible music track—the song “Butter Barn Hoedown.” The supposedly leaked track somehow, impossibly, rules?

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Third-party developers have released new screenshots of their upcoming aircraft for Microsoft Flight Simulator.

First of all, Just Flight showcased another look at its Piper PA28R Turbo Arrow III & IV package.

The images show the variety of liveries available for the aircraft. The visuals are “pretty much complete” and only coding and tweaking remain to be done.

Incidentally, it’s worth mentioning that Just Flight will also release a non-Turbo Arrow III, which should come very soon.

The project is early in development

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The creator of the Yakuza series says it may be time for the development team to try something entirely new, after so many years devoted to the franchise. In an interview, Ryu Ga Gotoku director Toshihiro Nagoshi talks about his hope that he can allow his team to stretch their development muscles.

"The Ryu Ga Gotoku team members, they've only really worked on the Yakuza series," Nagoshi told Game Informer. "But I think it would be a waste if these really talented team members that we have aren't able to use all of their skills to their full potential. That might be challenging themselves, creating something of a whole different genre and a different style. We don't know that yet, but that’s something that we're really taking into consideration right now for the growth of our team as a whole."

Ryu Ga Gotoku has dabbled in new genres within the Yakuza universe--it explored the other side of crime dramas with Judgment, and turned its latest Yakuza game, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, into a turn-based RPG. But it does sound like the team may want to venture even further from its comfort zone.

The Yakuza series has been in development for more than 15 years, and only gained more mainstream success in the West relatively recently. Most of the series focuses on the life of yakuza Kazuma Kiryu, while Like a Dragon introduced an entirely new protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga. Like a Dragon scored a 9/10 in GameSpot's review.

If you took part in last month's Guilty Gear Strive beta, you probably already know it wasn't the smoothest experience. Not all betas are, but the feedback from players on this one was enough to convince Arc System Works it needs to spend more time polishing up the game.

The developer revealed on Twitter Wednesday night that it is delaying the highly anticipated fighter from April 9 to June 11. As you can see in the message below, Arc System Works will use the extra development time to work on the game's online lobbies and server stability.

Sony has been shining a light on PlayStation VR today - or rather, on some of the upcoming games owners will be able to enjoy with their helmets on and hands a-hoisted - and those who missed it can catch up on the various announcements below.

Doom 3 VR Edition

The big-name reveal comes in the form of Doom 3 VR Edition which, as its name implies, is a VR-enhanced version of id Software's 2004 first-person shooter Doom 3.

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Welcome to the friendship factory

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Take-Two's top executive has spoken about remasters, saying what separates his company's games from the competition is a focus on quality and making sure the remaster feels like it's taking advantage of the new hardware instead of standing as a simple port.

During a Morgan Stanley speaking event, Strauss Zelnick said remasters have always been a part of Take-Two's strategy, and this is expected to continue.

"I'm not sure they'll be a bigger part of the strategy. Remastering has always been a part of the strategy. What we've done differently than the competition is we don't just port titles over," he said (via VGC). "We actually take the time to do the very best job we can making the title different for the new release for the new technology that we're launching it on."

Take-Two's new major remaster is Grand Theft Auto V for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, which launches in the second half of 2021. The Rockstar-developed game will have a series of upgrades on the new machines, and Zelnick believes Take-Two's commitment to quality is "why I think our remastered titles typically do so well."

Zelnick specifically praised the Mafia remasters from 2K Games, while he also remarked that GTA V is now heading into its third console generation, which demonstrates a massive level of success for the game. Zelnick said he feels "confident Rockstar is going to deliver a great experience but you can't do that if you're just doing a simple port."

Mortal Shell served as a solid offering to Souls fans when it launched in August 2020. The game bleeds Dark Souls through and through, but features a unique twist by allowing players to take control of various bodies to use in combat. In a similar manner, the game has found new platforms to inhabit: the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. Mortal Shell is coming to Sony and Microsoft's new-gen consoles on March 4 (that's tomorrow!). This upgraded edition introduces new visual and performance improvements to make an already respectable experience even better.

Mortal Shell: Enhanced Edition boasts upscaled 4K visuals with improved textures and targeted 60fps gameplay. The game also takes advantage of the DualSense’ haptic capabilities for greater immersion while cutting down all manner of monstrosities. Players will feel subtle sensations including heartbeats and whispers, as well as the haptic feedback of arrows and other projectiles whizzing by. The trailer below provides side-by-side comparisons between the original game and the Enhanced Edition.

The Mass Effect Trilogy: Legendary Edition is just a few short months away, and to celebrate the musical stylings of the fully calibrated remaster, SpaceLab9 has revealed a brand new trilogy vinyl collection box set for N7 fans to enjoy. 

The company took to Twitter to share our first look at the vinyl set with its white backdrop and cutout N7 logo emblazoned on the front. The collection is set to go live to pre-order on March 4 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern and will include 85 tracks from the trilogy specifically tailored to the vinyl format: 

MASS EFFECT TRILOGY: VINYL COLLECTION 4LP BOX SET – Presale begins March 4th @ 1pm EST at https://t.co/ln0ybwPDhz - Massive collection features 85 tracks from the critically acclaimed game trilogy, painstakingly curated by the BioWare sound team and specially mastered for vinyl. pic.twitter.com/BoS6iqiCeh

Today D3 Publisher announced the first DLC for its upcoming JRPG Maglam Lord, and it’s a rather special one.

The DLC will offer deco items that will change the appearance of weapons in the game to that of well-known ones from the Tales Of series, and also change the battle music accordingly.

We get to see swords from Tales of Destiny, Tales of Innocence, and Tales of Hearts.

The DLC doesn’t have a release date yet. It will be announced at a later time.

The collaboration shouldn’t be too surprising. While it isn’t a well-known fact, D3 Publisher is actually a subsidiary of Bandai Namco.

The way the action-heavy anime subverts classic tropes is its own thrill

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Frogwares rolls out the heavy ammo in dispute with Nacon

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Nacon has fired back at The Sinking City developer Frogwares, arguing that Frogware's lack of cooperation and a clause in its contract allows it to alter and host an alternative version of the game on Steam ...