February 2020

4 Things Fortnite Chapter 2 Got Right, And 4 Things That Need to Change in Season 2

4 years 1 month ago

A Whole New World

Things Fortnite Got Right in Chapter 2

things Fortnite Chapter 2 got right

If there was one thing that really started to feel a little tired in Fortnite’s first 10 seasons, it was the general layout of the map. Over the course of ‘Chapter 1’ as we’ll now dub the first 10 seasons, the map changed significantly, but large parts of it remained the same. Step in Fortnite Chapter 2.

Author
Chris Jecks

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Sega Apologizes for Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix Shortages in Japan

4 years 1 month ago

Today Sega posted an apology on the official site of the recently-released Japanese version of Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix.

The developer and publisher mentions that the latest Switch-exclusive rhythm game featuring the super popular virtual idol is out of stock at many retailers in Japan, apologizing for the inconvenience caused to customers.

They also mention that there will be further shipments, so gamers are encouraged to reserve their copies to get one when they hit the shelves again.

That being said, it’ll take some time for the next shipment, so fans are also encouraged to check out the digital version on the Nintendo eShop.

On top of that, the next shipment will still include the early purchase bonus, which will be indicated by a sticker on the cover.

It appears that Sega underestimated the demand for the game. This isn’t the first time it happens in recent times, as 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim for PS4 suffered from the same issue.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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PS5 Expected to Ship 6 Million Units by March 2021 According to Japanese Analyst

4 years 1 month ago

Following Sony’s announcement of its financial results for the past quarter, analyst Hideki Yasuda from prominent Osaka-based firm Ace Research Institute posted his analysis about the performance of PS5. 

Yasuda-san’s name is rather well-known in Japan due to his analysis and predictions focused on the gaming market.

According to him, both PS5 and PS4 should ship 6 million units during the next fiscal year, which will end on March 31, 2021. On top of that, he predicts 15 million units shipped during the following year (between April 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022).

Yasuda-san also mentions that supply and demand of components by DRAM is expected to be tight, but he doesn’t think that it’ll be a big problem.

However, since the slowdown of PS4 sales has become evident, expectations for the PS5’s launch are going to increase. 

Of course, since the analysis was posted at the beginning of the Coronavirus outbreak, it remains to be seen if it’ll have any effect on parts supply.

We should also keep in mind that this is an analysis by an industry professional based on his experience, so it should be taken with the customary grain of salt. 

During Sony’s financial conference call, CFO Kenichiro Yoshida mentioned that the company still didn’t have a firm grasp on the possible effects of the outbreak, even if he talked about it only in general terms and not specifically about the console market. 

Incidentally, we also heard during the call that Sony is aiming for a smooth generational transition (in financial terms) due to the revenue provided by PlayStation Plus and other network services. 

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Every Little Detail We Learned About Persona 5 Royal After Going Hands-On

4 years 1 month ago

Persona 5 Royal is expanding on the already massive base game with new characters, new story, new areas, and more. As with Persona 3 FES and Persona 4 Golden, the re-release promises a wealth of new content. At a recent preview event we managed to get our hands on Persona 5 Royal for roughly one hour.

While an hour is just a chip in a massive 100-hour game like Persona 5 Royal, there are still a number of little details we learned. Our demo let us play through parts of Kamoshida’s Palace and explore the new area of Kichijoji in Tokyo.

We’ve compiled everything into a handy list for your perusal, separating the changes we noticed between Kamoshida’s Palace and everything else.

For something more in-depth you can check out our full hands-on preview of Persona 5 Royal.

Author
Hayes Madsen

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Overwatch And Diablo Animated Series May Be In Development

4 years 1 month ago

Nick van Dyk, the president of Activision Blizzard's film and television division, may have leaked the development of Overwatch and Diablo animated series on his LinkedIn profile, which GameSpot uncovered. According to his profile, the Diablo animated series is "rendered in anime style" and is in pre-production for Netflix. The Overwatch information isn't as detailed, and simply reads, "With my creative partner, developed and sold an animated series based on Blizzzard's Overwatch franchise." The buyer of the rights for this popular competitive shooter is not listed. You can see the profile listing below:

Since Overwatch's release in 2015, fans have wanted to learn more about the game's story. Blizzard hopes to deliver on this request in Overwatch 2's new story modes. Hearing a show is on the way too lessens the excitement for the mode a little bit, but this game's universe is overflowing with plot threads and there's likely room for both of them to exist. Here's hoping the show is done by Blizzard's team behind the awesome animated shorts.

Author
Andrew Reiner

Cyberpunk 2077 Limited Edition Nvidia GPU Revealed; Here’s How to Win One

4 years 1 month ago

Nvidia has revealed a limited-edition Cyberpunk 2077 RTX 2080 Ti GPU today in a flashy trailer. Only 200 of the futuristic-looking cards are being made and they won’t be available at retail. Instead, you’re only way of scoring one if to enter Nvidia’s sweepstakes 2020 giveaway and keep your fingers crossed that you’ll win one of 77 being put up for competition.

Here’s how you enter:

  • Head to GeForce TwitterInstagram or Facebook pages, and retweet, like or comment on our #RTXOn sweepstakes posts
  • Reply to the post you chose by following the prompt and saying something positive about a fellow gamer, tag them, and include #RTXOn in your reply

Today’s news had actually been teased by both CD Projekt Red and Nvidia earlier this month in a cryptic exchange on Twitter in which both accounts had a short back and forth.

The RTX 2080 Ti is the company’s flagship GPU, representing the bleeding edge of graphical technology. It’s capable of ray-tracing, which we’ve already seen make Cyberpunk 2077 look especially beautiful in a bunch of screenshots released back at Gamescom 2019.

You can check out the new promotional trailer showcasing the card below.

Author
Alex Gibson

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Fortnite Teases Chapter 2 Season 2 In Cryptic Tweet

4 years 1 month ago

The official Fortnite twitter tweeted a mysterious encoded message today, leading up to the release of Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 2 on Thursday of this week.

The tweet features a hinted intercepted transmission, conveniently blacked out, and a strange hand print logo. The internet has been abuzz to uncover the meaning of this hand print, but so far, Fortnite still has the upper hand.

Check out the Tweet for yourself:

This tweet isn’t the first cryptic tease for Chapter 2 Season 2 this week, either. Yesterday, Twitter account @flakespower noticed a strange Fortnite ad in a metro station in Brazil.

Author
Blake Woog

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Persona 5 Royal Is Even More Ambitious Than Persona 4 Golden

4 years 1 month ago

Persona 5 Royal is something that most fans expected at one point or another, considering the previous two entries in the series came out with updated re-releases, Persona 3 FES and Persona 4 Golden Respectively. Even though it’s become tradition for the series, Persona 5 Royal feels like a step above even the stellar Persona 4 Golden.

At a recent preview event we were able to play roughly one hour of Persona 5 Royal, and even in that small window it was clear how much effort has gone in to making Royal something special for both new and returning fans.

Our demo had four brief sections to play through; a portion of Kamoshida’s Palace introducing the grappling hook, Kamoshida’s boss battle, a daytime event at Kichijoji, and night exploration of Kichijoji. We’ll go over each briefly,

Immediately the first thing I noticed was the visual upgrade, which I didn’t think would be as impressive as it was. Persona 5 was already a fantastic looking game, but there’s a slight upgrade in Royal to make it looks more like Dancing in Starlight, and it works.

Obviously it doesn’t feel like a brand new game, but that extra visual bit helps the game really pop, especially playing in 4K. The other neat part of this is the reworked characters portraits, which are much more animated now.

Instead of mostly static portraits, the character portraits are in constant motion now, helping add to the overall animation of the game.

About halfway through Kamoshida’s Palace the grappling hook is introduced, giving you some new options for infiltration. It’s not as easy as being able to go wherever you want, but in my demo I used the grappling hook to bypass an entire courtyard filled with enemies and climb up a tower.

Author
Hayes Madsen

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Fantasy RPG Outward’s First DLC “Soroboreans” Gets a Release Date & New Details

4 years 1 month ago

Nine Dots Studio’s open-world fantasy RPG Outward’s first premium DLC, Soroboreans, is set to launch this spring. The news comes by way of a press release from both the developer and its publisher Deep Silver, which confirms a March 26 release date.

In keeping with the game’s emphasis on survival mechanics, role-playing, and exploration, Soroboreans isn’t a story expansion but rather a set of new systems to enhance those core features.

This includes Corruption, an effect that impacts your character in different ways and adds new layer of strategy to the survival experience. Further, new status effects are also to be introduced, said to have the potential to completely change playstyles.

There’s also a new progression system called enchantments, which allows players to upgrade weapons and gear with new effects. Presumably, this will keep our favorite gear competitive against new enemy types in addition to the inevitable influx of new gear scattered throughout the world for Soroboreans.

While new locations aren’t mentioned in today’s press release, it does appear that there will be new places to explore based on the first teaser images of Soroboreans seen below.

Author
Alex Gibson

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Assassin’s Creed Syndicate Free on Epic Games Store Later This Week

4 years 1 month ago

Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Syndicate will be free on the Epic Games Store later this week as part of Epic Games’ promotion to give out free PC games each week from its launcher.

The open world action and stealth game follows twin assassins Jacob and Evie Frye in Victorian era London fighting against Templar control. The game also features famous figures from the era including Charles Darwin, Charles Dickens, Karl Marx, Florence Nightingale, and more.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate originally released in 2015 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It was the sequel to the disastrous Assassin’s Creed Unity and was followed by Assassin’s Creed Origins, which evolved the franchise with a much larger map and expanded RPG elements.

The free game will be available to claim this Thursday, Feb. 20 until Feb. 27. The Epic Games Store has two editions of the game: Standard and Gold, which contains the season pass of three add-ons.

Also available to download for free this Thursday is Faeria, a strategic card game with 300 cards to collect and “100+ hours of solo content, co-operative missions, and puzzles.” The free games currently being offered by Epic until this Thursday are open-world RPG Kingdom Come: Deliverance and beat ’em up and turn-based strategy game Aztez.

The post Assassin’s Creed Syndicate Free on Epic Games Store Later This Week appeared first on Twinfinite.

Author
Tom Meyer

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Choose Our Fate

4 years 1 month ago

Click here to watch embedded media

With the advent of Twitch streams comes a way for chat to influence the game a streamer is playing, and we're giving you that opportunity today. Join me as I play through a collection of Dead Cells, Clustertruck, and Choice Chamber and try to outwit the GI Community!

In order to help change the direction of the games I'm playing, be sure to join us in the Twitch chat and follow the prompts.

We went live earlier, but be sure to check out the stream archive above. Enjoying the show? You can subscribe over on YouTubeTwitchMixerTwitter, or Facebook to get notified when we go live in the future! Thanks for watching!

Author
Alex Stadnik

3 Changes That Would Make a Potential Sonic Movie Sequel Even Better

4 years 1 month ago

Obviously, we will be talking about spoilers and post-credits scenes for the new Sonic the Hedgehog live-action film that’s just been released in theaters. So, if you do not want to get spoiled, I would recommend turning away now and never coming back.

Just kidding, just go watch the movie and then you can come back and check out this article, but you’ve been warned.


More Eggman

eggman, dr robotnik, the sonic the hedgehog movie

Arguably, some of the best scenes in the Sonic the Hedgehog movie were the times that Dr. Eggman, played by Jim Carrey, was on-screen. Carrey did a fantastic job bringing his humor into the role and you can tell immediately that he was having a lot of fun bringing the character to life.

Author
Greysun Morales

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Quantum League Beta Dates Confirmed; Cinematic Trailer Teases Time-Bending Gameplay

4 years 1 month ago

Developer Nimble Giant Entertainment has announced that its time-bending multiplayer shooter Quantum League will run an open beta for PC players from Feb. 21 to March 2.

Nimble Giant’s lead designer Balthazar Auger said of today’s announcement in a press release today:

“Quantum League‘s open beta is a great opportunity for players to test their skill and experiment with the time loop mechanic. We can’t wait to see the new strategies players will discover.”

Quantum League is described as a “revolutionary time paradox shooter.” The online shooter sees players battle within a time loop, tactically teaming up with their past and future selves in mind-blowing one-versus-one and two-versus-two matches.

It’s set within an alternate universe in which time travel has changed the face of competitive sports into something much more deadly. Donning armor and weapons, competitors duke it out in specially designed arenas and must call on a high degree of teamwork to emerge unscathed.

Quantum League’s unique mechanics demand that players take into consideration where they were and where they want to be to make a winning shot. Check out a tease of the gameplay mechanics in a new cinematic trailer below.

Author
Alex Gibson

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The Witcher Enhanced Edition is Now Partly Playable in VR Thanks to New Mod

4 years 1 month ago

An Unreal Engined 4 version of The Witcher Enhanced Edition is now playable in VR thanks to a new mod. Over on Nexus Mods, Patryk Loan explains that currently the mod only allows players to “take a walk in Kaer Morhen,” but there are future plans to add more maps and even story sequences of the game. It currently supports Oculus, HTC, and Windows Mixed Reality.

A new trailer showcases the modified version of the game for the first time, which you can check out below. As you can see, it switches the perspective to first-person for a more immersive experience.

Installation of the mod appears easy enough –though we haven’t yet tried–, requiring simply that you own The Witcher Enhanced Edition, download the mod, and follow the installation procedure. Head over to Nexus Mods to download it.

A quick bit of snooping around Patryk Loan’s YouTube channel reveals a work in progress recreation of The Witcher’s opening prologue in Unreal Engine 4.

Author
Alex Gibson

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March 2020 PS Plus Free Games Predictions

4 years 1 month ago

The Big Game – Mirror’s Edge Catalyst

PS Plus Free Games Predictions

ps plus predictions

It’s just about that time for Sony to announce what free games will be included on PS Plus for the upcoming month of March 2020, and just about our time to give our PS Plus predictions.

Last month we saw a really strong line up with The Sims 4, Bioshock: The Collection, and PSVR game Firewall Zero Hour. This marks the first time a PSVR exclusive has been included on PS Plus since Starblood Arena back in February 2018.

For next month, we predict action/adventure game Mirror’s Edge Catalyst from EA seems like a likely choice.

Past EA games offered on PS Plus include Plants vs. Zombies in February 2013, Titanfall 2 in December 2019, The Sims 4 for the current month of February 2020, and much more.

Mirror’s Edge Catalyst released way back in 2016, and considering Sony usually only waits two to three years before it puts a AAA game on PS Plus means this title is way past the time when we would have expected it’s inclusion.

Author
Haley MacLean

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The Switch Online Wireless SNES Controller Is Now Back in Stock

4 years 1 month ago

Nintendo has announced via a tweet on its official Twitter account that those beautiful wireless SNES controllers for the Nintendo Switch are now back on sale after being unavailable for quite some time now.

The wireless controller perfectly emulates the original controller for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and can be used to play the SNES and NES games that are available exclusively for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers.

Author
Greysun Morales

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Kristofer Hivju Reportedly Set to Star in The Witcher Netflix’s Season 2

4 years 1 month ago

Kristofer Hivju, the Norwegian actor known for his role in Game of Thrones as fan-favorite character Tormund Giantsbane, has been confirmed as part of Netflix’s The Witcher Season 2. That’s according to enthusiast blog site Redanian Intelligence, which has apparently acquired a casting breakdown of the season.

Hivju star in the season’s opening episode and is strongly suspected to play the role of Nivellen, a character featured in one of The Last Wish’s short stories called “A Grain of Truth.” That’s because his codename is “Nigel,” and the show has a history of using codenames that start with the same letter as their actual character.

Further, Nigel’s description matches that of Nivellen, who is described as “a charismatic, witty and funny man. He’s from an aristocratic family and has been cursed as a boy for the crimes he has committed in the past.”

We won’t spoil anything for those who haven’t read the books, but that lines up almost exactly with Nivellen as depicted in the books.

The blog had actually predicted Hivju would feature in the season 2 a while back after one of The Witcher Season 2’s directors tagged him in a social media post while scouting filming locations. Later it was discovered that Hivju had recently followed a bunch of Witcher accounts, too.

In related news, we recently learned that Netflix’s animated series is about Vesemir’s Witcher path.

Author
Alex Gibson

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Charming Co-Op Puzzle Platformer Ibb & Obb Is Coming To Switch

4 years 1 month ago

Ibb & Obb, a co-op puzzle platformer that was first released for PC and PS3 in 2013, is the sort of game that looks and feels like a perfect fit for Switch. Now, years after its initial, well-received release, it's coming to Nintendo's portable machine. It will release on March 5.

The two-player game will be playable with detached Joy-Cons; it's designed to be played with someone else, as shown in the trailer below. The two characters need to stick together, and many of the puzzles involve dealing with changes in gravity.

The game is available for pre-purchase now at a 15% discount, meaning that you can get it for $12.69. It will sell for $15 after launch.

Continue Reading at GameSpot
Author
James O'Connor

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Katana Kami: A Way of the Samurai Story Gets New Trailer Showing Combat and Multiplayer

4 years 1 month ago

Today Spike Chinsoft released a brand new and extensive trailer of its upcoming game Katana Kami: A Way of the Samurai Story.

The trailer revolves around two major aspects of the title, its isometric hack & slash combat, and its online multiplayer.

Multiplayer is quite interesting, as players are allowed to either collaborate or compete and there seem to be a lot of room for mind games and betrayal if you’re co inclined.

Incidentally, we also get another glimpse at the story, which revolves around a samurai who decides to help the deeply indebted blacksmith Dojima earn more money as his cute daughter Nanami is taken by debt collectors as collateral. 

You can check it out below.

Katana Kami: A Way of the Samurai Story releases in Japan on February 20 for PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC. The western release will come day-and-date with the Japanese one which is always a nice thing to see.

If you want to see more, you can check out the original reveal and a previus trailer from Spike Chunsoft.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Fortnite's Upcoming Season Is Currently All About Gold

4 years 1 month ago

Fortnite chapter 2 – season 2 is fast approaching, and Epic Games isn't wasting time giving players a taste of what to expect. The teases began on Fortnite's official Twitter feed today with a series of images that embrace the color gold and a February 20 launch date.

Players are now noticing that ordinary items within the game world – be it a couch or filing cabinet – are made entirely of gold, almost like someone is walking around with the Midas touch. The teases will likely continue from now up until the season's official start.

Until we learn more, behold a gold couch viewed by a banana:

Author
Andrew Reiner

Dragon’s Crown, Persona 5, Fate/Grand Order, & More Video Game Figures Presented at Event in Japan

4 years 1 month ago

Today Japanese figure manufacturers were in attendance at the winter edition of the Hobby Maker Joint Product Exhibition 2020 in Akihabara, Tokyo, and they had another look to share at their upcoming products. 

Of course, many of the figures at the show were related to gaming. While some were already presented at the latest edition of Wonder Festival, there were new entries.

Below you can enjoy a thorough look at them, courtesy of retailer AmiAmi’s English and Japanese twitter accounts.

Dragon’s Crown

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Have You Played… A Case Of Distrust?

4 years 1 month ago

The elevator pitch for A Case Of Distrust has got to be one of the most tantalising statements in the history of games. Set in San Francisco in 1924, this narrative mystery game is, and I quote, “a blend of the board game Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective, the adventure games 80 Days and Phoenix Wright, the poster design of Saul Bass, and the hard-boiled novels of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler.”

Yes to all of the above, please.

(more…)

Author
Katharine Castle

Nintendo Announces New Coral Switch Lite, Goes on Sale in March

4 years 1 month ago

When Nintendo first announced the Switch Lite last year, it came in three eye-catching colors: turquoise, yellow, and grey. They were all beautiful-looking pastel colors, and considering the company’s track record with releasing new colors and designs for their consoles, it’s no surprise that they’d have another one in store for the Switch Lite.

A new coral colored variant has been announced for the console, and it looks just as aesthetically pleasing as its turquoise and yellow brethren. While it hasn’t been officially announced for the west yet, it should only be a matter of time before it comes over as well.

For now, we only have pricing and release date details for Japan. Pre-orders are set to go live on the official Nintendo Japan website on March 7, and the console itself will be officially released on March 20.

You can check out some images of the coral Switch Lite in the gallery down below:

Author
Zhiqing Wan

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Final Fantasy XIV Update 5.2 “Echoes of a Fallen Star” Now Available for Download

4 years 1 month ago

Today Square Enix is updating its popular MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV to version 5.2, with a new patch titled “Echoes of a Fallen Star.”

Ahead of the servers going up at the end of the maintenance period at 2:00 am PST, the update is now available for download.

It’s a rather sizable one, weighing a whopping 2.661 gigabytes on PC. If you want to be one of the first to experience the new content, you better get downloading.

If you’re unfamiliar with the content of the update, below you can find a handy summary below.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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