February 2020

It’s been VR headset deals galore this week. On Monday, HTC slashed the price of its Vive Pro starter kit by £220, no doubt in preparation for the launch of the upcoming Vive Cosmos Elite, and now Overclockers UK are offering £120 off a regular Vive Cosmos as part of their big 20th birthday bash. Normally £699, this takes the headset down to a rather tasty £579. If you’re still thinking about buying a VR headset for the launch of Half-Life: Alyx, this could be just the ticket.

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Paradox have announced a launch date of March 17th for the next Stellaris expansions, Federations. As the name suggests, it focuses on expanding options for spacefriends in the 4X strategy game, including new types of federation and a sort of galactic United Nations. It’ll bring new origins for civilisations too, including some novel ones like starting on a fragment of a Ring World or on a doomed planet that will explore in 64 years. And as is the Paradox way, it’ll be accompanied by a free update overhauling parts of the game for all players.

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Wizards of the Coast is expanding the Historic format (which uses older, non-standard cards) in Magic: Arena, and they're doing it in a way that involves multiple facets of Magic.

For starters, 25 new cards are coming to Arena's Historic mode on March 12. You can nab them for either 25,000 gold (in-game currency) or 4,000 gems (premium currency), or craft them for Wildcards. They'll be playable in the following formats: Traditional Ranked (best-of-three), Ranked (best-of-one) and "other special Historic events," like Historic Brawl.

The big draw here is Thalia, Guardian of Thraben: a two-cost legendary creature (2/1) that has first strike and makes noncreature spells cost 1 more to cast. Thalia is also the herald of the aforementioned Secret Lair tie-in, which is a 24-hour product that will go live on March 12, 2020 at 9AM PT for $29.99. Magic artists Magali Villeneuve and Johannes Voss created new art for Thalia, and Wizards is packing in a code for four card styles (just styles) in accordance with that art. As a note, the Historic Ranked queue will return (as well as a best-of-one ranked queue), and you can buy both anthologies for gold or gems (3,400 gems or 20,000 gold for Historic Anthology 1; 4000 gems or 25,000 gold for Historic Anthology 2).

Wizards is teasing more Historic Anthology II info during their March 5 "State of the Game" blog series. You can get a look at the Thalia cards and Arena sleeves in the gallery, as well as a full list of the new Historic cards below.

The wait for a traditional Nintendo Direct continues. So we recently got an Animal Crossing-themed one, but other than that, we've been waiting since early September. One Mario Maker 2 creator decided to take matters into their own hands.

Spotted by YouTuber BeardBear, the stage is titled "Nintendo Direct: The Level," and takes players through an automatic cruise of sorts that serves as a series of text announcements. We begin with an intro from current Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser (an actual Bowser), going straight into a "2029 Breath of the Wild 2" announcement.

The "one more thing" is "Super Mario Galaxy 3 this fall" with a slow reveal with teases like the appearance of Rosalina and the tagline "out of this world." It's short, but cute! This is the sort of positive reaction to a lack of a Nintendo Direct that you'd hope for.  If you want to play it the actual stage was created by ReallyJosh, and the level ID is: 35C-B74-20H.

Rockstar might be planning something.

The publisher is not known to frequently tease or even release games on any regular sort of schedule, but they're due for one now that Red Dead Redemption 2 has been in the books for a while now. There's always rumors of a Bully 2 rumbling around (since 2009, actually), but a new teaser released on the official Rockstar site has actually gone and used the word "bullying," potentially getting our hopes up.

The new teaser, which is a Rockstar logo filled with other tiny Rockstar logos and cryptic messages, says:

"Killing dreams, murdering hope, fighting the righteous, bullying the weak." 

As well as:

"Why don't you tell me what went wrong?"

This follows the previous reveal of a brand new logo of sorts, which features an android hugging the Rockstar symbol with a 1998 bottle of champagne next to them. You can find both of them in the gallery below: maybe there's some small detail only you will notice! For now, we wait to see if we get more teasers leading into a potential E3 reveal.

Although Bully 2 would be nice, all eyes are on GTA VI. Of course, Rockstar probably doesn't want to release that anytime soon until they can squeeze all the money they can out of GTA Online.

Rockstar [Rockstar Games via Reddit]

Valve Index

The Clone Wars is back, which can only mean a few things: One, some of our favorite Star Wars characters in the galaxy have returned. Two? It’s all about to end rather tragically for most of them. But Rex and Ahsoka will come out of the Clone War...mostly unscathed, and for the voice behind the former, their…

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Google Stadia has managed a small win today after publisher Modus Games revealed its upcoming release Lost Words: Beyond the Page will launch exclusively on the streaming platform. ...

Head to the Tower for some Exotics

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Larian Studios on the likelihood of an eventual port to Nintendo’s console

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For a younger generation, Half-Life exists only as a meme. While questions of the ever-elusive sequel have plagued the game's legacy for over a decade, there was a time not long ago where people recognized the Valve first-person shooter as one of the kings of the genre. Today on Replay, Andrew Reiner, Leo Vader, and I transport you back to that time and take a look at why Half-Life 2 set the bar so high for so long.

We went live earlier, but you can catch the full archive above. If you can't get enough Replay and our other shows, remember to subscribe on YouTube, Twitch, Mixer, Twitter, or Facebook to get notified when we go live each week! Thanks and enjoy the show!

Coronavirus delays have hit Good Smile Company products, like figures, statues, clothing, and accessories, made in China.

The post Coronavirus Will Delay Good Smile Company Figures Made in China appeared first on Siliconera.

Larian Studios has been very quick in its delivery of the first gameplay of Baldur’s Gate 3 since the original announcement. It Looks like they’ve had help. 

Today Wushu Studios announced that they have been working alongside Larian Studios on the new game as one of their “several” projects in the works.

They also promised to share more about those later this year. 

You may be familiar with Wushu Studios as they were formed among others by veterans from Evolution Studios (known for the Motorstorm and Driveclub franchises) following its shutdown by Sony Interactive Entertainment.

They’re led by Alan McDermott, Driveclub’s Audio Director.

We know that the studio has been working on a primarily single-player, narrative-driven sci-fi game, but nothing else has been shared about their main project so far. On top of that, they’ve partnered with Lucid Games on Switchblade.

Today Paradox Interactive released another video of its upcoming grand strategy game Crusader Kings 3.

This time around the video goes a lot more in-depth in the lifestyle choices you can make to build up your character. 

There are several trees you can explore, unlocking a ton of perks that will let you fine-tune your ruler over the years.

Whether you want to be a pious theologian or a seductive scoundrel (or anything in-between), Crusader Kings 3 seems like it has you covered.

You can watch the video below.

Crusader Kings 3 is set for a Steam release in 2020.

If you’d like to know more, you can enjoy the original announcement, another video of the series, one focusing on Schemes, The Council, Character Portraits, Courts, and More, and the previous video that introduced lifestyles.

The Pokemon Company has seemingly caught the art collab bug. Earlier this month, they teamed up with skateboard craftsman Bear Walker to produce some sick custom boards, and a few days later, they announced a line of adorable Eevee and Eeveelution figures that will be made by Funko. Starting today, The Pokemon Company has joined forces with another artist to produce actual, bona fide art installations.

According to a press release, The Pokemon Company is collaborating with American artist Daniel Arsham to produce “fictional archaeology” sculptures of Pokemon icons. The concept behind the upcoming art pieces is that people in the future unearth the weathered and decayed remains of Pokemon statues, and Arsham depicts what those hypothetical anachronistic sculptures would look like.

The collaborative Pokemon art pieces will be large bronze statues that, much like Arsham’s previous works, feature missing chunks that simulate natural wear and tear over thousands of years, as well as growing crystals that fill the gaps. Moreover, judging by an associated video, Arsham’s work will potentially include famous characters such as Eevee, Pikachu, Charmander, a trainer (either Ash or Red), Jigglypuff, and Mewtwo.

Destiny 2 merchant Xur is back this weekend to help you out with a handful of Exotics to help you get what you're missing. Here's where to find him and what he's offering.

Xur is located in The Tower right now, in the Hangar area. His Exotic weapon this week is Sunshot. Titans can get Dunemarchers leg armor; Warlocks can purchase the Eye of Another World helmet; and Hunters have Aeon Swift gauntlets on offer.

This visit comes just as the Season of Dawn is almost over, and now we know what to expect from Destiny 2's next content season, the Season of the Worthy. Bungie has confirmed the return of the Trials of Osiris, which means this is a great time to fill out your Exotic collection so you're ready to hop into the Crucible's greatest challenge when it returns on March 13 (especially because Bungie is planning some weapon changes, it seems).

One of the best systems to play original NES and Famicom games, the Analogue Nt Mini, is having a final run of production, and pre-orders are now open.

The custom hardware from Analogue ships in a nice noir color scheme, and includes a 2.4g 8BitDo N30 NES wireless controller. The entire bundle isn't cheap though--for the fanciest third-party NES, you'll need to fork out $500 for the pleasure.

That likely won't be an issue for the enthusiasts this is made for, especially considering how great the console really is. In our original review of the Analogue Nt Mini, critic Peter Brown praised Analogue's commitment to providing an experience with no compromises.

“Where is it?!” I holler, rooting through game tags searching for any mention of Garden Story on RPS. “It must be here somewhere!” Alas, it is not. So I shall break the ice. Garden Story, currently in development, will be one of the current crop of very sweet town-sim type games following in the wake that Stardew Valley has cleared on PC. It’s being shown off at PAX East but you can load up a free demo from home all weekend.

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There’s no denying that Luna: The Shadow Dust is exceptionally easy on the eyes. It’s a sumptuous point and click puzzler that sees you move from one lovingly hand-drawn room to the next, as you work your way up a strange and mysterious tower. You’re never explicitly sure why you’re heading skyward, since the game prides itself on its wordless storytelling. Instead of bombarding you with dozens of text boxes, it conveys its narrative through ancient-looking murals adorning the tower walls, and occasionally through the puzzles themselves. It works to an extent, but I’d say that most of the game’s pull comes from simply wanting to know what gorgeous-looking delight awaits through the next door. And without the ability to retrace your steps at any point, the only way, as they say, is up.

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A few days ago, GOG announced it was changing its refund policy as part of a "declaration of trust" to consumers. Previously, refunds were given only if the game hadn't been downloaded and played, or if the game literally wouldn't run on a player's hardware: but now players will be able to request a refund at any point during a period of 30 days after purchase, no strings attached.

"Everyone at GOG believes in a 'gamers-first' approach," the blog post said. "The latest update to our voluntary Refund Policy adds another piece to this customer-friendly experience. And it all sums up in one sentence: starting now, you can get a full refund up to 30 days after purchasing a product, even if you downloaded, launched, and played it. That's it."

On the surface, it seems like a big win for consumers: you can test-drive any game, and if you're really not liking it for whatever reason, the refund process is painless and streamlined. The policy change also means GOG has effectively leapfrogged Steam's already-flexible refund policy, which allows players 14 days to request their money back - so long as they've played less than two hours of the game.

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It won't be long before Monster Hunter World on PC finally catches up with its console counterparts in terms of updates; until that magic day in April, however, Capcom still has a few bits of outstanding business for PC players to get through, and next on the list is the limited-time Holiday Joy Fest event, which starts today for those with the Iceborne expansion.

The event is functionally identical to that seen on Xbox One and PS4 last December, meaning that while Iceborne owners get to experience the first-ever Holiday Joy Fest in the Seliana Gathering Hub, base game only players can revisit the Winter Star Fest event in Astera.

By completing special event quests in the newly bedecked Seliana Gathering Hub, hunters can farm the materials required to craft a variety of themed items, including the striking Oolong armour set and Lucky Crimson Tiger Pendant, plus the Shishi-mai costume for Palicoes.

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Another week survived - congrats all. How about we reward ourselves with a look at what's on offer in the world of gaming right now? Sounds good to me. Let's get into it!

We're already seeing an (admittedly very small) discount on the Bayonetta & Vanquish 10th Anniversary Bundle. Digital Foundry recently dug into the performance of these new ports and found them to be good enough - though definitely lacking that something more they wanted. Still, for a pair of terrific games like this, you can't go too far wrong.

It's also becoming more and more clear that the next generation is on the horizon with the continued discounts on current-gen consoles. It's looking like it's going to be a great time to snap up a console if you've been waiting for the big price cuts to come. The lowest price I can find right now, though, is this 1TB Xbox One S Forza Horizon 4 Lego Speed Champions Bundle for £169.99.

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Treasure hunter, gaming icon and all-round ass-kicker Lara Croft is getting ready for another rumble, only this time it's in the Smash-lite world of Brawlhalla. Everyone's favourite tomb raider is available to purchase in the free-to-play fighter right now, as part of Brawlhalla's new 3.57 update.

In a really neat touch, both classic "blue vest and shorts" Lara and "gritty modern survivor" Lara are both included in the bundle, each with their own exclusive animations. Ms. Croft has been delightfully recreated in Brawlhalla's cute, charismatic style. I think she looks really good, a perfect fit for the wild fighter's universe.

Yacht Club Games was playing it safe for many years since releasing their wildly successful (both at Kickstarter and retail) flagship game Shovel Knight, but now the gloves are off.

They're getting in the publishing business with several games under their belt, and they're now co-developing multiple Shovel Knight spinoff projects, not to mention all of the collaborations that have seen the titular character guest star in countless other titles. But what about Shovel Knight 2? Well, that isn't out of the question.

Speaking to DualShockers at PAX East, Yacht Club artist Sandy Gordon noted that while the original Shovel Knight saga is "complete," it is not the end of that core series. Gordon says that the studio does want "more Shovel Knight" in the same vein as the aforementioned spinoffs, but when directly asked about a true sequel, it wasn't flat-out denied.

Gordon noted that it was "absolutely" possible, and that he's "sure that'll happen at some point," as it's a frequent topic of conversation for the Yacht Club crew. That sort of language implies that it's not in active development, but in terms of recent news, Yacht Club is also "thinking about" doing something with next-gen consoles: presumed to be next-gen ports of Shovel Knight (right now, nothing, even the spinoffs, are planned for PS5 or Xbox Series X). If that does happen, Gordon says that it won't be "super high fidelity."

So you're saying there's a chance!

Yacht Club Games is “Definitely Thinking About” Next-Gen and Future Shovel Knight Games [DualShockers]

Who can play video games while Kotaku’s Riley MacLeod is off running his first half-marathon? I sure can. The weekend is for sitting comfortably inside a climate-controlled home playing video games while other people run.

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A $550 Epson ful HD home cinema projector, a

New paid DLC is bizarrely implemented

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Plus, Superhot and Cooking Simulator team up for bullet-time kitchen prep

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The event’s new mode also completely changes battle royale loot

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The Hello Kitty Gundam RX-78-2 and Haro kits have been released in Japan, giving people some cute mechs and robots to build.

The post Hello Kitty Gundam RX-78-2 and Haro Models Take Off in Japan appeared first on Siliconera.

Capcom's cool new Devil May Cry 3 Switch features make it feel more complete.

The post Devil May Cry 3 Switch’s New Features Connect It to Its Contemporaries appeared first on Siliconera.

The Square Enix Steam sale will run until March 2, 2020, and people may want to pay attention to a few Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy games.

The post Steam Square Enix Sale Has Begun, and Here Are Siliconera’s Recommendations appeared first on Siliconera.

Star Citizen developer Cloud Imperium Games released more videos of its upcoming space simulator, which passed another crowdfunding milestone.

The first video showcases the Actor Status System, which introduces survival elements in the game. On top of that, we also get to hear about the quarterly go/no go meetings, which determine if a feature or content is ready for prime time.

The second video showcases the tools behind Planet Tech v4, showing how developers can pretty much “paint” planets to create their environments and biomes.

Last, but not least, we get to see the trailer of the Anvil Carrack, which has now been released as playable in the game. 

GOLF Magazine Presents 36 Great Holes Starring Fred Couples

Dumbest Video Game Titles

Golf games aren’t strangers to having names in their titles. The PGA Tour games have seen Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy on the cover and in the title.

The thing is, the 1995 game goes a bit further. Not only does it focus on 36 particularly great holes, rather than something generic and golfy, but it’s sponsored by GOLF Magazine.

It sounds more like an issue of GOLF Magazine, with Fred Couples guest editing a feature on 36 great holes, or something like that. As it is, it just seems like a few titles mangled together, acting more like a piece of marketing for the magazine and Fred Couples himself.

All of that and we haven’t gotten into the innuendos… but we’ll just leave it at that.

The more modern Golf Club games have boring titles in hindsight.

The post Top 10 Dumbest Video Game Titles of All Time appeared first on Twinfinite.

Black Desert Online, the popular MMORPG from developer Pearl Abyss, is offering up their game completely free starting now through March 2 at 10:00 A.M. You’ll be free to keep and play it it from that point on as long as you claim it before the deadline.

The MMORPG is normally a buy to play title with no mandatory subscription but lots of microtransactions options if that’s something that interests you.

This is a similar model to The Elder Scrolls Online, and differs from Final Fantasy XIV which is buy to play and has a monthly subscription, and Phantasy Star Online 2 which is totally free to download and play but features cosmetic microtransactions to make up the cash.

Although Black Desert Online’s microtrasanctions have turned some people off, a positive aspect about the game is that all major content additions such as expansions and new classes are free.

So if you nab it now while it’s free on Steam and end up liking it, you’ll at be able to enjoy the meat and potatoes of future content at no cost. In other words it’s a pretty low risk commitment if you’re at least intrigued by the now six year old action-heavy MMORPG.

If you end up diving in this weekend or have your own opinion on the game let us know in the comments below.

The post Black Desert Online for PC is Free to Keep if You Download it This Weekend appeared first on Twinfinite.

With the Sonic movie killing it, and the Uncharted movie floundering I completely forgot that the Monster Hunter movie was even a thing. But yeah, well um, it is and you can check some new promotional posters released by Sony Pictures today that give a feel for what the movie and its weapons/actors will look like.

Kojima Productions may be teasing its next game, following the release of Death Stranding in 2019. While there are no concrete details yet, fans have pointed out signs hinting that it could be Silent Hills--the game Hideo Kojima was working on with Guillermo del Toro before the former's unceremonious departure from Konami.

The official Kojima Productions Twitter account recently tweeted an image of head of communications, Aki Saito, scribbling on a post-it note. Other Twitter users have been quick to point out some apparent clues in the tweet that point towards Silent Hills.

Even though Team Ninja's sequel to 2017's Nioh is only two weeks away, this weekend, you'll have the chance to get one last taste of glorious Yokai-killing action before launch. The new demo for Nioh 2, dubbed the Last Chance Trial, is now available to download on PS4.

The demo includes three massive stages for you to wreak holy samurai havoc, a new morphing scythe weapon called the Switchglaive, as well as access to the character creator. While your progress in the demo won't carry over to the full game, your custom character will. In addition, beating the demo will get you the Kamaitachi Helmet for use in the full game.

For the lucky folks who got to play around with the game during its open beta back in November, you'll also be glad to hear Team Ninja took the feedback gathered during that period to heart. In a post on the PlayStation blog back in January, the game's creative director, Tom Lee, had this to say about what to expect: “In order to address some of the portions that felt unreasonably difficult, we will be adjusting the balance for all Yokai actions and strengthening several of the special moves and making them more manageable to use. There will be modifications made to control the level of punishments in the Dark Realm such as adding merits where the maximum Ki damage is increased against enemy Yokai as well as the overall management of the player's Ki will be refined.