June 2020

[Update: Bungie has posted (then subsequently deleted) information on Instagram that states a reveal is coming on June 9 at 12PM ET. The clip shows Eris Morn on what seems to be a Jupiter-based location, which could tie into the new race.]

[Update #2: Now it's officially official. The Twitter account plainly and openly confirms June 9 at 9AM PT with the same teaser.]

As Bungie is poised to unleash controversial new loot changes into the mix later this year, they are forging ahead with new content.

In a very simple "what's next" portion of their recent blog series, Bungie teases that "the next season of Destiny 2" as well as "the next chapter in this story that has been unfolding all year long" announcement is coming soon. Through flowery verbiage, the blog seems to confirm that the reveal was slated for E3, but is now happening as a stream this coming week.

According to the post, June 10 is the estimate for when that debut will happen: which is sandwiched in-between the Steam Game Festival and the CD Projekt Red stream. It's a bonafide full summer of events people! We could get a new Metroid like that on any given day.

That tease also includes creepy audio, which fans believe is teasing a new expansion release (the customary September slot) as well as a new long-rumored race.

This Week at Bungie [Bungie.net]

Nintendo's epic remake Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition has had a very successful launch, debuting at number one in the UK Charts. The former Wii title managed to take the throne from fellow Nintendo release Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which slips to number two.

As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, the launch sales of XC: Definitive Edition are slightly below those of 2017's Xenoblade Chronicles 2, but are double that of the original 2011 edition of Xenoblade Chronicles, suggesting that the sequel helped new fans discover the colourful and adventurous RPG franchise. Also released on Switch this week were ports of 2K Games' Borderlands: Legendary Collection and BioShock: The Collection, which landed at numbers 18 and 22 respectively.

Elsewhere in the charts, a promotion by Sony saw sales skyrocket for several older titles. Survivalist adventure Days Gone smashed back into the Top 40 at number six, while Naughty Dog's magnum opus The Last of Us: Remastered leapt to number nine and PlayStation VR Worlds also squeezed its way back into the Top Ten.

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition is out on Switch and some people are experiencing it for the first time. For those of you who haven't experienced this world yet and have some patience for a few older JRPG systems, you're in for a treat!

That said, Nintendo just released two swift patches for the Switch edition to help reign in some bugs. One of them exclusively deals with bugs relating to the Arts Palette, which literally just means "ability menus." The other is more intricate, and fixes some bigger problems like lock-ups when fast traveling, as well as smaller bugs like incorrect NPC names.

One of the more useful fixes includes the following: "The buff icon now updates with the physical and ether defense buffs received and lost when the Monado Art 'Armor' is activated and expires." Translation? It's now easier to identify at a glance which buffs you have in a particularly heated combat, so you don't cast something in error.

In all my time with Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition, I only noticed one of these: the Arts Palette closure bug, which was easy to fix (it just came back up again moments later).

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition Updates [Nintendo]

In early April, Riot Games offered select folks early access to Valorant: their recently-revealed competitive shooter that takes cues from both Overwatch and Counter-Strike. Now they're getting ready to fully launch it just a scant few months later.

As revealed on their Twitter, Valorant will arrive in North America at 5AM PT on June 2, or a bit earlier in Korea/Japan at 4PM PT. As is the case with pretty much every online shooter they're going with an episodic approach, with the first titled "Ignition."

Sometime near launch (the timing is not clear), the next Agent (Champion/Hero/Character) will debut. Their name is Reyna, an Agent from Mexico that can heal herself so long as she gathers soul orbs from fallen enemies. As developer Ryan Scott confirms, Reyna is a high skill floor character that is "near-useless" if you don't understand her.

The philosophy, which could end up being reversed, kind of sums up Valorant's whole approach at this time: it's aiming to cater toward the competitive crowd.

Valorant [Twitter]

Sony has postponed the PlayStation 5 game reveal and said, "…We want to stand back and allow more important voices to be heard.”

The post PlayStation 5 Game Reveal Event Postponed (Update) appeared first on Siliconera.

The Days of Thunder NES game has been found, and people can now see its gameplay and eventually download or buy a physical copy.

The post Chris Oberth’s Days of Thunder NES Game Found appeared first on Siliconera.

After multiple delays, the Sonic movie is finally heading to Japan. It will appear in the region on June 26, 2020.

The post The Sonic Movie Will Finally Head to Japan on June 26, 2020 appeared first on Siliconera.

Ready for a new Splatoon manga series? Viz Media will release the first volume of Splatoon: Squid Kids Comedy Show in July.

The post Another Splatoon Manga Series Will Be Localized in July appeared first on Siliconera.

More Evangelion Battlefields figures and controllers are here. This time, two original characters have appeared alongside Asuka and Misato.

The post Evangelion Battlefields’ Second Season Adds Asuka, Misato, Mari, and Kotone Figures appeared first on Siliconera.

It'll be easier to find Pokemon Sword and Shield Gigantamax raids soon, as most of June 2020 will be filled with opportunities.

The post Pokemon Sword and Shield Gigantamax Raids Start June 2, 2020 appeared first on Siliconera.

Sony will postpone its PlayStation 5 event, originally scheduled for this Thursday, June 4, so that “more important voices can be heard.”

Read more...

A new glitch in Call of Duty: Warzone makes players look like they’re prone even when they’re not, causing absurd-looking moments (see above) and lots of grief as players get shot by opponents they can’t see.

Read more...

AUKEY 30,000mAh USB-C PD Power Bank | $45 | Amazon | Use code KINJA601
AUKEY 36W 2-Port USB-C Charger | $18 | Amazon | Use code KINJA602

Say goodbye to Magic: The Gathering’s pesky nightmare kitty Lurrus of the Dream-Den. Companions have been nerfed with today’s new banned and restricted announcement.

Read more...

A 10-pack of Axe body spray, an Aukey 30,000W power bank, a jewelry cleaner, a Roomba gold box, and a refurbished Echo Show & Ring lead Monday’s best deals.

Save $10 off the game on PS4 and Xbox One

Continue reading…

Now is not ‘a time for celebration,’ Sony says

Continue reading…

It went as well as you’d expect

Continue reading…

Players won’t be able to access the game until 9 p.m. EDT

Continue reading…

On the list of anime that were just a bit too action-y for teenage me is Fairy Tail, though of course that’s part of what makes it a good candidate for an RPG spinoff. It’s not the first time the series has been treated to a game adaption, but this will be its first proper PC release. Koei Tecmo are gearing up for July’s release with a new gameplay video showing 24 minutes of cutscenes and combat from early in the game.

(more…)

Update 2 - 6/8/2020 at 2:05 p.m. CT: Sony has confirmed the previously reported time of June 11 at 1 p.m. PT / 4 p.m. ET. The team at PlayStation cautions that the stream will be happening at 1080p resolution and 30 frames per second, meaning the games won't look as good in the stream as they ultimately will running locally on a PlayStation 5 system. Additionally, PlayStation recommends wearing headphones if you can, since, "there's some cool audio work in the show, and it might be harder to appreciate if it's pumped through your phone or laptop speakers."

Update 1 - 6/8/2020 at 11:43 a.m. CT: An ad running on Twitch has reportedly announced that the previously postponed PlayStation 5 reveal event will take place this Thursday, June 11 at 1 p.m. PT / 4 p.m. ET. The ad was seen by multiple people on Twitter, as well as IGN. With the ad already reportedly running on Twitch streams, and the fact that the date is so close, we anticipate the announcement will officially take place soon.

Original Story - June 1, 2020 at 2:01 p.m. CT:

Today Sony Interactive Entertainment announced that the PS5 reveal event scheduled for June 4 has been postponed.

The event was supposed to provide a first look at some PS5 games, and while the house of PlayStation acknowledges that gamers worldwide are excited to see them, they believe that now is not a time for celebration due to the tragic events currently happening in the United States.

This led to the decision to postpone the event without any indication on when it’ll actually be held. 

You can check out the official announcement below, made by Sony via Twitter.

This is not the only event that was postponed for the same reason. Electronic Arts also opted to postpone its own first reveal of Madden NFL 20 which was supposed to happen today. That also doesn’t have a new date.

At the moment, it’s unknown whether more events planned later this week will be postponed or canceled, but we’ll let you know if anything else about this is announced.

Credit to @thekillakay_ and to George Yang for sharing this one down below:

ThinkingStars is continuing to reveal new gameplay of its upcoming cyberpunk PS4 game ANNO: Mutationem. 

This time around, we get to see an even more explicit example of the game’s clever switching between 2D and 3D gameplay.

The video showcases a platforming session which feels like 2D (even if it’s rendered in 3D), but then it seamlessly switches to 3D exploration gameplay. 

It looks really good, as you can see for yourself below.

pic.twitter.com/ZAY8StN0EU

Back in April, Nintendo announced a series of free updates for Animal Crossing: New Horizons including character arrivals like Leif and Redd and multi-day events like the maze-solving May Day Tour and the stamp-collecting International Museum Day. It's somehow June today, and that means we've entered Wedding Season, the last event on the current (but by no means final) event calendar. How is it?

This one is thankfully a little more involved than the recent Stamp Rally. For Wedding Season, you'll want to head to the airport, catch a free flight to Harvey's island, and help out Reese and Cyrus by staging and taking their wedding anniversary photos. You'll arrange the festive furniture as you see fit, snap your best shot (don't forget to hide your character!), and submit it to the happy couple.

In exchange for standing in as the wedding photographer, you'll earn heart crystals from Reese that can then be traded for items – wedding benches, floral decorations, a sparkling dress, and a white tuxedo, to name a few – from Cyrus. In true Animal Crossing fashion, you can't afford everything on your first trip, and new items will appear as the days go by, so you'll have to return for further photo-shoots.

_{I had completely forgotten about Harvey until Wedding Season started.}

Samurai Shodown mega-fans should be aware that the upcoming retro compendium Samurai Shodown Neo Geo Collection will be receiving a limited edition in Europe, courtesy of French publisher Pix'n Love. The "Shockbox Edition" is styled after the classic Neo Geo AES boxes that filled up the shelves of millionaire video game fans in the mid-'90s.

The Shockbox Edition includes a physical copy of the collection on PS4 or Nintendo Switch, a two-disc CD soundtrack (complete with digital soundtrack), seven fine-art lithographs, and a 104-page softcover art-book, filled with imagery from the entire Samurai Shodown series. The entire set is packaged in the aforementioned Shockbox, complete with classic artwork. Very authentic.

At PAX Prime 2019, we talked to Tim Schafer about the future of Double Fine after the E3 announcement that the developer would be joining the Xbox family of studios. One particularly noteworthy thing Schafer mentioned is that he didn't know how Double Fine's publishing arm could continue, saying "How Double Fine Presents will evolve is kind of an unknown ...  From a business sense, I don't know if it structurally makes sense to have a publisher within [another publisher]."

We finally have confirmation that Double Fine Presents is slowly shutting down, but the news doesn't actually come from Double Fine. Gang Beasts developer Boneloaf revealed that it's going to start self-publishing Gang Beasts now that Double Fine is out of the publishing game. Boneloaf's announcement reads "We love Double Fine and they have been really fantastic to us. What [Schafer] and his company built is pretty wonderful, but with Double Fine Presents winding down due to Double Fine's acquisition by Xbox Game Studios last year, we think it is a good time for Boneloaf to stand on its own... legs and publish Gang Beasts ourselves."

America is at a breaking point. All last week, tensions rose across the nation as Black Lives Matter supporters took to the streets to protest the killing of Minneapolis resident George Floyd. You've seen the footage laid bare on social media platforms, all the brutality and violence. You don't need me to recount it. It speaks for itself.

Reading the room, Sony has made the decision to postpone the major PlayStation 5 event that was planned for June 4. No one's thinking about video games right now.

It's time for a very Siliconera Resident Evil 3 interview. We got a chance to talk to Capcom's Peter Fabiano about the recent remake.

The post Resident Evil 3 Interview: Capcom’s Peter Fabiano Talks Nemesis and This Adaptation appeared first on Siliconera.

In this GDC 2020 virtual talk, Level Ex's Andy Saia breaks down the process of creating what appear to be visually complex effects for games running on mobile devices. ...

Conducted in 2010 during the 25th anniversary of Tetris, this classic chat with creator Alexey Pajitnov touches on everything from basic tenets of multiplayer design to the future of the game industry ...

At some point, everyone reaches a limit where they can no longer sit back and stay silent about injustice in the world. However, if you do plan on attending a protest—even a peaceful one—there are some important precautions you should take with your phone before you go.

Read more...

I love Borderlands. I bought a PlayStation Vita in 2014 just because it came bundled with Borderlands 2. Unfortunately, that version was terrible. But now that the first three games are available on the Switch via the Borderlands Legendary Collection, I finally have a chance to loot and shoot on the go that won’t…

Read more...

Halley Gross on Naughty Dog’s decision to make a game about ‘the cycle of violence and empathy’

Continue reading…

Only Godzilla is invited to my wedding

Continue reading…

Artemis Fowl and the OG Percy Jackson movie debut on Disney Plus in the same month ... powerful

Continue reading…

You know how it goes, Fortnite is constantly changing up the map and events on its battle royale island and folks love to get a sneak peek at what’s up next. This time around it’s not a datamine that dug up the dirt. It seems that the PlayStation Store accidentally changed Fortnite’s icon on its site to this, the battle bus floating over an endless ocean. Fortnite’s Chapter 2 Season 3 is coming in hot, so folks are thinking a big flood might be the next shakeup.

(more…)

Creativity knows no bounds in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. A Reddit user called The-Nooksters proved this by recreating a Pokemon battle between two villagers in the game.

The video was posted to the Animal Crossing subreddit and quickly gained popularity. The user creatively used the photo studio at Harvey’s Island to take various clips of Pokemon trainers, dressed similarly to Ash and Gary, battling villagers Drift and Pate.

Which villager and trainer will emerge victorious? Find out by watching the full video below.

This video by The Nooksters appears to be an ongoing project of recreating Pokemon Fire Red and Leaf Green in Animal Crossing. They also made a video of the introduction with Professor Oak as well as choosing a starter Pokemon. Both are just as creative and well-made as the battle video is.