September 2020

Apple and Epic Games have been at odds over the past month and a half in the early phases of a lawsuit concerning Fortnite’s presence on the App Store. Epic has filed an anti-trust lawsuit against Apple concerning their control of the App Store while Apple have returned a countersuit based on Epic breaking the terms of service for the store by adding a secondary payment option inside Fortnite to circumvent the App Store payment system. After a lot of barbs and posturing, they’ve at last come to agree on at least one thing. Both request that their cases are tried by the court rather than a jury.

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Sea Of Thieves

is no stranger to handing out snazzy new ship cosmetics in return for real-world cash but these sails are of a slightly different sort. Rare are donating all proceeds from the Sails Of Union to the Stand Up To Cancer campaign benefitting cancer research. You can nab the new sails until November 6th.

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Now that Spelunky 2 is out on PC, its daily challenge mode is available to play. If you don’t know: the daily challenge is a single chance to play a set of Spelunky levels that are the same for everyone playing that day. It was my favourite way to play Spelunky 1 and it’s unchanged in Spelunky 2. Part of the fun of the daily challenge is playing it yourself, and then watching other people try the same levels to see how they fared in comparison.

And so, hop below and you’ll find a video of me trying today’s daily challenge, while muttering over the top of it.

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There's more Monster Hunter Rise concept art to look at, and this time the focus is on the armor you'll wear when you first become a hunter.

The post Monster Hunter Rise Concept Art Looks at Your First Armor appeared first on Siliconera.

Take a first look at some Gal Gun Returns gameplay. The remaster of the first title in the series will release worldwide in 2021.

The post Get a Load of the First Official Gal Gun Returns Gameplay appeared first on Siliconera.

Sega Ages Herzog Zwei seeks to rehabilitate the Sega Genesis classic, preserving it while building an infrastructure around it to make it easier to learn.

The post Sega Ages Herzog Zwei Effectively Teaches You the Notoriously Hard RTS appeared first on Siliconera.

People who missed grabbing an Atelier Ryza Switch physical copy will get a second chance, as Koei Tecmo confirmed a restock is on the way.

The post Atelier Ryza Switch Physical Copies Will Be Restocked appeared first on Siliconera.

Insomniac Games' Ryan Smith talks to Gamasutra about the game design foundations of Marvel's Spider-Man (and how far back in Insomniac Games history they go). ...

Google has officially announced a streamlined and slightly cheaper Chromecast kit, but the $50 device doesn't support Google†™s own game streaming service Stadia at launch. ...

The next generation of gaming is just around the corner, but just because we are going into a new cycle of games doesn't mean we have to leave older experiences behind for good. With both the Xbox Series X/S and the PlayStation 5 offering backwards compatibility, playing old favorites is easy to do. With the new Xbox offering backwards compatibility across four generations, Cloud saves offer an incredibly effective way to pick up previous adventures as if we've never left. 

Xbox's Larry 'Major Nelson' Hryb shared a small video showcasing how Cloud saves positively impact the gaming experience, saying "Cloud saves and our generations of compatibility means I pick up right where I left off in Fallout 4 from the comfort of my Xbox Series X." 

In the video, Hyrb not only shows off how fast Fallout 4 loads, but also shows off how his progress and saves import into the newest generation flawlessly. 

Cloud saves and four generations of compatibility means I pick up right where I left off in Fallout 4 from the comfort of my Xbox Series X.
✅Saved game and progress on my lvl 52 character
✅Fast loading and quick resume mean more time to help settlements pic.twitter.com/zP4axw2VLy

Razer is no stranger to making a joke gone viral an official piece of merch and that is very much true of the company's latest addition to its retail lineup: Respawn gamer gum. To go along with the Razer Respawn energy drink mix that debuted last year, the gum aims to achieve the same goal of improving mental performance and focus. So, does it work? 

What's in it? 

The Razer Respawn gum has a ton of B vitamins in it, which is good for focus, in addition to green tea extract. It is also sugar free, which is pretty common for gum in general. 

The line comes in three different flavors: Pomegranate Watermelon, Tropical Punch, and Cool Mint. While it didn't give me focus, which could honestly just be because I'm a complete scatterbrain by nature, I will admit it does taste pretty good. The Pomegranate Watermelon was especially tasty, even if it didn't make me an actual good Apex Legends player. Maybe one day...

Sony revealed its October freebie lineup, now it's Microsoft's turn. Each month, Microsoft offers four free games for Xbox Live members to enjoy, two from the current generation and two blasts from the past that can be enjoyed via backwards compatibility. This month's lineup is a solid tribute to the festivities of October for those already getting into the Halloween spirit. 

Xbox Games With Gold October Lineup

While some months can be hit or miss, this month is actually a great opportunity for gamers to experience something new that they may not have heard of, including my personal favorite with Maid of Sker. Maid of Sker brings that traditional British horror experience to life and is perfect for those that enjoy games like Amnesia. 

Also included is a very campy adventure that is the perfect throwback to classic 80s horror with Slayaway Camp: Butcher's Cut. In this title, players assume the role of the evil Skullface whose sole purpose is to terrorize and horrify camp counselors and happy campers. 

The Pokémon Company announced yesterday that Pokémon Home support for Pokémon Go will arrive before the end of the year. But when it does it sounds like it will come with a weird caveat.

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Hades is my game of the year. It’s also the game of the year. I don’t mean to say that Hades is objectively the best, because that’s an impossible metric (and also Baldur’s Gate 3 isn’t out yet). Rather, developer Supergiant’s Greek mythology-flavored action roguelike is, improbably, the game that best characterizes…

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Wednesday’s Best Deals | Kinja Deals

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Cross-play and Battle Pass Progression are finally coming to Call of Duty’s Zombies mode with the launch of November’s Black Ops: Cold War, meaning playing the popular mode will be less of a departure from the rest of the Call of Duty experience. That was the stand-out detail from today’s reveal video and trailer,…

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe has its Kamala Khan. Deadline reports the studio has cast actress Iman Vellani in the title role of the upcoming Disney+ series, Ms. Marvel.

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Netflix adds Robert E. Howard’s warrior to its literary stable

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Newcomer Iman Vellani will play the stretchy, punchy teen

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The past few weeks have been rife with riveting Xbox Series X storage stories. First we found out that the proprietary external SSD will be rather expensive, nearly half the price of the console. But, maybe it's not a huge deal because some transfer time tests revealed that the Xbox Series X is pretty quick about moving installs from an external HDD to the internal SSD. Maybe you can manage.

For people planning on the latter option, here's some good news: The external HDD that you use for your Xbox One will immediately and automatically work on Xbox Series X. Just unplug it from the old machine and plug it into the new machine. Xbox's Major Nelson confirmed this on Twitter: 

Gearbox Publishing has released the intro cinematic to its epic fantasy hack 'n' slash title Godfall, preparing its players for their upcoming quest to save the kingdom of Aperion from devastation at the hands of unchecked powers from above.

Titled "The Fall," the near three-minute CGI movie details the war between the Order of Valorian Knights and power-hungry god Macros. We see Godfall's protagonist as they try - and fail - to defeat Macros in the wake of a devastating ground war, only to rise once again, determined to save the kingdom from the deity's insufferable thirst for conquest. It's a very nicely done cinematic, sure to get Godfall fans' hype-fires stoked.

Earlier this month, Nintendo revealed a new promotion that would allow people to grab a free Mario pin set for purchasing Mario 3D All-Stars and doing a few easy tasks. That's good!

But as soon as the promo actually went live, it crashed the site, the entire Nintendo store and sold out in minutes. That's bad!

So what went wrong? A lot of things.

October is a packed month for sudden launches of B-tier-looking video games based on pop culture from your childhood. First, we got word of a new G.I. Joe game. Then, we learned that there's a Cobra Kai beat-em-up tie-in with the Netflix show. The most recent one might be more than meets the eye.

Transformers: Battlegrounds is a new tactical strategy game in the vein of XCOM. Yep, developer Coatsink (Esper, Jurassic World Aftermath) isn't going the route of open-world action destructathon. This one's more cerebral, as you send you Autobots scrambling to positions where they'll have a tactical advantage. It also has cooperative multiplayer.

Here's the official description of Transformers: Battlegrounds: "As evil Megatron closes in on the Allspark, Bumblebee and the Autobots need a new commander to help save Earth -- you! Assemble your squad and roll out for a battle that will rage from Central City to Cybertron... and even to the local multiplayer arcade!"

Transformers: Battlegrounds is rolling out on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One on October 23. It's certainly a different take on Transformers. We'll find out soon enough if the formula works or if it's nothing more than scrap metal.

Today Activision revealed the iconic Zombie features that will be included in the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War.

We get to see a trailer for the Zombies features, one for the story-driven “Die Maschine” and a video presentation neatly tying it up.

You can check them all out below.

Earlier today, the news broke from Deadline, that they presume Iman Vellani will be cast for the role of Kamala Khan in the Disney+ show, Ms. Marvel. As of right now, the rest of the cast is a mystery, but the details will certainly roll out as we get closer to the 2021 start date of the series.

For those unfamiliar with Kamala Khan, she is a teenager from New Jersey that has the ability to stretch her arms out to extreme lengths and morph her fists into massive blunt objects in order to pummel enemies. Khan is the first Muslim Marvel hero and the first Pakistani-American one as well.

In the comic books, Khan is also a massive fan of Captain Marvel (aka Carol Danvers), but we’ll just have to wait and see how close the Disney+ version is to the source material.

This potential announcement of Iman Vellani being cast as Kamala Khan comes right on the tail end of the recent trailer for another Marvel Disney+ program, WandaVision.

As of right now, there’s no indication of how or if Ms. Marvel will fit into the MCU films or other Disney+ shows, but they appear to still be fairly early on in the development of this show considering that they just found their lead.

Source: Deadline

The backyard is booming and boo-ing with new stuff in early access miniature survival game Grounded. Obsidian have added a new zipline structure to help your tiny little people with traversal and some spooky new food and décor for Halloween. They’ve made some bug fixes to the game’s many bugs as well.

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The opening movie for Kamen Rider: Memory of Heroez features the opening theme song "Over Again" by Aya Kamiki and Takuya.

The post Kamen Rider: Memory of Heroez Kicks Into Gear With an Opening Movie Trailer appeared first on Siliconera.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered patch allows you to skip boss scenes and Myrrh drop acquisition events.

The post Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition Patch Version 1.02/1.0.2 Now Available appeared first on Siliconera.

At New Moon Production we specialize in game development for both mobile and web. We are looking for a Product Manager to kick ass and develop awesome games. ...

A lawsuit levied by Nintendo against one seller of a popular hack that allows for piracy of Nintendo Switch games is moving toward conclusion, with a proposed final judgment ordering the retailer Uberchips to pay Nintendo $2 million. ...

Developers Ken Soto and Peter McLaren of Massive Damage dropped by the GDC Twitch channel to discuss the making of Star Renegades. ...

Marvel's Spider-Man: Remastered for PS5 will offer an updated experience for the Insomniac Games adventure that smashed records and was a perfect hit for Marvel fans. For those looking to scoop up this version of the game, not only will you get a newly recasted Peter Parker, but you'll be getting three new Spidey suits to go with him. 

While not all three of the suits have been revealed, we do have our first look at one of them with the newly added The Amazing Suit. Like the other Spidey gear found in-game, the Amazing Suit remains faithful to the source material with that spiffy modernized flair: 

Insomniac Games

The new suit looks stunning and the attention to detail is beyond incredible. As mentioned in our previous coverage, the team has made quite a few notable upgrades to the Remastered version of Marvel's Spider-Man beyond new suits. From a new face for Peter Parker to targeted 60 fps performance, the Remastered edition of the Insomniac Games hit is the perfect excuse to dive back in or to join in on the fun for anyone that missed out during the PS4 launch. 

Mental health is important and 2020 has not made taking care of ourselves easy. For those looking for a journey to dive into for positive mental health, here are just a few suggestions we have that may help. 

Whether it is anxiety, depression, or anything else can impedes mental health, games are a solid way to help cope and they also can be an escape when needed. For this list, we want to offer a variety of games to choose from that can tackle different areas of mental health. 

Florence | Loss

Florence is a beautiful story that centers around a character that feels stuck, a feeling most of us have related to at one time or another. Florence's life changes when she meets a cello player named Krish as he helps her see the world through an entirely new lens, as well as how she sees herself. 

This game is a perfect journey to begin no matter what, but it has especially helped me when I went through a major loss and life shift. Letting go, finding who you are, and embracing the random that is life; Florence is a gem that feels real and magical while remaining rooted to a reality that is a truth for so many. Things end, but things are always beginning, and this game is a great reminder of that. 

Actual Sunlight | Depression

A couple of years ago I spoke very highly of Nintendo’s parental controls app for the Switch. Microsoft have recently released something very similar, and it’s just as good.

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There’s a lot to like about Genshin Impact, a free-to-play action-RPG that came out this week for PC, PlayStation 4, and mobile. While it might look a bit like Breath of the Wild, with its art style and mechanics, Genshin Impact stands on its own thanks to its combat, its quest and leveling systems, and, …

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If you've been wondering how Call of Duty's long-running wave-based Zombies mode will manifest in Black Ops Cold War when it launches in November, developer Treyarch is finally ready to share some answers, and, as luck would have it, a bunch of gameplay footage too.

This year's undead narrative, introduced as Die Maschine, whisks players back to the 1980s, to a world where the multiverse has now been unified - if not quite scrubbed free of the zombie menace - following the conclusion of Black Ops 4's Zombies mode.

Die Maschine pays homage to Zombies mode's very first map, Nacht der Untoten, sending players - serving as part of Grigori Weaver's CIA-backed international response team Requiem - deep into a derelict World War 2 bunker to uncover its terrifying secrets.

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The West Virginia Wasteland has had a sudden inflex of bodybuilder-type survivors who look more keen to fight off body fat than radiation sickness. Alas, Bethesda has squashed all their sweet gains.

The last couple weeks of Fallout 76 has seen an easily-repeatable glitch at the weight bench that has left everyone completely jacked. Using the weight bench grants a temporary +2 to Strength. The problem is that Bethesda accidentally allowed for the perk to stack. 

It stacked a lot, too. The Strength would stack up to 8 times (for +16 STR), and the duration would effectively stack for how many ever extra reps you performed. When seeing those kinds of immediate gains, it's easy to keep pumping iron. (Although, to be fair, Bethesda disabled use of the weight bench a while ago; so it hasn't been easy to keep pumping iron.)

However, after the newest patch, it's now capped at the intended +2 STR and will only buff once from the most recent use of the weight bench. It was nice while it lasted. You can safely go back to ignoring your physical fitness.

The other major part of the update concerns the new One Wasteland feature that scales enemy level to player level. In short, a lot of the mid-level creatures were too tough. So, Bethesda has "smoothed out the difficulty curve."

Here are the full patch notes for Fallout 76 Update 1.4.0.23: 

The PlayStation Store is running a Games of a Generation sale until October 14, and if you've been waiting for a discount on the digital copy of Ghost of Tsushima, here it is. $45 is a more-than-fine price.

I just wrapped up the story this week and I'm making a renewed push to finish every last morsel – even that annoying five-standoff-kills-in-a-row trophy – before the co-op Legends mode comes out. Aside from far too many "follow the footprints" moments, Ghost of Tsushima has been an utter delight.

A case could be made for waiting until the PS5 is out to dive into this game, but it's smooth as is on PS4. Sucker Punch Productions' unusually fast load times are invaluable. The samurai action is cool, it's fun to become OP after feeling so weak early on, and the horseback exploration never loses its magic.

As for the rest of the sale, given that there over a hundred games, they can't all be generation-defining experiences, but on the whole, there are plenty of tremendous titles to consider picking up. Just make sure you don't inadvertently buy anything that's on the upcoming PlayStation Plus Collection list.

For all of the current anxiety surrounding the PS5, Sony sure ended the PS4 on a high note.

Today, during a livestreamed Q&A, head of Microsoft Flight Simulator Jorg Neuman and Asobo Studio CEO Sebastian Wloch provided some interesting tidbits about the future.

First of all, we learn that further World Updates following Japan (which was launched yesterday) won’t necessarily be tied to trade show. This one was announced at Tokyo Game Show, but it was simply an opportunity that came up.

As a matter of fact, the next World Update will feature the United States. It will launch later this year.

World updates will come every two-to-three months on a rolling basis.

Leter in the chat, Neuman teased that the DEM (Digital Elevation Model) that will be used for the United States is “crazy good.”

That being said, the team is also working on the first large “Sim Update” which will include features and improvements to the core simulator brought up by the community. That’s planned for early November.

Incidentally, signups have been opened for a closed beta of the upcoming VR support.

Below you can also see a quite uplifting video focusing on Shinji Maeda, the world’s first Japanese one-eyed certified pilot.

If you want to learn more about Microsoft Flight Simulator, you can check out our review that will tell you everything you need to know about Asobo Studio’s new and groundbreaking game.