November 2020

The sequel to a ZX Spectrum game some 30 years in the making

3 years 4 months ago

I thought the nigh on 20 years I waited for Shenmue 3 was approaching some sort of record, but this - this is something else. Jetboard Joust, which just hit Steam late last week, is a sequel to the ZX Spectrum's Skateboard Joust, released way, way back in 1988. It's fair to say, though, that there weren't quite so many people waiting with bated breath for this particular follow-up.

"Yeah, it was a bit crap," admits Skateboard Joust's developer James Closs tells me some 30 plus years later. "I mean, that's part of the reason I started doing this - it was a bit of a joke, because Skateboard Joust was not very good."

Skateboard Joust was made back when James was 16. He had never played Joust, the game from which it took some inspiration, but had seen a screenshot once. He'd never ridden a skateboard but knew it was all the rage, so he fashioned a game to capitalise on the trend. Back then the term granny bait used to be bandied around - a game designed to trick people into buying their grandchildren. By James' own admission, Skateboard Joust could well have fit the term.

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Shadowlands' pre-sales are the highest of any other World of Warcraft expansion yet

3 years 4 months ago

World of Warcraft's upcoming expansion, Shadowlands, has secured more pre-sales than any other in the game's sixteen-year history.

"We've seen unprecedented engagement trends since the [World of Warcraft] subscriber base doubled following the launch of Classic last year," Activision Blizzard CEO, Bobby Kotick, said on a recent earnings call (thanks, PC Gamer). "Pre-sales of the upcoming Shadowlands expansion are the highest we've seen at this stage ahead of any release."

"Franchise engagement is at its highest level for this stage ahead of an expansion in a decade," said Activision Blizzard COO Daniel Alegre, with Kotick adding that World of Warcraft generates "over $1 billion" in annual net bookings, alongside its FPS series, Call of Duty.

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There's a Demon's Souls soundtrack on the way

3 years 4 months ago

Sony has confirmed a Demon's Soul soundtrack will release on 26th November 2020.

At first, the score - which has been rerecorded for the remake - will only be available digitally, but it's thought that CD and vinyl versions will also go on sale in December.

To celebrate the news, Sony also released a brief behind-the-scenes video that shows how the score was recorded with a 75-piece orchestra and 40-person choir.

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Screenshot Saturday Sundays: Orbs, watercolours and a tea-sipping frog

3 years 4 months ago

Scream-shot Saturday Sundays? Not on your unlife, pal, it’s November. Halloween’s over. I have no contractual obligation to be “spooky” today, so let’s fearlessly dive back into the well of Twitter’s favourite gamedev hashtag. This week: A frog chorus, a living painting, an ominous orb, and a begrudging admission that yes, it’s the scary weekend, fine.

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Author
Natalie Clayton

CD Projekt Red sees market price fall by almost 25%

3 years 4 months ago

CD Projekt Red has seen its share price tumble since reports of mandatory six-day workweeks and another Cyberpunk 2077 delay came to light.

Though it was valued at £5.2bn ($6.8 billion) in January 2020, this had raised to £6.1bn ($8 billion) in February following the release of the acclaimed The Witcher 3 on Nintendo Switch - sending its sales rocketing by 500 per cent - and the success of its Netflix show. It's market cap eventually peaked at £7.4bn ($9.6bn) in August, with individual shares selling for £90 ($116.50).

Now, however, CD Projekt Red's share price has tumbled to around £65 ($85), which is a fall of around 25 per cent (thanks, GI.biz), knocking almost £2 billion from its market cap, the lowest value the company has been since April 2020.

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54 Things Breath of the Wild Fans Will Love About Age of Calamity

3 years 4 months ago
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is an exciting prospect for die-hard Breath of the Wild fans, as it’s set 100 years before the events of that game, in the lead-up to the Great Calamity. That means we'll get to see the Champions in their prime, we'll get to visit a familiar but very different Hyrule and we'll learn a whole lot more about exactly how Ganon was once more unleashed upon the world. After playing the pre-release demo for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity – which you should play before you read this, incidentally - there’s some debate about whether this game will be in the Breath of the Wild timeline or represent a new split, as... well - SPOILER ALERT – time travel is involved. We’ll get into that shortly, but regardless, there’s a heap of things to be excited about for Breath of the Wild fans. 54 in fact! (Oh, and please be aware – the video companion above was published before the demo became available, so we’ve obviously found out more since then. The written feature incorporates all the new info.) [poilib element="accentDivider"]

1) It’s Official!

Age of Calamity is effectively an official prequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and that’s a huge deal. Yes, it’s a Dynasty Warriors-style game, but unlike the previous Hyrule Warriors games, the developers at Koei have been collaborating with Nintendo’s Zelda team at every step of the way, on game elements including gameplay direction, graphics, the world and all dialogue. That means that the Zelda team has approved how Age of Calamity will be handling the Great Calamity. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/08/hyrule-warriors-age-of-calamity-official-trailer"]

2) More Lore, Blimey!

From a story perspective there’s so much to explore here. Obviously I’m excited to find out who is pulling the strings behind the resurrection of Calamity Ganon, but I’d also like to know more about the background of the Yiga clan.
Author
Cam Shea

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Sunday Comics: Tom Holland!

3 years 4 months ago

Hello! It’s time for Kotaku’s Sunday Comics, your weekly roundup of the best webcomics. The images enlarge if you click on the magnifying glass icon.

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Author
Zack Zwiezen

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Guild Wars 2's move to Steam has been indefinitely delayed

3 years 4 months ago

ArenaNet has confirmed its MMO Guild Wars 2's release on Steam has been indefinitely delayed.

ArenaNet first revealed Guild Wars 2 would be making its way to Steam back in August. Originally scheduled for release in November, the plan was to release alongside its Heart of Thorns and Path of Fire expansions.

Now, however, the Steam release has been "put on hold for the time being", with no revised release window detailed.

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Both Mass Effect Commander Shepards will be participating in N7 Day this year

3 years 4 months ago

How long has it been since we've been collectively excited for Mass Effect? 2017's Andromeda probably, right? Well some of you were never jazzed about Mass Effect, but y'all don't count.

Well, N7 Day has been happening annually regardless of how much Mass Effect moves the needle now, and it just got a little more exciting for fans. Over the weekend, "Mr. Shepard" himself, Mark Meer, announced that he will be joining the N7 Day stream event taking place on November 7 (as is custom) at 11AM PT. We're told to "stay tuned for the link," in case you're curious.

Meer re-confirms that Jennifer Hale (Mrs. Shepard) will be part of the event, as well as the voice actors for Kaidan AlenkoLiara T'Soni, Jack, GruntAshley WilliamsSamantha TraynorMordin Solus, and Legion. Of course, there are a few huge names sprinkled into that innocent list, like VA veteran Steve Blum. BioWare developers Karin Weekes (editor) and Patrick Weekes (writer) are in too.

Author
Chris Carter

There's a Vampire: The Masquerade battle royale releasing next year

3 years 4 months ago

Sharkmob has revealed a new type of Vampire: The Masquerade game - and it's going to be a battle royale.

In a new update on the developer's website outlining its upcoming projects, the studio teased two additional "highly ambitious, AAA quality projects" as well as the new battle royale, which it says will be "a thrilling take on a cult classic IP".

"Experience the next thrilling evolution of Battle Royale multiplayer action games set in the cult classic Vampire: The Masquerade universe where vampire sects are at war across the streets and rooftops of Prague," a game description says (thanks, PCGN). "Choose your playstyle, go solo or together, battling rivals and the hostile Entity who's hellbent on exterminating all vampires. Use your supernatural powers, weapons and blood to become stronger in order to hunt, fight and survive the night."

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Try out psychological horror In Sound Mind ahead of its next-gen release with this new Steam demo

3 years 4 months ago

Modus has dropped a new teaser for its next-gen psychological horror game, In Sound Mind.

Halloween may be over for another year, but don't let that stop you getting in on bonus spooky stuff - the new trailer also coincides with the release of a playable demo on Steam.

"Discover where the monsters truly reside," the video description teases, before inviting players to jump in with a link to the Steam demo (thanks, GamesRadar+).

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PS5 faceplate company is forced to cancel orders following a complaint from Sony

3 years 4 months ago

A company selling custom PS5 faceplates has been forced to cancel pre-orders and remove its products following legal action from Sony.

As reported by our friends at VGC, "PlateStation5.com" had already been required to rebrand following a complaint from Sony that accused the company name's of infringing its trademark.

Now, however, the complaint has gone further, with Sony's lawyers telling the firm that Sony's intellectual property "extended to the faceplates", and that if the company continued to sell and distribute them in any country, it "would end up in court".

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Azur Lane Gets Anime-Style Trailer & Videos Featuring Idol Shipgirls & Their Songs

3 years 4 months ago

Azur Lane publisher Yostar released quite a few new videos of its popular shipgirl-focused mobile game Azur Lane.

First of all we get an anime-style trailer showing a concert with some of the new idol shipgirls led by Illustrious.

Then we get a TV commercial and more videos that are basically just music videos focusing on the Taihou & Roon duo and Le Malin.

These videos celebrate the latest major in-game event, “Universe in Unison.”

You can check them all out below.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Square Enix is partnering with a hardware company for an official Final Fantasy XIV SSD

3 years 4 months ago

Final Fantasy XIV has sent ripple effects through the industry ever since its "Reborn" phase roughly seven years ago.

Square Enix proved to the industry that you could truly "save" a game that was in peril: and I say this as someone who witnessed the original incarnation of FFXIV first-hand. It really was a miracle what that team pulled off, recreating XIV into not only one of the best MMOs of all time, but one of the strongest RPG campaigns ever made.

That power has resulted in all sorts of tie-ins and partnerships, which now includes an SSD hardware run. Square Enix has announced that they've collaborated with the manufacturing company I-O Data to provide an "official" Final Fantasy XIV SSD, which is going on sale in Japan on December 2.

It's 500GB in size and is an external SSD via USB 3.2 Gen 1 (without a power adapter requirement). Weirdly, the company even has an app called GigaCrystaPhantom that will allow a quick-transfer of FFXIV from your HDD to the new SSD: which might be helpful to Japanese players who don't want to re-download everything.

It'll run you 11,880 yen (roughly $115 US) if you want it. The price is a little over industry standard (a tad bit more than that figure will get you a 1TB generally), but obviously the license factors in.

SSD [I-O Data via 4Gamer]

Square Enix is partnering with a hardware company for an official Final Fantasy XIV SSD screenshot

Author
Chris Carter

PS5 Faceplate Site Cancels Orders After Legal Threat From Sony

3 years 4 months ago

If you were hoping to customize your new PS5 with a fancy faceplate, you may have to wait for an official Sony solution. A company offering replacement PS5 plates in a variety of colors has canceled orders after being threatened with a lawsuit.

Speaking to VGC, a representative from Customize My Plates--which had been known as PlateStation5 until a few days ago--confirmed that it was canceling all plate orders. It cited Sony's legal threats as the reason behind both its name change, which Sony said infringed on its own trademarks, as well as the cancellations.

"… Sony's lawyers told us it was their opinion [that] Sony's intellectual property extended to the faceplates, and that if we continued to sell and distribute them in any country, we would end up in court," the representative said.

Continue Reading at GameSpot
Author
Gabe Gurwin

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World of Warcraft: Shadowlands Gets New Trailers Showcasing Bastion, Maldraxxus, & Ardenweald

3 years 4 months ago

Blizzard Entertainment released three new trailers of the upcoming World of Warcraft expansion Shadowlands.

The trailer focus on three areas included in the expansion, Bastion, Maldraxxus, and Ardenweald.

We get to see the colorful and diverse style in which these areas are depicted and their inhabitants.

You can watch them below.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Review: Onee Chanbara Origin

3 years 4 months ago

In the 1980s, an abundance of horror movies hit the U.K. shores overnight, all thanks to the affordable invention of the VHS player. The then-British film censor, James Ferman, went on a zero-tolerance crusade against these "video nasties" which Ferman felt were oozing onto his country's shores and slowly corrupting the nation and its youth.

Ferman and the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) swiftly and hysterically drew up a list of on-screen elements that the board should always consider taking the scissors to - should they ever crop up in any film under review. Among the material Ferman was convinced posed a risk to British sanity were sexual titillation mixed with violence, Asian/ninja-style weaponry, and, most importantly, "blood appearing on breasts".

Fortunately for Ferman, D3 Publisher's OneChanbara series would not make its debut until 2004, some years after the censor's retirement and passing. Given the stringent bullet points listed above, I can't help but feel that maybe, just maybe, he would not have looked too kindly upon it.

Review: Onee Chanbara Origin screenshot

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Author
Chris Moyse

Anthem 2.0: Javelin Builds, Skill Trees, and Artifact Details Revealed

3 years 4 months ago
Anthem is currently undergoing a major overhaul, and BioWare has detailed how the team is planning to improve Javelin gameplay, builds, skill trees, artifacts, and more. Revealed on BioWare's blog, these ideas, mockups, and direction are all works in progress, and may change, but it gives a glimpse into the development of Anthem's future. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=anthem-20-javelin-gameplay-builds-skill-trees-and-artifacts-concepts&captions=true"]

Javelin Gameplay and Builds

One of the biggest complaints that BioWare has heard about Anthem was that it "doesn't offer satisfying Javelin Builds." It has taken that to heart, and wants to give more choice and experimentation for loadouts. Anthem's UI, at least in this look, appears to take a more Destiny-like approach, and shows how items will now be categorized to one of 11 available equipment slots. Weapons would also be Primary or Secondary to offer "distinctiveness in their role," Mods and Artifact slots would replace Components, and players would be able to manage their Equipment and Abilities in their Loadout Screen. Abilities would also be unlocks, not drops, to help players get the build they want. Builds would be defined by synergies of Specializations, Abilities (which can be enhanced by Mods), and Equipment. Inscriptions would also improve build synergies, but would no longer be as much a primary factor in them. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/10/anthem-getting-major-overhaul"]

Anthem's Updated Skill Trees and Artifacts

The Anthem development team is playing around with the idea of Javelins leveling up and earning Skill Points.
Author
Adam Bankhurst

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Three Kingdoms Waifu Game RANBU: Sangokushi Rumble Gets Gameplay Trailers Ahead of Release by Square Enix

3 years 4 months ago

Square Enix released a new gameplay trailer and many videos of its upcoming mobile game RANBU: Sangokushi Rumble.

It’s a good chance to see what the game looks like ahead of the Japanese release on November 16 for iOS and Android. A western release has not been announced for now.

You can check it out below, alongside a few videos introducing the main characters at the bottom of the post.

If the name sounds familiar, it’s because Square Enix has been running a game titled Sangokushi Rumble for several years. This new game has been developed by the same team and it’s finally coming out after a long delay (it was originally announced for 2019)

The original Sangokushi Rumble has been fairly successful, with over 3,500,000 downloads in Japan. As you may gather from the title, it’s set in the “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” mythology.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Happy 20th Birthday, Jet Set Radio!

3 years 4 months ago

Yesterday marked the 20th anniversary of Jet Set Radio’s release on the Sega Dreamcast in the United States. This may interest you, make you feel incredibly old or, in some cases, both.

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Author
Luke Plunkett

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Crash Bandicoot 4 Nendoroid Will Put a Smile on Your Face

3 years 4 months ago

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time brought back the popular bandicoot with a brand new game, and Good Smile Company is ready to celebrate.

Of course, this celebration entails a brand new and adorable Nendoroid action figure portraying Crash himself.

You can find it available for pre-order at Good Smile’s own American shop or Ami Ami priced at respectively $76.99 and 6,720 yen (which translates into approximately $64).

The actual release date is quite far away, in June 2021 in Japan and July in the west.

Below you can find a gallery and an official description.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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What was your favorite moment from Monster Hunter World: Iceborne?

3 years 4 months ago

After farming Fatalis, crafting everything I wanted from him, and strolling around SOS signals as a god, I think it’s safe to say I’ve had a hell of a time hunting in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne. Now that all that’s left is to farm up layered armor, I can look back on this crazy game’s life and reminisce on my favorite moments from it. Because even though Fatalis was one hell of a final hunt, there are many other moments and hunts that are unforgettable for franchise veterans like me and those new players who managed to love the brilliance of World enough to want to dive into its expansion pack.

What was your favorite moment from Monster Hunter World: Iceborne? screenshot

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Author
Marcel Hoang

The Fans Preserving the Original Demon’s Souls Experience

3 years 4 months ago
I’m a huge fan of FromSoftware’s trademark design philosophy, having played most of what they’ve made many times over, and yet, it took the announcement of a next-gen, Bluepoint-developed remake to finally give me the impetus to play through the original Demon’s Souls. Though massively excited by the idea of a next-gen Souls experience, one reimagined with unprecedented visual flourish and all the new shiny things next-gen can bring, I really wanted to play it within the context of the original. Playing the original Demon’s Souls was a terrific choice. While certainly less robust than what came after, often feeling like From’s Dark Souls dress rehearsal, once I’d dealt my final blow and made my decision as to the world’s fate, Demon’s Souls not only ranked super-highly for me amongst the other Souls games, but even helped me reconcile some of the lore elements I found less favourable in Dark Souls III. That said, I couldn’t help but feel something was missing. Though all Souls games are intentionally oppressive, lonely experiences, this one felt lonelier than usual. The reason? Its collective regional publishers—somewhat understandably—decided the running costs of its online services were no longer viable with dwindling users and, having already extended its life longer than intended, finally called time on its servers in February 2018. Because of that, my maiden playthrough of Demon’s Souls meant no in-game help from others - no messages from the community warning me of ambushes, no tips for upcoming enemies, and no trolls telling me to jump off ledges, which I secretly missed the most. Though in these games I usually opt not to call in help from other players (Darkeater Midir in Dark Souls III being the sole, ‘soul’-crushing exception), it felt weird having that cut-off as an option.
Author
Andy Corrigan

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