November 2020

A guide to the care and feeding of your overwhelmed family and friends

3 years 6 months ago

Many times in past years, I’ve shown up at a friend or loved one’s house with a hot pan full of casserole and plastic tubs of side dishes. At those times, the food was in some way an excuse: to hold someone’s hand while they cried tears of grief, to celebrate the joy of a tiny new human coming into the world, to see…

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Laura Leavitt on The Takeout, shared by Riley MacLeod to Kotaku

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15 years later, Samorost 2 gets a surprise enhancement update

3 years 6 months ago

Remember Samorost 2? I don’t, admittedly, but then I was only ten years old when the whimsical space gnome set off on his second adventure. Fortunately, now’s the perfect time to check out the pint-sized sequel, with the developers dropping a surprise anniversary update bringing the stylish 2005 point ‘n’ click up to date with enhanced visuals, new sounds, quality of life improvements and full Mac support.

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Author
Natalie Clayton

Capcom were hacked, but customer info seems safe

3 years 6 months ago

A villainous fight in a Street Fighter V screenshot.

The makers of Street Fighter and Resident Evil have reported that a ne’er-do-well got access to their computer systems this week. That’s bad. Luckily for us, they say they’ve found no hint that the unknown baddie got into customer data. That’s good. Though I’ll be changing the password of any Capcom account I have, just in case. And this happening so soon after hackers reportedly leaked Watch Dogs: Legion’s source code does make me wonder if a dramatic twist will follow.

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Author
Alice O'Connor

Podcast episode 116: the best food in games special

3 years 6 months ago

A big warrior in bone armour tucking into a massive plate of fish in Monster Hunter World

Welcome again, dear listener, to the Electronic Wireless Show, the best and most solidly on-topic PC gaming podcast the world has ever seen. This week, we invite you to be our guest, take a seat at our dinner table, and prepare for a hearty helping of chat. About food. Because this week the topic is all the best food in games, you see. I hope I laboured that point enough.

We cover all manner of games, with only a brief mention of Skyrim, and a more extended chat about Final Fantasy XV and Monster Hunter. But to be honest we spend most of our time talking about actual food. Conversational diversions this week include how dead bodies are transported around cruise ships, and our death row meals. Death comes up a lot, actually. It gets kind of dark. But in a fun way!

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Author
Alice Bell

Hundreds of Apex Legends exploiters banned for dunking on low-ranked players

3 years 6 months ago

Cheaters getting banned: you love to see it. Respawn recently got rid of hundreds of the scoundrels for abusing a glitch in Apex Legends which allowed top-ranked players to get into lower rank lobbies for easier wins.

“To the 419 Diamond+ ranked players who abused an exploit allowing you to get into and farm bronze lobbies for RP, enjoy watching Season 7 from the sidelines,” Tweeted Connor Ford, a member of the battle royale’s security team.

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Author
Imogen Beckhelling

Where to find Bagley’s Corrupted Memories in Watch Dogs: Legion

3 years 6 months ago

My operative takes a selfie in Watch Dogs: Legion with a hostile guard

Spoilers abound for the post-game of Watch Dogs: Legion, so don’t read on if you’re yet to complete the main story. After the final climax of the game, you’ll be shunted back into the open world of London with a surprisingly small number of material differences despite the fact that you’ve #resisted the oppressive powers that be. Maybe it’s saying something about society. Maybe oppressive fascism can’t be stopped. Maybe they just wanted you to carry on running about the open world without any significant changes. Anyway, here’s where to find Bagley’s corrupted memories in Watch Dogs: Legion.

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Author
James Law

Forget Big Navi, AMD are aiming for ray tracing processors

3 years 6 months ago

A photo of AMD's CEO Dr Lisa Su holding one of their new Ryzen 5000 CPUs.

Today might be the launch of AMD’s new Ryzen 5000 CPUs (and you can read my Ryzen 5 5600X review and Ryzen 9 5900X review if you missed them earlier), but the company already have their sights set on what’s coming next, and that’s ray tracing capable processors. Speaking during a behind-closed-doors Zen 3 engineering panel before today’s launch, AMD’s Joe Macri told RPS that the realistic lighting technology “will happen” on AMD’s APUs (that’s their accelerated processing units with integrated graphics, rather than their Ryzen central processing units, or CPUs) – it’s just a matter of time.

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Author
Katharine Castle

Video: Mystery Steam Reviews, but scary because Resident Evil has given birth

3 years 6 months ago

Claire from the Resident Evil 2 remake, but with the head of Gabe Newell

Let’s just pretend that Halloween is this weekend and we were very timely when choosing the theme for this week’s Mystery Steam Reviews, okay?

Okay…

GHOSTS! GOBLINS! SCARY THINGS! Yes, because it’s that time of the year again, we decided to test each other’s horror game knowledge (via Steam reviews) on this week’s episode of The PC Gaming Weekspot.

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Author
Colm Ahern

What's your favourite video game explosion?

3 years 6 months ago

A fireworks display in an illustration from 'The Street railway journal'.

Remember, remember the fifth of November: gunpowder, treason, and plot. I myself see no reason why gunpowder treason should ever be forgot. But while we commemorate gunpowder treason with fireworks on Bonfire Night, can you honestly tell me you remember with complete certainty whether we’re celebrating the fact that the plot was foiled, or that someone at least tried to detonate a king? You can’t. Don’t pretend. But seeing as this is a day of joyous explosions, I must know: what’s your favourite video game explosion?

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Author
Alice O'Connor

Fortnite Could Be Playable on iOS Again Through Nvidia GeForce Now

3 years 6 months ago
Fortnite could be playable again on iOS through a reported upcoming version of cloud streaming service, Nvidia GeForce Now, which would allow Epic Games to bypass the iOS App Store on iPhones. Nvidia GeForce Now is a cloud streaming service that allows users to play their games wherever they have internet access. It's already available on PC, Android, and Mac. According to the BBC, a new version that runs on the Safari browser is expected to launch before the winter holidays, which could offer an avenue for iPhone users to play Fortnite on their phones once again. Nvidia has yet to comment on the report. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/13/fortnite-1984-apple-parody-video-short"] Because Nvidia GeForce Now would go through Apple's web browser, Safari, instead of through its iOS App Store, the 30% commission cut Apple charges for software on its App Store would be a moot point. It's this 30% commission cut that saw Epic and Apple clash over the iOS version of Fortnite to begin with. Epic decided to bypass this cut by altering the price of Fortnite V-Bucks in a new direct payment system in response to Apple's "exorbitant" App Store fees earlier this year. This eventually turned into a legal battle that later made its way in-game as an event for all players. As of today, Fortnite is not available on iOS.
Author
Wesley LeBlanc

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IGN's Next-Gen Console Launch Coverage Schedule

3 years 6 months ago
It's finally time! With the launch of the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, we are going to have loads of content coming out over the next few weeks to satisfy all your next-gen needs. To give you a good sense of what's on the horizon, we decided to create a schedule that we'll update with all of our biggest next-gen content. From previews and unboxings to reviews and features, we have a ton of coverage planned that we're super excited to share with you, and this schedule will be the convenient and easy guide to it all. We hope so, anyway! We have received a lot of questions about the timing of game and hardware reviews. We will share what we can below, and keep this page updated. Note that many game publishers choose to not make the timing of their press embargoes public.

IGN's Next-Gen Console Launch Coverage Schedule

Our next-gen launch content started at the end of October with our Xbox Series X and PS5 console unboxings. You can expect plenty of in-depth features, guides, next-gen console, game and hardware reviews, and livestreams beginning November 5th and continuing full force ahead.
Author
Jessie Wade

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Xbox Series X/S Quick Resume Works Even If You Unplug the Console

3 years 6 months ago

Xbox Series X’s Quick Resume feature, which is also available on the Xbox Series S, is arguably its most ‘magical’ new offering. It allows you to quickly swap between multiple games without booting them up fresh, and resume playing from where you left off. It's perfect for getting a few rounds of Halo in with your friends between longer stretches of a big campaign game, without losing progress. The best bit, though? Quick Resume remembers where you were even if you unplug the console.

So how do you use it? Quick Resume doesn’t require any set up. It’s part of the default feature set of the Xbox Series X|S, and works from the moment you open a game. To ‘engage’ Quick Resume, simply stop playing a game and head back to the Dashboard. Boot up a second game, play around with that for a while, and then re-open your previous game. A ‘Quick Resume’ logo will appear in the upper-right corner of the screen as the game loads, which takes around five or so seconds. You’ll then find yourself in exactly the same spot as you were when you left the game. Recent games primed for Quick Resume can be identified in the Guide Menu by a small icon next to the game name.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/16/xbox-series-x-quick-resume-tech-demo"]

You can have multiple games ‘stacked’ in Quick Resume, but there is a limit. While Microsoft has not revealed an upper limit, I find that the system caps out at five games, with the game I haven’t played in the longest time being the one that has to boot from scratch again. It may be that this limit depends on the games being stacked, though.

Author
Matt Purslow

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How the Xbox Series X/S Controller Share Button Works

3 years 6 months ago

The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S both have a new, improved controller that features a Share button. This new button, located under the Menu and View buttons, allows you to instantly capture moments of gameplay, without the need to scroll through menus or use any voice commands. Need to know exactly how it works? IGN is here to help.

By default, tapping the Share button once will immediately take a 4K screenshot of whatever is on your screen at that moment. Holding the Share button for a few seconds will record a 1080p video of the last 30 seconds of gameplay, a feature known as ‘Record what happened’. You’ll know when these functions have triggered as an Xbox notification will pop up to tell you that the screenshot/clip has been saved to your library.

You can quickly find your newly saved screenshots and clips by opening the Capture & Share menu. Tap the Xbox Guide button on the controller to open the Guide Menu, and you’ll see a notification indicator over the tab on the right of the window that features the same logo as seen on the Share button. This is the Capture & Share menu, and if you scroll over to it you’ll be able to see your new screenshot/clip in the ‘Recent Captures’ section.

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The Capture & Share menu can be used to take screenshots and capture a clip of gameplay, too, if you’d rather not use the Share button. It can also be used to start a recording if you plan on capturing a longer session than the few seconds saved by the ‘Record what happened’ function of the Share button.

Author
Matt Purslow

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PS5 Won't Be Sold In Physical Stores on Launch Day

3 years 6 months ago
Sony has confirmed that PS5 launch-day sales will be online-only this year, meaning there will be no physical units available for purchase in-stores on its launch day of November 12, 2020. Revealed on PlayStation.Blog, Sony has made this decision "in the interest of keeping our gamers, retailers, and staff safe amidst COVID-19," and confirmed that "all day-of launch sales will be conducted through the online stores of our retail partners." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/27/astros-playroom-ps5-preview-dualsense-is-a-fun-evolution"] This means that no PS5 units will be available in-store for purchase on launch day, so Sony asks that people "please don’t plan on camping out or lining up at your local retailer on launch day in hopes of finding a PS5 console for purchase." Those who have already pre-ordered a PS5 will be able to pick-up their new console, but those who have yet to secure a pre-order will unfortunately be out of luck on launch day if they were hoping to find one in-stores. For those who are able to pick up a PS5 on launch day thanks to a pre-order, and for those who secure one in the days after, there are a ton of great games to look forward to, including Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Demon's Souls, Sackboy: A Big Adventure, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, and much more. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=confirmed-playstation-5-games&captions=true"] For more on PlayStation 5, check out our PS5 unboxing video and our hands-on impressions of the DualSense and A
Author
Adam Bankhurst

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NBA 2K21 on PS5: First Hands-On Impressions

3 years 6 months ago
I was especially excited to play NBA 2K21 on PS5 because it is one of just a couple next-gen launch games that is being built specifically for the new consoles. Yes, 2K21 is out right now on PS4, but the next-gen edition of the popular basketball sim is a new, built-from-the-ground-up version that has unique tech, modes, and features. Developer Visual Concepts took the same next-gen-do-over approach last time around with NBA 2K14, and the PS4 version ended up being pretty bare-bones next to that year’s PS3 game. Not so with 2K21. It’s got everything that’s in the current-gen version now and more, including a bold new City mode and deeper WNBA integration. But first, let’s talk about the most fun part of any sports game’s generational transition: the graphics. The native 4K/60fps presentation in NBA 2K21 is impressive. Among the few dozen launch titles across both the PS5 and the Xbox Series X, this might be the one you fire up first to show off your new next-gen console’s horsepower. Animations are much better, with foot planting and momentum being key areas of improvement. Players also now take procedural steps instead of just canned animations, which leads to less “skating.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=nba-2k21-playstation-5-screenshots&captions=true"] Player faces are, of course, more detailed than ever, and a little thing that sells it is that everyone else looks much better now too, from the crowd (which finally has kids in it!) to the referees, people at the scorer’s table, dance team, mascots, mop boys, cameramen, security guards, etc. Visual Concepts says they’ve added custom AI routines for 150 NPCs in the arena’s lower-bowl.
Author
Ryan McCaffrey

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Xbox Series S Review

3 years 6 months ago

There’s never been a console like the Xbox Series S. Not to be confused with the Series X, this much smaller and much cheaper next-generation Xbox doesn’t just sacrifice an optical drive, it’s significantly less powerful than its bigger sibling and aims for upscaled 1440p resolution instead of true 4K. The results are mixed. Depending on how you plan to play, the S might make a ton of sense, and it’s only $300 instead of $500 for the X. But for anybody who’s serious about gaming on Xbox, its shortcomings may leave you kicking yourself for not springing for the Series X instead.

The Series S’s hardware is similar to the Series X’s RDNA2 architecture, but its CPU is clocked down and it has less RAM. In short, it’s a 4-teraflop console versus the Series X’s 12.1. Think of it like a base model car with a V6 and very few options, compared to the fully-loaded V12 that is the Series X. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/xbox-series-s-console-unboxing"] [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=xbox-series-s-and-series-x-comparison-photos&captions=true"]

The difference between the S and the X is, well, black and white. It’s significantly smaller, even smaller than the Xbox One S, but there’s no disc drive, so there’s no way to install disc-based games or watch Blu-rays. I wouldn’t call it ugly, but its shape and appearance is slightly awkward, in a sort of adorable way. The large black air vent on the top makes it resemble a speaker more than a console. On the front there’s the offset power button and one USB 3.2 port. On the back it has all the same ports as the Series X: the HDMI out port, two more USB ports, an ethernet port, a storage expansion slot, and of course power – thankfully there’s no brick! Of course, sharing ports with the Series X means there’s none of the Xbox One’s TV passthrough or optical audio here, either.

Author
Ryan McCaffrey

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Xbox Series S Has 364GB of Usable Storage Space

3 years 6 months ago
Xbox Series S' 512GB SSD allows for 364GB of usable space for storage of games, apps, captures, and more. IGN can confirm that 148GB is reserved for the console's operating system and essential system files. While not unexpected, it does lead to questions about exactly how many games players will be able to store on their new console, especially with file sizes ballooning in recent years. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=confirmed-xbox-series-x-games&captions=true"] We found out earlier this year that the Xbox Series X uses 198GB of its 1TB drive for the same files.
Author
Joe Skrebels

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Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered Review

3 years 6 months ago

They say if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it – and 2010’s Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit definitely ain’t broke. On the one hand, Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered is about as barebones as remasters come: other than sprucing up the visuals, adding a few more decorative objects around the tracks, and introducing a garage for showing off cars between events, there isn’t much surprising or new here. But on the other hand, that’s a big part of why this is a straightforward remaster done right, giving a much needed tune up and a fresh coat of paint to an already awesome arcade racer.

Criterion Games came out swinging when EA first handed it the reigns to the Need for Speed franchise a decade ago. As its first outing, Hot Pursuit brought the sense of reckless speed and excitement that Criterion was known for from its Burnout games, revitalizing the Need for Speed series and still standing as one of its best games. It says a lot about just how great it is that, with minimal changes, Hot Pursuit feels and plays just as good today as it did back then.

Author
David Jagneaux

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Xbox Series X Review

3 years 6 months ago

The Xbox Series X sneaks up on you. It’s a minimalist block with precisely one curve on the entire thing. And when you turn it on, the dashboard looks almost identical to the one that Xbox One gamers have been using for years. Even the power button makes the same beeps, and the packed-in controller is barely changed. It’s not until you fire up a game and are launched into smooth, native 4K amazingly quickly that the Series X justifies spending $500 to upgrade. This console makes few compromises and, even though there’s no killer app out of the box that immediately screams “This is next gen!” after just a short while with it, going back to even an Xbox One X would be agonizing.

Author
Ryan McCaffrey

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Star Wars Squadrons Dev Confirms Its Next Project Is Not a Star Wars Game

3 years 6 months ago
Star Wars: Squadrons developer EA Motive has confirmed that, while it is working on "something pretty special," it is not a new Star Wars project EA Motive took to Twitter to put a stop to some speculation that its next game would in-fact take place, much like Star Wars: Squadrons, in that galaxy far, far away. "Due to human error (hey, it happens!) we've seen a lot of speculation," EA Motive wrote. "While we're not working on a new Star Wars project, we are working on something pretty special.
Author
Adam Bankhurst

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Warframe Reveals PS5 Version With New Trailer; Also Coming to Xbox Series X

3 years 6 months ago

Warframe is making the jump to the next generation of consoles starting with PS5, as announced today by Digital Extremes.

The developer released a trailer showing off the PS5 version, boasting “up to” 4K resolution, 60 FPS, faster load times, and improved lighting.

The adaptive triggers of the DualSense will also be supported.

Cross-play and cross-save between PS4 and PS5 will be supported and the PS5 version is coming before the end of the year.

If you’re playing on Xbox, you shouldn’t worry, as Warframe is also coming on Xbox Series X. Details have not been announced today, but they’ve been promised “very soon.”

You can check out the trailer below.

“We’ve spent a significant amount of time and energy developing our new enhanced renderer to make Warframe even more visually impressive on new hardware! This rendering technology creates dramatic, dynamic lighting that follows the natural direction and strength of any given light source in an environment.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales TV Commercial Shows Miles in Action

3 years 6 months ago

Today Sony Interactive Enterainment and Insomniac Games released a new trailer of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales.

The trailer is actually a TV commercial, so it’s pretty brief, but it’s rather snazzy, showing Miles himself in action with plenty of special effects.

You can check it out below.

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales will expand the story of Insomniac’s super-popular Marvel’s Spider-Man shining the spotlight on the titular hero Miles Morales.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Monster Hunter Rise Shows off Character Creator for Your Animal Companions

3 years 6 months ago

Capcom has shared a new clip for Monster Hunter Rise that shows off some of the Hunter’s customization options and their furry companions, the Palamute and Palico. Those two terms are just Monster Hunter jargon for dogs and cats if you were wondering.

The Monster Hunter series, specifically with Monster Hunter: World, has had some pretty great customization options to create your “dream” character.

As far as the Hunter goes, there are several options that you can mess around with, including: face shape, skin, hairstyle, eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth, facial hair, and several makeup options.

And for the Palamute and Palico, you can change their coat, fur pattern, colors, ear shape, eye shape, and even their tail.

You can check out the character creator in action via the tweeted clip below:

Author
Greysun Morales

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Demon’s Souls Character Creator and Photo Mode Look Impressive in New Screenshots

3 years 6 months ago

Bluepoint Games’ upcoming remake of FromSoftware’s Demon’s Souls is merely one week away from launching, along with Sony’s next-generation console, the PS5.

Today in a new PlayStation Blog post from Sony, we see how the new character creator mode looks and the newly added photo mode, which seems rather impressive.

According to Sony, the updated customization options will allow players to have up to 16 million permutations, making it very difficult for two players to have the same character.

As you can see from the shots below, there are a couple of preset options for those who couldn’t care less about customization. You can also see every customization section, which includes: skin, face, brow, eyes, ear, nose, mouth, jaw hair, facial hair, and decals. There are even four different types of teeth to choose from, which is neat.

Author
Greysun Morales

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Here's an exclusive look at the upcoming Magic: The Gathering Commander Legends decklists

3 years 6 months ago

The Commander gametype has really taken off in Magic: The Gathering in recent years, no doubt due to its accessibility and the excitement of playing as a "hero," which standard Magic play can often lack.

In very basic terms, Commander games allow players to take one card that doubles as a "commander," that can be casted at any time via the "Commander Zone." There are also some deckbuilding nuances involved, but preset decks like the upcoming Commander Legends packs take care of that step for new players.

In addition to snagging exclusive full decklists for the new Legends sets (scroll down for those!), I had the chance to speak with Magic senior designer Gavin Verhey about a few of the finer points of the Commander scene, to really drill down into why Commanding is so enduring.

Here's an exclusive look at the upcoming Magic: The Gathering Commander Legends decklists screenshot

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Author
Chris Carter

Review: Borderlands 3: Designer's Cut

3 years 6 months ago

So Borderlands 3 is getting more DLC. Who could have guessed!

Operating in a sort of middle-ground between a full live-service game and a complete looter shooter, Borderlands 3 gave us four premium DLC packs that each focused on a new zone and storyline. But for the second season pass (which you can buy right after second breakfast), they're doing things a little differently.

So far, a little too differently.

[You can find all of our previous Borderlands 3 reviews here: the base game, Moxxi's Heist, Guns Love and Tentacles, Bounty of Blood, and Psycho Krieg.]

Review: Borderlands 3: Designer's Cut screenshot

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Author
Chris Carter

Nintendo Switch has sold 68.3 million units worldwide

3 years 6 months ago

Nintendo has released its latest financial earnings report, which reveals that the developer/publisher sold an impressive 6.86 million Nintendo Switch consoles in the quarter ending September 2020. This pushes the global lifetime sales of the hybrid platform past the 68.3 million mark.

In addition, just under 50 million games were sold on the platform during the summer season, with worldwide lockdown legislation no doubt playing a part in the surge of in-home gaming. Accounting for the boosted sales, Nintendo has altered its forecast for the current fiscal year, raising its initial target of Switch hardware sales from 19 million to 24 million, a prediction that the company was hesitant to make earlier in the year.

2020 has been a good year for the Switch platform, with steady hardware sales alongside the launch of successful new titles such as Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Super Mario 3D All-Stars, and Paper Mario: The Origami King. As Microsoft and Sony prepare their powerful next-gen hardware for 2021, the Nintendo Switch will occupy a cozy spot where it will continue to be enjoyed by millions upon millions of video game fans worldwide.

Nintendo Consolidated Financial Highlights [Official]

Nintendo Switch has sold 68.3 million units worldwide screenshot

Author
Chris Moyse

Let us dance! Mileena returns in Mortal Kombat 11 gameplay trailer

3 years 6 months ago

NetherRealm Studios has released the long-awaited, highly anticipated gameplay trailer for the TRUE Outworld Kahnum - that minx of mischief, the sultry sai-thrower, the teleporting Tarkatan, and the source of a thousand and one abominable death threats. It's Mileena, of course.

Making her debut in 1993's Mortal Kombat II, Mileena is the pseudo twin-sister of Kitana, created in the Flesh Pits of evil sorcerer Shang Tsung in order to provide Shoa Kahn with the bloodthirsty daughter he so desired. Mixing her sister's DNA with Tarkatan blood gives Mileena her sister's stunning beauty, mixed with the razor blade smile and feral aggression of the Tarkatan race.

Rising above her status as a mere "experiment," Mileena would go one to become ruler of Outworld following the death of Shao Kahn, before meeting a gruesome end at the hands of the Outworld Rebellion, led by Kotal Kahn and the sly D'Vorah. Having found her way back into the world of the living thanks to Kronika's time shenanigans, Mileena is out on her own... and out for revenge...

Let us dance! Mileena returns in Mortal Kombat 11 gameplay trailer screenshot

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Author
Chris Moyse

Life Is Strange Studio Has Six Games Currently In Development

3 years 6 months ago

DONTNOD, the studio behind Life is Strange, is keeping very busy as the next generation of gaming looms ahead. With Tell Me Why having been the most recent game from the team to make its debut, even more episodic adventures await because the DONTNOD CEO has confirmed that the team has a whopping six games currently in development. 

DONTNOD's upcoming Twin Mirror game makes its debut this December, but there is more on the way. CEO Oska Guilbert confirmed future goals when talking about the previous success seen with the Life is Strange franchise, Remember Me, and Vampyr. 

While the CEO didn't detail what those mysterious new games will have to offer, he does promise that each adventure will be increasingly varied from the studio's previous library as to "not put all our eggs in one basket." 

This team's ability to craft an incredible narrative in an episodic way is reminiscent of how Telltale Games approaches gameplay. Its unique style towards creating intriguing characters interwoven within an intricate storyline is impressive, and the team sure isn't afraid to pull on those feels either (looking at you, Life is Strange). 

Author
Liana Ruppert

Check Out The Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales Be Yourself Trailer

3 years 6 months ago

Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales arrives on November 12, and today there's a new trailer out to get you ready for all the web-slinging action. While Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a big title for the PlayStation 5 launch, it's also available on PlayStation 4. Miles Morales is a decidedly popular take on the wall crawler. Where did he come from, anyway? 

"Miles debuted in Marvel’s Ultimate line of comics, which was an alternate reality version of Marvel’s main continuity. In that version of the Marvel Universe, Peter Parker had just died and Miles was positioned to take over the mantel of Spider-Man. Miles' critical reception was largely positive and fan enthusiasm for the new character was huge. In fact, Miles proved to be so popular that when Marvel ended the Ultimate imprint in 2015, and killed off that entire universe, it spared Miles and transferred him over to mainline Marvel continuity, where he has settled in as an important member of the Spider-Man family," read more in Benjamin Reeve's tell-all on Miles here.

Game Informer's Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales cover story is available to read online for free, so give it a look for a ton of information regarding the upcoming adventure here.

Author
Daniel Tack

Sony Confirms PS5 Launch Will Be Online Only

3 years 6 months ago

The PlayStation 5 pre-orders came and went faster than most of what our loading screens could manage. Because of that, many interested in diving into next gen at  launch were left wanting and hoping for another wave of online pre-orders or in-store stock. While more pre-orders have been happening, Sony has confirmed that all launch day purchases will be online only. Bright side? That means no camping out hoping to scoop one up in person during a global pandemic. 

Senior Director of Sony Interactive Entertainment Communications Sid Shuman took to the PlayStation Blog to provide a launch day update. In the post, Shuman clarifies that all launch day purchases must be online. "The launch of the PlayStation 5 console on November 12 (or November 19, depending on your region) is almost upon us! In the interest of keeping our gamers, retailers, and staff safe amidst COVID-19, today we are confirming that all day-of launch sales will be conducted through the online stores of our retail partners."

Author
Liana Ruppert

First Look At Demon's Souls Remake Character Creation And Photo Mode

3 years 6 months ago

Click to watch embedded media

The Demon's Souls remake offers a brand new way to experience a brutally unforgiving favorite with updated graphics and numerous improvements. Among those improvements is a stellar Photo Mode filled with options to capture those incredible in-game moments, as well as an updated character creation system. Plus: spiky teeth. 

Creative director Gavin Moore took to the PlayStation Blog to reveal new details about Demon's Souls for PS5, including how the character creation is much more integrated with player connection in mind. Moore also shared a few snapshots, seen in the gallery below, to show off the creation tool in action: 

Click image thumbnails to view larger version

Author
Liana Ruppert

Xbox Series X review: next generation games machine, continuity console - or both?

3 years 6 months ago

It's a strange feeling to be reviewing Xbox Series X after a preview period which essentially blew the doors open on so much of the experience. We know that Series X offers a generational leap over Xbox One and One X in so many respects: the CPU upgrade is so pronounced we couldn't measure it in backwards compatibility gaming tests, the graphics boost is a creditable 2x over One X (without even factoring in architectural advances) with more than an 8x multiplier over the One S. Combined with the fast SSD, Xbox Series X excels in delivering a lag-free console experience to the extent that returning to the current-gen machines feels undesirable, to say the least. We're not quite back to the plug-and-play ethos that defined the early games consoles, but this is a healthy step in the right direction.

Desirability as a concept may be difficult to attach to the Series X itself though: it's a black rectangular cuboid - a box with little in the way of X - with few distinguishing features bar the green-accented, perforated exhaust port at the top. The thing is, it works. Series X sits next to your TV discreetly, intentionally non-intrusive from its looks to it acoustics. Clearly designed to be stood vertically, the console may be somewhat wide, but its footprint remains manageable - if not exactly media-cabinet-friendly. Series X also works resting on its side, but oddly, it seems to lose much of its unassuming nature when horizontal. It just looks rather weird.

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