February 2021

Pokémon Sword & Shield Is the Best Selling Pokémon Since Gold & Silver

3 years 1 month ago
Nintendo’s latest earning reports show that Pokémon Sword & Shield have sold over 20 million units, making it the best selling Pokémon game since Gold & Silver, and the first game since that generation to pass 20 million copies sold. As noted by Serbeii, Pokémon Sword & Shield has now sold 20.35 million units, with 1.3 million of those being sold in the past 3 months (Q3 2020). Those figures put it as the first Pokémon game to achieve more than 20 million copies since Gold & Silver, which sold 23.73 million copies following its launch in 1999. It’s also the third best selling Pokémon game of all time, behind Gold & Silver and Red/Green/Blue. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/13/pokemon-sword-and-pokemon-shield-review"] Since Gold & Silver, Pokémon’s sales have remained largely consistent - at least as far as the initial game launched in a generation - but all have sold within the 15-17 million region. The huge popularity of Sword & Shield marks a landmark game for the series, then. No doubt such figures are in part thanks to the mass popularity of the Nintendo Switch itself, which has now eclipsed sales of the Nintendo 3DS. As well as being the third best-selling Pokémon game, Sword & Shield is the 5th best selling game on Switch. It is surpassed only by Breath of the Wild (21.45m), Super Smash bros.
Author
Matt Purslow

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There's 15% off Super Mario 3D World and a handful of PS5 games at eBay

3 years 1 month ago

It's been what feels like a few minutes since the last one but eBay is back with another voucher code that can get you 15 per cent off upcoming Switch exclusive Super Mario 3D World and a number of PS5 games.

Once again, the majority of the console game offers are available at the Boss Deals store, though other gaming and tech retailers are included in the promotion if you want to look elsewhere for some other bargains. The likes of ShopTo, Hughes Direct and The Game Collection are usually worth a look. To get the discount, all you need to do is enter the code 'PURCHASE15' at the checkout.

Your first stop should be ShopTo, where you can get Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury for £38.24. This is the cheapest price we've seen the updated Wii U platformer and its brand new expansion so far ahead of launch next Friday. Martin's already spent some time with the new content in Bowser's Fury and believes it to be one of the weirdest entries in the series yet.

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The Plane Effect is a dystopian game about getting home from work

3 years 1 month ago

A long commute home from the office, in the cold, with no daylight or warmth? We've all been there. But imagine if you could never quite get home, and you started to wonder whether home even existed at all.

This is the premise of The Plane Effect - an indie title by PQube, Studio Kiku and Innovina Interactive that promises a dystopian and moody narrative experience. Players take on the role of Solo, a lonely office worker who's trying to get home to his family after his last day of work. Somewhat worryingly, it seems Solo experiences some trouble remembering his family, and also has to contend with the shifting balance of space and time.

In gameplay terms, you'll be challenged with "untangling [an] impossible series of events, getting to grips with the intangible and using logic to overcome the increasingly illogical dystopia around you". All in a day's work.

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Control Ultimate Edition - how next-gen consoles transform a classic game

3 years 1 month ago

Remedy's Control has a special place in the collective heart of Digital Foundry. Not only is it one of the best games of 2019, the revised Northlight engine is also an absolute showcase of the state of the art in rendering technology, which also happens to feature one of the best implementations we've seen of hardware accelerated ray tracing. Somehow, the developer managed to squeeze the core experience (bar RT) into the last-gen hardware, but now owners of the next-gen consoles get to see Northlight stretch its legs: Control on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles is a delight.

The basics of the upgrade are already out there, courtesy of Remedy PR. There's feature parity between PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X with Control rendering at a native 1440p resolution, with temporal upsampling to 4K. Two modes are on offer - a 30fps capped experience featuring ray traced reflections (including transparencies) along with a 60fps performance mode without RT features. Meanwhile, Xbox Series S has no RT features, meaning a performance mode as the standard that renders natively at 900p, with a 1080p output. Dynamic resolution scaling is not implemented in this game.

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Reggie openly talks about the Wii U's failures, and how it made the Switch's success that much sweeter

3 years 1 month ago

Now that Reggie Fils-Aimé, is working for himself and no longer with Nintendo, we've gotten a number of frank post-mortem observations from him: it's refreshing! This time Fils-Aimé spoke again on the subject of the Wii U, and how the burned phoenix of its remains allowed Nintendo to achieve an ever greater feeling of success with the Switch.

Speaking on the New York Gaming Awards stream, Fils-Aimé recalls the "poor performance" of the Wii U, and how the achievement of the Switch is a "lasting memory" for him. He reminds us that "when the Wii U launched, the performance over that life cycle was so poor," and calls it the "worst-selling platform," outside of the Virtual Boy. He goes on to state that it "underperformed pretty radically," something we know due to hard sales figures.

Fils-Aimé says that when "your only business is video games," it's kind of important for your flagship product to soar. So when the Switch did what it did, both in terms of concept and cold hard sales, it's something he can "always be proud of." Boldly, he says that the Switch was a "make or break product" for Nintendo, and that it "luckily was a hit."

It's hard imagining a world where the Switch, which did basically everything the opposite of the Wii U (both in terms of marketing and ease of hardware), wasn't a hit, but it would be really interesting to see the state that Nintendo would be in if it failed.

New York Game Awards [Twitch via Nintendo Life]

Author
Chris Carter

New Sonic The Hedgehog Netflix Animated Series Revealed, Sonic Prime

3 years 1 month ago

A new Sonic the Hedgehog animated series has just been revealed for Netflix with Sonic Prime. The latest gaming-related show will be making its grand debut sometime in 2022. While we wait, here are the first details revealed about what Sonic fans can look forward to.

The upcoming animated series will be 24 episodes long (so far). Netflix tells us that the new series will be made for "kids, families, and long-time fans" as it "draws upon the keystones" of what Sonic lovers want the most. 

Sonic Prime will be a blend of sorts, with a new multiverse that will be helmed by everyone's favorite blue hero. But the "gotta go fast" icon has more on his plate than to simply save the universe; he's also on the road to self-discovery and redemption.

Regarding who is bringing this animated series to life, the company WildBrain Vancouver studio is taking point alongside Sega. Man of Action Entertainment is on board to executive produce, the studio behind Ben 10. 

“Sonic is a beloved character and holds a special place in everyone's heart including my own," says Domnique Bazah, Director of Original Animation over at Netflix. "I spent many hours with the blue blur as a kid and it's a privilege to be able to bring this character everyone knows and loves on a brand new adventure with Netflix -- one that a generation of loyal fans and brand new fans around the world can enjoy.” 

Author
Liana Ruppert

Sony's MLB The Show 21 Is Coming To PlayStation AND Xbox Platforms

3 years 1 month ago

Click here to watch embedded media

In December 2019, Sony announced the long-running MLB The Show series would be "moving beyond PlayStation platforms as early as 2021." Today, Sony followed up on that statement with the announcement that MLB The Show 21 would be releasing on Xbox Series X (and S) and Xbox One alongside PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 on April 20.

The move to Xbox systems isn't surprising, but the lack of a PC version is. There was also some speculation that Switch could be a landing spot, but for this year's game it appears the first steps into a new gaming stadium will just be on Xbox's green field.

In a PlayStation Blog post, Ramone Russell, Sony San Diego's game designer, and online community manager revealed MLB The Show 21 features cross-platform play, allowing players to "earn and use content on whichever platform and generation."

Author
Andrew Reiner

Valorant Esports Enjoyed an Explosive Start to 2021 Over The Weekend

3 years 1 month ago

Establishing Valorant as a mainstream esport has always felt like Riot’s intention, but it was never likely to prove easy — not with the likes of CS:GO, Overwatch, Call of Duty, and Fortnite continuing to prove immensely popular.

There are only so many slices of the pie to share, after all. What’s more, with the unfortunate timing of Valorant’s release amid COVID-19, which has put the kibosh on any LAN events last year and for the foreseeable future, the challenge has been put on extra hard mode.

But over this past weekend, a double-whammy of Red Bull’s Home Ground tournament in Europe and the curtain-raiser of Riot Games’ Valorant Challenger Series (VCT) in North America painted a very bright future for its prospects moving forward.

Although technically only b-tier tournaments in terms of the prize pool and prestige –one of which just a qualifier aired at a very awkward time for those outside the US–, both drew impressive concurrent viewer numbers across the board.

More to the point, each delivered hugely exciting matches and offered a compelling demonstration of Valorant’s potential as an esport.

Author
Alex Gibson

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MLB The Show 21 Revealed, Releasing on PlayStation & Xbox With Cross-Play

3 years 1 month ago

The latest game in the MLB The Show franchise has been officially announced. The cover athlete for MLB The Show 21 is Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres.

For the very first time, this version of MLB The Show will release on multiple platforms. Back in 2019, the developers announced that the franchise would no longer be exclusive to Sony as early as 2021, extending their partnership and licensing.

Appropriately, the slogan for this next game in the franchise is “The Game Has Changed,” which can be seen in the introduction trailer with Tatis Jr.

MLB The Show 21 will launch simultaneously for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S with cross-play among all consoles.

Author
Rebecca Stone

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Elon Musk's Brain Company Hopes To Make a Cyborg Monkey Play 'Mind Pong'

3 years 1 month ago
Elon Musk claims one of his companies has implanted a device into a monkey’s brain, and hopes to make it play “mind pong” with another cyborg monkey. The billionaire, who owns a variety of science-based companies, discussed the augmented monkey in a speech hosted on private social app Clubhouse, according to Sky News. During the talk, he revealed that his brain-machine interface company, Neuralink, has “a monkey with a wireless implant in their skull with tiny wires". Neuralink is using the monkey as a test subject for its technology, something it previously did with two pigs. The ultimate aim of the company is to create a brain-computer interface, with current trials focused on potentially using the technology to treat people with brain and spinal injuries. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/03/28/elon-musk-wants-to-put-a-chip-in-your-brain-ign-daily-fix"] As part of these tests, Musk wants to make the monkey play video games in its own mind. “One of the things we're trying to figure out is whether we can have the monkeys playing mind pong with each other?,” he said. “That would be pretty cool." The device itself is made up of more than 3,000 electrodes that are capable of monitoring around 1,000 neurons.
Author
Matt Purslow

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MLB The Show 21 is PlayStation Studios' first Xbox game

3 years 1 month ago

Sony's MLB The Show 21 is due out in April on Xbox as well as PlayStation consoles.

The official PlayStation blog post reveals MLB The Show 21 will be available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S on 20th April 2021. A PC version was not mentioned. The debut trailer is below:

MLB The Show is the long-standing PlayStation-exclusive franchise developed by Sony's San Diego Studio.

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The Medium already turning a profit in its release week

3 years 1 month ago

The horror aficionados over at Bloober Team are resting easy this week, following the news that their latest spooky-ooky joint The Medium has already become profitable after just a few days of release.

Despite being an unknown IP, in a relatively niche genre, and only being available on two platforms, (PC and Xbox Series X), The Medium has managed to recoup all of its development and marketing costs since it hit the market on January 28. Going forward, all future sales will now be profit, which is the kind of success that studios today see as a green light to get an inevitable franchise up-and-running.

From a critical stance, the third-person adventure has been very polarizing, with some outlets leveling praise at The Medium's use of technology, visual storytelling, and mind-bending dual-worlds, while others have decried its pace and lack of scares. The Medium seems to be an interesting experiment and such titles - in any... uhh... medium - will draw a differing response. Either way, Bloober Team's new entity has achieved financial security, allaying publisher fears bigger than those of any boogeyman.

The Medium is profitable after just a few days [Money.pl / Gamespot]

The Medium already turning a profit in its release week screenshot

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Author
Chris Moyse

Skullgirls teases new DLC character and I hope it's Black Dahlia

3 years 1 month ago

Publisher Autumn Games, in conjunction with developer Hidden Variable, has released a new gameplay trailer for Annie, the next character headed to excellent tag-fighter Skullgirls 2nd Encore. No date was revealed for The Star Child's debut, but she is available in Skullgirls Mobile right now.

Annie's gameplay trailer, which you can check out below, sees the literal superstar battling Skullgirls regulars Ms. Fortune, Filia, and Painwheel on the set of her hit TV show, where she showcases her fast-paced, knife-wielding style. Annie - who has been a long time coming - lost out on the character vote during Skullgirls crowdfunding campaign, but has been fortunate enough to find her way into the fighter via its mobile counterpart

Skullgirls teases new DLC character and I hope it's Black Dahlia screenshot

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Author
Chris Moyse

Is Marvel's Avengers still salvageable for you?

3 years 1 month ago

Can Marvel's Avengers even afford the "Real Reborn Treatment?" Will people come back if it does miraculously get it? These are things I wonder at random moments whenever I see the icon flash across my PS5 menu.

Marvel's Avengers was always fighting an uphill battle. No matter how much Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics showed of it, a lot of folks felt like it didn't capture that Marvel, or even general comic book spark.

Is Marvel's Avengers still salvageable for you? screenshot

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Author
Chris Carter

Animated Fantasy Cryptozoo Finds Beauty in the Truly Strange

3 years 1 month ago

In a world where cryptids are real but misunderstood, a trio of women (one of whom happens to be a Gorgon) join forces to protect the strange beasts that lurk among us. But as we see in Dash Shaw’s gloriously colorful adult animation Cryptozoo, sometimes the best intentions aren’t always what’s best in the end.

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Cheryl Eddy on io9, shared by Riley MacLeod to Kotaku

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So, I May Have Made A Mistake In Mass Effect 2

3 years 1 month ago

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I did everything right in Mass Effect 2. I slapped armor plating on the Normandy and equipped it with a shield. I gave it a big fucking cannon. I even tackled (most of) the game’s loyalty missions. I was ready for the final battle, and went through the Omega-4 relay expecting a…

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Author
Ari Notis

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Battleborn Servers Go Offline, Shutting It Down For Good

3 years 1 month ago

Battleborn, Gearbox’s ill-fated competitive hero shooter/MOBA, finally went offline for good yesterday, January 31. According to publisher 2K Games earlier in the month, Battleborn is now completely unplayable, which includes its single-player campaign. 

This marks the end of a sad and painfully long decline for the game. Battleborn launched May 3, 2016 and had an intriguing premise, blending first-person shooter gameplay with MOBA-style arenas and design. However, it had an uphill battle from the get-go, due in no small part to launching within the same window as Overwatch, which caused a fair amount of confusion and (perhaps unfair) comparison between the two at the time. Unfortunately, while Overwatch would thrive, Battleborn struggled to find the same mass appeal (Game Informer scored it a 6 out of 10), performing below sales expectations at the time. 

Author
Marcus Stewart

Bernie Sanders Inauguration Meme Invades Resident Evil 7, Skyrim, And More Games

3 years 1 month ago

The Bernie Sanders inaguration meme is the gift that keeps on giving both with the glorious memes and the politician selling merchandise, offering 100 percent of the proceeds to Meals on Wheels Vermont. We previously showed off a SoulCalibur VI mod that brought those cute little mittens into the fight, but it turns out that was just one of many on the way. 

The latest rush of Sanders meme mods comes by way of YouTuber ToastedShoe with mod help from several modders in the gaming community. 

Click here to watch embedded media

Personally, the Dark Souls Bernie Sanders mod is the best just because of how hilariously out of place those itty bitty little mittens are in a world as brutally unforgiving as this. That being said, I will never turn down an opportunity to see more Devil May Cry, so the DMC5 addition is a nice touch as well. 

Author
Liana Ruppert

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury Multiplayer Gameplay Footage Revealed

3 years 1 month ago

Online multiplayer is coming soon to Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury on Nintendo Switch and this new video shows off what this experience will have to offer Mario fans. 

In a new video courtesy of GameReactor, the Super Mario 3D World multiplayer can be seen with returning favorites such as Peach, Toad, and the beloved Mario brothers. 

Click here to watch embedded media

If for some reason the above video isn't loading, you can also check it out right here

Ghosts, rain, and a haunted castle? Check. Playing with friends as iconic Super Mario characters? Check. Solid teamwork to make it through the experience? Eh, that part we'll have to wait and see. 

Author
Liana Ruppert

Why Anticipated Fallout: New Vegas The Frontier Mod Was Taken Down

3 years 1 month ago

Fallout: New Vegas The Frontier is a fan-driven mod overhaul project that has been in development for years. At long last, it was finally released on Nexus Mods at the end of January but the launch was anything but smooth. After just a short period of time since it was made available to the public, The Frontier has officially been shut down and this is why. 

First things first: what IS The Frontier? The Frontier is a new Fallout experience set within New Vegas that takes survivors to new snowy terrains in Portland, Oregon. With new characters, new quests, and over 15 hours of new story, this mod was one of a handful that longtime fans couldn't wait to get their hands on. So why was it canned so shortly after release? 

While the mod itself was released with a ton of bugs that made it unplayable for many (including feedback on the poor voice acting and writing), that wasn't actually the reason for the pull. In a recent post on the mod's listing on Nexus, the team issued a statement surrounding artwork from one of the modders on the project that was pedophiliac in nature. This is in addition to a plethora of post-launch changes based on "questionable" content. 

Click here to watch embedded media

Author
Liana Ruppert

Pokemon Sword And Shield's February Max Raid Event Features Fighting And Psychic Pokemon

3 years 1 month ago

A new Max Raid event is now underway in Pokemon Sword and Shield. All February long, certain Fighting- and Psychic-type Pokemon will be appearing more frequently in Max Raid dens across both games, including Gigantamax Machamp and Gigantamax Orbeetle.

Specifically, players will be more likely to encounter Machamp, Lucario, Falinks, Gothitelle, Reuniclus, and Orbeetle in Max Raid Battles this month. As previously mentioned, Gigantamax forms of Machamp and Orbeetle will also be appearing more frequently. Gigantamax Pokemon are typically incredibly rare to find outside of events like this, making this a good opportunity to add them to your collection if you haven't yet.

Before the new event Pokemon can begin appearing in your game, you'll first need to refresh your Max Raid dens. You can do so either by activating the Y-Comm to connect your game online, or by going into the Mystery Gift menu and selecting Get the Wild Area News. This Max Raid event will run through February 28.

Continue Reading at GameSpot
Author
Kevin Knezevic

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Apex Legends Trailer Shows Off Explosive New Character Fuse

3 years 1 month ago

A new character is coming to Apex Legends in Season 8, and we now know a lot more about his abilities, thanks to a new trailer from Respawn. This Legend is the explosives expert Fuse, and his kit is very much designed to fit that specific niche. We've got the full details on the kit below.

First, Fuse has a passive ability called Grenadier that allows him to stack an extra grenade per inventory slot. His robotic arm also allows him to fire grenades faster, further, and with more precision than other Legends. His tactical ability, Knuckle Cluster, is a cluster bomb that deploys a large number of small bombs that explode into the air. Finally, his ultimate ability is The Motherload, a mortar that bombards a large area in a wall of flame.

In terms of where he fits in the existing meta, Fuse seems to be a very offense-oriented character, similar to favorites like Bangalore and Wraith. His abilities will allow him to quickly flush out or finish a trapped team. However, his explosives can also be used as area denial by strategic players, especially in concert with more defense-oriented Legends like Wattson or Gibraltar.

Continue Reading at GameSpot
Author
Steven T. Wright

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