March 2021

More Than 2,000 Steam Games Discounted In New PC Spring Sale

3 years ago

If you're looking for a new game to play on PC, you'll want to check out Fanatical's Spring Sale. The annual sale just went live with deals on thousands of games, including Persona 5 Strikers, Monster Hunter World, Rainbow Six Siege, Resident Evil 3, and much more. Some of the discounts are only available for a short window, so you'll want to check back in the coming days for refreshed flash deals.

Like most Fanatical sales, you'll get rewarded by spending a certain amount of money. In the Spring Sale, if you spend $10 in one transaction you'll receive a free game. A handful of games are up for grabs, including This War of Mine: Final Cut, Beat Cop, and Tomb Raider: Chronicles.

Most of the deals in Fanatical's Spring Sale can be redeemed on Steam, while the remaining deals can be claimed on publisher clients such as Ubisoft's Uplay. Standout Ubisoft deals include Anno 1800 for $17.69, Rainbow Six Siege for $7.39, and Assassin's Creed Odyssey's Ultimate edition for only $27.59.

Author
Steven Petite

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Snoop Dogg Rage-Quit 15 Minutes Into A Madden Stream

3 years ago

Snoop Dogg's love for Madden is well-documented, but the rapper didn't exactly have a good time streaming the game recently. Fourteen minutes into his most recent Madden stream, after the opposing team scored three unanswered touchdowns in the first half, Snoop decided that he'd had enough.

However, it appears that the mind behind such infectious hits as "Drop It Like It's Hot" and "Gin & Juice" forgot to end the steam, as the broadcast continued for the next seven hours and change with no footage whatsoever. Viewers were regaled with a mixture of soul and funk classics for hours and hours. Snoop's fans continued to bombard the stream chat with memes and emojis for the entirety of that time, with several suggesting that he should "get some mods" to help with the technical mix-up.

Snoop's stream description of "sit back, relax, and chill, it's a vibe in here" seems particularly ironic now, given how the stream ended. That said, the fact that Snoop's fans were willing to sit there for hours amusing themselves to the tunes of James Brown demonstrates the rapper's endless appeal. Let's hope he can at least make it through an entire game next time.

Author
Steven T. Wright

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Halo 3 Is Adding Its Version Of Fortnite's Back Bling In New Update

3 years ago

A new way to customize your Spartan in Halo 3 is coming to the game more than 13 years after it was originally released. 343 Industries has announced that it's taking a page out of Fortnite's book with its own version of back bling for another way to customize your solider.

"Back attachment" gear is coming to Halo 3 in The Master Chief Collection with the Season 6 update. The attachments are purely cosmetic, and they're meant to give you yet another way to customize your character to stand out on the battlefield.

The Ammo pack back attachment

The new back attachments, which can be unlocked by simply playing the game, include the Tactical pack, the Demolitions pack, the Communications pack, and the Ammo pack, among others. The Ammo pack looks the best to me thanks to its huge knife at the bottom.

Another one, which wasn't announced in 343's blog post but is available in the Season 6 beta test, is the Sword and Board (see below), along with one called Pulaski. This one is a big firefighter's axe--you can see it in the game in UberNick's YouTube video.

Author
Eddie Makuch

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Joel McHale Talks About Madden, Pitches His Own Video Game

3 years ago

Actor Joel McHale recently appeared on the video game podcast Good Game Nice Try, opening up about his own video game tastes and even jokingly pitching his own game concept. The lengthy chat included thoughts on Madden, character creators, and a game McHale calls "Wine Cellar."

McHale calls himself an old man and pokes fun at his own skill level, though he does say that he was pretty good at Battlefield games a few years back. He also said that those seeking to learn football should just play Madden for a month, because the complexity of knowledge about plays and options took him years to learn when he actually played football in real life. They also discussed character creators, which McHale said he doesn't really bother with despite being "deeply concerned" about his appearance. But while he plays shooters and horror games, his real dream seems a lot more relaxing.

"I'd like a video game wine cellar, where you go into a cellar and start popping open super expensive bottles that you could not afford in real life," he said. The goal of the game, he said, is to drink it all before 12 noon. Later, he mentioned that Wine Cellar multiplayer would consist of friends vomiting while he puts on an album.

McHale is known primarily for starring in the sitcom Community and hosting the talk show The Soup, though he has also hosted video game events like the 2013 Spike Video Game Awards and the 2010 Ubisoft E3 press conference. Good Game Nice Try is hosted by Aaron Bleyaert of Conan O'Brien's Clueless Gamer segments, and Twitch streamer Sonja Reid aka OMGitsfirefoxx.

Asked for his best and worst game moments, McHale just took a moment to appreciate the medium itself. "Every day one gets to play a video game, that's a good day," he said.

Author
Steve Watts

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Horizon Forbidden West Still Seemingly On Track For 2021 According To Sony Advertising

3 years ago

Horizon Forbidden West is still on track for release on PS5 and PS4 later this year, according to the most recent games trailer from Sony. The trailer suggests the sequel will launch in the second half of 2021, while also featuring the most up-to-date release information for Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart and Gran Turismo 7.

The trailer in question (captured by IGN) features the recently revealed June release date for Insomniac's latest Ratchet and Clank adventure and the omission of a 2021 release window for Gran Turismo 7, suggesting that the "anticipated second half 2021" caption for Horizon Forbidden West is equally accurate. You can see the trailer below, which shows off some clips from the anticipated sequel that Sony debuted with the game's announcement.

Author
Alessandro Barbosa

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Watch Logan Paul Pull The Rarest Pokemon Cards From A Million-Dollar Box

3 years ago

As Pokemon marks its 25th anniversary this year, controversial YouTuber and occasional boxer Logan Paul decided to get in on the action as well. Paul spent big money acquiring several sealed booster boxes of First Edition Base Set cards, but he saved a $1 million dollar Pokemon first edition box for a livestream on February 28.

Within an hour, Paul had already begun pulling several incredibly rare and valuable cards that over 200,000 people tuned in to see. Two holographic Charizards and at least three holographic Chansey cards were pulled, and with Ken Goldin from Goldin Auctions present to do on the spot estimations of each card's worth, the box paid for itself in a short amount of time. "My heart is beating so fast, this is crazy," Paul said around 24 minutes into the stream when he pulled his first Charizard.

Goldin mentioned that he already has a first edition Charizard on auction which is ready to sell for nearly $400,000, although he expects it to reach a closing bid of $500,000 when the bidding ends this week. A Charizard holographic card with a Gen 10 rating would be worth as much as $750,000 at auction. Paul had previously livestreamed himself opening 36 packs of base set Pokemon cards in October last year, and he auctioned each pack off before opening them and donating the proceeds to charity.

Author
Darryn Bonthuys

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Next Need for Speed delayed as EA shifts Criterion to support new Battlefield title

3 years ago

EA has announced it will be pushing back the release of Criterion's next Need for Speed game by a year so the studio can lend development support on DICE's next Battlefield game.

At the tail-end of last year, EA revealed Criterion's new (and currently unnamed) Need for Speed title would launch in "fiscal year" 2022 - that is, somewhere between this April and the end of March 2022 - but the publisher has now announced it's shifting that release to FY2023.

The news was shared by chief studios officer Laura Miele in a post offering an update on several of the publisher's future titles. The catalyst for the post, however, is the next Battlefield, which Miele claims is "coming together to be an exceptional game...at an unprecedented scale".

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World War Z and Ace Combat 7 lead March's PlayStation Now additions

3 years ago

Another month means more new additions to Sony's PlayStation Now subscription service, with March set to bring co-op zombie shooter World War Z, aerial adventure Ace Combat 7, superhero romp Infamous: Second Son, plus time-manipulating FPS Superhot.

World War Z, which released back in 2019, is essentially a modern day spin on Valve's beloved Left 4 Dead series. Developed by Saber Interactive, it tasks teams of up to four players with taking on the zombie hordes, each new mission seeing them step into the shoes of a new group of survivors as the action relocates to another part of the globe - New York, Tokyo, Moscow, Jerusalem, and Marseille. World War Z was a solid enough effort on release, but it's grown considerably since then - it now features five competitive multiplayer modes, for instance - expanding and improving thanks to Saber's extensive post-launch support.

Infamous: Second Son, meanwhile, is the third game in Sucker Punch's open-world superhero series, initially launching on PS4 in 2014. It follows the super-powered adventures of street artist Delsin Rowe across Seattle, and, like earlier games, features a morality system giving players the choice of whether to use their abilities for good or evil. Oli Welsh called it "compact and likeable" in his 7/10 review, while noting, "There's not been much of an attempt to shake up the mission scenarios or structure of the game, leaving you with a very rote open-world adventure".

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Big PlayStation sales week sees The Last of Us Part II and Spider-Man: Miles Morales riding high

3 years ago

After weeks of Nintendo's dominance, PlayStation finally had reason to celebrate. A supply restock - in addition to several store discounts - saw some of Sony's big-hitters shoot back up the UK Charts.

As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, comic-book adventure Spider-Man: Miles Morales saw a 172% rise in sales, climbing from number nine to number two in the Top Ten. Naughty Dog's misery-fest The Last of Us Part II was discounted at a variety of outlets, which saw the award-winning title skyrocket up the charts to make a grand re-entry at number three. FromSoftware's PS5 remake Demon's Souls also returned to the Top 40 at number 21.

Author
Chris Moyse

Rust: Console Edition looks pretty good all things considered

3 years ago

2020 was a quiet year for the still-happening PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of Rust, but big plans are in motion this year. Double Eleven put out a new trailer for Rust: Console Edition today, thanked fans for their ongoing support, and sent out the first batch of closed beta keys. No release date, though.

[Update: Double Eleven is now aiming for a Spring 2021 release for Rust: Console Edition, and the studio shared a handful of new screenshots. The closed beta will stick around for "the next few weeks."]

Rust: Console Edition screenshot

Rust: Console Edition screenshot

Rust: Console Edition screenshot

Rust: Console Edition screenshot

Rust: Console Edition screenshot

Rust: Console Edition screenshot

Author
Jordan Devore

Apex Legends is still growing, achieves new Steam concurrent record this month

3 years ago

Apex Legends exploded at launch on Twitch, and has since retreated to a respectable top five position or so since then. But each season waxes and wanes, and the recent launch of Season 8 has been a boon for the game.

Amid a launch on Switch, Season 8 has seen the highest concurrent player count on Steam to date. As reported by SteamDB, Apex Legends managed to hit the 196,799 mark on February 27. That's good!

As a bit of background, we now have access to cold hard data for Apex Legends beyond vague Twitch stream views. Apex Legends is still fairly fresh on Steam as it only arrived in November of 2020, so we're now able to quantifiably track the game's progress for the first time in ages.

Season 8 was undeniably a success so far for Respawn, following a few mixed reception choices in the past few years. Fuse (the new character) is a hit in many circles, and the rework of King's Canyon has been a nice change of pace. Live service games are constantly on a razor's edge, but Apex Legends is surviving, and then some.

Apex Legends News [Twitter via SteamDB]

Apex Legends is still growing, achieves new Steam concurrent record this month screenshot

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Author
Chris Carter

The Sinking City controversy continues as Frogwares asks fans not to purchase Steam port

3 years ago

Developer Frogwares has put out a succinct statement asking users not to purchase the Steam edition of The Sinking City, which recently returned to the PC retail platform following a period of commotion over the title's licensing issues. According to the Ukrainian studio, the Steam edition of the 2019 mystery horror title was not developed by them, though further details are not yet forthcoming.

The Sinking City - a Lovecraft-inspired period piece of madness and intrigue - was pulled from digital sale by the developer following fallout with publisher Nacon (then Big Ben Interactive). Frogwares filed suit against its publisher over a laundry list of allegations pertaining to ownership rights, marketing promises, and payment delays. In October 2020, a court ruled that Frogwares had acted unlawfully in pulling the title from release. The Sinking City would return to digital storefronts in January 2021, only to be pulled from Steam again in double-quick time.

Over on Steam, users are claiming that the latest re-up of The Sinking City is an old build of the game, and does not include access to DLC, post-release updates, cloud-saves, or achievements. Frogwares insists that it will follow up with more news on the situation "soon." In the meantime, The Sinking City remains available on Steam, the Nintendo eShop, and the PlayStation and Microsoft stores.

The Sinking City controversy continues as Frogwares asks fans not to purchase Steam port screenshot

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Author
Chris Moyse

Tom Holland candidly expresses misgivings over his Uncharted role

3 years ago

Perhaps no video game adaptation has struggled to get onto the silver screen harder than Uncharted. Having been in the works for many years, and barreling through a slew of directors and release dates, Sony's cinematic take on the adventurous Naughty Dog franchise is almost in the can, and is now expected to premiere in February 2022.

However, in a recent interview with GQ, actor Tom Holland - who dons the murky shirt of protagonist Nathan Drake - has expressed some disappointment with the role. Talking candidly as the Spider-Man star in wont to do, it appears that Holland found the role to be far more about "looking cool" than he'd perhaps have liked, with GQ choosing to describe Uncharted as "an experiment in vanity that left an odd taste in (Holland's) mouth."

"As soon as you start worrying about ‘Do I look good in this shot?’ acting becomes something other than playing a character," said Holland. "I think there are elements of my performance in Uncharted where I kind of fell under that spell of being ‘I want to look good now. I want this to be my cool moment'. I had to play this very tough, very stoic guy - basically be Mark Wahlberg."

While Holland’s comments will no doubt leave Sony Studios’ PR team with their heads in their hands, it should be clarified that the young star isn't necessarily saying that the Uncharted movie is a bad film, but more that the macho posturing that came with playing pseudo-Indiana Jones left him a little out of his comfort zone. Given that Holland was shooting the Russo brothers' Cherry - a drama about an opioid-addicted military veteran - around the same time, it's no surprise that there might have been dramatic juxtaposition between performing in the two, clearly distinct roles.

Author
Chris Moyse

A Realm Reborn's Ending Was Kind Of A Letdown

3 years ago

I rolled credits on A Realm Reborn a couple of days ago, ushering in the new Seventh Astral Era, and yet I feel kinda hollow. Compared to my gut-wrenching experience toward the middle of my journey, the end of A Realm Reborn’s storyline feels like a huge-ass letdown.

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Author
Ash Parrish

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EA Prioritizes Battlefield, Delaying Need For Speed

3 years ago

Last Fall, another Battlefield game was confirmed to be in the works. The title is slated to push the boundaries of previous Battlefield innovations while staying true to the franchise's definitive multiplayer experience, “DICE is creating our next Battlefield game with never-before-seen scale,” stated an EA representative. “The technical advancements of the new consoles are allowing the team to deliver on a true next-gen vision for the franchise. We have hands-on play testing underway internally, and the team’s been getting very positive feedback on the game as we’ve begun to engage our community.”  The next chapter in the franchise is set to launch in the latter half of 2021.

Author
Jason Guisao

New Need for Speed Delayed to Focus on Next Battlefield, EA Confirms

3 years ago
EA has shifted Criterion Games off of its current Need for Speed project to help EA DICE with development on the next Battlefield game. This game, which is currently untitled, is expected to release this Fall on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, and it seems DICE needed some extra help getting the game ready for that release, according to a new report from Polygon. EA insists that Criterion Games will return to development of its Need for Speed title in 2022, though. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/28/new-battlefield-coming-in-2021-no-more-star-wars-battlefront-2-and-battlefield-5-updates"] EA made the call to have Criterion work with DICE on the next Battlefield project due to pandemic-related working conditions and because of the fact that following the Codemasters acquisition made last month, EA will have at least one racing game release this year — likely its annual Formula One title. EA chief studios officer, Laura Miele, told Polygon that neither the Battlefield franchise or the Need for Speed franchise are in trouble. "There's no way we would have made a decision like this without including [Criterion] and discussing this with them first, and the impact that they could have on [Battlefield]," Miele said. "They've worked on [Star Wars] Battlefront, they've worked on Battlefields, and they have a really tight, close collaborative partnership with DICE.
Author
Wesley LeBlanc

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Can You Name These 10 Side Characters From How I Met Your Mother?

3 years ago

How I Met Your Mother features one of the funniest rotating cast of characters, as you’ll get a boatload of people that pop in and out of the group’s life throughout each of the nine seasons. To celebrate those supporting characters, we’ve come up with a quiz to see if you can name some of the more obscure ones.

So get ready, as it is time to see if you can name these 10 side characters from How I Met Your Mother. Be sure to comment on how well you did below!

(All images via CBS)

Once you’re done, you can also check out all of the other sitcom quizzes we have on the site. We’ve got ones on  Parks and RecreationBrooklyn 99, FuturamaGame of Thrones, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, just to name a few.

Author
Andrew McMahon

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MLB Releases First Footage of R.B.I. Baseball 21; Is Short on Actual Gameplay

3 years ago

Today MLB released the first footage of its internally developed baseball game, R.B.I. Baseball 21. The trailer, titled First Look at “R.B.I. Baseball 21 Gameplay!” is about 30 seconds long and sadly does not include much in the way of actual gameplay.

Take a look for yourself below:

The trailer shows some brief, and simple looks at gameplay while frequently cutting away to non-gameplay. Not really much in the way of getting a feel for what R.B.I. Baseball is bringing this year.

For years now, the R.B.I. Baseball series has existed alongside the critically acclaimed MLB The Show franchise. During that time, R.B.I. Baseball has been able to carve out a niche as the only baseball game that was playable on home console platforms other than PlayStation. The games were never great, but they have been serviceable at least if you’re dying to play some virtual baseball.

That changes this year, though, with the multiplatform release of MLB The Show 21 on Xbox as well. Although a Switch version was rumored, it hasn’t yet come to fruition.

Author
Ed McGlone

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Microsoft Flight Simulator CRJ Video & Screenshots Are All About The Cockpit; Release Date Reveal Tomorrow

3 years ago

Aerosoft is getting close to releasing its Bombardier CRJ add-on package for Microsoft Flight Simulator, and new assets have just been published.

First of all, we get another video tutorial focusing on the final preparations before engine startup. As usual, this is narrated by an experienced CRJ pilot and provides a great chance to learn and to see the super-detailed cockpit at the same time.

We also get to take a look at new screenshots showing off additional weathering work done to the cockpit itself.

Incidentally, the release date should have been revealed today, but due to issues related to marketing coordination, it will instead be announced tomorrow.

We already know that a second package including the CRJ 900 and 1000 is planned for release 4-6 week after the first, which will include CRJ 700 and 550.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Carmageddon 64 is a strong contender for the title of 'Worst Game on the N64'

3 years ago

I’m something of an apologist for Superman on the N64. No, I’m not about to claim it was good -- it definitely wasn’t. It was an abysmal void of despair where a game should be. However, I often argue that it’s not the worst game ever like some people claim. It wasn’t even the worst game on the N64. It wasn’t even the worst game developed on the N64 by Titus. No, Titus had a special talent for pumping garbage water from the bottom of the well. I have a mantra about Titus: “It ain’t no fun if there’s a fox on the box.”

The publisher was responsible for bringing us such questionable N64 titles as Xena: Warrior Princess: The Talisman of Fate, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, and Carmageddon 64. But whereas Xena and Hercules are, uh, playable, to put it charitably, Carmageddon 64 is the deepest pits. It’s like getting your shoelace stuck in the world’s slowest escalator; it may sound like an easy thing to avoid, but if you try to ride it out, you’re in for a very slow, painful, and embarrassing death.

Carmageddon 64 is a strong contender for the title of 'Worst Game on the N64' screenshot

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Author
Zoey Handley

Review: Taxi Chaos

3 years ago

Taxi Chaos is, for all intents and purposes, the spiritual successor to Sega's Crazy Taxi. It features convertible cabs driving around a city, picking up fares, and dropping them off as quickly and stylishly as possible. There's even the arrow at the top of the screen that guides players to their destinations. But like a lot of "spiritual successors," it comes nowhere near measuring up to its predecessor.

Review: Taxi Chaos screenshot

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Author
CJ Andriessen

Need for Speed fans are in for a wait as EA taps Criterion to help finish Battlefield

3 years ago

The next Battlefield game is due out this fall, and to make the most of it – to try and do better than the likable but too often shaky Battlefield V – EA has tapped Criterion to assist DICE and DICE LA. As a result, the new main-series Need for Speed game is coming later than expected – in fiscal year 2023.

The news circulated in a publicly-released letter to EA employees written by chief studios officer Laura Miele. "Criterion is one of the strongest racing studios in the industry, and the work they have accomplished on the next Need for Speed is truly inspired and will breathe new life into one of our most storied brands," Miele said. "We're going to give Criterion the time to reach the game's full promise."

As for what's going on with 2021's Battlefield game, EA has "recently seen the first version of the reveal trailer for Battlefield and it's shaping up to be a truly amazing first look at this groundbreaking game."

"The project is tracking towards the franchise's earliest Alpha, the gameplay is at an unprecedented scale, and we are taking full advantage of the technology in the next-gen consoles," she said.

Need for Speed Hot Pursuit RemasteredStellar Entertainment released Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered last year. Maybe we'll get another Criterion remaster to help tide fans over? It feels like only a matter of time for 2012's Most Wanted to be revived on current platforms.

Author
Jordan Devore