April 2021

Microsoft and Epic are putting the squeeze on Steam

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All Elite Wrestling announcer Excalibur helps us grapple with fantasy fight movies

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This toy is 100% Pokédex accurate

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Microsoft says it’s working hard to cater to PC gamers

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Based on DC Comics’ cult favorite, the show premieres this June

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Nintendo Wire is giving us another demake mockup, and once again, I wish it was real.

In case you forgot, the Pokemon Snap series (it's a series now!) allows players to take photos of creatures, facilitated by an on-rails mechanic. Your job is to capture as many Pokemon characters as you can on film, sometimes in different poses or situations.

This mockup shows us a full stage (Beach Course 1-1), from the start to the final assessment from Professor Oak, where you get scored on your photos and choose which one to use to put your best foot forward.

The sights, the sounds, it's all just lovely. Even some of the more grating noises! And the little "power" light on the side of the Game Boy Color is making me want to boot my original back up. The Color was such an ingenious idea: it not only paid off big time for Nintendo (it gets lumped into the original and currently has the all-time third spot in terms of game systems sold), but it's also a very forward-thinking device with backward compatibility for old games.

The Game Boy Advance took all this even further, in a frankly unprecedented era of care for preservation and backward compatibility. We're kind of beyond that now outside of efforts by basically just Microsoft.

People can now call dibs on a Deluxe Double or Limited Edition LP version of the Yakuza 0 soundtrack.

The post Yakuza 0 Soundtrack Vinyl Release Set for October 2021 appeared first on Siliconera.

Bandai Namco announced more Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker DLC. The demo will also be upgraded to a Lite version.

The post Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker Season Pass 4 and Free Lite Version Announced appeared first on Siliconera.

People can now vote in the Snow Miku 2022 design poll to determine which one of six designs will be turned into figures.

The post Snow Miku 2022 Design Poll Voting Begins appeared first on Siliconera.

This new story teaser elaborates on the various creation myths found in Genshin Impact.

The post Genshin Impact Story Teaser Focuses on Geo Archon Zhongli appeared first on Siliconera.

Microsoft announced on Thursday that Halo Infinite will support cross-play and cross-progression features alongside other PC specific options.

In a blog post about the company’s PC gaming plans for the future, Microsoft said that players will be able sync their multiplayer customization and progress across PC, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One when it launches this fall. The game’s multiplayer was previously announced as free-to-play, so anyone will be able to carry their progress between platforms.

The PC version of Halo Infinite will also receive more options specifically for the platform such as “support for ultrawide and super ultrawide screens, triple keybinds, a wide variety of advanced graphics options, and more.”

Microsoft announced in the post that over 10 million players have played Halo: The Master Chief Collection since its PC launch in December 2019, and would continue to tailor the PC community with publishing games to multiple storefronts like Steam and increase the Xbox Game Pass for PC library.

Ever since Crypto was introduced in season 3, his character has been a topic of much debate amongst the fanbase. Some players love Crypto’s passive ability, while others think that it doesn’t work well while playing with him and that he needs a rework.

Redditor NOT_CL4P-TRAP is one of those players that thinks Crypto is in need of a bit of a change, and they even went as far as to create their own passive for him called Off the Grid. This ability would make it so that Crypto cannot be scanned by enemies.

In the post, the user goes into further details regarding the ability and why it fits the character, which we’ve written for you down below:

The Reason for this suggestion is because Crypto doesn’t really have a passive ability. Crypto is still currently good but I feel like he needs an actual Passive ability.

This updated would be perfect for Crypto because it fits his personality. Someone who wants to stay hidden and is secretive. Plus nearly half of his voice lines talk of being “Off the Grid”.

While there was some discourse about the fact that Crypto does actually have a passive ability currently, letting him be able to see how many squads are in range on the banners when using his drone, the majority of commenters agreed this would be a considerable improvement for the character.

What do you think? Does Crypto really need a rework regarding his passive ability? Or would this make the character completely broken? Be sure to leave your opinions in the comment section below.

Back once again with a topic that I suspect we may have done before, it's the Electronic Wireless Show podcast. This week we're talking about the best water in games, but we also take the time to discuss what we think counts as a sandwich (we are surprisingly on the same page with it).

Digressions, apart from the sandwich thing, are surprisingly few, although we make time to talk about what Andrew Ryan would be like if he took a trip to the London Aquarium with Matthew, and there's a pretty off-topic Cavern of Lies in there too.

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Microsoft today announced that you'll be able to Master Chief it up with your consolepals in Halo Infinite, thanks to cross-platform multiplayer and progression. Details on how it will actually work are thin for now, but in theory that sounds neat. Nice to play with your pals. Though less fun to face mousefolk if you're playing on controller. Ah, we'll see in due time.

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When the Epic Games Store announced its low cut from games sold through its storefront, it was a big deal. This is the first time in a long time that Steam has had a viable competition on the business-facing side, and it looks like that studio-positive step has encouraged Microsoft to do the same. Microsoft is now reducing its own PC cut to match that of the Epic Games Store, further putting more of a spotlight on Steam and Valve's refusal to tweak its monetary demands. 

In a recent Xbox Wire blog post, Microsoft has confirmed how it is "helping developers deliver an exceptional experience," including more resources for these teams with a smaller sales cut. "As part of our commitment to empower every PC game creator to achieve more, starting on August 1, the developer share of Microsoft Store PC games sales net revenue will increase to 88 percent, from 70 percent," reads the new post. "A clear, no-strings-attached revenue share means developers can bring more games to more players and find greater commercial success from doing so."

Lost Soul Aside seemed like it was lost in the wind for years now, but the stylish action game created by a single developer is very much alive. Creator Yang Bing shared 18 minutes of brand-new footage during a recent Chinese Sony conference, showing off how far the game has come. We also learned that it's also heading to PlayStation 5. 

If you need some catching up, Lost Soul Aside first emerged in 2016 and turned heads for its fast-paced action and triple-A presentation despite Bing being its sole developer at the time. It was so impressive that Sony stepped in to publish the game, turning Lost Soul Aside into a timed PlayStation 4 exclusive. Subsequent gameplay showings over the years continued to impress, and Bing now has a team working on it called UltiZero Games. Today’s footage marks our first real look at the game since August 2018. 

Activision Blizzard

CEO Bobby Kotick has been in the headlines for his leadership practices and inflated salary, especially back in 2019. During that time, Activision Blizzard laid off more than 800 employees despite a profitable year, only to have it revealed that Kotick's salary came in at $30 million. Since then, more layoffs have occurred and big names at Blizzard have been moving on to pursue other ventures. The state of Blizzard following its absorption into the Activision Blizzard umbrella has been a constant source of scrutiny in the gaming community, especially in regards to Kotick and his extravagant salary. Now, the CEO has agreed to a 50 percent bonus reduction and a salary cut moving forward, in addition to several other key changes that could be a positive step for the folks at Blizzard. 

The move came to light when a portion of the extension agreement filed with the SEC went public (via WoWhead). In the documentation, it was revealed that Kotick both agreed to slashing his salary and cutting his bonus by 50 percent. In addition to the pay changes, he also agreed to terminate the Transformation Transaction Award and the Shareholder Value Creation incentives.

Want to know what you can expect from the upcoming Animal Crossing: New Horizons May update? We have the return of several events, including the May Day celebration, Museum Day, and the arrival of the Wedding season. That being said, seasonal events that are making a comeback aren't going to quite be what players will expect, because Nintendo was very careful to tell fans that these returning festivities will have "new twists" to enjoy. Additionally, we also have the full patch notes for what's new starting today. 

Animal Crossing: New Horizons May Plans

There are a few events on the way, including one that begins today! For those interested in those extracurricular celebrations while living out that island fantasy, here are the dates you should be paying attention to: 

Event Dates

May Day - April 29 through May 7

• With your May Day ticket, take an interesting island tour for a special surprise

International Museum Day - May 18 through May 31

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick is voluntarily halving his salary, as well as his target annual bonus. But in case you were worried, he’s still making a ton of money.

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Game developers on the Microsoft store will soon get a greater cut of the profits, Microsoft announced today. The change comes at a time when many developers and storefronts are rethinking the way profits are split.

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Don't miss Victoria's GDC 2021 talk, where she'll be giving tips on how to improve your community management strategy. ...

Valkyrie brings jetpacks and missiles to the Apex Games

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Google Cloud and 2K Games have launched a new open-source cloud-native storage interface called Open Saves. ...

So be sure to pick up the PS4 version on PS Plus next month

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On GDC Podcast episode 19 we welcomed Adam Hines and Sean Krankel, cofounders of Night School Studio, developers of games such as Afterparty and the iconic indie game Oxenfree. ...

It’s a free cross-gen console update

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EA has completed its $2.1 billion purchase of mobile developer and publisher Glu Mobile.  ...

Jin Conception, a game with social deduction elements like Gnosia and a turn-based RPG battle system, will appear on the Switch in May.

The post Jin Conception Switch Version Will Appear Next Month appeared first on Siliconera.

The Cells at Work!! season 2 English dub is about to make its Funimation debut, and the main characters' voice actors all returned.

The post Cells at Work Season 2 English Dub Heading to Funimation appeared first on Siliconera.

Ahead of May the Fourth, EA announced Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order will end up coming to both the PS5 and Xbox Series X.

The post Star Wars Jedi PS5 and Xbox Series X Versions Confirmed appeared first on Siliconera.

If you're at a loose end this evening, why not park your bum right here - perched upon Eurogamer's comfy news cushion - for tonight's PlayStation State of Play.

This evening's show is, of course, a mix of both known and unknown quantities. We know, for instance, that it'll be the place to go for a latest look at Insomniac Games' upcoming PS5-exclusive Ratchet & Clank effort, Rift Apart, ahead of its 11th June release.

Earlier this week Insomniac revealed its new female hero, a Lombax resistance fighter, will be called Rivet, and that Rift Apart will offer a mix of new locations and alternative-dimension twists on old-favourites. Expect plenty more details this evening, though, with Insomniac prepping 15-minutes worth of gameplay for State of Play.

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Focus Home Interactive has released gameplay of Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground - and it looks pretty good.

This turn-based strategy video game is set within the Age of Sigmar universe - the current super-popular Warhammer tabletop game. Focus Home Interactive says Storm Ground is the first strategy video game adaptation of Age of Sigmar (Creative Assembly's Total War: Warhammer, for example, is not set in the Age of Sigmar).

The video below shows off the three factions: the Stormcast Eternals, the Nighthaunt and the Maggotkin - and reveals the hero units available. The Stormcast are hard to kill, for example. The Maggotkin can change the environment through their corruption (Nurgle has that effect on things!).

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Predator: Hunting Grounds has launched on Steam.

The IllFonic-developed, Sony-published asymmetrical multiplayer shooter launches on Steam a year after it made its debut on PlayStation 4 and PC via the Epic Games Store.

Predator: Hunting Grounds supports crossplay invites, but progress in-game is stored on a per-platform basis and is non-transferable, Illfonic said in a post on the PlayStation Blog.

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During Sony's last State of Play presentation, we got our first look at the next chapter in the extremely popular, jumpscare-tastic franchise Five Nights at Freddy's.

Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach will transition the typical CCTV action of its best-selling predecessors into full-on first-person gameplay. Players will gingerly pick their way through a "Wacky Warehouse"-style play center, desperately trying to remain at claws' length from a band of murderous animatronics, led by terrifying host Freddy Fazbear.

Before launch, Nier Replicant head honcho Yoko Taro and company promised some form of free DLC bonus for the re-release, and we just got it. Quietly!

In true Taro fashion the new "4 YoRHa" pack rolled out on all platforms (PC, PS4, Xbox One) in the past 24 hours, and now everyone can download it at no cost. This doesn't seem to be a limited-time run or special initial offer either, as the DLC descriptions in all three marketplaces say that it is a "free downloadable content."

It's a very simple little add-on, hearkening back to the days of open world "item pack" DLCs. This one comes with "four costumes and four weapons" (ha, "4 YoRHa") from Automata, transported into the Replicant world. The development team also notes that the costumes might not actually show up in some cutscenes due to the nature of the story.

The listing also gives us a chance to revisit the ESRB "mature content description" straight from the studio: "NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… contains adult scenes and theme, strong language in certain areas of the game, including blood, violence, criminal acts and killing." Nice.

You can find direct links for all three storefronts right below. You may as well redeem all of them in case you end up getting it on one of those platforms at some point.

The highly acclaimed exploration title Sunless Skies is almost set to bring its awe-inspiring universe to the console market. As announced by developer Failbetter Games, the 2019 adventure will be docking on PS4, Xbox One, and Switch platforms May 19, in the form of an enhanced "Sovereign Edition".

For a lot of World of Warcraft players, the wounds from Sylvanas are still fresh.

It's really interesting though, as the Shadowlands storyline is taking its sweet time to carry on, and it'll be a while until we start to see more of her motivations and plotline play out. Will she redeem herself? Will it be satisfying enough of a conclusion for her tale, if there even is a conclusion anytime soon? Well it's modern-day WoW, so the odds are about 50/50.

In the meantime, you can check out her novel, which is set to debut on November 9, 2021. The gist is that it ties directly into the events of Shadowlands, as Sylvanas wrestles with her past and how she got to be in the position she's in with the Jailer: the presumed big bad of the new expansion that might not actually be the big bad, in classic WoW fashion.

It'll deal with her past in some fashion, as these books tend to roll with. You can find the official synopsis below. It's also going to be narrated by Patty Mattson, who voices the character: neat little option!

Warcraft: Sylvanas [Battle.net]

One of the last generation's big Star Wars games is getting a new next-gen version. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order will have its own PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S release this summer.

The announcement comes as part of the lead-up to May 4, the generally agreed-upon "Star Wars Day." While details are sparse for now, it is confirmed that there will be a cross-generational upgrade path for current owners of the game, and the next-gen version will bring "a number of technical improvements" to Fallen Order on the new consoles, presumably a further improvement on its previous next-gen optimizations.

If you didn't pick up Cal Kestis' journey the first time around, there will also be a sale on Standard and Deluxe Editions, which started April 28 and should run through May 12 on PS4, Xbox One, Origin, and Steam.

The Star Wars blog lists a bunch of other deals that are happening around Star Wars Day, from Squadrons to oldies like Knights of the Old Republic. And hopefully, with how well games like Jedi: Fallen Order have been doing, we'll keep seeing more Star Wars games in the future.

Returnal reviews went live this morning, with the Game Informer score clocking in at a massive 9.5. Today, you can join Dan Tack as he plays the game with a fresh save file. You may have already seen much of the areas we explore today in previews, but that's okay, it just means you won't get spoiled! 

Dan will also be there to answer any questions you have about the game (without spoilers, of course!). How hard is the game? How long can someone expect to play to "beat" it? What are the best weapons? What should you be looking for? Is this roguelike game really worth $70? Come chat as we answer all these questions and more on today's episode of Game Informer Live! You can join us at 12:30 CST for all the action!