May 2021

Players have figured out a way to reset the 60-minute timer on the final Resident Evil Village demo on Steam. The demo is available now on many gaming platforms, and a lot of curious players are checking out the upcoming game's creepy environments for the first time.

While most players find the time limit to be generous enough to explore both the Castle and Village halves of the demo, Steam users have determined a method for resetting the timer so you can replay both to your heart's content. After all, that photo mode can suck up your time in a hurry. A Steam forums user detailed a six-step guide to zeroing out the timer, and it's fairly straightforward. However, it does require the use of an external utility called Steam Achievement Manager (SAM). (If you're an old-school Steam user, you may have used SAM to unlock weapons in Team Fortress 2.)

As part of the Epic vs. Apple trial that began today in California, numerous documents were made public as part of the evidence registry. One of these pertained to just how much money Epic Games is making from Fortnite, and surprising no one, it is a heck of a lot. According to The Verge, Fortnite made $9 billion in revenue in 2018 and 2019.

We don't know how much profit the game made, however. Overall, Epic as a company had a profit of $5.5 billion in 2018 and 2019.

An Excel file obtained by The Washington Post reveals that, between January 2017 and October 2020, the overwhelming majority of Epic's payments made to Microsoft and Sony related to Fortnite, the report said. A smaller percentage came from Rocket League, which Epic owns, and other Epic games.

Over that time period, Epic paid $237,175,521 to Apple. For comparison, Epic said it paid $245,992,576 to Microsoft and $451,405,240 to Sony in 2020 alone. This information was released by Epic to demonstrate that iOS is in fact not the biggest platform for Fortnite--not at all.

If Epic is paying hundreds of millions of dollars to platform-holders in commissions, that means Fortnite is making factors more in revenue. It is understood that Epic pays the 30% store fees on PlayStation and Xbox, so the total amount of money Epic makes from Fortnite is truly massive.

There are now 97 games for Xbox that have the FPS Boost feature, platform spokesman Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb announced on Monday. This number comes after the feature rolled out to a large number of new games, including Wasteland 3 and Halo Wars 2. Based on an image attached to Hryb's tweet, other notable games with the feature include Hollow Knight, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Far Cry 5, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

As the accompanying blog post notes, FPS Boost was first unveiled as an Xbox Series X|S feature back in February. True to its name, the feature offers a frame rate boost, offering 60fps for Assassin's Creed Unity, 60fps for Shadow of the Tomb Raider, 60fps for Far Cry 5, and 120fps for Hollow Knight.

Mother's Day is less than a week away, and if you're still not sure what to get your dear mum, you may want to consider something from the new Amazon Device Sale. This sale includes deep discounts on tons of gadgets that will help keep mom entertained and informed, from e-readers to smart home controls and more. Each comes with free one-day shipping so it's sure to arrive in time for Mother's Day.

Since these are Amazon devices, most of them include Alexa functionality. That common functionality will let you ask questions and control the devices with your voice, and the smart speakers and screens can feed you information like the weather or news as well. Your mom can check out streaming shows in 4K with HDR and control it all with Alexa with a Fire TV Stick or give her Alexa virtual assistant a screen with the Echo Show.

Although first-party Switch game deals are becoming more common than they once were, the platform's best games don't usually drop by more than $10 or $15 outside of Black Friday. This week, however, a few of the best Nintendo Switch games have been slashed by 20 bucks, dropping them to $40 each. The small sale includes New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, Super Mario Odyssey, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, and Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition. The deals are available at multiple retailers, including Amazon and GameStop, and the sale will likely run all week (or while supplies last).

These Switch games are just a few of the best deals this week. With Star Wars Day happening on Tuesday, there's a whole host of Star Wars Day deals floating around, including dozens of game deals across PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and PC--and this very strange Tauntaun sleeping bag for $50 at GameStop.

According to leaks, Fortnite Season 6 Week 8 challenges ask you to visit a few fast food restaurants more than once, including Pizza Pit and Durrr Burger. While at first you'll want to visit each of them individually, eventually you'll also have to travel from one to the other in a bit of a mad dash. In total, this will help you with three challenges, including those requiring you to Dance in Durrr Burger kitchen, use a firefly jar at Pizza Pit, and drive from Durrr Burger to Pizza Pit without exiting a vehicle. In this guide we'll walk you through where to find Pizza Pit and where to find Durrr Burger so you can grab lunch with a side of XP. Note that these challenges will all go live on May 6 at 6 AM PT / 9 AM ET.

Pizza Pit And Durrr Burger Locations

While each restaurant also has food truck spin-offs on the map, these Week 8 challenges will ask you to visit their brick-and-mortar locations. Pizza Pit is northeast of Colossal Crops situated next to The Orchard, which is also unnamed on the map but famous for its abundance of foraged items which are needed if you're still catching up on last week's challenges.

Durrr Burger stands between Holly Hedges and Slurpy Swamp and also offers a ton of wood piles you can break down if you want the materials. Both spots are highlighted on the map below.

Get ready to see more Wombo Combos thanks to the latest update for Slippi, the online Super Smash Bros. Melee mod. Slippi version 2.3.0 has added support for a crucial part of Melee that has been missing since in-person tournaments ceased due to the Covid-19 pandemic: doubles.

Doubles in Slippi won't work the same way as regular matches in the mod. Those looking to play doubles matches won't be able to simply search for a game against two other players. Instead, all four players will have to connect to each other directly.

While this isn't ideal for the everyday online Melee player, it makes a world of difference in the game's competitive scene. Doubles Melee is a staple at any major tournament for the game. Likewise, the top doubles players are also often different from the top singles players. Basically, doubles is an entirely different kind of Melee, and it can now be played online as if all four players were sitting next to each other at the same setup.

Do you remember the film The Adventures of Milo and Otis? I don’t. It was based on a 1986 Japanese film called Koneko Monogatari. It’s not bad, I guess, if you think you can trust critics. It’s about a kitten getting lost in the wild and a pug puppy that chases after him. Both have misadventures in their efforts to not die. Sort of like Homeward Bound with better public transportation and a vending machine on every corner.

In the wake of Super Mario Bros., Koneko Monogatari was adapted into a game for the Famicom Disk System. Let’s be fair here, it was 1986. Chernobyl exploded, Microsoft went public, and developers were still struggling to figure out how to make console games that weren’t just inferior ports of successful arcade titles. There were definitely a good few 1986 releases, but Koneko Monogatari isn’t one of them.

It is 1986. Computers are only just beginning to see widespread adoption, and you the player, as software developer Meredith, are in a mail truck in your hometown, helping the local postman figure out if he needs one.

He remarks that it might help with taxes, as he's never been great at maintaining his books. "Sure, there are programs for that," Meredith says. "But you'll still have to put in some work yourself."

That's how Lake, an upcoming game best described as a narrative mail delivery sim, starts out. Meredith is back in her hometown of Providence Oaks, a town built around a gorgeous lake, to fill her father's spot as mailman for two weeks. Set apart from the hustle and bustle of a city life where she works overtime on life management software (yes, there is a sense of irony to it), Meredith's work-cation is a temporary reprieve. Well, it can be.

Popular "Skyrim grandma" YouTuber Shirley Curry has become a bit of a fixture in The Elder Scrolls fan circles thanks to her super sweet and chill Skyrim playthroughs. So much so that Bethesda are putting her in The Elder Scrolls 6 thanks to a fan petition. Fans also started working on a Skyrim follower mod dedicated to Curry a while back. It's finally arrived, complete with voice acting by Curry herself, so you can bring your favorite warrior grandma along on your next adventure.

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Another month has begun and so another batch of games will be joining Xbox Game Pass for PC. Microsoft have revealed a list of games joining their subscription library for May and hey look, more Final Fantasy. Adventures of fantastical sports star Tidus in Final Fantasy X and X-2 are on the way along with Psychonauts, Outlast 2, Dragon Quest Builders 2, and more. As ever, that also means some games are leaving the service too. Here's what's coming to the PC side this month.

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• Samus Aran
• Naruto
• Katniss Everdeen
• The Bride (From Kill Bill)
• Snake Plissken
• John McClane

How to unlock Diona’s Hangout Event in Genshin Impact

• Reaching Prologue: Act III
• Have 2 Story Keys

Diona’s Special Ending

• Aww look, it's a kitty!
• I want to try some new specialty drinks
• I'm a lot older than I look...
• I'd like the base to be more unique...
• You want to make a drink...

Today, the trial between Epic and Apple finally began after nearly nine months of legal filings and pre-trial hearings. During the court proceedings, new documents surfaced providing more data on how these companies operate. For example, we now know that Fortnite made $9,165,000,000 in two years.

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After being delayed by technical issues that resulted in a conference call full of screaming Fortnite children, the long-awaited Epic vs Apple court trial is finally underway this week. As part of the proceedings, Nintendo provided documents that include a publisher contract—though honestly, “include” might be a…

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No matter how badly you get screwed by Returnal’s luck-of-the-draw roguelike gameplay, you’re not nearly as down on your luck as a player who desperately tried to get some loot, only to meet a grisly fate.

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A sneak peek at Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, the realm of Har’Akir, and its darklord, Ankhotep

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You can grab the first issue on Itch.io

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White House Down is the type of goofy ’90s action schlock that deserves a sequel

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Magic: The Gathering shows us the way

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Title Update 4.0 available Tuesday, adds new missions to online mode, new operatives to campaign

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The Mass Effect Legendary Edition is almost here, which means veterans to the trilogy and newcomers alike are prepping to board the Normandy once more. To celebrate, BioWare and NZXT are partnering up to giveaway a special Mass Effect-inspired PC build for a lucky winner! 

NZXT took to Twitter to give a first look at the exclusive build, with the iconic red and white N7 stripe seen on the casing itself. Any Mass Effect can recognize that design, and now one lucky winner can earn some serious bragging rights by winning this space-faring tribute. 

We're celebrating the launch of @Bioware's #MassEffectLegendaryEdition by giving away a special build inspired by the Normandy!

Retweet and click the link below to enter: https://t.co/qhTD8DqKLh pic.twitter.com/bNbqm0YJKl

We’re just a few days out from the launch of Resident Evil Village. The follow-up to Resident Evil 7 already made a big impression on our most recent cover, but we still took the coverage online, showcasing how upgrades work, giving an environment tour, spotlighting new enemy the Lycan, and diving into how Capcom is balancing action and horror. However, one thing we haven’t discussed in more depth is the story and the role a certain iconic character plays in it. 

Microsoft has added even more old games to its FPS Boost lineup, bringing the total up to 97.

FPS Boost is a special feature of the Xbox Series X and S that pumps up the framerate on older games, often either a lift up to either 60hz or 120hz. It's a part of Xbox's backward compatibility plan that's added a nice boost to modern classics, ranging from Dishonored and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim to Titanfall 2.

Today, we're releasing our largest drop of games featuring FPS Boost to date, bringing the total titles boosted to 97, many of which are included in @XboxGamePass and @EAPlay (included with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription). https://t.co/eCyB8KgAbQ pic.twitter.com/DDjMbRB9TL

After it was delayed last year, the animated show based on League Of Legends is getting closer to a premiere. Riot have announced that the series will be coming to Netflix this autumn with a short teaser trailer.

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Update 5/4/2021: Today, the trial will continue beginning at 8:15am PT, beginning with Tim Sweeney returning to the stand to finish the cross-examination he began yesterday. Sweeney testified for several hours yesterday, including a closed doors testimony that seemed to be related to Samsung.

Once Sweeney finishes today, we will also hear testimony from Yoga Buddhi Co. (a yoga app developer) CEO Benjamin Simon, Nvidia director of product management Aashish Patel, and Xbox business development VP Lori Wright over the course of the day. The trial proceedings should be wrapped up by 3:15pm PT.

Original Story:

Epic Games and Apple are locked in a trial over alleged antitrust practices by the iPhone maker that could see the entire App Store ecosystem change depending on the outcome.

The trial, which kicked off today with testimony from Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, will try to answer one question: do Apple’s in-app purchase policies violate antitrust law? Back when Epic Games filed a lawsuit against Apple for “anti-competitive restraints and monopolistic practices” — as stated in the original lawsuit —  the Fortnite developer alleged that Apple’s policies were unfair to both Epic and millions of other developers.

Apple takes 30% of every in-app purchase made through apps available in its App Store. This includes signing up for a streaming service like HBO Max as well as microtransactions or cosmetic items in games.

Want to know how much $ the devs of those 'free' Epic Games Store games got, & how many copies were grabbed? Here's the first 9 months to September 2019. pic.twitter.com/5hkLb1VEjj

So long as capitalism remains the law of the land, nothing in this world is free—not even “free” video games. But, by giving them away, Epic managed to lure new users to its fledgling store for next to nothing, so there’s a lot to be said for the appearance of free stuff.

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When I booted up The Elder Scrolls Online last week I didn’t expect to take part in a player-created large-scale parkour contest, but life can be weird that way. So that’s how I ended up running and jumping around like a mad-orc in the shopping market of Vivec City in The Elder Scrolls Online.

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The first day of that trial saw the release of a financial presentation covering the company's earnings during 2018 and 2019, offering a rare look into the company's earnings. ...

Shiny Shoe is seeking a multi-talented, self-motivated Rigger/Technical Artist to join its team in San Francisco. ...

The big Epic Games v. Apple case officially kicked off today, offering a unique look at the finances and strategy behind Epic Games Store initiatives like its free game promotions. ...

List turned up by Apple lawsuit says Epic paid $11.6M from December 2018 to September 2019

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Blizzard is currently hard at work on several Diablo-related projects, the biggest, of course, being Diablo IV. Because of this, it apparently wants to make sure its franchise is the only notable Diablo in all of media. Case in point: the publisher has apparently taken exception to a new animated show by Fox that features a dog named, you guessed it, Diablo.

The show in question is called HouseBroken. It premieres May 31 on Fox and you can read an excerpt from the show’s official synopsis and watch the trailer below. 

Tetris Effect: Connected is headed to Steam this summer, and the game's store page is now live. As its name implies, Tetris Effect: Connected is an enhanced version of the original game of that title, only with better support for multiplayer Tetris as well as new single-player content.

The game originally came out as a limited-time Xbox console exclusive back in November 2020, and it's set to come to PC and PS4 later this summer. Tetris Effect: Connected includes both the usual competitive Tetris, but it also includes a three-player cooperative mode. The game is directed by Tetsuya Mizuguchi, a Japanese designer and producer well-known for his synaesthetic output, including the cult hit Rez and its re-release Rez Infinite. Developer Enhance recently confirmed that it is working on a new project.

In GameSpot's Tetris Effect: Connected review, critic Mike Epstein praised the game for its mesmerizing aesthetics, as well as adding in more creative modes to the central Tetris action.

"But there's no time for regrets in Tetris," he wrote. "The next piece is falling and you only have a few seconds to put it in place. Then the next piece, and the one after that. Some people meditate to clear their minds. Other people cook, or build models. Tetris Effect has a similar capacity to clear your mind. In 2018, that made Tetris Effect feel special. In 2020, it feels essential."

New Pokemon Snap features a ton of Pokemon to photograph in their natural habitats. While the full Pokedex isn't represented in the game, the Switch spin-off boasts a nice selection of Pokemon taken across all eight generations of the series, from old favorites like Caterpie and Pikachu to more recent pocket monsters like Grookey and Scorbunny.

How Many Pokemon Are In New Pokemon Snap?

New Pokemon Snap features 214 Pokemon in total. As previously mentioned, the Pokemon are pulled from across all eight generations of the series' history, so you'll find monsters from the original Red and Blue versions all the way to the series' latest mainline installments, Sword and Shield.

As in the original Nintendo 64 game, many of the Pokemon in New Pokemon Snap can be spotted right out in the open as you travel through the game's different levels, but you'll need to get creative with the tools at your disposal to discover some of them. Certain Pokemon will only emerge from their hiding places if you use the scan function or lure them out with apples fluffruit, for instance, so you'll need to make liberal use of both if you're hoping to fill out your Photodex.

Research levels also play a part in the Pokemon you encounter. As you raise a course's research level, new Pokemon will start to appear. Monsters may also vary depending on the time of day, so you'll need to revisit islands multiple times and increase their research level to discover all the Pokemon there are to find. You can see the full list of Pokemon in New Pokemon Snap below.

Although developer IO Interactive has said that it's taking a break from making new Hitman games, it isn't done putting out new content for Hitman 3. The studio announced that it will reveal the next season for the game on May 5.

In a tweet, IO Interactive stated that the reveal will be streamed on Twitch and will include sneak peaks at new content, Q&A with the developers, discussion of upcoming patch notes, and a new trailer coming to Hitman 3. As of right now, we don't know much about this new season beyond its name, Season of Sin.

However, we can get a decent idea of what to expect based on Hitman 3's current season. Season of Greed, which runs through May 9, added a few paid DLC items and activities such as a suit, weapons, and a three-stage Escalation Mission. In addition, there were a handful of free timed events, including Contracts, an Escalation Mission, Elusive Targets, and an Easter egg hunt.

The paid content for each season individually costs $5. Otherwise, all of the seasonal content comes as part of the Seven Deadly Sins DLC, which costs $30 total.

In other IO Interactive news, the studio is taking a hiatus from the Hitman series because of its upcoming James Bond game. Although very early in development, the studio is bringing on an army of people to work on it and other in-progress games.