July 2021

Nintendo Switch 2 and Pro rumors have been at the epicenter of the Nintendo community for quite some time now, and we have our first look at what the company has been working on. The Big N announced its updated Nintendo Switch model that boasts a 7-inch OLED screen that promises vibrantly vivid colors to enhance the portable gaming experience. 

The Nintendo Switch OLED will come with a 7-inch screen, a wired LAN port, a stand for tabletop play, an improved audio experience, and internal storage of up to 64GB. It will run put to 720p (1080p docked) and will be releasing later this year on October 8, 2021, for $350. Check out the reveal trailer below to see the new system in action: 

With the Nintendo Switch Lite making its grand debut two years ago, a smaller version of the hybrid platform that's downside was that it couldn't connect to TVs like the standard edition, the announcement of the OLED comes at a good time. That being said, we already know that this means that Switch 2 rumors will be kicking up here shortly, so brace for that. 

You've heard of the Garrus Vakarian body pillow; now it's time for Tali's time to shine. Just like BioWare has done in the past, they are giving fans of the space series a chance to canoodle with everyone's favorite Quarian. Induction Port not included. 

There are a million different reasons to love the Mass Effect trilogy, especially with the Legendary Edition now available, but one of them was the fact that the game offered friendships and relationships that were intimately crafted to bring the RPG aspect of the game to even more immersive heights. One of those romances is Tali Zorah. She can be your best friend, almost like a little sister, or your lovah! While we can't have the real Tali quite yet (we can dream), but at least there are body pillows thanks to the BioWare Gear Store. 

For those that may be unfamiliar, Quarians are a race of alien beings that are forced to wear bodysuits that are completely enclosed due to weakened immune systems following a war with the Geth. The Geth are a race of AI built by the Quarians, a race that was slaughtered when they started to show signs of true intelligence. The war chased the Quarians from their homeworld, forever changing their daily lives and forcing them to hide their true faces behind a helmet. 

Recently, Sony confirmed that it was adding Housemarque, the studio that gave us Returnal, to its growing network of PlayStation-owned studios, but that confirmation came with a little more than intended. PlayStation Studios Japan accidentally used the wrong image in its now-deleted tweet about the Housemarque. The image used was the same one that welcomed House into the mix, but instead, the words on said image read Bluepoint Games.  This get would also be a good one to celebrate, given Bluepoint's talent at crafting and recrafting excellent experiences, especially in the realm of remakes such as Shadow of the Colossus. Still, Bluepoint itself is saying "not so fast" - even with a recent leak that suggests an acquisition announcement is imminent. 

The team over at Bluepoint Games has done a few things to combat the acquisition rumors that followed after the image went viral. The most immediate change can be seen in Bluepoint's Twitter profile that now reads: "Bluepoint Games is a fully independent self-funded studio. We are always looking for talented engineers, artists, and designers to join the team." 

Sony will hold its next PlayStation State of Play tonight, at 10pm UK time.

This time around, Arkane's Deathloop will be in the spotlight. The 30-minute show will also contain updates on indie and third-party games coming to PlayStation.

Do not expect any updates on Horizon: Forbidden West, the next God of War or anything on PlayStation VR, Sony has cautioned. So, do expect Knack 3?

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England star Marcus Rashford has thanked a young fan for his fundraising work in a letter accompanied by a PlayStation 5 and copy of PES 2021.

Nine-year-old Jacob Worthington, from St Helens, was originally inspired by the England and Manchester United forward to raise money for FareShare, a charity Rashford supports.

Setting a 20km target over four runs, Manchester United fan Jacob and his father created an Instagram account to help gain sponsorships and document the process.

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Microsoft has announced a string of games coming soon to Xbox Game Pass.

8th July sees Dragon Quest Builders 2 (cloud) hit the subscription service, as well as Tropico 6 (cloud, console and PC), and UFC 4 (console) via EA Play.

15th July adds Bloodroots (cloud, console and PC), Farming Simulator 19 (cloud, console and PC), and The Medium (cloud).

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Surprise! Or not. Nintendo has at last unveiled its upgraded Switch model, which is due to launch on 8th October alongside Metroid Dread. It has a 7-inch OLED screen, 64GB of internal storage, a wide adjustable stand plus improved speakers.

There's a new dock, too, with a wired LAN port. White and neon red/blue colours will be available. Officially, it's called the Nintendo Switch (OLED model) console. In the US it costs $350. In the UK, we're yet to see local pricing.

We and others had expected Nintendo to push the button (flip the Switch?) and reveal its new model before E3. Nintendo really doesn't like leaks! Anyway, on time or not, here we are:

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Developer Niantic is this month celebrating the five-year anniversary of its mega-popular smash-hit mobile game, Pokemon GO, and the company has particular reason to feel jubilant beyond the mere milestone: Pokemon GO’s lifetime revenue has now exceeded a whopping $5 billion, according to data analysts Sensor Tower.

A new report highlights its success in comparison to other AR, location-based mobile games — a genre that Pokemon GO more or less gave birth to and remains the clear leader. The game has so far earned $641.6 million in the first half of 2021, ahead of competition such as Dragon Quest Walk, which has accumulated $261 million.

Nintendo has just announced the next console in the Switch family, and it comes with a 7-inch OLED screen and more upgraded features.

This new Switch model is a similar size and shape to the standard model, but the screen features a wider 7-inch OLED screen with more vivid colors and contrast. It will also come with a wide adjustable stand for playing in tabletop mode with several different settings.

Additionally, this OLED model Switch will have a LAN port for wired online play in docked mode, an upgraded amount of 64 GB of internal storage (up from 32 GB in the standard model), and enhanced audio in both handheld and tabletop mode.

This model will support all three modes of play styles: TV mode (docked), tabletop mode, and handheld mode. All previously released Nintendo Switch games and Joy-Con are compatible with this new OLED model.

When the system launches, it will be available in two different color schemes: neon red and blue, like the original Switch, and a new white set with white Joy-Con.

This upgraded model adds to the range of options in the Switch family as it comes almost two years after the Switch Lite, which is a smaller handheld-only model priced at $199.

The Nintendo Switch OLED model will launch later this year on Oct. 8 for $349.99. This new model releases the same day as the upcoming Switch game Metroid Dread.

You can watch the announcement trailer for this new Switch model below. You can also read more about it on Nintendo’s official website right here.

If the modern pop culture zeitgeist has taught us anything, we can all agree that it’s sometimes good to be bad. From Breaking Bad to Bates Motel, from Dexter to Despicable Me, from Madmen to Maleficent; there’s been an obsession with villains over the last decade that has taken audiences by storm. So, to honor this fascination we’ve decided to center our crosshairs on iconic video game villains in our newest trivia quiz.

Yes, instead of our recent focus on popular movies like The Lord Of The Rings, The Hobbit, Star Wars, and Jurassic Park, we’ve decided to set our sights on the most emblematic and memorable video game baddies of all time in Twinfinite’s latest trivia quiz. (Cue maniacal laughter.)

That’s right, it’s time to have some fun trying to identify those fiendish video game scoundrels with just a single picture to go on. After all, they do say a picture speaks a thousand words, so it shouldn’t be too hard, right?

So, without further ado, sharpen your pitchforks, don your eye-patches and get ready to rally together your evil minions as we take a journey through video games’ most wicked and dastardly supervillains. Let’s get into it!

Third-party developer WF Scenery Studio recently released Shanghai Pudong International Airport (ZSPD) for Microsoft Flight Simulator.

As one of the largest and most relevant airports in China and the country’s primary international destination, this add-on is certainly welcome for those who enjoy flying in Asia.

It’s available on SimMarket for approximately $28 plus applicable VAT and comes with its own installer.

If you want to take a good look at what the scenery looks like, you can watch an ILS approach and landing on runway 17R (using Navigraph’s navigation data) in the first video below, and a full flyover in a variety of lighting and weather conditions in the second video.

It’s worth mentioning that the video above includes SamScene3D’s Shanghai city add-on, which is pretty much the perfect complement for this airport, as several approaches will bring you directly over the city itself, especially coming from the mainland.

As we've previously mentioned, X-Wing Alliance Upgrade is an incredible overhaul of the ancient space shooter that makes it look like it was made yesterday, in a galaxy right next door. Everything has been renewed by the modders, bringing 3D cockpits, gorgeous lighting, upgraded ship models, and even VR to the game. That spectacular work has resulted in another remake.

TIE Fighter: Total Conversion is a mod for Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance, perfectly recreating one of the best space games and arguably best ever Star Wars game of all time, Star Wars: TIE Fighter. It once again has me plugging in my headset and dusting off my joystick.

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I don't think many were betting on Control getting a co-op spin-off. Some Remedy fans might be a bit put off by the studio focusing on a multiplayer game, but we're a little more positive.

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SNK finally revealed platforms for KOF XV, and people will find it on the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC in the beginning of 2022.

The post KOF XV Heading to PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X and PC appeared first on Siliconera.

Udon announced the first English volume of the Persona 5: Mementos Mission manga will appear in December 2021 with 2 cover options.

The post Persona 5: Mementos Mission English Manga Will Appear in December appeared first on Siliconera.

Sony announced its July 2021 State of Play, which will focus on Deathloop, third-party games, and indie titles headed to PlayStation systems.

The post July 2021 State of Play Will Focus on Deathloop, Third Party Games appeared first on Siliconera.

Featuring the work of jon-YAKITORY and Ado!

The post Lost Judgment Opening Features Its Theme Song appeared first on Siliconera.

The event will have even more new information on the popular Japanese game.

The post Uma Musume Twinkle Holiday Live Event Will Be Held This Sunday appeared first on Siliconera.

Oh boy, Magneto, you really doinked it up this time

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Ufotable will reveal more information about the season in a livestream next week

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30-minute show will focus on ‘exciting indie and third-party titles’

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UFC 4, The Medium, and Tropico 6 are on the way, too

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For ages now, we’ve been hearing reports of an upgraded “Nintendo Switch Pro” that would, among other things, allegedly display games at 4K resolution. Tuesday morning, Nintendo surprised everyone by finally unveiling their next Nintendo Switch model, and while there are indeed improvements, they aren’t quite what the…

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If you’re someone who likes to play games buffet-style via Microsoft’s video game-flavored answer to Netflix, you’ve got a lot to look forward to: a smart TV app, the ability to play next-gen games on Xbox One, the dawning of an era in which, for better or worse, this is the only way anybody plays games. But that’s…

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For the past couple of years, Nintendo fans have been eagerly awaiting news of a new, more powerful version of the Nintendo Switch. We’ve been expecting a more robust Switch, capable of running games at faster frame rates and higher resolutions than ever before. The Switch (OLED Model) Nintendo announced this morning?…

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During last month’s E3/Summer Game Fest announcement bonanza, Sony was one of the many conspicuously absent companies. However, if you were expecting big, E3-style announcements out of the PlayStation maker’s July showcase, prepare to be disappointed.

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Omdia's game console analyst, Matthew Bailey, assesses Nintendo's announcement of its new Switch OLED model and explains why it isn't - and never needed to be - the "Switch Pro" many were expecting. ...

Atari Gaming is pivoting away from its free-to-play mobile game business to instead refocus on premium games for console and PC, and in turn create more titles for its recently-released Atari VCS console. ...

Amazon Web Services will be showing off its Game Tech tools in a sponsored Devnote at GDC 2021. ...

Facebook's first attempt at VR ads on Oculus has fallen flat, but there is still room for ads to become a substantial VR monetization stream that the ecosystem badly needs. However, finding the right formats and contexts for VR ads will be crucial. ...

Last month, Bandai Namco updated its site with new lore centering around Elden Ring. Now that we have a full official look, thanks to E3 2021, fans are excited to dive into the new IP from the studio that gave us gems like Dark Souls and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. For those interested in learning more about the "Tarnished of the Lands Between," you're in the right place. 

Though some are circulating this around the internet as a new addition, it was actually added last month but went largely unnoticed. That doesn't make the lore drop any less interesting, however, but given how many people have reached out to me about this, I figured why not share at large for those that may have missed it. 

The Golden Order has been broken, and the rise and fall have been anything but simple. Bandai already dropped a ton of info on us about key features regarding the open-world adventure, including how travel works through the Lands Between and what being Tarnished really means. The Tarnished of the Lands Between addition, for those curious, is as follows: 

The Golden Order has been shattered. Throughout the Lands Between, Demigods holding shards of the Elden Ring squabble and make war over the ruins of a perfect realm, now abandoned by the golden guidance of the Greater Will.

While we await Netflix's The Witcher season 2 news by way of a full trailer and release date, the prequel TV series in the works called Blood Origin continues to bolster its numbers. With previous reports pointing at Eredin Glas being cast, a confirmed casting has been revealed with Star Trek: Discovery's Michelle Yeoh. 

"Scían is the very last of her nomadic tribe of sword-elves," said Netflix about Scian, the character that Yeoh will be portraying. "No one can come close to her artistry with the blade, and no one carries as much loss within their heart. When a chance presents itself to retrieve a stolen sacred sword, taken from her fallen tribe by nefarious means, she launches herself into a deadly quest that will change the outcome of the Continent."

Yuffie made her grand appearance in Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade’s Episode Intermission. Despite being a brief chapter in the Midgar arc, new exploratory mechanics and combat abilities set Intermission apart from the vanilla version of Remake that launched last year. Naoki Hamaguchi and Motomu Toriyama, two of Remake’s directors, stated that the next mainline installment in Final Fantasy VII would draw from what made Intermission so great. 

In an interview with The Washington Post, both directors talked about how Intermission’s cast of characters and flashy combos will inform the future of Remake. For instance, the synergized attacks that Yuffie and Sonon perform together will definitely be making a return, “Additionally, with Intermission, there’s another element introduced: combo movies where Yuffie and Sonon team up…which makes for a different feel in battle strategy,” Hamaguchi said. “I would like to leverage these, including other elements we tried out in Intermission, in our next story.”

Tunic, the tiny fox adventure which recently gained a great demo on Steam and Xbox, still lacks a release date. Alas, despite having a long chat about game secrets with Tunic's creator Andrew "Dicey" Shouldice, I could not uncover the date we will all explore Tunic's world further.

But there are promising signs Tunic - already some six years in the making - is finally coming soon, and interest in the game is growing. Apart from the obvious audience of Zelda fans, this dinky adventure has also caught the eye of the speedrunning community.

"Of the entire team, I'm the person with the least experience shipping a title like this," Shouldice says, "like on a console and stuff like that. I had to do a lot of learning, especially early on, about what it means to design a game."

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King of Fighters 15 is now also coming to Xbox Series X and S.

In a tweet, SNK confirmed the launch platforms for the upcoming fighting game, which was recently delayed to Q1 2022 due to production issues associated with rising cases of COVID-19 in Japan.

King of Fighters 15 is due out on PC via Windows 10, Steam and the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Xbox Series X and S. Xbox One and Nintendo Switch are not on the list.

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Latest: Very and AO have the Nintendo Switch OLED in stock. Very has a Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl bundle for £399 while AO is selling the console on its own for £309.

We've been sifting through the rumours for months about a new Switch model but it's finally here: the Nintendo Switch OLED launched Friday, 8th October 2021. It's a far cry from the upgraded Nintendo Switch Pro that we expected to be revealed before E3. Instead, we have a new iteration of the existing Switch console with an improved OLED screen, superior kickstand, refined dock and internal storage boost.

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Today third-party developers had quite a few interesting reveals about upcoming Microsoft Flight Simulator add-ons.

First of all, Skyline Simulations provided a look at the cockpit 3D model for its upcoming Bombardier Dash 8 100, 200, and 300.

You can take a look below.

Next is Impulse Simulations that announced a release date and details for Adelaide Airport (YPAD) in Australia.

It’s coming on July 16 for $29.95AUD and below you can read a features list and take a look at new screenshots.

It is an understatement to say that Fullmetal Alchemist is one of the most important series to ever come out of the entertainment industry in Japan, as both its anime and manga continue to thrive despite ending over a decade ago. To celebrate that success, as well as its official 20 year anniversary, a special event has been planned for July 12.

This news comes by way of Famitsu, with fan pages like MangaMoguraRE also corroborating similar info. In the tweet below, you can even check out the official website that has been created for the event, which simply says coming soon.

A press release for the event was also released, stating the date and time viewers can watch the live stream.

Today SNK finally announced the platforms on which its upcoming fighting game The King of Fighters XV will release.

The game is coming in the first quarter of 2022 (following a recent delay to improve quality) for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, and PC.

The PC version will come via Steam, Epic Games Store, and Windows 10 Store. Apparently, there won’t be any Epic Games Store exclusivity this time around, and no Switch version has been announced, at least for now.

You can see the announcement below.

Sony is back with their own State of Play broadcast after skipping out on E3 2021. According to PlayStation Blog, this new State of Play will provide a nine-minute look into the world of Deathloop, as well as updates on a few indie and third-party games.

The 30-minute show will take place this Thursday, July 8 at 2:00 PM PT / 5:00 PM ET / 11:00 PM CEST. It can be watched on the official PlayStation YouTube channel and Twitch channel.