Take a look back at former Gamasutra Editor-At-Large Leigh Alexander's chat with several working moms making it in the video game business. ...
Publisher Take-Two says it'll be announcing an "exciting new franchise" later this month with a release planned before the end of the current fiscal year in March 2022.
The news (as spotted by VGC) comes via Take-Two's Q1 2022 earnings call and follows pre-E3 leaks earlier this year - corroborated by VentureBeat's Jeff Grubb - revealing two new unannounced games from the publisher.
Mafia 3 studio Hangar 13 is said to be working on a title described as "Cthulhu meets Saints Row" while XCOM developer Firaxis is reportedly creating a Marvel-themed turn-based strategy game. And while Take-Two offered no hint as to nature of its "new franchise" in its earnings call, this month's Gamescom digital event seems a likely candidate for a full reveal.
As we learned a week ago, portaling FPS Splitgate was so popular during its open beta phase that 1047 Games had to extend the beta and delay launch. They're currently attempting to expand their servers and fit over 100,000 players. At the moment, interest in Splitgate is still outpacing their ability to expand, with queue times hitting 90 minutes yesterday. 1047 are now tracking server and queue status on Twitter while they work to keep up and say they are "working our tails off."
Tales of Arise will not be linked to any Tales of titles as well, and is an entirely stand alone experience.
The post Tales of Arise Will Not Have Story DLC or Get a Sequel appeared first on Siliconera.
As of last week McDonalds Australia had been planning on giving away a bunch of custom PS5 controllers, each plastered with a burgers + fries motif in celebration of the company’s 50th birthday (in Australia). Weirdly, the international dining behemoth forgot to ask Sony about this first.
Over the weekend, 343 Industries let a bunch of eager players check out Halo Infinite’s first public “flight.” On paper, the flight was a technical test, meant to see how the servers perform under pressure and how bots, a series first, would stack up against real-life human players. But, really, it meant one very…
Update:
Niantic is reversing course on one of the most controversial changes made to Pokémon Go during the pandemic. The range to which players can interact with Pokéstops and gyms is again expanding from 40 meters to 80. This change was announced in a series of tweets on Pokémon Go's official channel and comes just weeks after Niantic reverted it back to the shorter. Fans complained that Niantic was reverting the game back to its pre-pandemic form too quickly and that the company wasn't paying attention to the latest pandemic developments – namely the rise of the Delta variant. It's great to see Niantic listening to its fans and again making the game safer for all players.
The tweets also reveal other "plans" are on the way for the popular game, but we won't learn what those are until September 1. The change to the Pokéstop distance is effective immediately and it doesn't sound like it will ever change again.
Trainers - we’re looking forward to sharing our plans as a result of the task force on September 1, but one thing does not have to wait! From now on, 80 meters will be the base interaction radius for PokéStops and Gyms globally. (1/2)
Take Two released its Q1 earnings report alongside a conference call today, which revealed there’s a new IP coming from the company. Better yet, it’s going to be announced later this month. Along with this tease, we caught a glimpse at what releases are planned for the remainder of the 2022 fiscal year from Take Two’s brands and beyond.
Under the umbrella of the 2K brand, this new franchise will be revealed within a few weeks according to today’s prepared statements from Take Two President Karl Slatoff. After covering previously announced titles like NBA 2K22, WWE 2K22 and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, Slatoff talked a little about this new project by saying, “In addition, later this month, 2K will unveil details of another exciting new franchise planned for launch during this fiscal year.” There’s been no word from the company regarding which studio is working on this title or what it may be, but we can infer its aiming to be released by March 31 of next year.
Also in the presentation was this tidbit about other games coming by the end of FY 2022: “As we continue to develop our pipeline, there has been movement in some of our planned releases, including two of our immersive core titles shifting to later in Fiscal 2022 than our prior guidance had contemplated.” While these games go unnamed as well, Take Two’s report shows three unannounced projects listed as new iterations of existing games listed alongside the new generation releases of Grand Theft Auto 5, GTA Online, and Kerbal Space Program.
Tribes of Midgard is probably one of the best co-op multiplayer games we’ve seen in 2021 so far. Players can either play solo, or get in groups of 10 to explore a gorgeous world while scavenging for resources and protecting their village from incoming Helthing invasions. The game’s seen quite a bit of success since its launch last week, as it’s now surpassed 250,000 players.
According to Norsfell, more than 250,000 players have jumped into the game in an attempt to hold off the Jotunns, and more than 40,000 Giants have already been slain since its launch. That’s a pretty impressive number, especially when you consider how threatening the Giants can seem during a first playthrough.
The PlayStation Now subscription service might have had a rocky launch, but it’s gotten steadily better as Sony’s improved its offerings over the course of the past couple years. Announced via the PlayStation Blog today, the PS Now lineup is about to get even better with three new games getting added on Aug. 3.
The three games getting added this week are NieR: Automata, Undertale, and Ghostrunner. Ghostrunner is a very frenetic, fast-paced action game where you must make your way up a tower while slicing through foes with a stylish-looking katana. You can take down enemies pretty easily, but you’re also fairly fragile yourself.
NieR: Automata was released back in 2017 to critical acclaim, and is widely regarded as one of the very best games released that year. It follows the story of an android named 2B, whose job is to rid the Earth of machine lifeforms so that humans can return to Earth from the moon. There are, of course, twists and turns in the narrative, supplemented by a fun combat system from Platinum Games.
And finally, Undertale needs no introduction at this point. It’s developed a very hardcore fan following since its release a few years back, and is constantly praised for its sense of humor, excellent soundtrack, and incredibly heartwarming story and unique narrative techniques.
All three games will be made available via PS Now on Aug. 3.
South Korean publisher Netmarble has fully-acquired mobile casino game developer SpinX Games for $2.19 billion. ...
As part of its 50th birthday celebration, McDonald's Australia designed a custom PlayStation 5 DualSense controller internally, which was scrapped during the planning phase.
But in a statement to IGN, McDonald's Australia stated that "the image was provided to media in error and there is no commercial relationship between McDonald's Australia and Sony PlayStation."
The controllers were covered with a motif of the brand's signature Big Mac and Fries, with yellow-coloured buttons and a massive McDonald's logo centred on the touchpad, just to remind you who your fast-food overlord is.
Consider eFootball's early autumn launch as "basically a demo", Konami has said.
Addressing questions about the game in a Twitter thread, Konami asked itself: "is early autumn launch basically a demo?"
"In many ways, yes," Konami said. "We want people to get hands-on with eFootball as soon as possible, so we will launch with a limited number of teams and modes. Exact details to follow."
The Fortnite 17.30 update has just arrived, adding a new Burst Pulse Rifle weapon, a slew of new cosmetics and LTMs, and given Human Bill a fresh new look.
The news comes via popular dataminers iFireMonkey and HYPEX over on Twitter. Most interesting of the additions that have been uncovered so far is the Burst Pulse Rifle. This, as the name suggests is a pulse rifle that’s been modified for burst firing. Aiming down sights allows you to fire off slower and more accurate shots, or you can spray from the hip.
That’s not the only new weapon to arrive in this update. The Grab-itron has also arrived, allowing players to grab items and send them flying in another direction. The short trailer for the weapon below best highlights how the weapon can be used.
Unfortunately, you may not be able to turn yourself or others around you invisible, but you'll certainly smell nice.
The post Smell Like Tamayo or Akaza With Demon Slayer Perfume appeared first on Siliconera.
Yesterday, Take-Two Interactive published their quarterly earnings report, which is chock-full of info only a shareholder would care about. However, these reports often have little titbits that fans might find interesting, and this time around the company have revealed that Borderlands publishers 2K Games will be revealing a new game this month that will launch sometime between now and April 2022.
Apex Legends' new season Emergence kicks off later today, and Respawn Entertainment have now officially revealed all the little changes, buffs and nerfs on the way. The biggest tweaks come to Fuse and Caustic to help make their kits more useful, plus it's time to say goodbye to the Spitfire LMG as it swaps places with the Prowler SMG in the game's supply drops. Finally, my favourite gun will be available on the floor again and… oh no, they've nerfed the Prowler and done away with the Select Fire hop up. Respawn, why?
A fan-made Half-Life 2 remaster could be heading to Steam. The "Half-Life 2: Remastered Collection" was spotted by data mining site SteamDB last year, but at the time, it was flagged as “not Valve related”. However, according to another, more recent leak from Tyler McVicker, the mod and a half has now been sanctioned by Valve, and will be coming to Steam “soon”. But what is it?
J. Allen Brack, the President of Warcraft and Overwatch studio Blizzard Entertainment, is leaving his position less than two weeks after an investigation by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing made public explosive allegations of harassment and discrimination within the company.
Update: Blizzard Entertainment president J. Allen Brack is leaving the company to "pursue new opportunities." His departure was closely followed by that of Sr. People Officer Jesse Meschuk. ...
Second Life developer Linden Lab will no longer allow content creators to utilize 'gacha' mechanics to sell items. ...
Tencent will further restrict how young children engage with its games after Chinese state media described online gaming as 'spiritual opium.' ...
Additionally, the game will feature a color customization system.
The post Melty Blood Type Lumina Kohaku and Hisui Will be Able to Fight as a Pair appeared first on Siliconera.
These new Swacchao! Nendoroids can also be placed on the edge of desks and include a tiny chair for the figures to sit on.
The post New My Hero Academia Nendoroid Swacchao figures include Deku, Bakugo, and Todoroki appeared first on Siliconera.
Who knows how long we'll be waiting for the release of The Elder Scrolls 6, so here's yet another fantasy RPG to add to your waiting list, as a studio led by former Elder Scrolls devs has unveiled its upcoming game.
The Wayward Realms is an open-world RPG being made by a team that includes Ted Peterson, Julian LeFay and Vijay Lakshman (who all worked on the Elder Scrolls series). Developer Once Lost Games describes it as a "new class of game" called "the Grand RPG," promising in-depth class and combat systems, complex faction dynamics, and "choice and consequence... experienced on a scale never attempted before".
"The Wayward Realms is set on a group of over one hundred islands, ranging from small to massive, known collectively as the Archipelago, where scores of factions vie for influence and power," says the official game description. "Dynasties strive to maintain the status quo, upstarts seek to earn their place at the top, and intriguing power-houses set generational plots into motion.
Today, J.Allen Brack stepped down from his role as president of Blizzard Entertainment and is leaving the Overwatch and World Of Warcraft developers "to pursue new opportunities". While the company don't make any explicit mention of it in the announcement, this move comes just two weeks after it was made public that Activision Blizzard were being sued for allegedly harbouring a company culture that creates "a breeding ground for harassment and discrimination against women".
I’ve been mentally categorising some games as “for my Steam Deck” recently, and I think skateboarding game The Ramp will be one of them. It’s been developed as more of a toybox than a game, with the developer Paul Schnepf focusing on the flow of the sport rather than earning points and upgrading your character. He’s very keen you should know that, so for today’s launch he's put together a trailer that explains it all in 90 seconds. It looks pretty Deck worthy to me.
Leafing back through my life, I realise I've never held a hedgehog before. I've locked eyes with one, though, as it scurried across the garden. For a couple of seconds, we were just bros being bros, then it moved on to eat worms or kick dirt or whatever hedgehogs actually do. I hope wherever that hog is now, it's doing well.
Whenever I've watched a Springwatch presenter hoist on into their arms, I always imagined a hedgehog weighs as much as maybe two sun-dried tomato, feta, and salad pasta pots. So fairly light, then. But having played Sonic Colours: Ultimate for preview, my theory has been trashed. Sonic's a weighty hog, which is something I hadn't expected.
It's a new month, which means new games are joining the ever-growing Xbox Game Pass library. This month's additions for those that have Xbox Game Pass or Game Pass Ultimate includes two different Skate titles, the beloved Hades, and more.
Before diving into which new games are coming to the Microsoft subscription service, here is a brief overview of what Game Pass even is. The Xbox Game Pass library continues to change with new titles being added. From day one launches of hit games to indie treasures that deserve their stage time just as any other game, the Game Pass membership allows Xbox fans a chance to have instant access to an eclectic library without having to shell out $60 for each experience.
Now, let's get into which games are on the way:
Late July saw the details concerning a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard by the state of California go public, sparking a global outcry from the gaming community. Allegations include instances of gender discrimination, workplace abuse, sexual harassment, and a culture that contributed to one employee ending her life. As both the industry and the gaming community call for change, the company has announced that Blizzard president J. Allen Brack is leaving the company, and Game Informer was told by a source close to Activision Blizzard that this is one of several moves in place, adding that this ousting "feels rushed" and "thoughtless."
[UPDATE]: 4:58 p.m. Central 8/3/2021 - Game Informer has also confirmed that Jesse Meschuk, Activision Blizzard's head of global human resources (HR) has also departed the company after being referenced in conjunction with the ongoing labor lawsuit.
The announcement of the leadership shakeup comes via Blizzard itself. In a public statement, it was said that Brack is stepping down, effective immediately, with Jen Oneal and Mike Ybarra taking over as co-leaders moving forward. Oneal joined the company back in January as executive vice president of development, providing leadership to both the Overwatch and the Diablo franchises. Ybarra comes from a background in leadership at Xbox, having joined Blizzard back in 2019.
Tencent stock fell as much as 11 percent today after a Chinese economic paper blasted gaming, referring to it as “spiritual opium” and “electronic drugs.”
After just four months, Grand Theft Auto V is getting delisted from Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft’s games-on-demand service. But its big shoes are getting filled by some heavy hitters, including the one-and-only Hades. Here’s everything coming to Xbox Game Pass in the coming weeks.
About two weeks after launch, Pokémon Unite is getting its first real patch on August 4. Before you ask, yes, the character select menu will still have a heart attack every time you sort through your monsters. There’s nothing in the patch notes addressing the fact that the most unstable part of the game is looking…
Within five minutes of starting Death’s Door I knew I was going to love it. The combat was basic but weighty. The visual presentation was sparse but bespoke. Its music, sometimes pastoral and serene, sometimes grim and despairing, made no secret that something special was going on, and my love for the indie action-RPG…
Activision Blizzard has today announced that effective immediately, J. Allen Brack is stepping down from his role as president of the company to “pursue new opportunities.” In his place, Jen Oneal and Mike Ybarra have been appointed co-leaders.
Brack has been Blizzard’s President for three years, though he has been with the company since 2005. He was previously its production director before becoming the executive producer and VP for World of Warcraft in 2014.
A press release today highlights his replacements are “both are leaders of great character and integrity.”
Oneal is an 18-year company veteran and the former head of Vicarious Visions studio. As Executive Vice President of Development at Blizzard, she has provided senior development leadership and support to the Diablo and Overwatch franchises.
Ybarra, meanwhile, has been in the technology and gaming industries for over 20 years, including 7 years as a senior executive at Microsoft’s XBOX division. Most recently Mike was Executive Vice President & General Manager of Platform and Technology at Blizzard overseeing Battle.net and Blizzard’s development services organizations.
Medabots S will have new robots designed after MegaMan.EXE, Roll.EXE, and Bass.EXE.
The post Medabots S Mega Man Battle Network Collaboration Will Appear Soon appeared first on Siliconera.
Who says water goddesses have to be kind and motherly?
The post Anahita Will Freeze Your Enemies in SMT V appeared first on Siliconera.
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin takes the top spot as the most downloaded game for the Nintendo Switch in July 2021.
The post Monster Hunter Stories 2 Is the Most Downloaded Switch Game in July appeared first on Siliconera.
The film features actors who worked on Gundam, Seraph of the End, The World Ends With You and more.
The post Netflix Confirms Monster Hunter: Legends of the Guild Japanese Cast appeared first on Siliconera.