Universal Studios Japan's Super Nintendo World will be expanded with a huge new Donkey Kong-themed area, due in 2024.
The DK-themed land will boost the overall size of Universal Studios' Nintendo park by 70 per cent and include a new roller coaster among other attractions.
The PlayStation 5 is the fastest-selling PlayStation console in UK history with over 1m sold.
GamesIndustry.biz reports Sony's console shot through the 1m sold mark in August, just 39 weeks after launch - and three weeks faster than the PlayStation 4.
UPDATE 28/9/21: Disney Classic Games Collection developer Nighthawk Interactive has now confirmed a $10 (£UK TBA) upgrade path for owners of the previous Aladdin/Lion King collection. This will unlock the new additions of The Jungle Book and extra versions of both The Lion King and Aladdin - see below for the full list of included contents.
ORIGINAL STORY 23/9/21: Today brings a trailer for the Disney Classic Games Collection, which is set to release on Nintendo Switch, PC via Steam, PlayStation and Xbox this autumn.
Activision Blizzard has agreed to set aside $18m for employees who experienced harassment and discrimination at the company.
The fund's creation is part of a settlement between Activision Blizzard and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which we heard last week was one of a number of organisations currently investigating the company.
Black Friday is coming! If you're looking to supercharge your computing and storage power then we've rounded up the best discounts on the most powerful SSDs all right here.
We've got all-rounders like the Samsung 970 Evo Plus, great for giving gaming PCs that extra boost, plus punchy portables such as the Crucial X8. No matter what you're looking for, we've got you covered on the very best deals - all-time-low prices from SATA to NVMe to External SSDs, in the UK and across the pond in the US. We'll also be highlighting deals on PS5 compatible SSDs including the Samsung 980 Pro, WD SN850 and more
343 has made Halo Infinite's next multiplayer preview available to everyone on Xbox.
The build for this weekend's technical preview is available to download via the Xbox Insider Hub now - but you don't have to be a Halo Insider to get in on the action, 343 said.
Bertie: Do you remember the first time you realised magical potions weren't real? I was so surprised I had to take yesterday off work!
I believe potions are a staple of any fantasy game experience. Try thinking of one without them - I can't (don't think too hard just in case you do). Find a potion and you know exactly what experience you're in for. But how much time do you spend actually thinking about them, about their composition, about their cost? I don't expect it matters to you as long as you've got some healing potions sloshing around in your bag. How arrogant of you. Don't you ever stop to think about the stresses and strains of being the potion seller in town?
Twitch is reportedly preparing to introduce a range of new features designed to help tackle the increasingly prevalent phenomenon of hate raiding, including the ability for streamers to restrict chat commenting to those users whose accounts have been through phone verification.
Twitch's controversial raid feature was originally designed as a positive community tool that would enable streamers to redirect all viewers currently watching their broadcast to a target channel as an "easy way to share audiences". However, malicious users quickly began exploiting the feature, setting up dummy accounts and bots to flood the chats of often marginalised streamers and subject them to doxing, harassment, and attack.
Inscryption, the "dark and disturbing" deck-building horror game from Pony Island and The Hex developer Daniel Mullins, will be shuffling onto PC just in time for Halloween, on 19th October.
Described as blend of deck-building rogue-like, escape-room puzzler, and psychological horror, Inscryption - a much-expanded version of Mullins' game jam title Sacrifices Must Be Made - traps players in the cabin of a sadistic stranger known as Leshy, forcing them to play a mysterious game using cards acquired through "draft, surgery, and self-mutilation".
Digital Foundry Direct Weekly takes on a retro-heavy theme this week as DFR mastermind John Linneman is joined by collaborator Audi Sorlie with special guest Coury Carlson - be sure to check out his amazing retro work on the My Life in Gaming YouTube channel. While a mighty chunk of this week's offering covers off the recent Nintendo Direct, elsewhere it's all about (or closely associated with) legacy gaming and preservation.
That starts with the thorny topic of the PlayStation 4's so-called CBOMB issue - a hot topic for those interested in games preservation. Essentially, the internal battery on the PS4 will eventually expire, taking with it the ability to play games but only if the console is unable to access a Sony server to validate the current date and time. This is obviously not an issue in the here and now, since Sony's servers are fully armed and operational - but what about in ten years' time? What about decades later? CBOMB didn't just impact digital purchases, but even physical releases too. The news this week is that Sony has fixed this issue with its recent firmware 9.0.
September's big PlayStation 5 system update brought several long-awaited new features to Sony's console. But PlayStation says it's aware it has a way to go before every feature fans want is included.
Speaking to the PlayStation blog, Sony's Hideaki Nishino, senior vice president of platform experience, said the company had compiled a "gigantic list of things" from before the PS5 launch it had wanted to do.
Halo Infinite's latest technical preview took place over the weekend, and of course the dataminers had a field day.
Those willing to dig into what Halo Infinite, which was playable on PC as well as Xbox, has to offer unearthed everything from strange helmet attachments to memes.
When you've been waiting some 15 years for a game, I think it's probably fair to express a little bit of trepidation going in. Metroid Dread was first conceived as a Nintendo DS sequel to Metroid Fusion, back at a time when not only had the series served up a 2D offering that could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Super Metroid, but we were also in the midst of the brilliance of the Prime series. Whatever your take on the likes of Metroid: Other M, Federation Force or Samus Returns, it's fair to say that the series has been far from its prime ever since.
You can forgive long-time Metroid fans going into the first original game since 2010's somewhat divisive Other M for having some nerves, then. But, after a couple of hours with the opening of Metroid Dread, I have wonderful news. This one looks set to be the real deal - a classic 2D Metroid, delivered with some serious production values and all the polish you'd hope for from a game that's helping launch Nintendo's latest Switch hardware, next month's OLED refresh.
No game pulls off the feeling of stabbing a zombie in the head quite as well as The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners. Somehow developers Skydance have managed to conjure up an incredibly real sense of impact, literally out of thin air.
You can really feel the zombie's head crack as you plunge your blade into it, and the way the skull clamps onto the knife blade after the fact requiring you to tear it free with all your might? Well that creates a sense of immersion that's pretty much absent from any other VR game I've played.
I know 343 has done something right with Halo Infinite multiplayer because I was still playing at 4am this morning.
Over the weekend, 343 held limited-time matchmaking sessions for 4v4 arena. These included just a few core multiplayer modes (Slayer, Strongholds and Capture the Flag) on just a few maps (Live Fire, Recharge, Bazaar and, for Sunday only, Behemoth), but it was enough for me to come away convinced Halo Infinite's multiplayer could be something special.
Expect to see plenty more from the world of The Witcher on Netflix in the coming years - including a mysterious family-orientated spin-off.
This weekend's Netflix Tudum event, a Nintendo Direct-style announcements livestream, included confirmation of a third season of The Witcher (the second starts airing this December), plus a sneak peek of the upcoming spin-off series Blood Origin, which you can watch below.
Naughty Dog has given a brief update on its upcoming multiplayer project, two years to the day since it confirmed The Last of Us Part 2's multiplayer mode was no longer part of the main game.
"In short, we're working on it," the studio's senior communications manager Rochelle Snyder wrote yesterday in a blog post for the franchise's annual The Last of Us Day. "We see the community comments as many of you clamor for multiplayer and want updates. For now, we'll say that we love what the team is developing and want to give them time to build out their ambitious project, we'll reveal more when it's ready!
Naughty Dog has released the first official photo from the set of HBO's upcoming The Last of Us, showing Joel and Ellie in costume.
Fans of the series will immediately recognise the duo - even if the photo doesn't show their faces - dressed in their familiar outfits.
"When I first saw them on set in full costume, I was like: 'Hooooooly shit! It's Joel & Ellie! [Crying emoji]!'" Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann wrote on Twitter.
I'd say I sound like a broken record but at this point I may as well chuck out the record player. FIFA 22 is a game with plenty of solid improvements, but it is - once again! - let down by morally bankrupt monetisation.
I'm going to start with the good news because I like to kick things off with a positive. FIFA 22's gameplay is a crowd pleaser. It's slightly slower, more considered, with less emphasis on ridiculous skills and more emphasis on passing. It is a reaction to FIFA 21's high-scoring fun, which by the end of that game's life had become something of a joke within the hardcore FIFA community. FIFA 22, then, plays harder.
That is to say, it's harder to score and harder to win for a raft of reasons. The goalkeepers are much improved. In one-on-one situations they're all prime Buffons, with an annoying habit of getting a hand to shots from inside the box that would almost always go in in last year's game. There are some new animations for the keepers and you'll see them quite often. They'll reach across with their strong arm to save shots now, and pat strong shots to the ground before gobbling up the ball. Defenders with low pace are more viable because they have a habit of blocking shots and passes in the final third. They feel stronger, too.
Marvel's Avengers developer Crystal Dynamics has confirmed that long-awaited roster addition, Spider-Man - who will only be available on PlayStation consoles - will "for sure" have his own story mission and cutscenes.
It should be good news to fans of the action-adventure game who have seen little about Spidey's pending arrival up until this point, even though he's expected to release by the end of the year.
As spotted by MP1st (thanks, TheGamer), Crystal Dynamics' Dan Matlack responded to a question on the game's Discord server that enquired whether or not Spider-Man would have his own story.
Knockout City's third season, Hacked, will drop on 5th October, 2021, complete with hacking, motorbikes, a battle pass, and a brand new map, too.
"Season 3 is just a short way away, and we've got a lot to cover with everything that's goin' on around here," developer Velan teased in an update on the official EA website.
"Speaking of, it's a little... different out there. Seems like the DJ isn't the only one who's been paying attention to what's going on in Knockout City - looks like we got an extra visitor here with us. Keeps poppin' in and lookin' around, calls themself Z3R0. Not sure how they got here, but pretty sure it's got something to do with this Season's theme. They've taken over the airwaves and it sounds like they're here to stay."
Double Fine has revealed what happened to Ford Cruller at the end of the original Psychonauts game.
While initially shared only with the game's crowdfunding Fig backers a month ago alongside the sequel's highly-anticipated release, the video is now available to all via the studio's website.
Yes, there are spoilers - so be wary if you've yet to play the first instalment - but as spotted by PCGN, the three minute teaser video explores what happened to ex-Psychonaut - and mentor - Cruller immediately after the credits on the first game rolled.
Oh look, the PS Plus free game line-up has leaked again. Rumour has it the upcoming freebies will include Hell Let Loose for PS5, and Mortal Kombat X and PGA Tour 2K21 for PS4.
The information once again comes courtesy of French forum Dealabs, which correctly posted September's offerings before they'd been formally confirmed by Sony last month. And once again, the moderation team says it satisfactorily reviewed evidence of the leak in order to let the post remain online (thanks, VGC).
Hell Let Loose - a multiplayer tactical first-person shooter video game that sees players fight in battles of the Western and Eastern Fronts of World War 2 - has been out on PC since the summer, but isn't coming to consoles until next month.
The second season of Netflix's The Witcher show might not have been released yet, but that hasn't stopped Netflix from announcing a third series.
Showrunner Lauren Hissrich confirmed the news by tweeting, "Season Three. Let's do this, baby" and including the updated animated logo for the next season.
We also got three new teasers for the upcoming second series, too; check out the "Road to Season 2" trailer above, which summarises what's happened in the show thus far, whereas below, you can get a first look at Geralt and Ciri in the second season, as well as another "first look" at Nivellen.
Anti-cheat software BattlEye and Easy Anti-Cheat have confirmed they will support Valve's handheld Steam Deck.
BattlEye - which is used in games like Destiny 2, Rainbow Six Siege, and PUBG - announced that as well as running on Linux and MacOS, it also supports Wine and Proton, the latter of which is used in Steam's upcoming handheld device.
"BattlEye has provided native Linux and Mac support for a long time and we can announce that we will also support the upcoming Steam Deck (Proton)," BattlEye announced on Twitter (thanks, PC Gamer). "This will be done on an opt-in basis with game developers choosing whether they want to allow it or not."
Arcane, Netflix's League of Legends animated series, begins on 6th November (2am UK time on 7th November).
The announcement was made via a new trailer, below, released as part of Netflix's Tudum event (yes, it's named after the noise Netflix makes when it loads).
Arcane is set within the world of Riot's hugely successful MOBA League of Legends, and tells the backstories of two of the video game's most popular champions: sisters Jinx and Vi. It revolves around the tension between the rich city of Piltover and the oppressed underground city of Zaun, which hits boiling point after the invention of Hextech technology.
Hitman - Game of The Year Edition launched on GOG.com this week - and immediately sparked a row about DRM.
GOG is a storefront whose brand is built upon selling games "DRM free" - that is, they can be played offline.
Hitman's GOG page, like that of so many games on the platform, highlights that it is DRM free. "No activation or online connection required to play," reads the prominent message.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits from Ember Labs finally released this week, initially capturing our attention at the PlayStation 5 gameplay reveal event last year thanks to a visually fresh, appealing presentation. Based on Unreal Engine 4, Kena shines through the artistic accomplishments of the developer, backed by a solid game design and mostly solid performance. However, underlying issues with UE4 do peek through - and they're especially evident on the PC version of the game.
In putting this piece together, we took a look at the game running in both quality and performance modes on PlayStation 5 and factored in platform scaling in both directions. In theory, the PC version should allow us to see Kena running at its absolute best, while taking a look at the game operating on PS4 Pro gives us an idea of how older hardware copes with a very attractive game. As it happens, everything plays out as logically as you would expect - but the extra horsepower in PS5 and high-end PC goes a long way in delivering Kena at its best.
In terms of what makes Kena special, it's not just the style of the art that stands out but also the basic quality in delivery. Every object, every texture and material seems to have been authored with a consistent style and polygon budget. There's an understanding of which edges need to be rounded and which can retain a more obvious polygonal structure. Combine it all together and you rarely find an object that sticks out as being of an inconsistently low res, or modelled oddly. On top of that, character expressions and animations are first class: Ember Lab previously worked on animation shorts for fan films, product advertisements, and other mainstream media.
PlayStation 2 classic Ico has turned 20 years old.
In the 2001 adventure game, developed by Japan Studio and Team Ico and directed by Fumito Ueda, you play a young boy born with horns who encounters a princess called Yorda. The pair work to escape a castle, while Ico helps Yorda evade shadowy creatures.
The hook - apart from Ico's gorgeous, minimalist visuals and design - is the player controls Ico while assisting Yorda. Digital Foundry revisited Ico in the video, below:
Art of Rally comes out on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on 6th October, developer Funselektor has announced.
The PlayStation release of this stylish take on off-road driving includes all the previous updates in all the previously released versions, with new tracks, cars, environments and improvements now as standard. The new trailer is below:
Art of Rally, which initially launched on PC toward the end of last year, delivers a top-down, faintly retro twist on the rally racing formula, sending players careening across low-poly renditions of Finland, Germany, Japan, Norway and Sardinia.
Fall Guys has a Guinness World Record for being the most downloaded PlayStation Plus game ever.
Developer Mediatonic made the announcement on its website - without saying exactly how many PlayStation Plus downloads it has seen.
Fall Guys exploded onto the scene last summer, launching on PC, and on PlayStation 4 straight into PlayStation Plus. Its clever combination of platforming and battle royale made for fun and addictive arcade gameplay, and 24 hours after release it had more than 1.5 million players. As of December 2020, Fall Guys had sold more than 11m copies on PC alone.
Work on the new and improved version of Dwarf Fortress is ongoing. To tide us over, we have a new 10 minute gameplay video showing off the game's graphics.
The video below shows the new Desert Fortress in action. We see the new menus, a first look at the desert terrain, and what it looks like underground.
Dwarf Fortress is perhaps the deepest simulation of a world ever created, an infamously complex. It has for years had ASCII dwarves - little smiley faces fewer pixels than the average emoji. For the upcoming Steam release, Dwarf Fortress is getting actual graphics and much more in a bid to make it a tad accessible.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine - pretty much the best Space Marine game ever made - turned 10 years old this week, and to celebrate it received a special Anniversary Edition on PC (thanks, PCGamesN).
Space Marine was developed by Dawn of War and Company of Heroes maker Relic Entertainment for release in 2011 on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
Relic left its strategy roots behind to create a fun third-person hack-and-slash/shooter hybrid that, while failing to set tills alight for now defunct publisher THQ, went down well among Warhammer 40,000 fans. You play an Ultramarine versus the Orks, with a heavy emphasis on melee (you heal via executions). It's a bloodfest.
Halo Infinite's latest technical preview (this one feels pretty much like a beta but with limited-time matchmaking) is in full swing - and players are coming up with some amazing trick shots.
I managed around four hours of play last night, and found myself on the receiving end of the new grappling hook more times than I would have liked. But it's the new repulsor equipment that I think may be one of the best additions across the entire game.
Trigger the repulsor and your spartan holds out their arm for a brief moment to deflect oncoming grenades and rockets. The idea is you can bat enemy grenades back at their sender, hopefully for a kill.
Asmodee Digital's video game adaptation of acclaimed co-op board game Gloomhaven is, after more than two years in Steam Early Access, getting its version 1.0 release on 20th October.
The original board game iteration of Gloomhaven, designed by Isaac Childres, is a sprawling, turn-based tactical dungeon crawler set in a persistent fantasy world that's packed with characters, items, and scenarios, all gradually unlocking over the course of a 100+ hour campaign. It's a thrilling, richly designed, and all-round fantastic RPG experience, and one that also happens to come in a box big enough to kill a man.
As such (plus the fact the original board game retails for around £100), the prospect of a cheaper, more manageable digital iteration of Gloomhaven is an enticing one indeed - and the good news is the PC release, developed by Flaming Fowl Studios, has been widely praised during early access. It isn't quite a 1:1 interpretation (which Flaming Fowl say is neither possible or desirable), but all differences have been discussed with Childres and the end result is a "very faithful adaptation of the original gameplay and design."
Life is Strange Remastered, Square Enix's spruce up of Life is Strange 1 and its prequel Before the Storm, has been given a new release date of 1st February 2022 following its recent delay.
Life is Strange Remastered was originally due to arrive at the end of this month, two weeks after new series entry Life is Strange: True Colors, but Square made the decision to postpone its release back in August, citing "the ongoing challenges of the worldwide pandemic".
At the time, it offered a revised launch window of "early 2022", but Square has now properly shoved a pin in its calendar, announcing a new release date of 1st February next year on all previously confirmed platforms - Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, PC, and Stadia.
As revealed during last night's Nintendo Direct, N64 and Mega Drive games are finally heading to Nintendo Switch Online, and they'll be accompanied by physical controllers inspired by both platforms. Over in Japan, Nintendo also confirmed Mega Drive's much-loved six button pad variant will be available for purchase, but only in Japan.
Mega Drive's six button controller released back in 1993 to coincide with the launch of Street Fighter 2: Special Champion Edition and would eventually be supported by over 60 games. Yet despite its enduring popularity around the world - especially among fighting game fans - Sega and Nintendo have opted to make Switch's rendition of the six button pad exclusive to Japan. Everywhere else gets the three button original.
This isn't the first time Sega has denied western audience six-button Mega Drive goodness, of course; exactly the same thing happened with the release of its dinky Mega Drive Mini back 2019 to the disappointment of some, with everywhere but Japan having to make do with the three-button pad - Sega presumably reckoning (both then and now) the original offered the most nostalgia value for the majority of western Mega Drive fans.
Last night's Nintendo Direct graced us with the unexpected reveal of a Super Mario movie, along with a cast list of the main characters.
As you would expect, the internet became flooded with the reactions to the star-studded cast, mostly with cries of "why!?" and wishful thinking that it was all a fever dream.
So, here's a curated sample of the best memes in reaction to the announcement.
