Gamespot

Nintendo Labo's Coolest Kits Get Big Discounts (Today Only)

3 years 10 months ago

Though it didn't catch on like Nintendo probably hoped, the Nintendo Labo lineup of DIY cardboard builds are still pretty impressive. They also happen to have that wonderfully weird charm that many of Nintendo's most exciting products possess. With everyone spending more time at home, it's a great time to sit down with the family and make cardboard cars, submarines, and airplanes. Best Buy currently has two of the cooler Labo kits--the VR Kit and Vehicle Kit--discounted to $20 in its current Deal of the Day.

I had a great time building several of the Labo kits with my daughter, so I'd definitely recommend Labo to anyone with young kids who is looking for a fun activity to work on at home.

Nintendo Labo Vehicle Kit | $20 ($70)

Nintendo Labo Vehicle Kit

The Vehicle Kit comes with three builds: car, plane, and submarine. After making each build, you can use them to play unique games with the help of the Joy-Con's HD Rumble feature. Overall, the Vehicle Kit probably has the most impressive games, which means you and your kids will likely get more use out of the cardboard builds after putting them together. Like all Labo kits, you can design your own apps in Toy-Con garage using a node-based programming language.

Author
Steven Petite

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Pokemon Go Studio Announces Black Lives Matter Donations, Company Initiatives

3 years 10 months ago

Niantic, the company behind ARG mobile hits like Pokemon Go and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, has announced a broad set of company plans aimed at racial justice reforms, in light of ongoing protests over policing in America. The letter from CEO John Hanke outlines millions in donations and paid time off for employees to volunteer.

Hanke says the company will be donating a minimum of $5 million in proceeds from Pokemon Go Fest 2020 ticket sales. Half of that will go towards funding new projects from black creators to make more diverse content, while the other half will go towards US nonprofits. In addition, it will donate $100,000 to the Marsha P. Johnson Institute, and matching employee contributions up to $50,000.

The note also states that Niantic employees currently get four days per year to attend in-game events. Going forward, the company will add a fifth day and turn them all into Flex Days, allowing Niantic employees to use those days to volunteer in their communities.

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Author
Steve Watts

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Cyberpunk 2077 Gameplay Stream Delayed Several Weeks

3 years 10 months ago

Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red has delayed its digital showcase for the game, titled Night City Wire, to later in June in light of ongoing civil rights protests primarily in the United States.

Night City Wire was originally meant to debut on June 11, with CD Projekt Red using the same week usually reserved for E3 to show off their latest IP ahead of its September launch. The event will now take place on June 25, with a statement explaining that "more important discussions are happening right now and we want them to be heard."

Author
Alessandro Barbosa

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Sega Game Gear Micro Announced, Tiny-Handed Gamers Rejoice

3 years 10 months ago

Miniaturized consoles are all the rage, and now Sega has announced a mini handheld modeled after its Game Gear system. The Game Gear Micro is very tiny, even by portable system standards, and will launch this fall in Japan.

Unlike many other retro consoles, though, the Game Gear Micro will actually launch in four color variations, each with a different selection of four games. Each one will cost 4,980 yen (about $45 USD). You can find the game line-ups and color variations below. It will launch on October 6, to mark the 30th anniversary.

The console itself is tiny--80mm by 43mm by 20mm--and a trailer showing hands holding the device make it appear comically small. But Sega is also also selling a combo pack with all four consoles and a snap-on magnifier for the itty-bitty screen. No release has been announced for the West.

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Author
Steve Watts

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EA Announces Donations, Volunteer Programs For Racial Justice

3 years 10 months ago

In light of ongoing protests for racial justice across America, several game companies have issued statements of support or announced donations. EA has now announced some broad steps of its own, including both monetary donations and several internal initiatives.

In a message from CEO Andrew Wilson, the company announced a $1 million donation to organizations including the Equal Justice Initiative and the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, along with others to be announced. On top of that, the company is double-matching employee contributions to those organizations and any local charities through the end of June.

The company is also launching a set of volunteering initiatives to get employees involved in community action. Each employee will get a paid day of volunteer work, which Wilson says will total 75,000 hours across all of its employees around the world. It will be encouraging employees to use that paid time for racial justice work by sharing a list of appropriate volunteer activities that can be performed from home to abide by social distancing guidelines due to the coronavirus.

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Author
Steve Watts

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Call Of Duty Season 4 Is Delayed For Modern Warfare, Warzone

3 years 10 months ago

Season 4 of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone, and Season 7 of Call of Duty: Mobile, is being delayed in the wake of the homicide of George Floyd by Minneapolis police office Derek Chauvin. In a brief statement on Twitter, the official Call of Duty Twitter account announced that the start of new seasons across these three Call of Duty games has been pushed back.

These seasons will now debut at a later date. They were due to begin on June 3.

"Right now it's time for those speaking up for equality, justice, and change to be seen and heard," the tweet reads. "We stand alongside you."

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Author
James O'Connor

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Black Creators To Read, Watch, Follow

3 years 10 months ago

On June 1, GameSpot began hosting Play For All--a celebration of all things gaming. We asked that you join us as we bring you the summer's hottest news, previews, interviews, features, and videos, as well as raise money for COVID-19 relief with the help of our friends from around the gaming world. But we're also taking this opportunity to state our support for the recent protests that have popped up across the US in response to the continued police brutality against black people.

To that end, GameSpot would like to highlight black creators in our industry, whether they specialize in writing video essays, producing hard-hitting articles, or hosting good podcasts. Below, we've listed the work of notable black creators--regardless of whether or not they work at GameSpot. We hope you'll take a few moments to read and watch them and maybe gain a new perspective into your favorite video games. And keep checking this page, as we'll continue to update it with more voices over the coming days and weeks.

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GameSpot Staff

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How Nintendo Uses Luck To Make Games Fun For Everyone

3 years 10 months ago

This article, originally posted on March 29, 2019, has been republished to amplify black voices in GameSpot's support of Black Lives Matter. Donate to the effort to fight systemic racism here.

Since its pre-video game years as a Japanese playing-card company, Nintendo has designed games that combine strategy, competition, and luck. This mixture takes competition-centric pressure off players, making the game less about winning and more about having fun.

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Joshua Adams

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Best Games Of 2019 - Death Stranding

3 years 10 months ago

This article, originally posted on December 16, 2019, has been republished to amplify black voices in GameSpot's support of Black Lives Matter. Donate to the effort to fight systemic racism here.

On December 17, we will reveal which of the 10 nominees gets to take home the coveted title of GameSpot's Best Game of 2019. So be sure to come back then for the big announcement, and in the meantime, follow along with all of our other end-of-the-year coverage collected in our Best Games of 2019 hub.

Death Stranding is the anti-open-world game of the 2010s. Instead of hinging on combat encounters and large-scale thrills in an expansive world, Hideo Kojima's experimental game focuses more on the struggles of a lone character exploring a massive landscape on his own two feet and with the weight of the world on his shoulders. It takes a step back to observe the foreboding sense of isolation when in the wild, which can give rise to a surreal sense of calm when embracing your routine amid a paranormal, post-apocalyptic setting. Death Stranding wasn't the kind of open-world game we were expecting, but in truth, it was the one we needed this year.

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Author
Alessandro Fillari

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Animal Crossing: New Horizons Has Afro Twists, And I Love 'Em

3 years 10 months ago

This article, originally posted on March 20, 2020, has been republished to amplify black voices in GameSpot's support of Black Lives Matter. Donate to the effort to fight systemic racism here.

I'm happy that Animal Crossing: New Horizons includes the option to play as a black character. I'm overjoyed the game actually gives you a decent option when it comes to giving your character a traditionally black hairstyle.

I've gotten to the point where I'm not really angry anymore whenever I see a video game character creator think that good diversity is making sure to include options for an afro or cornrows. I'm just tired of yelling about it.

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Author
Jordan Ramée

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How An Online Game Community Is Helping Each Other Through Hard Times

3 years 10 months ago

This article, originally posted on September 19, 2019, has been republished to amplify black voices in GameSpot's support of Black Lives Matter. Donate to the effort to fight systemic racism here.

Kind Words (lo fi chill beats to write to), a game that encourages people to write nice things about each other over the internet, seems like a recipe for disaster. Every time I boot up the game, I wonder if this is going to be it, if this is going to be the moment when its formula backfires and pairs me up with a sadistic troll. Surprisingly, it hasn't, even as the game has garnered increased attention and users since its official launch. The folks behind Kind Words aren't worried about the attention though--not yet anyway--as they're confident that the game will not become so popular that it evolves into something too difficult to control.

Author
Jordan Ramée

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A Little Death Positivity In Video Games Can Be Good

3 years 10 months ago

This article, originally posted on October 31, 2019, has been republished to amplify black voices in GameSpot's support of Black Lives Matter. Donate to the effort to fight systemic racism here.

Death is such a major part of video games, but rarely in a way that's constructive--it's most commonly a failure mechanic for you or the ever-present goal for you to enact on others, regardless of whether you're facing other players or NPCs. A story-driven game's most dramatic moment may use the death of a beloved character to create a severe emotional response and plenty of horror games rely on surprising character deaths to produce jump scares. But that's usually the extent to what games do with death. So in the few cases when games actually do deal with death and grief as a reality, it's almost always surprising.

Video games should talk about death more. And I don't mean just show it; more games should really talk about it and explore how normal it is. Video games too often gloss over or demonize death but that's not an accurate reflection of real life. We're all going to die someday, as are the people we know. And as frightening as that may be, those deaths will probably be boringly normal. So too, in turn, are the emotions associated with coming to terms with that, whether it's depression, grief, anger, or acceptance.

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Author
Jordan Ramée

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The Hard Costs Of Making A Game Alone

3 years 10 months ago

This article, originally posted on June 28, 2019, has been republished to amplify black voices in GameSpot's support of Black Lives Matter. Donate to the effort to fight systemic racism here.

Game development is a risky endeavor. Between designing, programming, QA testing, and all the other steps involved, you can spend years working on the same project. There's no guarantee that what you'll make will be well-received when it's released and, even if it is, a lack of exposure could still spell financial loss. There's a lot of pressure to succeed, and failing to meet expectations might mean there's not enough money for a next time.

And yet, despite this pressure, there are some people out there who choose to shoulder this burden alone. There are over a dozen success stories of indie developers who forged ahead with little to no outside help, managing to achieve both wide-spread critical acclaim for their work and earn enough money to make a living. It's not a very common occurrence though, and asking those who've managed to do it reveals plenty of reasons as to why that could be the case. Developing a game can already be a fairly mentally and emotionally taxing process, and doing it solo without a support system can exacerbate the stress and feelings of self-doubt. Some appreciate this challenge, but others do not.

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Author
Jordan Ramée

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Far Cry 5's New American Setting Made Me Feel Like An Outsider

3 years 10 months ago

This article, originally posted on March 5, 2018, has been republished to amplify black voices in GameSpot's support of Black Lives Matter. Donate to the effort to fight systemic racism here.

Far Cry 5's setting of an American county under siege seems to become more provocative as the days go by. Moving away from the tropical jungles of the South Pacific and African savannas, the series now dips its toes into the US setting of Hope County, Montana for its action-packed fish-out-of-water story. With the new locale, the series also looks to break away from the standards that past games have set, which includes a more open world to explore, deeper co-op, and a custom character to create.

But with the move to North America, it definitely has chilling parallels to real life, whether that's the developers intention or not. During a press event for Far Cry 5, I had the chance to experience the early hours of what looks to be Ubisoft's most eye-opening entry in the series, and how unsettling several of the game's moments can be.

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Author
Alessandro Fillari

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Finally, I Can Be Me In Animal Crossing--But I'm Exhausted

3 years 10 months ago

This article, originally posted on May 11, 2020, has been republished to amplify black voices in GameSpot's support of Black Lives Matter. Donate to the effort to fight systemic racism here.

In 2013, I was a high schooler with way too much free time on my hands. It was the last few weeks of school and a bunch of my friends and I would routinely skip class to play video games in the back of the library. It was a forbidden gamer paradise. Animal Crossing: New Leaf just dropped and we were all desperate to play it. There was a game where you could go to a town with your friends, become a home makeover demi-god, talk to animal neighbours, and be the mayor? Why wasn't every video game built exactly like that?

Self-expression is the core element of ACNL; it's a feature embedded into every aspect of the game. You choose the colour and style of your clothes and the location and architecture of your dream house, and since there are no pressing time constraints like other social simulators, you even choose what you do all day, every day. It's a game about freedom. I was so incredibly excited when I picked it up, but that feeling dwindled fast. There were no options to have black skin colour or any black hairstyles. A game all about freedom and customization refused to let me be me. It was beyond alienating; out of all the things that could have been excluded, why those things?

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Author
Funké Joseph

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Get Your Free Code For The Beta Of KartRider: Drift*

3 years 10 months ago

Make your drifting dreams come true with a free code for the beta of KartRider: Drift. The pre-download starts today on Xbox One, Steam, and Nexon Launcher, but you can still register to play the game until June 8.

A lot of the winners of the first giveaway reached out to ask for more beta keys to share with friends and we are here to make that happen.

To enter the giveaway you have to read the official rules, accept the terms and conditions and fill out the form below. If you don’t see the form from your mobile device please use this link and make sure your ad blocker is disabled.

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Author
Tania Gonzalez

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Killzone: Mercenary Servers Have Returned After Temporary Shut-Down

3 years 10 months ago

UPDATE: The Killzone: Mercenary servers have returned to operation after a brief downtime. It's unknown what caused the servers to go down, but Vita owners can return to the groundbreaking portable FPS and play online again right now. Perhaps The Last Of Us Part II is right, and the Vita will remain relevant for quite a while yet.

The original story is below.

Killzone: Mercenary
was one of the PlayStation Vita's only exclusive multiplayer shooters for years, with a deep competitive mode alongside its single-player campaign. However, it appears the multiplayer servers have been shut down and this mode is no longer available.

Players attempting to connect to the game's multiplayer mode are met with an error message, and GameSpot's sister site ComicBook.com was told by PlayStation Support the servers were indeed shut down. However, it's unclear if this is a permanent closure or if they could return at a later date. The multiplayer mode is still listed on the game's official PlayStation Store page.

Author
James O'Connor

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Dragon Ball Legends Mobile Game Celebrates 2nd Anniversary With 5 New Fighters

3 years 10 months ago

Dragon Ball Legends, the mobile RPG with a card-based battle mechanic, has turned two years old, and it's celebrating with multiple new characters. These new fighters come from the two separate Dragon Ball Z sequel series--Dragon Ball GT and Dragon Ball Super.

From GT, Legends is adding Omega Shenron and Super Saiyan 4 Goku. Shenron was the final villain of the Dragon Ball spin-off series, and now players of the mobile game can unleash his fearsome power. Super Saiyan 4 was one of the better-received elements of GT, so it's good to see Goku in this form joining the game.

From Dragon Ball Super, the game is adding three characters from the Future Trunks arc. Super Saiyan Rage Trunks, Fusion Zamasu, and Super Saiyan Blue Vegito are all coming to the game, letting you relive their intense battles from the series.

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James O'Connor

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"Enough Is Enough" -- Star Wars Director Is Donating $10 Million To Help Fight Racism

3 years 10 months ago

Star Wars director JJ Abrams, his wife Katie McGrath, and the entire team at Bad Robot productions are donating $10 million to a series of charities to help fight racism amid the protests and unrest surrounding the death of George Floyd.

The Bad Robot Instagram page released a statement, confirming the money will go to "organizations and efforts committed to anti-racist agendas that close the gaps, lift the poor, and build a just America for all."

The statement calls out police brutality and white privilege, while it also acknowledges that money alone won't fix the issues with America. You can read the full statement below.

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Author
Eddie Makuch

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Europa Universalis Creator Starts New Studio At Paradox, Planning Grand Strategy Games

3 years 10 months ago

Paradox Interactive, the publisher and developer best known for strategy games, is opening yet another studio. The company has announced a new office in Barcelona called Paradox Tinto.

Paradox Tinto is Paradox's seventh studio, and its first in Spain. Paradox also has offices in the Swedish cities of Stockholm, Umea, and Malmo. In the United States, Paradox operates Paradox Tectonic in Berkeley, California and Harebrained Schemes in Seattle. The company also owns Triumph Studios, which is based in The Netherlands.

Paradox Tinto will open "in the immediate future," with 25-year Paradox veteran Johan Andersson leading the team. Andersson is crediting with creating the Europa Universalis franchise. Paradox Tinto will start out as a "small core team" that will support the ongoing development of Europa Universalis IV before starting work on multiple new games in the grand strategy genre.

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Eddie Makuch

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GeForce Now Switches To Opt-In System After Several Companies Remove Their Games

3 years 10 months ago

GeForce Now is switching to an opt-in system for developers instead of the previous opt-out system, Nvidia announced on May 27. GeForce Now, Nvidia's cloud-based streaming service for PC, left beta in February and has seen a number of big name companies, like 2K Games and Activision Blizzard, remove their games from the service.

The blog post by Phil Eisler, General Manager of GeForce Now, stated that not only would companies need to opt into the service moving forward but that they would be removing games on May 31 if the companies do not opt-in by that time.

Eisler further explained that participating in the service would not require any extra cost on developers that opt in.

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James Carr

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Final Fantasy 14 Complete Edition (PS4) On Sale For A Great Price, Includes All 3 Expansions

3 years 10 months ago

Anyone who's been considering getting into the hugely popular MMO Final Fantasy XIV can now get a bundle with the game and all its major expansions for a great price. Amazon and Walmart are currently offering the PS4 version of Final Fantasy XIV Online: Complete Edition for $36.98, down from its usual $60 price tag. This includes not only the base game but also the Heavensward, Stormblood, and Shadowbringers expansions in an all-in-one package.

The important thing to note is that you'll still need a subscription to keep playing FFXIV longterm. The Complete Edition comes with a 30-day free trial period (new accounts only); after that period runs out, you'll have to pay a monthly fee to keep playing. The standard membership costs $12 for your first month; after that, it costs $15 a month for 30 days, $14 a month for 90 days, and $13 a month if you opt for a year-long subscription. However, PlayStation Plus isn't required to play.

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Jenae Sitzes

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New If Found Patch Update Tweaks Script, Adds Bug Fixes

3 years 10 months ago

Developer Dreamfeel has released a new patch for If Found. The update is currently only out for Windows--it will be released for MacOS in "the next few days," according to a Steam blog post.

"This [update] fixes a number of issues, polishes the graphics in a couple of sections, updates the localisation, and tweaks some parts of the script, particularly around Mac & Cassiopeia," Dreamfeel writes in the blog post.

The most notable issue addressed has to do with If Found's Steam achievements, as some of them (like "Trans Rights!") have been glitched since the game launched, preventing players from unlocking them. The update also addresses a problem that was causing players to become stuck if they exited the game from the Bog Road Heist or Anomaly chapter and then tried to resume playing. The full patch notes are outlined below.

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Jordan Ramée

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Incredible Steam Bundle Includes More Than 50 Classic Games For Under $10

3 years 10 months ago

The Sega Genesis is an incredible 16-bit console with a library full of some of the '90s best games. Series like Sonic the Hedgehog, Streets of Rage, and Shinobi called the system home, and now you can get more than 50 of the console's classic games for less than $10. Fanatical is selling Steam's Sega Genesis Classics bundle for $9.29 USD. It's a retro-styled package of 59 titles that is accompanied by some cool features, including a virtual '90s living room for you to select and play your games in.

The Sega Genesis Classics bundle comes with all of the console's Sonic games, including Sonic CD and Sonic 3D Blast. You also get all three Streets of Rage, Shinobi, and Golden Axe games as well as Gunstar Heroes, Beyond Oasis, and Toe Jam & Earl. The full selection of games can be seen on Fanatical.

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Mat Paget

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Assassin's Creed Valhalla: The Insta-Kill Hidden Blade Is A Bit Different This Time Around

3 years 10 months ago

As seen in the cinematic reveal trailer for Assassin's Creed Valhalla, protagonist Eivor uses a conspicuous version of the hidden blade where the actual blade can be seen on top of the forearm as opposed to being hidden on the bottom. Ubisoft decided to remove the "hidden" aspect of the hidden blade in order to better fit the tone of Valhalla and Eivor's culture.

"It is a deliberate decision," Assassin's Creed Valhalla narrative director Darby McDevitt said on Twitter. "It's something that Eivor feels very strongly about. When he or she gets a hold of this hidden blade, it occurs to Eivor that it would be much more interesting to let people see this weapon, to be conspicuous about it. Vikings were known as having a sense of honor and it was very important that when you killed somebody, that you let people know that you killed them."

McDevitt continued: "Oftentimes, people would not be punished for murder if they had a small justification, like say somebody insulted you. They would not be punished for the murder as long as they admitted to it, as long as they stated openly that 'Yes, I killed that person because we got into combat.' And so having the hidden blade visible is actually kind of an extension of that honor. We want this conspicuous aspect of the blade to be reflected in the way that Eivor presents him or herself to the world."

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Jordan Ramée

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The Epic Games Store Will Launch On Mobile Devices

3 years 10 months ago

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has big plans for its video game distribution platform, the Epic Games Store. One of these plans is to bring the digital launcher to Android and iOS devices in the future.

In an interview that kicked off GameSpot's Play For All summer gaming event, Sweeney spoke about the EGS's success, the difficulties releasing a competitor to the massively popular Steam, how cross-play can be a boon for the industry, and much more. During the interview, we asked Sweeney if he had any goals for the EGS in the future, which is when he brought up mobile devices.

"We'd like to bring the [Epic Games] Store to iOS in the future, and we will bring it to Android," Sweeney said. "We think it's a good way to help the industry [move] forward and it's another way where Epic as a game developer had built up this audience around Fortnite and learned how to operate a distribution platform on PC and Android.

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Jeremy Winslow

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League Of Legends Introduces A New Way To Show Advertising In Esports Games

3 years 10 months ago

In a new update for League of Legends esports, Riot has added the equivalent of stadium signage to Summoner's Rift. A feature called SR Arena Banners will allow LoL esports leagues to customize how their viewers see the Rift, with the potential to display major sponsors and league details.

The new feature will roll out for the Summer Split, and will only be visible to those watching on official League of Legends broadcasts. "In the future, you can expect to see leagues begin to experiment with unique approaches that will more deeply integrate our partners to engage local and regional fan bases," the blog post details.

No Caption Provided

Notably, the new banners will only be visible to spectators, with players seeing the same standard Rift they are used to practicing on. "This will ensure that a new visual model won’t impact their ability to practice and compete on an identical Rift," the post adds.

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Hayley Williams

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Halo MCC Developer Explains In Detail How They Handle Bugs

3 years 10 months ago

Developer 343 Industries has been remarkably thorough and transparent throughout the process of porting the Halo: Master Chief Collection to PC, often releasing in-depth blog posts about the process. This week, community manager Tyler "Postums" Davis has posted an update on how the team handles bugs, from reporting to patching, after a bug-riddled release of Halo 2 Anniversary wreaked havoc on the Master Chief Collection.

While a lot of the discussion around game bugs is usually centered around the technical aspect of fixing them, Postums also goes into detail about how the community team is involved. As the first line of contact with the players, Halo's Community Team usually hear about bugs first, and often has to triage the seriousness of a newly reported issue. While this process also happens through Halo Support, the official tool for tracking and reporting bugs, players are just as likely to report bugs through forums, Discord, or in public social media posts.

Once identified, there's still a big process to go through before a bug can be fixed--one that ensures resources are assigned in the most efficient way. Testers look into details of a bug, finding out how and where it can be reproduced. When bugs are logged, they require details including "an outline of area, severity, description, reproduction steps, impact, expected results, media, and an assignment."

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Hayley Williams

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F1 2020 Will Let You Race On The New Hanoi Circuit In Vietnam Before Its Real-Life Debut

3 years 10 months ago

F1 2020 has unveiled a new track that has only recently been constructed in real life. The game will take players to Vietnam to compete on the Hanoi Street Circuit track for the first time. This route was completed in February 2020 and is expected to debut in the next F1 season (which is currently suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

In the trailer below, you can see Scuderia Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc race around the digital track. It's 5.613km long (3.488 miles) and features 23 turns per lap, with a short pit lane and two long straights. The track is inspired by some other beloved F1 tracks, including Monaco and Nurburgring.

In the press release sent out alongside this trailer, F1 franchise game director Lee Mather said that the track "delivers both thrills and challenges, set against the backdrop of the stunning city skyline." He also warned that the track will "punish anyone who doesn’t respect the walled sections."

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James O'Connor

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Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare -- You Can Win A Video Message From Captain John Price

3 years 10 months ago

The iconic Call of Duty character Captain Price is being added to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare's multiplayer and the battle royale game Warzone with its new Season 4 update. To promote the release, Activision is giving people a chance to get a video message from Price himself, or at least the closest thing to him.

The actor who plays Price in the new Modern Warfare--Barry Sloane--will record a personalized video message for you on Cameo if you win a contest. You can enter the sweepstakes here for a chance to win one of 50 messages. Everyone who enters gets a free Modern Warfare calling card, so you get something even if you don't win.

Activision is launching this sweepstakes following the successful run of paid-for Cameo appearances where people could pay $141--referencing Task Force 141--to get Sloane to record a message. The allotted supply ran out, and Activision is now launching the sweepstakes for 50 more.

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Eddie Makuch

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EA, Xbox, Activision, Naughty Dog, Star Wars, Marvel, And More Call For End To Racism

3 years 10 months ago

EA Sports was scheduled to formally announce Madden NFL 21 on June 1, but the developer has changed plans in response to recent events in the world. Not only that, but Xbox, Bethesda, Riot Games, and Summerfall Studios have responded as well.

EA Sports said in a statement on Twitter, "We stand with our African American / Black community of friends, players, colleagues, and partners. Our immediate attention is on actions we can take to drive change against the unjust treatment and systemic bias that is plaguing the nation and our world."

The statement goes on: "We'll find another time to talk football with you. Because this is bigger than a game, bigger than sports, and needs all of us to stand together and commit to change."

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Eddie Makuch

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3D Realms Releasing Wrath: Aeon Of Ruin, Developed In Quake Engine, Next Year

3 years 10 months ago

A release date has been announced for Wrath: Aeon of Ruin, an FPS game built within a modified version of the Quake engine. The game, which will be published by 3D Realms and 1C Entertainment, and is developed by KillPixel Games (which is making its debut here), will launch on February 25, 2021.

Wrath: Aeon of Ruin is coming to PC, Switch, PS4, and Xbox One, and it looks very similar to the 90s classic it's based so heavily on. The game is currently available in Steam Early Access, and a new enemy, level, and weapon have just been added to the playable build.

The trailer below also introduces the game's Big Box edition, which will be limited to 500 units. It contains:

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James O'Connor

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Gorgeous Farming Adventure Summer In Mara Is Out This Month, Demo Available Now

3 years 10 months ago

Summer in Mara, a beautiful-looking farming/adventure game, has announced a release date, and it's not far off. The game will arrive on PC through Steam and on the Nintendo Switch Eshop on June 16, developer Chibig has announced.

Summer in Mara, which earned over ten times what it was asking for on Kickstarter, casts the player as Koa, a young girl exploring and working on a tropical island. You can build up your own farm, take to the ocean and explore by boat, and dive deep into the island's numerous secrets.

Based on the trailer in the tweet below, it looks like a pretty chilled-out game. You can try the game out ahead of its launch on Steam, too--a prologue demo is available now.

Author
James O'Connor

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Halo: MCC Known Issues And New Features Revealed For Xbox One And PC

3 years 10 months ago

Halo developer 343 Industries has updated its list of known issues for Halo: The Master Chief Collection. The studio is working to fix these issues, but the developer also cautioned that it's currently prioritizing the launch of Halo 3 on PC ahead of fixing these lingering issues.

"The scope and implications of these issues vary greatly so while some may see good movement in a given month, others may not," 343 explained in a blog post.

The list of known issues for Halo: MCC covers both Xbox One and PC. On Xbox, 343 acknowledged that it's aware of "performance issues" for Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, and Halo 3, and it's working toward a fix. Additionally, the studio has acknowledged issues with the pistol spread for Halo: Combat Evolved multiplayer when playing at higher frame rates on PC. A preliminary fix has already been released, but the developer continues to track down issues that are persisting.

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Eddie Makuch

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The Last Of Us Part 2 Pre-Orders Are Tracking Ahead Of Previous Record Figures

3 years 10 months ago

The Last of Us Part II is finally almost upon us, with its June 19 release date inching ever closer. The game, which has faced delays and leaking plot details, is still tracking very well, according to Sony--and, in fact, could end up breaking sales records.

According to PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan, who spoke to GameSpot sister site CNET ahead of Sony's upcoming PlayStation 5 reveal, The Last Of Us Part II is likely to sell big numbers. In Europe, pre-orders are tracking ahead of Marvel's Spider-Man at the same comparative point before that game's release. That's significant, because that game broke records for Sony, selling 3.3 million copies within 3 days of release, and earning over 1 million pre-orders.

It's not clear what the split is here between physical and digital preorders, although digital sales are up across the board for games--especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

While Ryan only mentioned Europe, The Last of Us Part II seems set to do well in other regions too. "We hope this'll be a defining game for this generation," he told CNET. He also said that the game will run on PlayStation 5 at launch.

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James O'Connor

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NHL's PK Subban Starts YouTube Series Where He Commentates NHL 20 Games, And It's Great

3 years 10 months ago

NHL superstar P.K. Subban of the New Jersey Devils is starting a new YouTube series focused on EA's NHL video game series. "P.K. Subban's NHL 20 Hockey Night" is a new show where two NHL players will go head-to-head in the video game, with Subban providing commentary.

In the first episode, Subban calls a game between Roman Josi of the Nashville Predators and Anthony Bitetto of the Winnipeg Jets. Subban provides some excellent commentary--he's both funny and informative, which is what makes a good broadcaster in sports.

Check out the full episode below.

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Eddie Makuch

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Fallout 76 Refunds Now Available In Australia After Retailer Misleads Consumers About Getting Their Money Back

3 years 10 months ago

People in Australia who bought Fallout 76 and felt misled by a refund policy can now request one from one of the largest retailers in the country.

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) has announced that EB Games--which is owned by American games retailer juggernaut GameStop--has begun to send out refunds to customers after admitting that the store "likely" misled consumers. Specifically, the ACCC's announcement states that EB Games acknowledged that it was "likely to have misled consumers about their consumer guarantee rights in relation to faults with the online video game Fallout 76."

The issue here is that EB Games reportedly told consumers who asked for a refund that they were not allowed one after they experienced bugs and other issues with the always-online RPG.

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Eddie Makuch

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The Outer Worlds On Switch Features Optional Motion Controls, And More Details Have Been Revealed

3 years 10 months ago

The Outer Worlds is coming to Switch on June 5, and we're starting to get some idea of how Obsidian's RPG will run and play on Switch. Although we have not seen footage of the game running on Nintendo's console yet, we now know that it will target a frame rate of 30FPS, and a few other facts about the port.

Speaking to Nintendo Everything, the game's production director Eric DeMilt spoke about the changes being made for the Switch version. To aid accessibility and the ease of playing, the developers "tuned sensitivity, exposed some inputs to users in the settings menu, tweaked and iterated aim assist values, and added support for gyro aiming, and sticky targeting."

Gyro aiming has been featured in a few Switch FPS ports, including Doom, Wolfenstein II, and the recently released Borderlands games. DeMilt added that Obsidian is "very happy with how the game looks and plays".

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James O'Connor

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PGA Tour 2K21 -- New Details Revealed About Cross-Play And More

3 years 10 months ago

The first-ever PGA Tour 2K game, PGA Tour 2K21, releases this year, and developer HB Studios has now announced some new details about what to expect.

The developer answered fan questions on Reddit, and started off by confirming that there will not be cross-play support for multiplayer. However, the courses made with PGA Tour 2K21's level editor can be shared across all systems. The game is releasing on PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC, and Stadia.

Additionally, PGA Tour 2K21 will allow players to import their custom courses from The Golf Club 2019 to the new game and use its new tools and assets with the new game.

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Eddie Makuch

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Halo Infinite -- Watch The Developers Blow Stuff Up With TNT To Record Sounds

3 years 10 months ago

Halo Infinite developer 343 Industries has posted its latest behind-the-scenes video that shows how the audio team captured sounds for the next-generation Halo game.

The team used the industrial explosives ANFO and TNT to capture sounds for the game. They planted the charges six feet underground inside of barrels that were blown to bits, leaving giant smoke plumes and pieces of the barrels launching high into the sky and crashing back down to Earth.

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Eddie Makuch

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