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The Witcher 3 Dev CD Projekt Red Explains Why The Open World Worked

3 years 11 months ago

On May 19, 2015, Polish studio CD Projekt Red released The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the final entry in its trilogy continuing author Andrzej Sapkowski's Witcher saga. With a huge open world, the game was a big departure from the style of the previous two games, but the risky move resulted in a game that still holds up five years later. It is often considered one of the best role-playing games of all time, and its enormous and lively world is largely responsible for that.

In an interview with Polygon, the CDPR developers have talked about how The Witcher 3 was such a big departure from other games in the series, and what went into making that change.

“Our quest director Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz, said that the main goal [of The Witcher 3] was to combine the design philosophy of previous Witcher games, which was to create a complex and mature story that has choices and consequences, with an open world," senior quest designer Philipp Weber told Polygon. "There used to be this preconceived notion you would hear a lot that open world games can’t tell interesting or deep stories. So that was something we took up as a challenge."

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Hayley Williams

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Good News Gaming: DJ Shaq And The Wholesome Streamer

3 years 11 months ago

It's the end of another week and we want you to start the weekend right, so we've got a bunch of cool, funny, and downright heartwarming stories from around the video game world for you. Good News Gaming is all about uplifting the spirit and putting a little spring in your step, so give the episode a watch and hopefully it'll leave with a warm and fuzzy feeling.

The breakout star of this week's selection of stories is a streamer that goes by brohx_. He usually spends his time broadcasting himself doing intricate wood carvings, but the lad is also a big fan of video games. He loves to play World of Warcraft and, due to his modest laptop, usually sticks to the classic version, which is less demanding on hardware. However, brohx_ stepped into the spotlight when a video of him telling people not to subscribe to him--and even trying to figure out whether he can return subs--was broken out and circulated. It's so wholesome and his desire to ensure people take advantage of the free entertainment he provides was incredibly sweet.

The best part of the story is another Twitch streamer dedicated one of their broadcast to raising money that would be used to get brohx_ a PC to play more games. Of course, the humble lad protested, but the community was too set on showing him some love. It's a wonderful story. Also, he likes My Hero Academia--what a lovely person.

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Tamoor Hussain

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PS5 And Xbox Series X: Key Differences We Know So Far

3 years 11 months ago

In the year of our lord 2020, a new console generation is upon us. Between Sony and Microsoft, we're set to experience the technological jump in next-gen hardware with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. However, if you've been keeping up from a technical perspective, you may realize that these two upcoming systems share a lot in common. From the AMD-built CPU and GPU to the ultra-fast solid-state drives, both consoles are sure to deliver similar top-end performance. But here, we're going to focus on what sets them apart.

Aside from a few key hardware details, the PS5 and Xbox Series X have some notable differences. Exclusive games, subscription services, controllers, backward compatibility, expandable storage, form factor--these are all ways the new consoles are forming their distinct identities and setting the stage for the upcoming generation. Also, if you're undecided on which platform to dedicate your time with, these are the things you should be aware of. We'll continue to update this feature as we learn more about both consoles in the months ahead.

Platform-Exclusive Games

Microsoft has made significant moves in recent years by acquiring multiple development studios to bring into its first-party Xbox Games Studios umbrella. While it means that these dev teams get the support of a giant like Microsoft, it also means Xbox platforms get exclusive games. It's tricky to talk about in definitive terms given Microsoft's dedication to offering PC versions of first-party games, cross-generation support, and in some cases, timed exclusivity. But if we're comparing Xbox against PlayStation, we'll include what the consoles can offer over the other.

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Michael Higham

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Xbox Live Is Down, No Timetable For Return [Update]

3 years 11 months ago

[Update: Xbox Live services appear to have resumed and issues have been resolved.]

Original story follows:

Xbox Live is currently experiencing issues that are affecting signing in and playing multiplayer titles across Windows 10 and Xbox One. It doesn't appear there is a fix yet, but Microsoft is working on getting things running smoothly again.

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Gabe Gurwin

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All The Realm's A Stage: Exploring Final Fantasy 14's Incredible Virtual Theater Shows

3 years 11 months ago

"For me, creating art isn't optional."

It's 48 minutes into Stellazio Virtual Theatre's adaption of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's novella The Little Prince when Zaynava Everrest (real name Kira Merrill) appears on a raised platform behind a disappearing wall at the back of the stage. This entrance is just one of the dozens of tricks Stellazio have rigged their Final Fantasy XIV Online player house--now refashioned as a theatre, complete with stage and an audience of sitting, engrossed players--to pull off at the touch of a key.

By day, 28-year-old Merrill--from the Midwestern US--drives Uber for a living (at least under normal circumstances), which gives her the time and flexibility to direct Stellazio. As she makes her entrance now, though, she's neither in the driver's nor director's seat, but sat atop an ornate throne in flowing white and red garb, as she fulfills her adapted role as Queen to Saint-Exupéry's asteroid-perched King.

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Nic Reuben

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New Saints Row: The Third Remastered Trailer Showcases Its Enhanced Visuals

3 years 11 months ago

Saints Row: The Third Remastered is now out, providing an updated version of the beloved game in Volition's franchise about a wacky street gang. Publisher Deep Silver released a new trailer for Saints Row: The Third Remastered, which is embedded below. Saints Row: The Third Remastered is available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.

The remaster was developed by Sperasoft, a studio that's primarily known for contributing to the development of games like Rainbow Six Siege, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Anthem, Mass Effect Andromeda, and The Outer Worlds. As it's not a full blown remake, Saints Row: The Third Remastered is basically the same game, but it has updated visuals that take advantage of the current console generation.

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Jordan Ramée

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Microsoft Solitaire Is Celebrating Its 30th Anniversary By Trying To Set A World Record

3 years 11 months ago

Microsoft Solitaire is celebrating its 30th anniversary today by trying to set the record for the most games of Solitaire completed in one day.

In a blog post celebrating the anniversary on their official site, Microsoft shared that more than 35 million players, from more than 200 countries, and in 65 different languages, log on to enjoy a few games each month.

Solitaire, which was first released as Windows Solitaire on the Windows 3.0 operating system, has been a regular presence in the casual gaming space since 1990. Microsoft boasted that the solo card game "helped people learn how to drag and drop items on their computer screens using a mouse, which was novel at the time."

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Aron Garst

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Pac-Man Celebrates 40th Anniversary With Gorgeous New Arcade Cabinet

3 years 11 months ago

Pac-Man developed his insatiable appetite for dots 40 years ago. Remarkably, he's still hungry to this day and generations of fans have indulged Pac-Man ever since. There have been plenty of variations on Pac-Man gameplay--some good, others quite bad. The original version still holds up today, and if you're looking for a neat new way to recapture nostalgia for the iconic game, a 40th anniversary arcade cabinet from Bandai Namco and Numskull Designs is up for pre-order.

Pac-Man 40th Anniversary Quarter Arcade | $130-$300

A limited-edition version signed by the creator of Pac-Man is limited to 256 units

The 40th Anniversary Quarter Arcade costs $120 and comes in at 16.92 x 8.27 x 6.3 inches, which makes it closer to the dimensions of a countertop machine. Made with a replica wooden shell and complete with a light-up marquee, all of the original buttons, and joystick, the cabinet has a vibrant design that really stands out. It also has a 40th anniversary logo on the front. The Pac-Man 40th Anniversary Quarter Arcade is available to pre-order from the Geek Store, with orders expected to ship in July.

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Steven Petite

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Risk Of Rain 2 Is Officially Launching On PC In August

3 years 11 months ago

Risk of Rain 2's official PC launch has been delayed until sometime in August. Consoles will see the official launch, which includes a number of new features and content, sometime in the fall.

Hopoo Games detailed changes to its roadmap in a Steam blog post on Friday, citing feedback the studio received in response to a tweet it made in early May about what the community wanted from the official launch. The developer said it learned it has "quite a few areas of improvement we could work on" before the game leaves Early Access.

"The timing has not been altered because of COVID-19--we’re incredibly lucky in that our business was mostly unaffected," Hopoo Games wrote. "The timing has changed because we’re expanding the scope of the 1.0 Update."

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Aron Garst

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Amazon's Best Game Deals This Week (Switch, PS4, Xbox One, And PC)

3 years 11 months ago

A new week is finally here, bringing a fresh batch of discounts on games for PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PC. Summer sales are starting to kick off on the various storefronts, from the Epic Games Store Mega Sale to the PlayStation Store's Extended Play and Games Under $15 sales, but as usual, Amazon has quite a few game discounts available right now as well. Amazon deals haven't been as plentiful as usual during the coronavirus pandemic, but this week, you can still snag some great games for good prices.

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Jenae Sitzes

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Pokemon Go Is Going Down For Maintenance On June 1

3 years 11 months ago

Pokemon Go will be unplayable for much of Monday, June 1. Developer Niantic has announced it is taking the game offline around the world that day while it performs extended server maintenance.

The maintenance period is expected to last for about seven hours, from 11 AM PT (2 PM ET) to 6 PM PT (9 PM ET). During that time, the game will be inaccessible, so you won't be able to log in and play until the maintenance concludes.

In the meantime, Niantic has a few events lined up for Pokemon Go. The Legendary Pokemon Terrakion is back in Raids until May 26, after which point it will be replaced by another Gen 5 Legendary: the debuting Reshiram. On top of that, the Sinnoh Throwback Challenge line is currently underway, giving players more chances to catch Pokemon from the Sinnoh region, including Shiny Glameow.

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Kevin Knezevic

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Razer's New Blade Pro 17 Gaming Laptop Boasts A 300Hz Display

3 years 11 months ago

Razer has announced its latest gaming laptop, the Razer Blade Pro 17, which comes with an eight-core i7 processor and a variety of different customization options. These options let you choose what type of Nvidia RTX graphics card the laptop comes equipped with as well as its display. Your choices include a display with a refresh rate of 144Hz, 240Hz, or 300Hz, all of which are paired with a 1080p resolution. The Razer Blade Pro 17 is available for pre-order now, and depending on the configuration, you might be able to get it at a significant discount. The Razer Blade Pro 17 currently starts at $2,000 USD (normally $2,500) and releases later this month.

The $2,000 price gets you the Razer Blade Pro 17 with an RTX 2060, i7-10875H processor, 144Hz screen, and 512GB of storage, but if you want to go all out with the 300Hz screen, you'll also need to upgrade to the RTX 2070 Max-Q for $2,600. An RTX 2080 Max-Q is also available, though you'll have to settle for the 240Hz display. However, you also have the option for a 4K 120Hz touchscreen with the RTX 2080 Max-Q and the even more powerful RTX 2080 Super Max-Q. The 4K screen is more suitable for production and content creation, though you'll still be able to game handsomely on it.

Razer Blade Pro 17 gaming laptop

Starts at $2,000 ($2,500)

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Mat Paget

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Xenoblade Director Reveals Epilogue Length

3 years 11 months ago

The biggest addition in Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition is a new epilogue story called Future Connected, which is set one year after the events of the base game and follows Shulk and Melia on a quest to the Bionis' shoulder. Now we have an idea of how long this epilogue story is.

In an interview with Weekly Famitsu (as translated by Gematsu), Monolith Soft head and Xenoblade director Tetsuya Takahashi estimates that Future Connected takes 10-12 hours to clear if you focus strictly on the story, and about 20 hours to complete if you factor in all of the side content.

Although Future Connected is set after Xenoblade Chronicles, Nintendo confirmed that it'll be available right from the outset, so you don't need to play through the main game first to access it. However, the title won't include two features from the 3DS version: Amiibo support and Collection Mode.

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Kevin Knezevic

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Splatoon 2's First Splatfest In Nearly A Year Starts Today

3 years 11 months ago

Nintendo is holding Splatoon 2's first Splatfest event in nearly a year this weekend. The competition kicks off at 3 PM PT / 6 PM ET on May 22 and runs until the same time on May 24.

This one-off event is a repeat of the game's first Splatfest, which was a battle of the condiments pitting mayo against ketchup. Team Mayo emerged victorious the first time around, making this weekend's event a rare chance to right the injustices of the past.

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Kevin Knezevic

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AI Recreates Pac-Man From Scratch, Without Any Human Input

3 years 11 months ago

Today, one of gaming's most recognizable icons turns 40. And to celebrate, Nvidia and Bandai Namco have partnered up to recreate Pac-Man, only this time without any actual human input.

Using Nvidia's GameGAN, the company has successfully trained an AI model to recreate and play Pac-Man without the use of a game engine. Instead, the model recreates each frame of the game manually on screen, and tracking not only the movement of the pie-chart protagonist but the pellets it eats, the ghosts it gobbles, and the score it racks up.

The AI was trained using millions of frames from the original Pac-Man, supplied by Bandai Namco, along with recorded player inputs. After chewing through 50,000 games, the model was able to replicate static elements of a simple Pac-Man game, while also understanding how to operate its ruleset, without a single line of game code supplied by the developers.

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Alessandro Barbosa

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April Was A Massive Month For The Games Industry In The US

3 years 11 months ago

We've seen lots of indications that video game sales are significantly up as players stay indoors and look for ways to fill time due to the coronavirus. The first NPD report covering a full month since widespread social distancing started has now come out, showing just how big the bump has been in US sales.

On the whole, April spending increased 73% over the same period last year, which marked a new record high for the month. In total it reached $1.5 billion, beating the former record holder, $1.2 billion in April 2008. The high sales also impacted the yearly figures with a 12% increase over 2019. Game sales increased 55% over April 2018.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake had a big debut month, already reaching the #3 spot in this year's best-sellers. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare continued to sell very well after months on the market, and still held onto the second-place spot for the month. Animal Crossing: New Horizons held a high spot as well, and is the best-selling Switch game over the past year.

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Steve Watts

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PS5 Will Be "100 Times Faster" Than The PS4, Sony Reiterates

3 years 11 months ago

In a recent Sony corporate marketing strategy meeting, Sony president and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida reiterated how much of a leap forward the upcoming PlayStation 5 is, saying it's "100 times faster" than the current PS4.

The statement echoes what Sony's Mark Cerny stated back in March, when he revealed the internal hardware of the next-generation console. The figure refers specifically to the speed differential between the two consoles in terms of processing game data, driven primarily by the PS5's custom SSD solution. A design so impressive, that Epic Games founder Tim Sweeney says not even high-end PCs can match it yet.

"In order to further enhance the sense of immersion in games, we expect to improve not just the resolution, but the speed of games. For example, through a custom‐designed high‐speed SSD, we plan to realize game data processing speeds that are approximately 100 times faster than PS4," states Yoshida in the presentation. "Game load times should be much shorter, and players should be able to move through immense game worlds in almost an instant."

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Alessandro Barbosa

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Amazon Prime Members Can Snag 22 Free SNK Games Starting Next Week

3 years 11 months ago

If you didn't know, your Amazon Prime membership comes with a handful of free games each month. Twitch Prime, one of the perks of Amazon Prime, typically offers up five free games each month that are yours to keep forever. Normally, you get a variety of indie titles, but throughout the summer Twitch Prime will give away a ton of classic arcade games. Twitch Prime has partnered with SNK to ring in the NEOGEO arcade's 30th anniversary by giving away 22 SNK games. The first batch of freebies goes live May 26.

Out of the gate, seven SNK games will be free, which are a mix of fighting games and shoot 'em ups. Five fighting games--Art of Fighting 2, Fatal Fury Special, The King of Fighters 2000, The King of Fighters 2002, and Samurai Shodown II--will be free to snag on May 26. You can also grab the shoot 'em up Pulstar and its spiritual successor Blazing Star.

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Steven Petite

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Top New Video Games Releasing On Switch, PS4, Xbox One, And PC This Week -- May 17-23, 2020

3 years 11 months ago

This episode of New Releases opens and closes with some hot remasters: The Wonderful 101 and Saints Row: The Third. There's also a re-release of The Persistence if you're looking for a horror experience. Meanwhile, hero shooter fans can jump into Amazon Games' Crucible, and Jaws enthusiasts can take control of their own deadly shark in Maneater.

The Wonderful 101: Remastered -- May 19

Available on: PS4, PC, Switch

Thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign, Platinum Games' cult classic is back, with an improved framerate, graphics, and controls. For those who missed out on the game the first time, here's the gist: 100 superheroes can fuse together into giant fists, guns, and more to leap through levels, solve puzzles, and beat bosses. Physical copies of the remaster are unfortunately delayed due to coronavirus, but the May 19 launch date is locked in for the digital release.

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Tony Wilson

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Final Fantasy 7 Remake Busts Sales Records

3 years 11 months ago

After 20 years of anticipation it was clear that Final Fantasy 7 Remake would make a big impact, but its first month of NPD sales has shown just how big. The acclaimed remake from Square Enix was the top-seller in North America for the month, and set a few sales records as well.

According to the NPD Group, FF7 Remake is already the #3 best-selling game year-to-date, behind Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Animal Crossing: New Horizons, respectively. It's already the top-selling game of the year on PlayStation 4. NPD also noted that it set a Final Fantasy franchise launch month record, taking the title from Final Fantasy XV.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake was well-received by critics, especially in GameSpot's 10/10 review.

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Steve Watts

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The First 8TB M.2 SSD Is Coming

3 years 11 months ago

Sabrent has announced an 8TB M.2 solid state drive to join its Rocket Q family, featuring double the capacity of the next largest model, PC Gamer reports. While pricing hasn't been released yet, it's very likely to be out of the budget for most PC gamers--however as Steam libraries grow and game installs take up more space, it's tech to keep an eye on.

While there are already 8TB drives available in the 2.5 inch market, Sabrent's is the first to fit it into the smaller, cable-free M.2 form factor. As with Sabrent's other Rocket Q SSDs, the 8TB drive uses NVMe technology with a PCIe 3.0 x4 interface. While not many details are available about the new model yet, we can expect it to be quite fast based on the smaller Rocket Q models.

While we can all look forward to this tech being developed further and eventually coming down in price, Sabrent's first 8TB M.2 model is unlikely to be that affordable for enthusiast gamers. The company's 4TB M.2 SSD sells for $850, so it wouldn't be a stretch to suggest the 8TB model will retail for over twice that price.

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Hayley Williams

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Red Dead Redemption--10 Years Later, Rockstar Reflects On The Challenges Of Crafting A Western

3 years 11 months ago

It's been 10 years since the release of Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar's much-loved ode to the wild west, and the team behind it is feeling nostalgic. IGN has published an extensive interview with many of the folks behind the game, including insights into the challenges the team faced when creating the iconic Xbox 360 and PS3 title.

One of the running themes of the interview is that the game, which was technically a sequel to the PS2 game Red Dead Revolver, faced a lot of challenges ahead of release. Art director Josh Bass, who is also co-studio head for developer Rockstar San Diego, says that while the game was in development, they "would often hear from external sources that a Western game was never going to be a success." Ultimately, this motivated the team "to solve the challenges and create something new."

"I knew in my heart that it was going to exceed those expectations," Bass continues, "but at the same time we had to ask ourselves if our fans would make the emotional connection with this experience that we all had." The game's eventual reception was important, he says, because it proved that players had connected to protagonist John Marston.

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James O'Connor

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Next Gen Console SSDs Will Enable Games To Do More With Faster Load Times, Dev Says

3 years 11 months ago

Game developers are excited about the potential of next-generation console hardware, and as we get closer to seeing the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 become a reality, devs are giving us more detail about what those upgrades actually mean.

In an interview with Wccftech, game director Stuart Tilley of Firesprite, the studio behind horror game The Persistence, talked about what the SSD technology--and its faster load times--means for games developed on next-gen consoles.

"The SSD is going to be massive to allow us to create larger worlds that load faster, to move quicker within them. It opens up possibilities for us," Tilley said. "The new positional sound stuff is great for like, for games, being able to like play sound effects that feel like they're around you while you're on the couch, it's gonna make another big improvement."

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Hayley Williams

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Halo: MCC Patch Notes Released For Xbox One And PC -- See The Full Changelog Here

3 years 11 months ago

Halo: The Master Chief Collection's recent update, which included the release of Halo 2 Anniversary on PC, caused some issues. To be fair, Microsoft warned players ahead of time that there would be issues with the release, but it was still a jarring experience for those hoping for a smoother rollout.

Thankfully, these issues are finally now going to be patched through a hotfix. The update went live at 8 PM PT on May 21, Microsoft announced in a blog post. The patch passed Microsoft's certification process earlier in the afternoon on May 21, and now it's finally out.

This hotfix will specifically address projectile issues with Halo 2, the general stability of Halo 3 matches, and crashes that could occur on the Halo 3 map Valhalla. Those are the big-ticket items, but the patch also fixes a series of other issues as well; you can see the full patch notes and file sizes below.

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Eddie Makuch

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Rainbow Six Siege Team Investigating Cheat That Kicks Players From The Game

3 years 11 months ago

After a month of ongoing connection and server issues, the team behind Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege is now investigating a cheat that kicks players from games, often incurring abandon penalties in ranked matches and occasionally even crashing the entire game.

While Ubisoft haven't given too many details about the cheat, players in the comments have elaborated on the problems it's been causing. While only some players have been experiencing game crashes as well as being kicked, the support team confirmed they were related to the cheat in question.

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Hayley Williams

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Xbox Is Partnering With The Special Olympics For A Forza 7 Tournament

3 years 11 months ago

Xbox is partnering with the Special Olympics USA for a new virtual event featuring the Xbox One racing game Forza Motorsport 7. The organizations are working together for a new tournament that will air on May 30.

More than 35 competitors from 11 states will take part in the competition, and you can watch the action live on Mixer, Xbox YouTube, or Twitch. The awards ceremony will take place inside of Minecraft.

"With athletic training and competitions currently postponed due to COVID-19, Special Olympics are looking for new ways to connect, compete, and just have fun," Microsoft said in a news release. "Enveloping this event will be stories of the athletes themselves--allowing a broad fanbase to know who they are, what they care about, how they are feeling-- and cheer them on as they discover new community and excitement in playing Forza Motorsport 7."

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Eddie Makuch

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Naughty Dog Fights The Last Of Us Part 2 Spoilers With Twitter's New Tools

3 years 11 months ago

Since details about The Last Of Us Part 2 leaked in April, developer Naughty Dog's social media posts have been a minefield for fans trying not to be spoiled. As some accounts have consistently posted spoilers as replies to any of Naughty Dog's tweets, the studio has now made use of a new Twitter tool allowing them to essentially turn comments off, as picked up by IGN.

The latest promotional tweet posted by Naughty Dog today appeared without the option to post a reply, though users can still like, retweet, or quote retweet.

The feature is currently being tested by Twitter, and is available to a limited number of users worldwide. Users with this tool can choose to allow anyone to reply, to allow only the people they follow to reply, or only the people tagged in the post--so if no one is tagged in the post, it will effectively disable comments.

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Hayley Williams

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Funky And Dixie Kong Have Both Joined Mario Kart Tour

3 years 11 months ago

Mario Kart Tour is expanding with two new members of the Kong family. Joining Donkey and Diddy are Funky and Dixie Kong, both of whom debuted in the Donkey Kong Country series on the SNES.

Neither character is available in Nintendo's flagship Mario Kart game, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the Switch, and this is actually Dixie Kong's first appearance in the Mario Kart series. Both characters look to be modelled on their appearances in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.

The characters are joining the game as part of the Jungle Tour, which will present a new opportunity to collect Grand Stars. You can see them in action in the trailer below.

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James O'Connor

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Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2's Steve Caballero Shows Off His New Mo-Capped Older Character Model

3 years 11 months ago

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 will revisit some iconic levels from the series' past, but it's also modernizing several elements--including the skaters. In a new video, Steve Caballero--who first appeared in Pro Skater 2 back in 2000--has revealed that he mo-capped new facial expressions for his in-game character, who looks just like he does now.

In the video below, Caballero says that he now sees a lot of skaters doing the tricks from these games in real-life, and we get a look at the motion capture set-up that is being used to capture the current-day look of these characters. Although they did not capture Caballero on a skateboard--he says they wanted to get new facial expressions from him--the new in-game model looks a lot like him.

The video also shows Caballero skating through the first game's Warehouse level--which confirms, essentially, that characters introduced in the sequel will be able to skate through levels from the first.

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James O'Connor

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Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's Next Online Tournament Will Award Winners With Free Games

3 years 11 months ago

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has a new online tournament kicking off on May 30, and players will be competing to win free games and DLC. The North American tournament, which is now open for registration, will run each weekend until June 21. Competition will play out across eight regions, and each week one winner from between two regions will be crowned and given a prize.

The top four players across the tournament will win download codes for Splatoon 2, Arms, and the second Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighters Pass, with one winner being picked each weekend. It's not quite as grand as a traditional esports tournament prize, but it's better than nothing.

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James O'Connor

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Fortnite Will Host A Full-Length Movie From The Dark Knight Director

3 years 11 months ago

The latest trailer for The Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan's mysterious new movie Tenet premiered in Fortnite, but that's not the extent of the director's partnership with the battle royale game.

During the in-game event, games media host Geoff Keighley revealed that Fortnite will host one of Nolan's "iconic" movies in the game. "We will be screening an iconic Christopher Nolan full-length feature film right here on the big screen. Stay tuned for more details," he said.

Nolan has directed a number of films that could be described as "iconic," including The Dark Knight and Inception. He also directed Memento, The Prestige, Interstellar, Dunkirk, and my personal favorite, Insomnia. The smart money is probably on The Dark Knight or Inception.

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Eddie Makuch

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Grand Theft Auto 5 Online Players Can Earn Up To $1.7 Million In Bonuses This Week

3 years 11 months ago

Grand Theft Auto V has outlined the next week of bonuses and discounts for GTA Online, and players will be able to nab a cool GTA$1.7 million thanks to this week's update--although a million of that is reserved for players who stay on top of their Daily Objectives.

First up, players who have not logged in for May yet will automatically get GTA$500,000 when they jump in. If you grabbed the game while it was free on the Epic Games Store but haven't played yet, now's the time. Another GTA$200,000 will be given to any players who have connected a Twitch Prime account to their Rockstar Social Club account--it might take a few days to appear, though.

Daily Objectives are unlocked at Rank 15, and you're given three a day. To earn the other GTA$1 million, you'll need to complete ten of them over the next week. You have until May 27, so if you want that $1 million you'd better start today if you want that cash.

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James O'Connor

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Nintendo Switch Gets New Horror Game With FNAF: Help Wanted

3 years 11 months ago

The Five Nights at Freddy's horror series has made its debut on Nintendo Switch. Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted was surprise-released on Switch on May 21.

Help Wanted is a collection of mini-games from the earlier titles and some new ones that is meant to showcase the "best gameplay across the Five Nights universe."

As usual, you'll be attempting to survive against horrifying animatronic characters in a haunted house of sorts. The game makes use of the Switch's rumble feature to try to scare you even more. Check out the announcement/release trailer below.

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Eddie Makuch

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Apex Legends Is Bolder Than Ever In Season 5, And Respawn Wants To Keep Trying New Things

3 years 11 months ago

Respawn has made a name for itself as a developer willing to take risks and innovate on what it's good at. In 2019, we saw the studio tackle a live service battle royale game with Apex Legends, a genre that Respawn hadn't broached before. Rather than simply emulate what had worked for other developers in the past, Respawn crafted its own style of battle royale with a narrative focus--and in the process, it began creating a true episodic game.

With the start of Season 5: Fortune's Favor and the addition of Quest mode, Respawn is leaning further into this categorization and trying to be more experimentative as a whole. For the first time, the developer removed an iconic portion of the game's map and implemented character balancing changes that weren't straight buffs or nerfs. And according to Respawn, it's worked out very well so far.

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Jordan Ramée

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The Outer Worlds Dev's Next Game, Grounded, Gets A Beta Soon

3 years 11 months ago

The Outer Worlds developer Obsidian's next game, Grounded, is headed for a public beta test very soon. Microsoft has announced that a beta test, or "flight" in the Microsoft parlance, will launch on June 9.

The beta will be available on Xbox One through the Xbox Insider Hub (which is free for everyone to sign up for) and on PC through the Steam Game Festival. The free beta runs through June 14.

Microsoft cautioned that this is an "early demo" of Grounded, so it's possible there will be some issues. The demo "gives players a look at one day in the life of Grounded's single player campaign."

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Eddie Makuch

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Pokemon Go Terrakion Guide: Counters, Raid Hours, Battle Tips

3 years 11 months ago

Terrakion has returned to Pokemon Go for a limited time. The legendary Cavern Pokemon is making an encore appearance in raid battles from May 19-26, and this time around, you'll have a chance to encounter its Shiny form. If you need some assistance defeating it, we've rounded up a few tips to help you battle and catch Terrakion below.

Terrakion Raid Hours

Terrakion will appear in Gyms as a five-star raid spawn until 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET on May 26. These raids will occur periodically throughout the week, but you'll receive an in-game notification when one is about to begin nearby, so you shouldn't have much trouble tracking one down. However, your best chance to find Terrakion will come on May 20, when Niantic hosts another Raid Hour event. From 6-7 PM local time, Terrakion raids will occur much more frequently than usual, effectively ensuring you encounter the Legendary.

Terrakion

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Kevin Knezevic

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Steam's New Event Isn't Trying To Sell You New Games For Once

3 years 11 months ago

Counter to most of its other events, the latest one on Steam isn't trying to push you towards new gaming purchases. Instead, it's here to help you clear out some of the clutter, while highlighting two of its most recent additions.

The Spring Cleaning event introduces Dewey to your Steam client--a little librarian that is there to help suggest games in your library that you might want to finally tick off your backlog. You'll get access to challenges directly tied to games suggested, letting you work towards event-specific badges that you can display on your profile.

The event is also pushing two new features recently introduced to Steam. The first, Play Next, will randomly serve you a game in your library that approximately matches what you've recently been playing. The other is Remote Play Together, which has been available for some time. This network feature lets you play traditionally couch co-op games with friends over the internet, which is perfect during the COVID-19 lockdowns happening globally.

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Alessandro Barbosa

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Sea Of Thieves Is Setting Sail On Steam In June

3 years 11 months ago

Two years after its initial release, Rare and Microsoft's Sea of Thieves is coming to Steam on PC, giving you an additional way to play the sea-faring game on the platform.

Sea of Thieves originally launched on Xbox One and Windows 10, albeit through Microsoft's own storefront. Sticking with the company's strategy to bring exclusives over to Steam, Sea of Thieves now joins Halo: The Master Chief Collection, State of Decay 2, Sunset Overdrive, and more on Valve's platform.

When it launches on June 3, you'll be able to purchase Sea of Thieves for $40. This version will receive content updates in step with all other platforms, with the latest content update, Ships of Fortune, available at launch. New players will also be able to play through the narrative-driven tutorial called Maiden Voyage, which will introduce you to the high seas without the threat of running into other player pirates.

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Alessandro Barbosa

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Borderlands 3 Hotfix Update Coming Soon But Doesn't Do Much

3 years 11 months ago

Developer Gearbox Software is back with yet another hotfix update for Borderlands 3 on PC, PlayStation 4, Stadia, and Xbox One. While the patch notes are incredibly short, this new update signals one big change when it goes live today at 12 PM PT / 3 PM ET.

Loot the Universe, Borderlands 3's limited-time mini-event that let you farm a variety of Legendary weapons on several different planets, has come to an end. Gearbox said there will not be another in-game mini-event while the studio prepares its June 4 patch.

This new hotfix update makes two specific adjustments. The first is changing the spawn rate of Rare Spawns in Borderlands 3's Guns, Love, and Tentacles DLC campaign. The second is addressing the lack of dedicated loot drops from Wotan tk-full name in Mayhem mode. And that's it.

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Jeremy Winslow

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Amazon Prime Day Could Be Held In September Following COVID-19 Delay

3 years 11 months ago

Last month, we learned that Amazon Prime Day would be delayed until at least August due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Now it looks like Amazon is aiming to hold Prime Day in September, according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal. The annual event is arguably the biggest sales event of the year in the US outside of Black Friday/Cyber Monday, and it always presents a great opportunity to pick up games and tech for drastically reduced prices.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Amazon has begun accepting bulk orders of non-essential products from third-party sellers, which appears to be a big step in the right direction for an event as huge as Prime Day. For the past couple of months, Amazon has understandably been prioritizing essential home goods, so stock shortages and shipping delays on products such as PS4, Xbox One, and Switch games have been common. However, Amazon is still getting back up to speed, and fast one- or two-day shipping might not return for all products right away.

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Steven Petite

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