Gamespot

Obsidian Allegedly Pitched A Fallout: New Vegas-Type Game For The Elder Scrolls

3 months 1 week ago

Obsidian Entertainment allegedly pitched several spin-off games for Bethesda's franchises exploring different settings but they were ultimately rejected.

Former Obsidian writer Chris Avellone, he said, "One of the Elder Scrolls proposals (which I pitched) was intended to serve the same function as FNV did between F3 and F4, to provide more adventures in the setting during the years before the next Bethesda release."

Unfortunately, all of Obsidian's ideas were rejected and the studio didn't release a spin-off in the same vein after Fallout: New Vegas.

"I thought it couldn't hurt to try and push a similar system to what Treyarch/Activision had going with Call of Duty at the time (but hopefully less rushed)," he continued. "Bethesda could do a core release, then we'd release a TES title (in same world or a divergent timeline/era) before the next big Bethesda push."

Avellone went on to say that now that the Elder Scrolls Online exists, the idea of a Fallout: New Vegas-style Elder Scrolls game doesn't make sense anymore. However, he said it made sense to him at the time. He also mentioned that he never got the impression that Bethesda was happy with Fallout: New Vegas's reception, good or bad.

Author
George Yang

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Activision Blizzard Will Pay $54 Million To California After Settling Lawsuit

3 months 1 week ago

Activision Blizzard has settled its 2021 lawsuit with the state of California, and will pay $54 million to the state along with an additional $47 million to female employees who worked at the company from 2015 to 2020.

The 2021 lawsuit, filed by the state agency then known as the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing and now known as the California Civil Rights Department, accused Activision Blizzard of fostering a "frat boy" workplace culture rife with sexual harassment. Now, via The New York Times, Activision Blizzard and the California Civil Rights Department say in the settlement agreement that investigations into the company's culture did not turn up evidence of "systemic or widespread sexual harassment."

An investigation into Activision's board, including the company's CEO, Bobby Kotick, found no evidence of wrongdoing, according to the settlement agreement. A report by The Wall Street Journal in 2021 alleged Kotick hid knowledge of misconduct at the company. The report alleged he had made a death threat to a female assistant in 2006 and had personally intervened in a separate internal sexual harassment investigation at the company. Activision Blizzard had previously argued against the lawsuit, attributing it to "irresponsible behavior from unaccountable state bureaucrats."

Author
Cameron Koch

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Persona 5 Royal Collector's Edition And Persona 5 Tactica Discounted At Amazon

3 months 1 week ago

It's an exciting time for Persona fans thanks to the recently released spin-off Persona 5 Tactica and the upcoming remake of Persona 3. This year also brought the return of Persona 5 Royal's 1 More Edition, which originally launched as an Atlus Store exclusive last year and promptly sold out. Major retailers such as Amazon started carrying the 1 More Edition a couple months back, and now you can get it for a discount at Amazon. The PS5 version is on sale for $108.85, down from $120.

Author
Darryn Bonthuys

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Max Payne Voice Actor James McCaffrey, The Heart Of Remedy Games, Dies At 65

3 months 1 week ago

James McCaffrey, the longtime voice actor who has brought numerous key characters in Remedy Entertainment's games to life, has passed away at the age of 65.

The news was first reported by TMZ, saying a rep confirmed that he died on Sunday surrounded by friends and family after a battle with multiple myeloma. Actor Kevin Dillon had earlier posted a message on Instagram indicating that McCaffrey had died.

Remedy addressed his passing in a post on X/Twitter, saying, "We are deeply saddened to hear about the passing of our beloved friend and collaborator James McCaffrey, the iconic voice of Max Payne and Alex Casey. His remarkable talent not only gave life to our characters but also left an enduring impact on our community. Our hearts go out to his family in this time of loss."

Rockstar, the publisher of the Max Payne games, also released a statement, saying, "Rest in Peace James McCaffrey, the inimitable and commanding presence who brought Max Payne to life."

Author
Chris Pereira

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Dev Behind Highly Regarded PC Game Explains Why He Raised The Price: "Go Pirate It, I Don't Care"

3 months 1 week ago

David Szymanski, the developer behind the critically acclaimed PC games Dusk and Iron Lung, has raised the price of his newest game and says it's because he wants to make more money.

Szymanski recently raised the price of Iron Lung from $6 to $8, and he responded to people on social media who were apparently trying to "gotcha" him. "Once again, Iron Lung's price went up because the game is worth $8 so I want to charge $8, because I want to earn more money. If you don't agree with this price, I don't want your money. Go pirate it or something idc," he said.

He went on to say he raised the price due to "added value/content." The price change was announced in October and went into effect in November.

Szymanski said he hears the refrain, "He's only doing this for the money," and he agrees with that sentiment.

"Yes, no f**king shit, I make games for a living," he said. "If I didn't want to earn money from them I wouldn't charge money for them. I like the business model of 'I want money so I make something that I think is worth money, and you pay me that money and you get the thing, and we're all happy' That's it. There's nothing complicated or hidden here."

Author
Eddie Makuch

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TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection Gets First Big Patch, Online Multiplayer Added For TMNT IV

1 year 3 months ago

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection received its first patch, and it's a hefty one. Headlining the release is online multiplayer support for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time and customizable button mapping.

For Game Boy games, dev Digital Eclipse also added more color filter options. Players can choose between black and white, Game Boy green, Game Boy pocket green, and Game Boy light blue.

And yes, the Switch edition's Home menu icon has now finally been changed to the TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection's box art--an inconsequential change in the grand scheme of things, but a welcome aesthetic tweak. The previous game icon included the four turtles without the game title, but that has now been changed to the cover art with the game title.

For more information, check out the full patch notes included below.

TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection released in August 2022 and bundles together 13 of the classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle games. In future updates, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project (NES) will get online multiplayer support, too.

Author
Jenny Zheng

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Lost Ark's Artist Class Is Coming In April 2023, With a 96-Player PvP Mode Coming In March

1 year 3 months ago

Lost Ark will receive a new advanced class, 96-player PvP mode, additional raids, and more in the first four months of 2023, Amazon Games has announced.

Of particular interest is the new Artist class set to arrive in April. The Artist will be the first "specialist" class added to the Western version of the free-to-play MMORPG, and Amazon is teasing it won't be the last to arrive in 2023 in its latest blog post. Wielding a gigantic paintbrush, the Artist fills a support role but is also able to attack enemies directly with her giant paintbrush or by painting and summoning "holy beasts" to do her fighting for her.

Author
Cameron Koch

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WoW: Dragonflight Will Receive Two Major Content Updates In 2023, Alongside Four Minor Ones

1 year 3 months ago

World of Warcraft's Dragonflight expansion will receive two major content updates in 2023, Blizzard has announced, with four minor updates also planned to roll out over the course of the next year.

The two major updates will include everything players expect from a big content update: a new raid, zone, and seasonal rewards. The minor updates will look to include more story content, evergreen events, updates to old game systems, and more opportunities to implement feedback from the community, according to a blog post from WoW executive producer Holly Longdale.

Author
Cameron Koch

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Now Gamers Are Suing To Stop Microsoft From Buying Activision Blizzard

1 year 3 months ago

Ten self-described gamers have sued in US federal court to stop Microsoft's purchase of Activision Blizzard. The suit, which cites the Clayton Antitrust Act, claims that the 10 plaintiffs will suffer "threatened loss or damage" through the deal. The complaint goes on to say that the new company will "substantially lessen competition" and "may tend to create a monopoly in various markets."

While it's unclear how this suit might proceed, it represents yet another roadblock in the Microsoft-Activision Blizzard saga. The deal, which would be one of the largest in video game history, has been awash in controversy from the start, with Microsoft offering Sony a 10-year licensing deal to keep the highly lucrative Call of Duty franchise on PlayStation platforms.

More recently, the Federal Trade Commission has sued to block the deal, citing concerns that it would harm competition in the video game industry. Previous reporting from the New York Post indicated that the FTC is largely split on whether to pursue such cases against large tech firms in gaming and otherwise, but it appears that the trustbusting side is winning as of late.

Author
Steven T. Wright

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Final Fantasy 16: Release Date, Story, And Everything We Know

1 year 3 months ago

Six years have passed since the last mainline installment in the decidedly not-so-final Final Fantasy series, making this one of the largest gaps between games in the series' 35 years of history. However, all that waiting seems to be for good reason. What we've seen from Final Fantasy XVI makes the game look like a high-fantasy epic combining the grandeur of older titles with the cutting-edge technology of newer games, making us hopeful that this next entry will be well worth the wait.

We received a fresh look at Final Fantasy XVI during the summer showcase season, and even more details thanks to interviews with producer Naoki Yoshida. The game appears to be an incredibly ambitious Final Fantasy title, with unique larger-than-life battles and a story that spans decades of time. Here's everything we know about Final Fantasy XVI.

No Caption Provided

Release date

Final Fantasy XVI is scheduled to release exclusively for PlayStation 5 on June 22, 2023.

Author
Michael Higham

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Xbox Game Pass Losing 9 Games Soon, Including Outer Wilds

1 year 3 months ago

Despite no official announcement coming down from Microsoft as of yet, it looks like nine games are leaving Xbox Game Pass very soon, including the very good game The Outer Wilds.

Pure Xbox was first to notice that the official Game Pass app states that The Outer Wilds is listed under the "leaving soon" tab for console and PC. GameSpot has confirmed this as well. Other titles leaving the service soon, according to the app, will include Embr, Gorogoa, Iron Harvest, Immortal Realms: Vampire Wars, Scarlet Nexus, Secret Neighbor, The Pedestrian, and Tropico 6. Again, Microsoft has not made any official announcements about titles leaving Game Pass yet, so this is not yet completely confirmed. The titles are reportedly set for removal on December 31.

Microsoft typically adds and removes titles from the Game Pass library twice per month. As of yet, however, Microsoft has not announced a Wave 2 of additions and removals for December, despite there being fewer than two weeks left in the month.

Keep checking back with GameSpot for more on the next titles coming to and leaving Xbox Game Pass. As usual, Game Pass members save 20% on all games, so subscribers can buy the games leaving the service at a nice discount.

Xbox Game Pass Titles Leaving December 31

According to the Xbox app

  • Embr -- Console, PC
  • Gorogoa -- Console, PC
  • Iron Harvest -- PC
  • Immortal Realms: Vampire Wars -- Console, PC
  • The Outer Wilds -- Console, PC
  • Scarlet Nexus -- Console, PC
  • Secret Neighbor -- Console, PC
  • The Pedestrian -- Console, PC
  • Tropico 6 -- Console, PC
Author
Eddie Makuch

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Today's Wordle Answer (#551) - December 22, 2022

1 year 3 months ago

Who doesn't enjoy a little Thursday Wordle action every now and again? We're quickly approaching the holiday weekend, but that doesn't mean Wordle is going easy on players. In fact, the answer on December 22 is one of the toughest this month has had to offer.

If you haven't started the Wordle just yet, then you can check out our list of recommended starting words. However, if you're already past the starting point, then you're likely looking for some hints. Luckily, we provide just that further down in this guide. We will also spell out the full answer for players looking to simply get out of today unscathed.

Today's Wordle Answer - December 22, 2022

We'll begin with a few hints that directly relate to today's Wordle answer, but don't give it away immediately.

  • Hint 1: This word is defined as being exceptionally good at something. There's also a popular piece of software from Microsoft named after this word.
  • Hint 2: This word has one vowel, but there is two of this vowel in the word. The word has no other repeating letters. It contains an "x" somewhere in it.

If those hints weren't enough to get the ball rolling for you, then you can keep reading for the full answer to the Wordle. The full answer to the December 22 Wordle is... "excel." It's not often we see an "x" make an appearance in Wordle. The repeating "e" in addition to the "x" makes this an extremely tough Wordle. Hopefully, every player was able to get this Wordle correct and continue their streak. Check back tomorrow for another edition of our Wordle guides.

Author
Joey Carr

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Snag A Relaxing Lego Game For Free At Epic Today Only

1 year 3 months ago

The Epic Games Store continues to give away free games each week, more than three years after the digital storefront launched its awesome weekly freebies program. Epic has confirmed that the free games program will continue through at least the end of 2022. Every Thursday at the same time 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET--Epic gives up between one and three free games. You merely need to create a free Epic account and enable two-factor authentication to start snagging freebies. At this point, Epic has given away well over 100 free games, and there's no sign that the program will stop any time soon. We keep this article up to date weekly to highlight both the current free games and next week's offerings.

Current free game at Epic

Lego Builder's Journey

Lego Builder's Journey is free at the Epic Games Store until tomorrow, December 22, at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET. This great little puzzle game replicates the act of building Lego sets in relaxing, video game form. It's definitely worth checking out.

Next free game at Epic

The next free game at Epic is a mystery. You'll have to check back tomorrow, December 22, at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET to find out which game Epic is giving away next.

The daily giveaways will run for 15 days (through December 29) thanks to Epic's annual holiday event.

Author
Steven Petite

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Goat Simulator 3 Ad Includes GTA 6 Leaks, Gets DMCA Notice From Take-Two

1 year 3 months ago

An ad for Goat Simulator 3 featured some trollish antics typical of the game itself, as it included gameplay from the massive GTA 6 leak that emerged earlier this year. It didn't take long for GTA publisher Take-Two to issue a DMCA notice to take down the video.

The ad, which is currently unavailable, featured a humorous overview of an NPC named Shaun, who describes his duties as walking around in circles, picking things up, and sitting on a bench. The GTA 6 clip comes late in the ad, when Shaun says that you can see him in some "footage that was leaked a couple of months ago."

The fact that the Goat Simulator developers responded to the original tweet with the memetic "I'm in danger" GIF from The Simpsons indicates that they probably knew what they were doing here. It remains to be seen if Take-Two will take further legal action beyond just this DMCA notice.

Goat Simulator 3 is the misleadingly titled sequel to the original Goat Simulator, a humorous sandbox game that featured Tony Hawk Pro Skater-esque combos and a lot of silliness. The game came out in November to lukewarm reviews.

Author
Steven T. Wright

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Atari Reaffirms Commitment To VCS Console After Cancelling Its Manufacturing Contract

1 year 3 months ago

Atari recently released its half-year earnings report for the current financial year, and it didn't seem to have much good news for the Atari VCS console. As picked up by Tom's Hardware, the report pointed to a decline in Atari's hardware sales, along with a reorganization of the hardware side of the business that would involve suspending relationships with the VCS' manufacturer.

The report points to a 92% decrease in hardware revenue year-on-year, dropping from $2.44 million to only $212,466. Atari points to a decline in "cartridge activity" to account for this drop, as well as "underperformance by the VCS." Overall, Atari reported a 27% decrease in revenue from the same period last year.

The report also mentions that Atari have been busy with a reorganization of its hardware business for the first half of the financial year. This includes "the suspension of direct hardware manufacturing relationships, notably with regards to the Atari VCS." Atari specified that it wouldn't be giving up on the console, instead opting for "a new commercial strategy [that] has been implemented as of the end of calendar year 2022 and that will continue in calendar year 2023."

In a statement sent to Tom's Hardware, Atari reaffirmed its commitment to the console, saying: "We suspended our relationship with the original manufacturing partner of the Atari VCS, but we continue to maintain inventory and fulfill new orders."

Author
Hayley Williams

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Destiny 2: How To Get The Revision Zero Exotic Pulse Rifle

1 year 3 months ago

In addition to the Hierarchy of Needs Exotic bow and The Manticore Exotic SMG, Destiny 2's Season of the Seraph brings a new Exotic pulse rifle called Revision Zero. Revision Zero's intrinsic trait makes it strong against Barrier Champion's with its shield-piercing ammo. It also gathers target data from precision kills that lets you temporarily swap for a high-damage scope. Completing The Hidden Shape quest steps will give you Revision Zero and its weapon pattern for shaping it.

First, continue Season of the Seraph's Week three questline--called More Than A Weapon--and at Step 22 of the quest, you must speak with Elsie Bray at the Holoprojector. Accept The Hidden Shape Exotic quest and complete the Operation: Seraph's Shield mission--which you can access from the H.E.L.M. and is set at Power level 1580 for Normal mode. This mission doesn't have matchmaking, so you can complete it solo.

Operation: Seraph's Shield Mission Guide

Once at the facility entrance, avoid tripmines and head further into the facility. Defeat the Scanner Splicer to get the Scanner Augment, a mechanic that should be familiar from the Deep Stone Crypt raid.

Author
Saniya Ahmed

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Elden Ring: Where To Get Glintstone Stars

1 year 3 months ago

Homing magic spells aren't anything new for From Software games, and Elden Ring sports quite a few of them. One of them--Glintstone Stars--ranks among the best for tracking extremely fast targets, even if its FP cost is a bit on the high side. If you'd like to give it a try, read on to find out where you can buy it.

Glintstone Stars explained

Glinstone Stars is a sorcery that requires 12 Intelligence to cast. It creates three magical homing stars that chase down and damage foes. Due to the spell's rapid traveling speed, it makes a solid choice for homing attacks on fast-moving enemies.

Glintstone Stars' item description reads:

One of the glintstone sorceries of the Academy of Raya Lucaria. Fires three magic shooting stars that pursue the target. This sorcery can be cast while in motion. Charging enhances potency. A sorcery of the Olivinus Conspectus, which attracts sorcerers from Sellia, Town of Sorcery.

Where to find Glintstone Stars

Glintstone Stars can be purchased from Sorceress Sellen, who is found within Waypoint Ruins in Limgrave. The spell costs 3,000 runes, and she sells it by default, so you don't have to find and provide her with any of the scrolls scattered throughout the Lands Between in order to purchase it.

Author
Billy Givens

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Marvel's Midnight Suns: All Tarot Card Locations

1 year 3 months ago

Marvel's Midnight Suns contains a few side quests and collectible hunts that you can choose to complete when you're not busy fighting Hydra and stopping Lilith's demon-related plans. There are 22 Marvel-themed tarot cards to find inside the Abbey home base and the surrounding forest, but you'll need to get all Words of Power to access the entire map. We're here to show you exactly where to look for each card.

All Tarot Card Locations

The Moon

Three tarot cards can be found inside the Abbey's main building, and The Moon is included in that trio. It's inside the forge room, next to a large bookshelf. The Moon is, of course, represented by Moon Knight for the card's art.

The Moon tarot card location

The Star

The Star is in the same room as The Moon--it's on the opposite side of the forge, on top of a red workbench. Nova is the character who was chosen to represent this arcana, and he's used in its card art.

Author
Ethan Anderson

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You Can Move Your Ubisoft Games You Bought On Stadia To Ubisoft Connect For Free

1 year 3 months ago

If you own any Ubisoft games on Stadia, you'll receive Ubisoft Connect copies of them at no additional cost. This will happen automatically if you have linked your Ubisoft account to Stadia. If you haven't already, you'll need to do that before Stadia shuts down on January 18, 2023 in order to receive your games.

It's important to note that in-game currency will not transfer to Ubisoft Connect, but any items you purchase will, if the game in question has cross-progression. You can check out an FAQ from Ubisoft for more details of what exactly will transfer.

If you subscribed to Ubisoft+ Multi-Access through Stadia, you'll get an email with instructions on how to sign up directly on the Ubisoft website. You'll also receive a voucher for a free month of Ubisoft+. If you're in the US, you can continue streaming Ubisoft+ through Amazon Luna. If you're outside the US, you'll get a discount for six months of Ubisoft+ Multi-Access. Every Ubisoft customer on Staidia, whether a subscriber or an owner of games, will get a coupon code for one free month of GeForce Now Priority Membership.

Soon after the death of the cloud gaming service was announced, Ubisoft joined many other companies in announcing that it had plans to enable players to move their saves and progress from Stadia. You can check out the full details on the Ubisoft website. The service will shut down on January 18, 2023.

Author
Grace Benfell

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Get 14 Star Wars Games For $21 For A Limited Time

1 year 3 months ago

If you're in the mood to go to a galaxy far, far away, Fanatical's Star Wars Collection offers an affordable trip down memory lane. The bundle comes with 14 Star Wars games, including several of the best Star Wars games of all time. The Star Wars Collection is only $21, so you're getting the 14 titles (Steam keys) for only $1.50 each.

Three of our 10 favorite Star Wars games our featured in the bundle: Knights of the Old Republic, Star Wars: Republic Commando, and Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast. KOTOR is arguably the most beloved Star Wars game, and with a remake in the works, now's not a bad time to revisit this all-time classic.

Once you roll credits on KOTOR, you can jump into Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, which is also included in the collection. And if you're looking for a more action-focused Star Wars game, both Force Unleashed games are in the Star Wars Collection.

While Jedi Knight II is probably the best in the sub-series, three other titles from that era are up for grabs here: Jedi Academy, Dark Forces II, and Mysteries of the Sith.

Author
Steven Petite

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Elden Ring: Where To Get Scholar's Shield

1 year 3 months ago

If you're a magic user in Elden Ring but you still enjoy using a shield, too, you may benefit from Scholar's Shield, which can boost your shield's damage negation. Luckily, it can be purchased extremely early in the game for a relatively low cost, and we'll tell you precisely where to find the NPC that sells it.

Scholar's Shield explained

Scholar's Shield is a sorcery that requires 12 Intelligence to cast. By casting the spell on a shield, it will improve its damage negation.

Scholar's Shield's item description reads:

One of the glintstone sorceries of the Academy of Raya Lucaria. Fires three magic shooting stars that pursue the target. This sorcery can be cast while in motion. Charging enhances potency. A sorcery of the Olivinus Conspectus, which attracts sorcerers from Sellia, Town of Sorcery.

Where to find Scholar's Shield

Scholar's Armament can be purchased from Sorceress Sellen, who resides within Waypoint Ruins in Limgrave. The spell costs 2,500 runes, and she will sell it by default, so you don't have to give her any of the scrolls found throughout the game in order to purchase it.

Waypoint Ruins

Waypoint Ruins can be accessed immediately upon exiting the tutorial. Simply head directly east of Agheel Lake to come across them. Due to the middling threat of nearby enemies, you'll be fine there even at low levels.

Author
Billy Givens

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Evercade EXP Review - Retro Bliss Reborn

1 year 3 months ago

For retro gaming fans who love physical media but are gobsmacked by the price of old carts, the Evercade brand has fulfilled a nostalgic dream over the past two-plus years. With a pick-up-and-play mentality, a growing library of carts filled with officially licensed retro console and arcade games, and multiple hardware iterations, the Evercade has found its niche in an increasingly popular market. The Evercade EXP, an updated version of the original handheld, is the best Evercade yet. If you're interested in 8- and 16-bit console and arcade games, the Evercade EXP offers a fantastic way to play physical cartridge collections in a portable form factor.

For those who are unfamiliar with the Evercade, it first debuted in 2020 as a budget-friendly handheld with cartridge play. Each cartridge, which goes for $20 a pop, has a collection of authentic classic games. There are collections based on old platforms like the Atari Lynx and Commodore 64 as well as publisher-themed carts from studios such as Data East, Interplay, Codemasters, and more. Just like the old days, the carts come in chunky plastic cases filled with cool inserts. You insert the cartridge, pick a game, and dive in almost instantly. Quality-of-life improvements such as save states and various display settings make these retro games more digestible, lending themselves to quick spurts of play.

Author
Steven Petite

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Marvel Snap New Battle Mode Vs. Friends Likely Coming Soon In "The Next Month Or Two," New Roadmap Reveals

1 year 3 months ago

Marvel Snap, the mobile Marvel digital card game, released on October 18. Ahead of the holidays and new year, more details about what players can expect from Marvel Snap was released in a roadmap.

The roadmap is split into three sections: "coming soon," "in development," and "in concept." Coming soon means features under this category will be launched in the near future. Battle Mode Vs. Friends is one such update, and it's been highly anticipated since November's tease. Currently, there's no way to play against your friends and Battle Mode Vs. Friends rectifies that. But Battle Mode will be different from the standard Ranked matches. Each player will have 10 bars of health and Snaps double damage done to the opponent's health. For example, if you Snap, then the damage is doubled from two to four. If you retreat, damage received is halved from two to one. Players keep playing matches until one of them loses all health.

There's still no confirmed release date, but the dev team plans to release Battle Mode Vs. Friends in the next month or two--implying players should see it in-game at the latest in Feburary.

Name changes are also coming soon. Previously, you weren't able to edit usernames, and now you can. Russian and Vietnamese languages will also be added soon, along with artist credits on cards.

The second category, in development, are ideas that the dev team is working on--but could be subject to changes. One of them is Smart Deck, which basically is where the AI helps you "finish" your decks or give suggestions on what cards should go in a deck. Additionally, unranked and competitive game modes are in development.

Author
Jenny Zheng

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Marvel Snap Decks - Best Pool 3 Decks

1 year 3 months ago

Marvel Snap’s Pool 3 has the largest number of cards of all current pools, and it can be daunting to figure out what works well in tandem or what win conditions you should be in tune with. These cards are unlocked from Collection Level 486 and onwards. This guide will detail some of the best Marvel Snap decks and tactics you can implement that will have you ascend the ranks and become victorious against your opponents using all Pool 3 decks.

Discardian Dissonance

Discardian Dissonance is similar to our previous Marvel Snap Pool 2 deck Discardian Discord. This time, it has been greatly improved due to Pool 3 adding additional cards with discard effects such as Colleen Wing, Moon Knight, Gambit, Dracula, and Hell Cow to name a few. This deck does not have any 1-Cost cards and is not supposed to with our win conditions.

Colleen Wing will always discard the lowest-cost card in your hand, so make sure she discards Swarm most often. Swarm will create two copies of itself, both being 0-Cost. Turn 3, you will want to play Lockjaw, then place those two Swarm copies you created the last turn on its location. This will swap out those two 0-Cost Swarm copies for something much better such as Moon Knight to discard a card from your opponent, Apocalypse, or even America Chavez.

Author
Veerender Singh Jubbal

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Street Fighter 6's Second Beta Test Is Now Live

1 year 3 months ago

Street Fighter 6's second closed beta test began on December 16 and ends on December 19. Ahead of the second beta, Capcom posted a Twitter thread of tips. If you've participated in the first beta test, then the info should mostly be familiar.

The Battle Tutorial is replayable, and it will pop up when players access the Battle Hub for the first time. For Battle Settings and Control Types, check out the tips Capcom provided below.

Author
Jenny Zheng

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Get A 3-Year VPN Subscription For Just $57

1 year 3 months ago

If you’re looking for additional privacy and security when working on your computer, there’s no better solution than a VPN. Unfortunately, most services require a monthly subscription or lofty one-time fee. Right now, however, you can purchase a three-year subscription to the Windscribe VPN Pro Plan for just $57, down from $207, when using promo code WINDSCRIBE at checkout.

Author
Jon Bitner

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WoW Players In China Will Be Allowed To Download Their Character Data Ahead Of Shutdown

1 year 3 months ago

World of Warcraft players in China may have to take the fate of their characters into their own hands, with Blizzard announcing it will allow Chinese players to download their characters ahead of an imminent shutdown of Blizzard game services in the region.

It was announced in late November that Blizzard could not come to a mutually-satisfactory deal with China's NetEase, which has long served as the distributor of various Blizzard games, including WoW, in the region. Since the two parties couldn't come to an agreement, NetEase will soon lose its license to operate Blizzard's games. That will result in the shutdown of games like WoW, Overwatch, Hearthstone, Starcraft II, and more in China on January 23.

Warcraft general manager John Hight in a recent statement (via Wowhead) announced that Blizzard is still looking for new distribution partners in China and that the process "will continue until we find a suitable solution." In the meantime, Blizzard will move forward with the unusual move of developing a feature that will allow Chinese players to download and save all of their characters, items, and progress in Blizzard's MMO onto their own personal devices, to be used at some future point when WoW becomes available in China once more under a new distribution partner.

"We expect that the transition to the new partner for the World of Warcraft CN service will go smoothly," Hight's statement reads. "Also, with this feature, everyone will be able to keep their game history and memory in their own hands."

Author
Cameron Koch

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Fortnite's My Hero Academia PvP Mode Is A Physics Playground, And A Labor Of Love

1 year 3 months ago

Fortnite is kicking off its third major anime crossover today with the introduction of My Hero Academia (MHA) content coming to the game. After having what seemed to be massive success with Naruto and Dragon Ball, Epic's battle royale and creative suite is taking on the My Hero series in a similarly major way. Alongside four in-game skins, an incredibly powerful new Mythic weapon called Deku's Smash, and in-game challenges, one of the best parts of the crossover is the new game mode, Hero Training Gym. The game mode was made in Fortnite Creative by Zen Creative, a sibling-founded studio that specializes in making custom experiences inside Fortnite.

Speaking to GameSpot while we ran around his My Hero Academia PvP mode together, co-founder R-leeo Maoate explained how the team made a name for itself in the Fortnite Creative space and what other dream projects the team at Zen Creative hopes to work on in the future.

"Back in April we did the Soundwave Series for Emicida, a Brazilian rapper," he said. "We also did something back in November 2021, which was Fortnite Lands Down Under," part of Epic's plans to promote the game in Australia and New Zealand, which launched alongside a new Twitter account at the time. These are major projects in the Creative world, but Maoate said that their work in Creative mode began merely as a hobby where he and his brother made their own maps.

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Mark Delaney

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Where Is Xur Today? (December 16-20) - Destiny 2 Exotic Items And Xur Location Guide

1 year 3 months ago

The year might be coming to a close, but there's no rest for your resident Agent of the Nine in Destiny 2. Xur has popped back for another visit to the Solar system, and as usual, he has a fresh inventory of rare and Exotic armors and weapons. Here's where you can find Xur and what Exotics he's selling this week.

This week you can find Xur in the Tower, in the Hangar area. For his weapon, Xur is offering Graviton Lance. Hunters can pick up the Khepri's Sting gauntlets, Titans can grab Armamentarium armor, and for Warlocks, Xur has the Verity's Brow helmet.

Xur Location

Xur's location in the Tower.

Spawn in using the Courtyard transmat zone in the Tower to find Xur this week. Head left and down the stairs to enter the Hangar section, then hang another left. Make your way to the north end of the area and look for a staircase that will take you onto a catwalk, where Xur is waiting.

Xur is present every weekend in Destiny 2, starting with the daily reset at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET each Friday. His exact location is always a mystery when he first arrives, as he is not listed on the map, and for novice players, he can be easy to miss. However, there are a set number of locations where he takes up residence, including the Tower Hangar area, on Nessus in Watcher's Grave, and in the Winding Cove area of the EDZ.

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Darryn Bonthuys

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Trials Of Osiris Rewards This Week In Destiny 2 (December 16-20)

1 year 3 months ago

After taking a break last week, Destiny 2's Trials of Osiris is back for a fresh run on online competition and fireteams attempting to earn that coveted flawless run. This is the first Trials of Season of the Seraph, and comes after some heavy patching in Destiny 2 that introduced a wide number of weapon changes. Here's where you'll play Trials of Osiris this weekend and what weapons you can earn. You can also check out where Xur is to see if any of his inventory can help you out this weekend.

Map: The Burnout

  • Reputation Rank 4: Upgrade Module x 2
  • Reputation Rank 7: Enhancement Prism x 3
  • Reputation Rank 10: Trials Weapon (Changes for each rank reset)
  • Reputation Rank 13: Upgrade Module x 2
  • Reputation Rank 16: Trials Weapon (Changes for each rank reset)
  • Flawless Reward: Exalted Truth hand cannon (Adept)

Trials weapons now carry the Alacrity Origin Trait. It gives you increased aim assist, reload speed, stability, and range on your Trials guns when you're the last living member of a fireteam or running solo. You can also choose to swap to the Crucible Origin trait, One Quiet Moment, which greatly enhances your gun's reload speed when you reload while out of combat.

Author
Darryn Bonthuys

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The Game Awards 2022 Received Over 103 Million Views, Sets New Viewership Record

1 year 3 months ago

The Game Awards announced a record-breaking number viewership number for 2022. An estimated 103 million viewers tuned into the show, a 20% increase from last year's 85 million views.

The Game Awards aired on December 8, and as per the usual program, featured both award-winners and world premieres. Elden Ring took home the Game of The Year award, and we also saw new trailers from anticipated games like Final Fantasy XVI and Street Fighter 6. In new announcements, Armored Core 6, Hades 2, and Death Stranding 2 all made their debut. You can check out our roundup on the biggest The Game Awards announcements for more information.

According to the press release, The Game Awards also set records for views across social media. Twitter had a 28% increase in conversation volume, and the show trended at number one worldwide. Steam had almost 9.5 million viewers tune in. Valve also gave away a Steam Deck every minute of the show, and then gave away even more Steam Decks post-show.

"We are thrilled to report our ninth year of record-setting growth," said Geoff Keighley. "It was electric in the room this year, and felt so amazing to be back with the fans and the industry as we lead into our 10th year in 2023."

Other than taking home the Game of The Year award, Elden Ring also won Best Game Direction, Best RPG, and Best Art Direction. God of War Ragnarok won Best Narrative, Best Music, Best Audio Design, Best Innovation in Accessibility, and more. For a full list of winners, check out our The Game Awards winners list.

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Jenny Zheng

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More Sega Genesis Games Come To Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack

1 year 3 months ago

Nintendo has been steadily adding retro games to its Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack service over the past few months, and four new Sega Genesis games are the latest additions. As usual, you can play them right now if you subscribe to the extra Expansion Pack plan.

The four games in question are the beloved beat-'em-up Golden Axe 2, the sci-fi shoot-'em-up Alien Storm, the Bejeweled-esque puzzler Columns, and the hit fighting game Virtua Fighter 2. While none of these would be generally considered in the first rank of classic Sega Genesis games, all of them are solid names that are definitely worth a look for Expansion Pack subscribers. Golden Axe 1 is also included in the Expansion Pack, so if you enjoy its sequel, you should also check it out.

Currently, the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack encompasses 36 Sega Genesis games, including most of the truly standout games for the system, like Beyond Oasis, Castlevania: Bloodlines, Contra: Hard Corps, Dynamite Headdy, Gunstar Heroes, Phantasy Star IV, Ristar, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and ToeJam & Earl.

The few notable omissions arguably include the original Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, and at least one of the console's iconic sports games, such as NHL '94. The Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass bundle costs $50 a year, and also includes bonuses like Splatoon 2 DLC.

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Steven T. Wright

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This Gorgeous Gaming Book Would Be A Great Gift This Holiday

1 year 3 months ago

If you're looking for last-minute Christmas gifts, this hardcover coffee table book featuring glossy photos of consoles spanning from Atari to Xbox is discounted right now. The Game Console 2.0 is currently $20.79, roughly 50% off the original $40 price.

No Caption Provided

The listing is $26, but there's a coupon box you can click to get another $5.20 off. The discount will be applied at checkout.

Author
Jenny Zheng

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New Horizon Online Co-Op Game Confirmed In Job Listing

1 year 3 months ago

Aloy's adventures will continue in the Horizon universe, but Guerrilla Games is also working on a separate multiplayer title in the franchise. There's no official name yet or a release window, but the developer is hiring staff for an online co-op project.

Guerrilla Games confirmed this new entry in the Horizon series on Twitter with a job listings sheet. The open positions posting mentions the developer is hiring in Amsterdam for single-player, online, and external project teams.

"A new internal team is developing a separate online project set in Horizon's universe," Guerrilla Games said. "Featuring a new cast of characters and a unique stylized look, friends will be able to explore the majestic wilds of Horizon together."

Some of the job listings for the online project include: stylized world artist, lead combat designer, lead quest designer, player engagement designer, and principal writer. This has reportedly been cooking at Guerrilla for quite a while. In October, a Horizon multiplayer spin-off was supposedly in the works, something the developer has wanted to pursue since the original Horizon Zero Dawn.

There is also reportedly a Horizon MMO in development at NCSoft. The studio has expertise in the genre as it's behind the Lineage and Guild War franchises. Sony also stated earlier this year that live-service games are a part of its future plans.

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Evan Campbell

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Fortnite And My Hero Academia: How To Get Deku's Smash Mythic Weapon

1 year 3 months ago

My Hero Academia has arrived in Fortnite, and over the next two weeks, it's going to have a huge impact on how you play. That's because this collab isn't just about item shop cosmetics--though it certainly does have those. But on top of that, the island is now home to a new MHA-themed Mythic weapon: Deku's Smash.

Deku's Smash is just as big of a shift to the Fortnite meta as the Kamehameha was during the Dragonball collaboration this past summer. This is to say you should expect things to blow up a lot more during the next two weeks, as players will no doubt be constantly throwing this thing around.

What actually is the Deku's Smash mythic weapon?

Remember how the Kamehameha was basically a giant laser that would melt anything that you pointed it at--provided you could survive the lengthy charge-up time? The Deku's Smash is a pretty similar concept, with the main difference being that it's more like you're throwing a very large bomb.

In gameplay terms, the distinction here is that while the Kamehameha would damage whatever it touched and would last a set amount of time, Deku's Smash fires off a projectile that goes up in a single massive explosion once it makes an impact with any hard surface--or player. And yes, it's extremely good at taking out buildings and especially player structures.

Where to get the Deku's Smash mythic in Fortnite Battle Royale

There are three methods for getting your very own Deku's Smash mythic that you can use to demolish your enemies and whatever buildings they're hiding in.

Author
Phil Owen

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Peppa Pig: World Adventures Takes The TV Star On A Globetrotting Adventure In 2023

1 year 3 months ago

It's bad news for games like Starfield, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, and Final Fantasy XVI, as a strong contender for 2023's game of the year has just emerged in the shape of Peppa Pig: World Adventures. The adorable TV star is back in a new game next year that will see her visit several locations around the world.

Alongside her family and friends, Peppa will be trotting out to Paris, Australia, London, and several other locations, meeting new characters and dressing up. You'll also be able to design your own character and family for the trip, and closer to home, you'll be able to construct a house in Peppa's neighborhood and decorate it with collectibles and souvenirs from your travels.

"We're thrilled Peppa is back with Outright Games for her next video game Peppa Pig: World Adventures. We're enjoying the challenge of building on the fantastic reception to last year's My Friend Peppa Pig and making this game bigger with more locations, characters, and fun! We're looking forward to sharing it with everyone next March," said Outright Games CEO Beth Goss in a statement.

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Darryn Bonthuys

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Fortnite x My Hero Academia Event - Skins, Mythic Weapon, And A Lot More

1 year 3 months ago

The wait is finally over, as Fortnite's collaboration with My Hero Academia has just made this year's Winterfest celebration a lot more interesting. Just as we saw during past collaborations with Naruto and Dragon Ball Z, Fortnite x My Hero Academia is more than just a few new skins in the item shop. On top of the four new outfits and accompanying cosmetic sets, the Deku's Smash mythic will be wreaking all sorts of havoc in Battle Royale, and you can earn some free cosmetics through quests that you can do in Battle Royale and the new My Hero Academia Creative island.

Like the Dragonball Kamehameha from this past summer, Deku's Smash is a potential game-changer whenever someone uses it. As we saw in the season launch trailer, this thing can take out a lot of structures very quickly--builders are gonna have to be vigilant with the Deku's Smash mythic in play.

Deku's Smash comes from two sources. Like Fortnite did with the Dragonball collab, My Hero Academia will have its own All Might supply drops that will give you the mythic for free, and you'll also find new MHA-branded vending machines that will let you buy it with gold bars.

My Hero Academia has also taken over the item shop with four new outfits from the franchise--Izuku Midoriya, Katsuki Bakugo, Ochaka Uraraka and All Might--along with accompanying back bling and pickaxe for each.

Author
Phil Owen

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