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SAO Last Recollection DLC Includes 10 Outfits

2 months ago

sword art online dlc last recollection

Bandai Namco has started selling DLC for Sword Art Online (SAO): Last Recollection. You can get Ritual of Bonds Volume 1 for 1980 JPY ($13.40). [Thanks, 4Gamer!]

There will be new stories, a new map, and new outfits. For the story, there will be nine separate paths for nine different characters. Clearing their path will get your their Ritual Outfit and once you finish the epilogue, you can get an outfit for Kirito. The DLC outfits kind of look like a wedding tuxedo and dress.

As for the SAO: Last Recollection characters you’ll be able to get outfits for after completing their DLC stories, they are:

  • Asuna
  • Dorothy
  • Lisbeth
  • Philia
  • Premiere
  • Silica
  • Sinon
  • Strea
  • Tia

Author
Stephanie Liu

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Palworld Patch Fixes Loading Screen and World Date Bugs, Blocks Cheats

2 months ago

Palworld Patch Fixes Loading Screen and World Date Bugs, Blocks Cheats

Pocketpair released a new Palworld patch, and it both fixes the known loading screen and world date issues and blocks cheats from working. It didn’t offer details about what sorts of illegal activity 0.1.3.0 on PCs and 0.1.1.1 on the Xbox One and Series X will cover.

The developer has been fairly regularly squashing bugs in the game as they appear. For example, the black screen error ended up being fixed shortly after launch. With these issues, the loading screen problem would make the game unplayable. This is because that screen would not go away. However, the world date issue could also be a problem.

As for the Palworld cheats and exploits, there were some players who were accessing the Pocketpair developer ones from an old build, trainers already exist, and folks were working on things like item duplication. However, it also said that it can’t “completely prevent all cheating immediately.”

Here’s the social media announcement with the official patch notes concerning the Palworld loading screen and world date fixes:  

Author
Jenni Lada

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Original Final Fantasy VII Soundtrack Songs Shared on YouTube

2 months ago

Original Final Fantasy VII Soundtrack Songs Shared on YouTube

Square Enix started sharing songs from the original Final Fantasy VII soundtrack over the past week. Things started on January 22, 2024 with the “Prelude” and the playlist now includes 10 songs.

These tracks are being added in batches. Each one includes five songs. They are also starting from the beginning of the game and moving onward. Each video also features gameplay footage from a point of the game during which that song plays. So the first five released are the following tracks:

Author
Jenni Lada

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Love Live School Idol Festival 2 Miracle Live Starts and Ends in 2024

2 months ago

love live sif miracle live 2 end and start

The global version of Love Live School Idol Festival 2 Miracle Live will launch soon in February 2024, with pre-registrations open. However, the same tweet announced that the global version of the game will then close on May 31, 2024.

It is rather unprecedented for a company to announce the start and the end of the game in the same Tweet. Many of the replies, either directly to the Tweet itself or through quotes, have asked why Bushiroad would even launch it. Some users posted humorous GIFs in response to the announcement, such as one of Abe Simpson walking in, hanging up his hat, picking up his hat, and then leaving again.

In any case, you can pre-register for Love Live School Idol Festival 2 Miracle Live via the Google Play store or the App Store. It is a rhythm game in which you’ll be able to make your dream idol group with girls from μ’s, Aqours, Nijigasaki High School Idol Club, and Liella. When the game closes in May 31, 2024, you will no longer be abe to purchase anything in the in-game store.

Author
Stephanie Liu

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1,900 Activision Blizzard, Xbox, and Zenimax Employees Fired

2 months ago

Activision Blizzard Fired

Microsoft fired over 1,900 staff from subsidiaries, with layoffs at Activision Blizzard, Xbox, and Zenimax. As well as the layoffs, Activision Blizzard will also be losing President Mike Ybarra and Chief Design Officer Allen Adham. [Thanks, The Verge!]

In a statement obtained by The Verge, Microsoft CEO Phil Spencer promised to navigate the process "thoughtfully" and provide severance packages according to employment law. The firings work out to around 8.6% of the company's entire 22,000 person workforce, spread across several of the companies previously acquired by Microsoft in the past few years.

Activision Blizzard President Mike "Qwik" Ybarra will also be leaving, alongside Chief Design Officer and Blizzard cofounder Allen Adham. Ybarra's successor is expected to be announced sometime during the week of January 28, 2024. Additionally, Blizzard's in-development survival game has also been cancelled, with some of the personnel transferred to other projects.

You can read Mike Ybarra's farewell message in the tweet below:

Author
Elliot Gostick

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Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Songs Will Appear in Joysound Karaoke

2 months ago

Like A Dragon 8 Infinite Wealth Karaoke - Baka Darou (Playing the Fool)

The new songs in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, also known as Yakuza 8, will be available in real karaoke. Sega has announced that five songs from the new game will appear on the Japanese karaoke platform Joysound on January 26, 2024. That will be the same day the company releases the full game and its digital soundtrack worldwide.

The list also notably includes "Baka Darou" (Playing the Fool), which is very closely related to the famous "Baka Mitai" title often found in the in-game Yakuza karaoke track list. The full song list, with both the Japanese and English titles where applicable, is as follows:

  • "AWAKE"
  • "GO! Shuushou SUMMER" (Summertime Groove)
  • "Suki ni Nareru Hito wo Suki ni Nareta Naraba" (If I Could Love the One I Love)
  • "Baka Darou" (Playing the Fool)
  • "Honolulu City Lights"

Author
Kite Stenbuck

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Square Enix Cracks Down on Counterfeit Merchandise

2 months ago

Square Enix Cracks Down on Counterfeit Goods

Square Enix announced that a crackdown on counterfeit merchandise in the Guangdong province of the People's Republic of China has lead to criminal charges against a number of individuals. The charges were made back in May 2023 against six individuals who were involved in distributing counterfeit goods to retailers and three individuals who were involved in the manufacturing process.

In the press release from Square Enix, the company stated that products from franchises like Final Fantasy and NieR Automata were seized by authorities in China after a number of allegations were made by multiple Japanese and Chinese companies who sought to crack down on the illegal distribution of non-licensed and counterfeit goods. Square Enix reported that these illegal goods were utilizing the character designs from the company's games and were sold through major retailers in China, Japan, and different countries in the west.

Square Enix was able to enlist help from independent investigation firms and industry peers in order to collect the information provided to Guangdong authorities that ultimately lead to the charges against the individual counterfeiters.

Author
Arielle Haddad

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Real-Life Dad From FFXIV: Dad of Light Died

2 months ago

ffxiv dad of light

The real-life father of light who inspired FFXIV: Dad of Light has died. The director of the film Kiyofumi Yamamoto posted this news on his social media account. [Thanks, Game Watch!]

Yamamoto originally posted on January 21, 2024 to ask people to think about Indey, which is in-game FFXIV name of the titular dad of light, for even a second of their day. He states that he knows people are busy with the new update. But he hopes that they would spend even a second reading the blog or watching the story.

A few days later, on January 23, 2024, he posted to apologize for his original Tweet. He explained that he initially wrote the January 21 post on impulse. He later stated that Indey has gone on a new journey with Maidy. Maidy, the person who originally wrote the FFXIV Dad of Light blog posts, passed away in 2020. He states that he’s only met Indey a few times in game and only once in real life. But he’s glad that he was able to hand Indey a picture he shot of Maidy, especially since Maidy’s family apparently used that picture for the funeral. 

Author
Stephanie Liu

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Blue Protocol Reached a Million Downloads Before Chapter 5’s Debut

2 months ago

blue protocol downloads

Bandai Namco announced that Blue Protocol has reached over a million downloads since it came out in Japan. There is also a special webpage for Apostle of the Beast, which is Chapter 5 of the main story.

More details on Blue Protocol Chapter 5 will come out on January 31, 2024. If you go to the webpage, you’ll watch a trailer showing off what will occur in Chapter 5. As of the time of writing, you cannot access the majority of the site. However, the various pages will unlock closer to the release date of the update. The story page will open up on January 31, 2024 and the character page will open up on February 7, 2024. Full access to the dedicated Blue Protocol Chapter 5 site will be from February 14, 2024.

As for the rewards for Blue Protocol hitting the one million downloads milestone, Bandai Namco will distribute the prizes via lottery. There are certain conditions to make it easier to get your name picked for the Rose Orbs. Most of the requirements have to do with clearing the game’s content. There are other prizes as well, including a welcome pack for new players, and some rewards that you can obtain via serial codes.

Author
Stephanie Liu

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Hololive Super Expo 2024 Key Visuals of Vtubers Revealed

2 months ago

Hololive Super Expo 2024

Cover published the key visuals for Hololive Super Expo 2024, and it features all Vtubers affiliated with Hololive Production, including the Holostars male VTubers from both the Japanese and English branches, who are still active as of January 25, 2024. The image does not include Yozora Mel, whose contract was terminated on January 16, 2024.

All characters in the illustration wear aloha shirts to fit the expo's theme. The event will convert Makuhari Messe's Halls 4-8 into Hololive Island. The venue will consist of five areas where visitors can interact with the VTubers, relax in the cafe, or purchase goods in the market.

The official website shows the key visual in a singular long-scrolling image. However, it can also be split into six separate images, which are available in a tweet thread on Hololive Production's official X account:

Author
Kite Stenbuck

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Kyoto Animation Arsonist Given Death Penalty

2 months ago

kyoto animation arsonist given death penalty

The Kyoto District Court sentenced Shinji Aoba, the arsonist who set fire to Kyoto Animation Studio 1 and killed 36 people, to death. The judge believed that Aoba was of sound mind when he went through with the attack. [Thanks, NHK!]

As a quick refresher about the case, the Kyoto Animation arson attack took place on July 18, 2019. Aoba set fire to the company’s Studio 1 building, and even used gasoline to make the fire faster and deadlier. As a result, he killed 36 people and injured 34. Aoba said that he believed Kyoto Animation plagiarized a novel that he’d submitted for a contest.

The defense claimed that Aoba was not of sound mind at the time of the attack, thus he cannot be found criminally responsible for his actions. However, the judge stated that he believed Aoba was completely sane. He noted that Aoba had a clear motive, made a conscious decision to blame Kyoto Animation, went out to buy the gasoline, and then set fire to the studio. Aoba also knew the difference between right and wrong.

Author
Stephanie Liu

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Pokemon TCG Paldean Fates Expansion Is a Set for Shiny Hunters

2 months ago

pokemon tcg paldean fates expansion set

The Pokemon Trading Card Game’s special sets are always an aesthetic treat for TCG fans. Paldean Fates is no different, leaning into enthusiasts’ passion for shiny hunting with a suite of the differently-hued variants. It perhaps leans a bit too much, though? Let’s get into it.

Paldean Fates follows sets like Shining Fates and Hidden Fates, with a theme of aesthetics more than anything more specific. It’s only available in special tins and such — basically everything but booster boxes — and it’s meant to be a bit different from a more main-line set. The main attraction? Shiny variants of existing cards. The rare color versions are sought after in the video games, so seeing them here does make for a certain appeal.

So much of Paldean Fates’ card count is its shiny collection, but due to the rarity ratios, the overwhelming majority of packs are sort of boring reprints. In the search for just one shiny, you might open a few entire boosters of stuff you’ve seen before. And in that way, it’s maybe a bit too much like video game shiny hunting.

Author
Graham Russell

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Live-action Final Fantasy XIV Is Dead

2 months ago

ffxiv live-action

The live-action TV series of Final Fantasy XIV is no longer in production. According to Hivemind, this was because very few companies wanted to risk making a show of its size or scale. [Thanks, Inside Games!]

The show was originally a collaboration between Sony Pictures Television and Hivemind. Hivemind worked on the popular live-action adaptation of The Witcher for Netflix, so it already had a proved itself capable. Dinesh Shamdasani, one of the co-founders of Hivemind, revealed the news of the dead project on Twitter (X) in response to another user asking about it. He explained that though there was a pilot script and a multi-season plan, the size and scale of the project was too much. Amazon was the closest to taking it on but evidently backed out.

Jake Thorton, who worked on said pilot script, added to the conversation by stating that COVID-19 was the biggest nail in the live-action Final Fantasy XIV show’s coffin. The team pitched the show right as studios started budgeting more carefully for quarantine. As a reminder, the initial announcement for the project came out in 2019, which was slightly before COVID-19 became a global pandemic.

Author
Stephanie Liu

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The Pokemon Company Investigates Palworld For Infringement

2 months ago

Palworld Pokemon

The Pokemon Company released a statement in English and Japanese regarding Palworld. It stated that it will investigate it to see if the developer Pocketpair really infringed on The Pokemon Company’s intellectual rights.

The full statement is as follows:

We have received many inquiries regarding another company’s game released in january 2024. We have not granted any permission for the use of Pokemon intellectual property or assets in that game. We intend to investigate and take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to the Pokemon. We will continue to cherish and nurture each and every Pokemon and its world, and work to bring the world together through Pokemon in the future.

Author
Stephanie Liu

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DLC Outfits For Spy x Anya: Operation Memories Dress Up Forgers

2 months ago

spy x anya operation memories dlc

Bandai Namco Entertainment has started selling two costume DLC packs for Spy x Anya: Operation Memories. Each pack is 1320 JPY ($8.95) and you can get a bundle for 2200 JPY ($14.90). [Thanks, 4Gamer!]

The first set is the “Heart-Pounding Costume Pack” and the second is the “Exciting Costume Pack.” The deluxe edition of the game will also include the Deluxe Ooting Pack. The Heart-Pounding Costume Pack will include fancy formalwear for the Forger family, as well as work outfits. Yor and Loid look like they do when they go to their civilian jobs, and Anya’s wearing something that looks like a classic spy outfit.

The Exciting Costume Pack will come with punk rock style outfits, as well as denim outfits. Incidentally, all four costume packs feature something for Bond. For example, he has a denim bowtie in the Exciting Costume Pack and a pair of sunglasses on his head in the Heart-Pounding Costume Pack. The Deluxe Ooting Pack features all of these clothes, as well as a special outfits for Anya. One makes her look like Bond and the other makes her look like her chimera doll.

Author
Stephanie Liu

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New Visual of Takanori Nishikawa Shows Him in Gundam Seed Style

2 months ago

gundam seed freedom tm revolution nishikawa takanori

Hisashi Hirai, the character designer for Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Freedom, has drawn a new artist visual for Takanori Nishikawa, or TM Revolution. Nishikawa previously sang for the Mobile Suit Gundam Seed series, and will return to swing for the movie. [Thanks, Comic Natalie!]

As mentioned earlier, Nishikawa contributed a total of six songs for the Mobile Suit Gundam Seed series. He sang the openings “Invoke” and “ignited,” as well as sang songs like “Meteor,” which appeared as cut-in songs. Nishikawa also voiced minor character Miguel Aiman, as well as narrated a recap episode. In the sequel, Destiny, he appeared as FAITH member Heine and appeared for several episodes.

The Nishikawa that Hirai drew shows him wearing a Compass uniform, much like what Kira wears in promotional material for the movie. Incidentally, three major songs that will appear in the movie—Nishikawa’s “Freedom,” See-saw’s “Sarigiwa no Romantics,” and Nami Tamaki’s “Reborn”—all came out on the same day that Hirai posted this image.

Author
Stephanie Liu

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Splatoon 3 and Legend of Zelda Concerts Will Appear on YouTube

2 months ago

splatoon 3 legend of zelda concerts

Nintendo posted details on its upcoming Splatoon 3 and Legend of Zelda concerts. The Legend of Zelda orchestra concert will take place on February 9, 2024 and the Splatoon 3 one will be on February 10, 2024.

Both the Splatoon 3 and the The Legend of Zelda concerts will be available on YouTube, so people from all around the globe will be able to watch it from the comfort of their homes. The orchestra concert for Legend of Zelda will take place from 5 AM PT/8 AM ET. This is a pre-recorded performance and you’ll be able to watch it from the Nintendo of America YouTube account.

As for Splatoon 3, the Deep Cut Concert will also be available on YouTube. It was originally supposed to be for Nintendo Live 2024 Tokyo. However, Nintendo had to cancel it and other esports events due to threats against the staff and the audience. There is no information in regards to the release time.

Author
Stephanie Liu

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Gallagher Is the Final New Honkai: Star Rail Character For 2.1

2 months ago

honkai star rail gallagher

HoYoVerse has posted the key visual for Gallagher, who will be the final new character in Honkai: Star Rail Version 2.1. He will be a four-star Fire Abundance.

According to his bio, he is a security officer and works for the Bloodhound Family in Penacony. He is also a mixology, with a very interesting philosophy on the art of it. Despite that, he is slovenly and indolent. Though he seems to have a complicated past, he does not ever mention any details about it.

In English, Erik Braa will voice him. Braa previously appeared as Sombron in Fire Emblem Engage and Porter in Bendy and the Dark Revival. His Japanese voice actor is Satoshi Mikami. Mikami’s previous roles include Ocelot in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain and Tezcatlipoca in Fate/Grand Order.

Author
Stephanie Liu

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Empty Will Release Fire Emblem Engage Merchandise Again

2 months ago

fire emblem engage merchandise

Empty opened up pre-orders for its second round of merchandise based on Fire Emblem Engage characters. You’ll be able to get acrylic stands, keyholders, and can badges. [Thanks, Fire Emblem JP!]

The items will come out in March 2024 and you can order them via Empty’s official website. Though Empty has released similar merchandise for Fire Emblem Engage in the past, these feature new characters that weren’t in the first wave. For example, you’ll be able to get keychains of the three Fire Emblem: Three Houses lords, or an acrylic standee of Ivy.

The full list of prices is:

  • Acrylic standees: 1980 JPY each
  • Acrylic keychains: 880 JPY each
  • Square can badges: 550 JPY each

Author
Stephanie Liu

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Genshin Impact Xianyun Trailer Covers Her Past

2 months ago

genshin impact xianyun

HoYoVerse has posted detailed information on Xianyun in Genshin Impact. She will make her playable debut in Version 4.4 and you’ll be able to pull for her during the first half of the update.

You can watch the Xianyun trailer for Genshin Impact here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_7r93u9mWs

The trailer shows Xianyun, or Cloud Retainer, from the eyes of her disciples—Ganyu and Shenhe—as well as from Zhongli’s perspective. She appears in her usual heron form throughout until Zhongli brings up how Xianyun used to manifest herself like a human. Paimon comments that they’ve never seen her human form before, before it cuts to Xianyun sneezing.

Author
Stephanie Liu

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Gawr Gura Is Streaming Again With Palworld

2 months ago

Gawr Gura Is Streaming Again With Palworld Hololive Vtuber

Due to various commitments, such as the Sendai Umino-Mori Aquarium promotion, quite a bit of time can pass between when Gawr Gura is streaming and not. However, on January 24, 2024 she returned for a member’s only stream. Then later in the evening, Gawr Gura came online to play Palworld.

She returned to streaming first on the morning of January 24, 2024. It was a “It is a Very Sleepy Morning” stream. Only members of her YouTube channel could participate, as noted by MrPatastic on Reddit

Gawr Gura later began streaming Palworld at about 8pm PT on January 24, 2024. She announced that on social media a few hours before. This one was not limited to a smaller audience. 

You can watch that Palworld stream below:

Author
Jenni Lada

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Yoko Taro and CyberConnect2 Sake Bottles Collaboration Appears

2 months ago

Yoko Taro and CyberConnect2 Sake Bottles Collaboration Appears

Auryn and Kuroe LLC announced the release of two new Game Creator Collaboration sake bottles based on NieR series creator Yoko Taro and CyberConnect2’s Hiroshi Matsuyama. The bottles are now available for purchase from the Kuroe LLC online store. [Thanks, Famitsu!]

The Yoko Taro sake bottle costs 4,400 yen (or approximately $30.) The label in this bottle is decorated with the logo that Yoko Taro uses online, and the logo has been redesigned by artist Bukkoro to include wagara clothing patterns on it. The alcohol included in Taro’s bottle is Tatsutaya special junmai sake, produced by Toshun Sake Brewery located in Taro’s hometown of Nagoya.

Meanwhile, the Hiroshi Matsuyama bottle costs 9,900 yen (~$67.) The label features Matsuyama's face profile alongside the CyberConnect2 logo, all decorated in a golden style foil. The liquor in the Matsuyama CyberConnect2 bottle is Kuroushi junmai daiginjo sake. You can check out both bottles here:

Author
Daniel Bueno

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Evangelion Beastbox Kabuto-Eva Set Makes EVAs Into Beetles

2 months ago

Evangelion Ami Ami Beetles

AmiAmi is now accepting pre-orders for the Evangelion Beastbox Kabuto-Eva set, which depicts the EVA units 00, 01, and 02 as transformable beetles. The set is available to order from the AmiAmi online shop and is expected to release sometime in February, 2024.

The set includes all three EVA units, as well as a standee, container, and a card for each. The set currently costs ¥11,220 (approximately $76). Each of the models has a different horn, with unit 00 resembling that of a Stag beetle, 01 resembling a Hercules beetle, and 02 having the distinctive two-pronged horn of a Rhinocerous beetle. The beetles are articulated with deployable wings, or can be folded into a cube and stored in the accompanying square container.

You can get a look at the items in the gallery below:

Author
Elliot Gostick

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​​AYANEO Slide Review: Does New Steam Deck Competitor Have Keys to Success?

2 months ago

ayaneo slide review keyboard

The AYANEO Slide makes a bold first impression, even before you take it out of the box. Packaged like an old VHS tape, it makes clear that it’s intended to bring nostalgia into the experience of a PC handheld. This keyboard-equipped model is among the vanguard of the company’s Remake line of devices, and we wanted to put it through its paces to see what sort of players should pick it up!

Note: many reviews of devices like these are tailored to the tinkerers, with in-depth looks at tweaks and customization. We’re going to primarily focus on the experience out of the box, for those looking to approach a device and enjoy it right away.

AYANEO Slide vs. Steam Deck

In a market dominated by the Steam Deck, the main advantage of devices like the AYANEO Slide is running Windows. It needs a bit more horsepower to manage that, but the resulting compatibility with games past and present is a significant gain. Even “verified” games can have glitches on the Deck that go unresolved for months. On the Slide? Not a worry. It’s also a lot easier to just set up and play games from Xbox Game Pass or Epic, as much as enthusiasts have built some Deck workarounds for these things.

Author
Graham Russell

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Tower of Fantasy Evangelion Crossover Details Shared

2 months ago

Tower of Fantasy Evangelion

A new Playstation Blog post has detailed the upcoming Tower of Fantasy crossover event with the Evangelion series, set to launch "in the first half of 2024." The event was previously announced back in December, 2023.

The update's story will involve players teaming up with Shinji, Asuka, and Rei with the latter two being unlockable as simulacra. A new vehicle based on the Entry Plug as well as a Pen-Pen smart servant will also be available. The post also confirms the appearance of EVA units 00, 01, and 02 as well as certain Angels, which will be presented in 1:1 scale.

Also detailed was the upcoming main game update 3.6, which is scheduled for launch on January 30, 2024. This update will add the Aquaville area as well as the SSR character Plotti and her weapon, the EP-7000 Skyfire hand cannon.

You can see some of the teaser images shared with us for the update below:

Author
Elliot Gostick

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Persona 3 Reload Acrylic Stands of Characters Appear in Japan

2 months ago

Persona 3 Reload Acrylic Character Stands Appear in Japan

Capsule toys manufacturer Stand Stones announced the release of a new line of Persona 3 Reload acrylic stands of the main characters. Each capsule toy costs 300 yen (or about $2) and they are expected to appear in Japan from January 24, 2024.

The new line of Persona 3 Reload acrylic stands capsule toys includes 11 characters, with one of them being a secret character. The other 10 includes the protagonist, Yukari, Junpei, Akihiko, Mitsuru, Fuuka, Koromaru, Aigis, Ken, and Shinjiro. The character stands are rather small, standing at 58mm tall. Each one comes with a platform to display them. Alternatively, they can be used as keychains or decorations in other ways.

You can take a better look at the new Persona 3 Reload mini-character stands in the social media announcement below:

https://twitter.com/stasto_info/status/1750001706379948216

Author
Daniel Bueno

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Dragon’s Dogma 2 Best Buy Pre-Order Includes Steelbook

2 months ago

Dragon's Dogma 2 Best Buy Pre-Order Includes Steelbook

Best Buy revealed its Dragon’s Dogma 2 pre-order promotion involves a free Steelbook case. All orders also include the Superior Weapons Quartet DLC being offered by all sites as a pre-order bonus. [Thanks, Wario64!]

This offer applies to both the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions of the game at Best Buy. The site notes it is a $9.99 value. The exterior has the Arisen below a dragon, with the game’s logo on the back. When you open up the case, it shows a landscape of the game’s world.

Here’s a closer look at the Best Buy Dragon’s Dogma 2 Steelbook case being given away with a pre-order.

Author
Jenni Lada

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See the Genshin Impact Ganyu, Shenhe, and Xingqiu Costumes for 4.4

2 months ago

See the Genshin Impact Ganyu, Shenhe, and Xingqiu Costumes for 4.4

HoYoVerse has given us a closer look at the new costumes that'll come out in Genshin Impact, as you'll be able to get new clothes for Ganyu, Shenhe, and Xingqiu in 4.4.

You can watch the video for the new Genshin Impact costumes from 4.4 here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOL1rZ5nzh0

The Genshin Impact Xingqiu outfit is "Bamboo Rain" and you’ll be able to get it for free. You will only need to participate in the flagship “Vibrant Harriers Aloft in Spring Breeze” event, much like how Kaeya and Ningguang’s outfits were free. This outfit has a distinctly Fontaine feel, and Xingqiu has tied his hair up. He looks very put together. However, you can tell that he’s still the same little nerd underneath because he’s holding a book.

Author
Stephanie Liu

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2024’s First FFXIV Moogle Treasure Trove Adds New Ways to Earn Tomestones

2 months ago

2024’s First FFXIV Moogle Treasure Trove Adds New Ways to Earn Tomestones

Square Enix announced the details for the first FFXIV Moogle Treasure Trove of 2024, which features new ways to get Irregular Tomestones. This time, in addition to the Standard Objectives Duties, there are Weekly Objectives, Minimog Challenges, and Ultimog Challenge starting on January 30, 2024.

When someone hops into FFXIV during the event, they can see The First Hunt and The Second Hunt segments in the Mogpendium. This lets someone sort by Standard Objectives, Weekly Objective, Minimog Challenges, and Ultimog Challenge categories. It also notes how many Irregular Tomestones someone has. 

In the Duty Finder, the Duties you can earn items from for Standard Objectives have a Moogle icon next to them. Every Tuesday during the course of the event, one Standard Objective will be made a player’s Weekly Objective to complete. 

The new Gold Saucer GATEs and ocean fishing activities to earn Irregular Tomestones will be in the Minimog Challenges section. There will be two to choose from starting each Tuesday, and you can only do one of them each week. Finally, there will be one Ultimog Challenge during the event to complete. 

Author
Jenni Lada

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Honkai: Star Rail Great Garbage King Tatalov Trailer Is Bizarre

2 months ago

star rail trailer great tatalov

HoYoVerse released a trailer teasing “The Great Tatalov,” the garbage king, which will appear in Honkai: Star Rail from Version 2.0. It also revealed the release date for the new patch, which will be February 6, 2024.

You can watch the trailer here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nu9msYUXIeU

There are quite a few bizarre moments in the video about the Honkai: Star Rail garbage king Tatalov. For example, we have giant muscular trash cans lounging about Penacony. We have a huge Sampo that reduces Stelle to a smoking Yamcha-like husk on the ground. We close out with the giant muscular trash cans running away from huge Sampo's bombs. It looks like the Astral Express crew’s first adventure in Penacony will be a very strange and memetic one.

Author
Stephanie Liu

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Palworld Update Roadmap Includes PvP, Crossplay, and Raid Bosses

2 months ago

Palworld Update Roadmap Includes PVP, Crossplay, and Raid Bosses

Pocketpair released a Palworld update roadmap on social media that covers upcoming fixes, features, and additions like crossplay and PvP. However, it only notes what things are coming and doesn’t offer any release windows for the patches.

The updates are divided into three areas, which are new content, immediate improvements, and critical issues. The critical issues involve bugs and problems that affect people being able to play the game. So the loading screen not going away and world date rollbacks are the priority for Pocketpair to fix. The other “ASAP” fixes will involve Pal AI and key configurations.

There are eight items listed under future update. These appear in a list and there’s no sense of when things could appear or what priorities are, with PvP and Raid Bosses at the top of the Palworld new features list and crossplay further down it. Here’s the exact list as presented in the roadmap:

  • PvP
  • Raid Bosses (End-Game Content)
  • Pal Arena (PvP for Pals)
  • Steam-Xbox Crossplay
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Jenni Lada

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Atlus Reveals Streaming Guidelines For Persona 3 Reload

2 months ago

persona 3 reload streaming guidelines

Atlus shared the streaming guides for Persona 3 Reload addressing spoilers and content people can show. To put it in simple terms, you will be able to stream and upload videos from the entire game.

The only caveat is that if you’re going to upload a Persona 3 Reload video containing spoilers, you should include a warning in the title or the description. This is so that you do not accidentally ruin the experience for someone who has not played Persona 3 before. If you have access to the game prior to its release, you cannot stream or upload anything from it. As well, you must make sure that you include ©ATLUS and ©SEGA in the video.

Other rules are mostly the same as previous ones from Atlus. Your video has to be transformative in some way, such as with a voice-over, and you cannot upload videos for the sole purpose of listening to the music from the game. Atlus also forbids you uploading onto a site that has a paywall. You cannot make any content slandering people, including specific players, or upload videos of you modding the game. If Atlus tells you to take down a video because you’ve infringed on these rules, then you must do so immediately.

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Stephanie Liu

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Splatoon 3 Side Order DLC Release Date Set for February 2024

2 months ago

Splatoon 3 Side Order DLC Release Date Set for February 2024

Nintendo announced the Splatoon 3 Side Order DLC release date. On February 22, 2024, people will be able to tackle the new adventure, and there’s another teaser trailer to watch.

As a reminder, the Splatoon 3 Side Order add-on will be another single-player campaign like Splatoon 2’s Octo Expansion. It will be set in Inkopolis Square, the setting of the previous game, which is now a place of Order in response to the final Splatfest from Splatoon 2. The social media post announcing it noted that “new faces and old friends” will appear in it.

Here’s the latest Splatoon 3 Side order release date trailer. It shows the player character falling asleep on the train as it passes a pure white Inkopolis Square, then waking up when someone says, “Hey!” Presumably the voice belongs to Pearl drone. The avatar is then in the stark, white area in front of the Spire of Order tower. No gameplay appears.

Here's the Splatoon 3 Side Order DLC release date trailer:

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Jenni Lada

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Aventurine in Honkai: Star Rail Will Be Imaginary Preservation

2 months ago

honkai star rail aventurine

HoYoVerse revealed the pull art for Aventurine, who will debut in Honkai: Star Rail version 2.1. He, along with Acheron, will be the new five-stars for the update.

When Aventurine debuts in Honkai: Star Rail, he will be an Imaginary Preservation unit. More information on his kit will appear closer to his release date. His name, like Topaz’s, comes from a gemstone. This seems to be a running theme with the Ten Stonehearts, which he is a part of. Aventurine has a gambler theme, and he attained his high position in the IPC Strategic Investment Department “by wagering against fate itself.” HoYoVerse first introduced Aventurine in Version 1.4 at the end of the Future Market Trailblaze Continuance.

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Stephanie Liu

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Live-Action Oshi no Ko Movie and Show Announced

2 months ago

oshi no ko live-action

A live-action movie and television series of Oshi no Ko will come out in Winter 2024. This is a joint effort between Amazon and Toei. [Thanks, Game Watch!]

A new key visual for the live-action Oshi no Ko project shows the six main characters re-enacting poses from the anime and manga series. The show will stream exclusively on Amazon Prime. Meanwhile, Toei will distribute the movie in theaters. The release windows for the show and movie are still unclear.

The cast for the live-action adaptations of Oshi no Ko is as follows:

  • Ai: Asuka Saito (former member of Nogizaka46)
  • Akane: Mizuki Kayashima (Tomorrow, I Will Be Someone’s Girlfriend)
  • Aqua: Kaito Sakurai (Ao Haru Ride)
  • Kana: Nanoka Hara (Suzume)
  • Memcho: Ano (former member of You’ll Melt More!)
  • Ruby: Nagisa Saito (former member of =LOVE)

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Stephanie Liu

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One Piece Ado Figure Looks Like She’s Singing

2 months ago

ado one piece figure

A figure of Ado as Eiichiro Oda, the mangaka of One Piece, is now available to pre-order. You can only get her at the Jump Characters Store or at Universal Music Store. [Thanks, Dengeki Hobby!]

Pre-orders will end on February 25, 2024. There are two kinds of figures that you can purchase. The first one is a scale figure standing at around 200 millimeters. The second one is a palm-sized one at around 70 millimeters. You’ll be able to get the scale figure for 16,500 JPY ($111.35) and the smaller one for 2970 JPY ($20.05). Incidentally, if you order from Universal Music Store, you’ll be able to get a set of three postcards. Neither Jump Character Store nor Universal Music Store offer international shipping though.

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Stephanie Liu

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Call of the Night Manga Ends With Chapter 200

2 months ago

Call of the Night Manga Ends With Chapter 200

The Yofukashi no Uta (Call of the Night) manga series officially reached its end with chapter 200 after four years of serialization. The chapter appeared on January 24, 2024 in the latest issue of the Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine. [Thanks, Oricon!]

In addition, on his personal social media account Call of the Night writer and illustrator Kotoyama shared a drawing of series’ co-protagonist Nazuna Nanakusa. In the post, the author thanked fans for their support throughout the years. You can check out the post and take a better look at the illustration here:

https://twitter.com/cot_510/status/1749815295534157992

Call of the Night was also featured in the cover of the latest issue of Weekly Shonen Sunday, and the chapter had an opening color page. Furthermore, the magazine included a special article about the manga.

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Daniel Bueno

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Hades, 13 Sentinels Spirits to Appear in Super Smash Bros Ultimate

2 months ago

super smash bros ultimate hades 13 sentinels

From January 26, 2024, Nintendo announced Spirits from Hades, eBaseball Power Pros, and 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim will appear in Super Smash Bros Ultimate. You'll also get more SP than usual after winning a battle.

The name of the event is "Baseball, Sentinels, and Gods." There are no details as of yet in regards to which characters will show up and what effect they’ll have. Nintendo will add in a new spirit every day for five days from January 26, 2024.

Spirits are a new addition to Super Smash Bros Ultimate and they’re collectibles in the same vein as trophies from previous entries. You can also equip them in battle, which will enhance your fighter’s stats. There are currently over 1500 Spirits in the game, from over 40 different series.

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Stephanie Liu

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Reminder: Online Services For 3DS and Wii U Will End in April 2024

2 months ago

nintendo 3ds wii u online

Nintendo announced that as of April 8, 2024, it will no longer support online services for the 3DS or the Wii U. This will include online co-op or multiplayer, internet rankings, and data distribution.

You will still be able to play offline games, and Pokemon Bank and Poke Transporter will still be available as well. Nintendo does note that support for Pokemon Bank and Poke Transporter may end in the future though. StreetPass will be available too, because it uses local communication between 3DS systems. However, you won’t be able to use SpotPass. Finally, it will be possible to download update date, as well as redownload games and DLC you own from the eShop.

Nintendo has been phasing out both the 3DS and the Wii U for a while now. The eShop for both consoles closed down in March 2023. Nintendo also announced that it would close down online services for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U back in October 2023. This is not a surprise considering how old these consoles are. The 3DS first came out in 2011 and the Wii U launched in 2012.

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Stephanie Liu

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Monster Hunter Rise Playable on Steam Deck Again

2 months ago

monster hunter rise drm

In the early hours of January 23, 2024, Capcom released a hotfix that will let Monster Hunter Rise run on the Steam Deck after updating to Ver.16.0.2.0. Players had reported issues with the new update, which added Enigma DRM to Monster Hunter Rise.

Capcom apologizes for any downtime that players may have experienced as a result. Players are still less than thrilled with Capcom though. They are less mad about the downtime and more angry about the DRM that Capcom added to Monster Hunter Rise. They were quick to point out the DRM, which was part of the new update, was likely the culprit as to why the game couldn't run on the Steam Deck.

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Stephanie Liu

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