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Nintendo Announces Strong Financial Results But Sales & Profit Decline YoY Due to Comparison With Animal Crossing

2 years 7 months ago

Today Nintendo announced its quarterly financial results for the fiscal quarter ended on June 30, 2021.

First of all, we learn that Nintendo’s sales declined 9.9% year-on-year, while operating profit dropped by 17.3%.

While the figures dropped, this doesn’t tell the whole story as sales of Switch software and hardware remain “steady” as Nintendo itself mentions. Simply, the past quarter could not compare with last year’s in which the company released Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which was a major driver of business for the console.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Nintendo Switch Has Shipped 89.04 Million Units; Sales to Customers Estimated at 85 Million Units

2 years 7 months ago

Today  Nintendo announced its quarterly financial results and published an update to the number of Switch units shipped worldwide since the console’s release.

The data you’ll see below is updated as of June 30, 2021, when the latest fiscal quarter (which began on April 1) ended.

Specifically, the infographic below shows exactly how many Nintendo Switch units have been shipped to retailers. 89.04 million units of the hybrid console have been shipped to retailers.

This means that the console has shipped 4.45 million units worldwide during the quarter (compared to 2.3 million PS5 plus 500,000 PS4 units shipped by Sony). We also hear that the estimated sell-through (which means sold to customers) for the console is over 85 million units.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Konami Announces Financial Results Showing Sales & Profit Growth Year-on-Year

2 years 7 months ago

Today Konami announced its financial results for the first quarter of the fiscal year 2022, which ended on June 30, 2021.

As you can see from the tables below, the business of the company as a whole was quite strong, with 68,636 million yen in sales (+29.2% year-on-year) and 20,278 million yen in business profit (+64.2% year-on-year).

The digital entertainment business, which includes video games and the popular Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card game also showcased solid performance and year-on-year growth.

Specifically, sales were 49,859 million yen (+16.4% year-on-year), while business profit was 19,161 million yen (+25.2% year-on-year).

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Amazon’s Ambitious MMO, New World, Gets Delayed Yet Again to September

2 years 7 months ago

Amazon launched a beta for their new MMORPG New World this past week, and the initial impressions have been looking pretty positive so far. However, the company’s game division announced today that they will be delaying the game yet again, making this the fourth delay since its initial announcement.

The statement reads:

“We want New World’s launch to be a smooth and fun experience for all players, and that means making some improvements based on what you encountered during Closed Beta. So we’re going to take a few extra weeks to smash bugs, improve stability, and polish the game. New World’s new global launch date is September 28, 2021.”

Twitter

New World is shaping up to be a pretty interesting MMO, as it features a fantasy setting that’s also very grounded in realism, with various different factions and market economies to check out. It’s certainly disappointing to hear that it’s been delayed yet again, but hopefully it’ll make for a better game in the end.

The post Amazon’s Ambitious MMO, New World, Gets Delayed Yet Again to September appeared first on Twinfinite.

Author
Zhiqing Wan

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Melty Blood: Type Lumina Gets New Gameplay Trailer Introducing Hisui & Kohaku

2 years 7 months ago

Type-moon released a brand new trailer of its upcoming fighting game Melty Blood: Type Lumina, which will soon launch both in Japan and in the west.

The trailer focuses on two of the playable characters, Hisui and Kohaku. I guess you could define them one as they add as a tag-team and you select and play them together.

You can check it out below alongside an official description of the characters from the developer.

Hisui

“A maid for the Tohno family, responsible for household chores (except cooking) and taking care of Shiki.
She is Kohaku’s younger twin. Unlike her sister, she is known for wearing more modern, non-traditional clothing.
Her quiet nature makes her true feelings difficult to read, and her formal way of speaking has led Shiki to see her as being rather mechanical. Her fighting skills are not quite on the same level as her sister, but she holds her own well enough.”

Kohaku

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Nexon’s New Games Showcased With Plenty of Trailers: Project Magnum, Project HP, Project Overkill, & More

2 years 7 months ago

Today Nexon showcased its upcoming lineup of games with a large series of trailers.

We start with the first trailer of Project Magnum, a new looter shooter for PC and consoles combining RPG elements with TPS gameplay.

We already know that this game will be launched worldwide, but the console platforms have not been announced just yet.

Next is Project Overkill, a 3D action-RPG set in the world of the super-popular IP Dungeon & Fighter.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Mass Effect: Legendary Edition Sold “Well Above Expectations” & Reignited The Passion of Fans According to EA

2 years 7 months ago

Today, during Electronic Arts’ quarterly conference call for investors and analysts, chief executive officer Andrew Wilson talked about the performance of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition.

According to Wilson, the Legendary Edition “reignited the passion of fans around the world” for the franchise, driving sales “well above” Electronic Arts’ expectations.

Considering the fact that many appeared to have fallen out of love with Mass Effect, this is certainly an achievement.

If you’d like to learn more about the Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, which is currently available for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, you can read our dedicated guides. Here’s how Electronic Arts describes it.

One person is all that stands between humanity and the greatest threat it’s ever faced. Relive the legend of Commander Shepard in the highly acclaimed Mass Effect trilogy with the Mass Effect™ Legendary Edition. Includes single-player base content and over 40 DLC from Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3 games, including promo weapons, armors and packs — remastered and optimized for 4K Ultra HD. 

Experience an amazingly rich and detailed universe where your decisions have profound consequences on the action and the outcome. 

Relive the Cinematic Saga — Heart-pounding action meets gripping interactive storytelling, where you decide how your unique story unfolds.

Experience the Legend of Shepard — Create and customize your own character, from appearance and skills to a personalized arsenal, then lead your elite recon squad across a galaxy in turmoil.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Microsoft Flight Simulator Getting New Hotfix, F-14 & Twin Otter Get New Screenshots, CRJ 900/1000 Delayed; Warsaw Modlin Airport Announced

2 years 7 months ago

Today Microsoft and third-party developers had news aplenty to share about the popular Microsoft Flight Simulator and upcoming addons.

First of all, we learn that a new hotfix is coming for the simulator, to address more issues caused by the Sim Update 5.

Here’s a list of what will be addressed when the patch is released on Friday or Monday, but the developers mention that there could be more.

We also hear the confirmation that World Update 6 is planned for a release on August 24 and will bring more fixes.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Think You Know the God of Mischief? Take This Loki Trivia Quiz To Find Out

2 years 7 months ago

Loki season one is done and the last episode left the God of Mischief is in a bit of a predicament, to say the least. The timeline for the beginning of season two may be far off in the distance, but there’s still plenty to know from the first six episodes. If you think you’re a fan of Loki, then just take this trivia quiz to find out.

Just keep in mind that if you haven’t finished season one of Loki, you likely won’t get a perfect score. You may know a few facts about the show, but it’s unlikely that you’ll ace it. If you don’t care about a perfect score, then go for it and have some fun.

On top of likely not getting a great score, this Loki trivia quiz is full of spoilers from each episode. Some are inconsequential, but others focus on major plot points. Again, if you’re okay with that then take a shot. You can always try again after you finish each episode.

Now it’s time to put your study materials away and test your knowledge with this Loki trivia quiz. If you don’t know an answer, feel free to guess. When you finish up, don’t forget to share your score in the comments and on social media. Challenge your friends and shoot for a perfect score.

And while you’re here, don’t forget to check out all of the other fantastic trivia and personality quizzes we have right here.

(Image Source: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

Author
Omar Banat

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Electronic Arts Announces Financial Results Above Expectations as FIFA 21 Passes 31 Million Players

2 years 7 months ago

Today Electronic Arts released its financial results for the first quarter of the fiscal year 2022, related to the period ended on June 30, 2021.

You can find a summary of the publisher’s performance in the table below.

Net revenue was $1,551 million, up year-on-year, while net income was $204 million, significantly down year-on-year.

That being said, the results are still defined “above expectations” and led Electronic Arts to raise the prediction for the full fiscal year.

The press release also includes a statement from chief executive officer Andrew Wilson, who boasted an “outstanding quarter.”

“We’ve had a very strong start to the fiscal year with our incredible teams delivering experiences that continue to bring hundreds of millions of players together.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game Met Its Kickstarter Goal in 16 Minutes

2 years 7 months ago

Today, Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game, a funded a licensed RPG book, met its official Kickstarter campaign goal in just 16 minutes. As of writing this, the project has continued to receive donations as well, already eclipsing $1.7 million.

For those of you who haven’t heard of this project before, the official Kickstarter page offers the following description:

Avatar Legends: The RPG is a heroic fantasy game set in the universe of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra in which you and your friends take on the role of young heroes from across the Four Nations who have joined together to make the world a better place. It’s a game for people of all ages who want to look at the world beyond the scope of the existing stories and explore the meaningful actions heroes take for the good of others.

Above all, however, it’s a game about balance. Your hero fights for balance in the world, but also wrestles with maintaining balance within while trying to achieve the goals they’ve set for themselves. The villains of Avatar Legends: The RPG are never simply monsters, never mere antagonists who must be struck down by blasts of fire; they are instead people with their own desires, personal struggles, and goals, no matter how misguided.

Thus, achieving true balance isn’t easy. Whether you play a bender, martial artist, merchant, or craftsperson, you’re constantly being pulled between two important principles in your life as you face problems in the world. If you delve too deeply into one or the other—forgiveness over action, force over care, tradition over progress—it throws you off-balance, and you must work to regain your composure and sense of self.

Author
Andrew McMahon

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Zool Redimensioned Will Bring Back a Forgotten ‘90s Mascot

2 years 7 months ago

Zool Redimensioned will bring back the old mascot from the Amiga computers, the ninja Zool from the Nth dimension, in a remastered and reimagined version of the classic game with several quality-of-life improvements. The title is releasing on Aug. 18 and can already be wishlisted on Steam. Console versions of Zool Redimensioned are also planned for the near future.

Zool Redimensioned is based on a title developed back in 1992 by Gremlin Graphics, a colorful platform game that used really well the Amiga color pallet to bring its alien worlds full of delicious food to life. It was not a very well-known mascot back then and the gameplay wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, but if you only had an Amiga, that was your Mario and Sonic. Many players might remember Zool because of their big product placement from Chupa Chups, which made the game full of candy.

Your adventure in Zool Redimensioned will take you through 28 retro levels from eight different worlds, full of items to collect, enemies, power-ups, bosses, mini-games, and more. There are a few other new things like achievements, level select screen, checkpoints, accessibility options, and secrets added to the game.

Author
Rafael Monteiro

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Nippon Ichi’s New Game is Asatsugutori For PS4 & Switch; First Screenshots & Art Revealed on Famitsu

2 years 7 months ago

Today’s issue of Weekly Famitsu included the reveal of Nippon Ichi Software’s new game that has been teased over the past few days, Asatsugutori.

The game will launch in Japan for PS4 and Nintendo Switch on November 25.

The game is defined as a “time-loop investigation adventure” that prompts the player to use the time-looping ability to return to the time before an incident, collect information, and prevent it.

It’s about a group of eight girls prompted to survive the crazy situation they suddenly find themselves in.

The story sees protagonist Hibari waking up in a strange room alongside seven other girls. They’re welcomed by an announcement affirming that only one survivor will be able to leave the building.

A few days after this mysterious communal life begins, one of the girls is killed. Hibari regrets not being able to save her. Yet, the day after she finds the girl that she thought had died alive in the cafeteria, revealing the ability to start over.

When a girl is killed, Hibari can activate the time-loop ability and go back to before the death occurred. This shifts the game into the “exploration part” in which you explore the surroundings and collect information and evidence that may be relevant to the incident. Basically, you can see the story from the point of view of the victim.

Once you complete your investigation, the game moves to the “incident prevention part” in which you organize the information you gathered, draw conclusions, and avoid the girl’s death.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Yurukill by Kakegurui Creator for PS5, PS4, Switch, & PC Gets New Trailer Showing Heroine Rina Azami

2 years 7 months ago

Today Izanagi Games released another trailer of its upcoming escape game/bullet hell shoot ’em up hybrid Yurukill: The Calumniation Games.

The trailer introduces the hero Rina Azami voiced by Saori Hayami. It also shows a few glimpses of gameplay.

Hayami-san is well known for her many roles as Claris in Sakura Wars, Ryoko Shinonome in 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, Shinobu in Demon Slayer, Eva in Code Vein, Minerva in Valkyria Chronicles 4, Emma in Trails of Cold Steel, and many more.

This follows a previous trailer that introduced the hero, Sengoku Shunju.

The game is written by Homura Kawamoto, whom you may know for creating Kakegurui – Compulsive Gambler, and by his younger brother, Hikaru Muno.

You can check out the trailer below, alongside an official description for the character. Incidentally, you can activate English subtitles with the CC button.

Age: 17 Birthday: July 22
Star sign: Cancer
Blood type: A
Likes: Her family
Dislikes: Fire
Interests: Keeping a picture diary

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Final Fantasy XIV “Ultimate Cookbook” Announced by Square Enix

2 years 7 months ago

Today Square Enix announced the upcoming release of a book that will certainly please those who love Final Fantasy XIV and delicious food.

Square Enix’s increasingly popular MMORPG offers an extensive set of recipes for those who want to cook in the game, but soon you’ll be able to reproduce those creations in the real world to delight friends and family (and yourself).

The Ultimate Final Fantasy XIV Cookbook will release on November 9 and it’s already available for pre-order for $35.

Below you can read what it offers and find a few sample pages. It’s worth mentioning that the last image in the gallery is an exclusive alternate cover that will be offered at Gamestop in North America and Canada.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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New Cruis’n Blast Trailer Shows off Some of Its Wild Racing Locales

2 years 7 months ago

While it may not have been the most hyped announcement of Nintendo’s E3 2021 Direct video showcase, Cruis’n Blast is indeed getting ready to race out of arcades and onto the Nintendo Switch. The wait will not be too long either, as Cruis’n Blast is set to speed onto the Switch on Sept. 14, 2021.

Developer Raw Thrills has shared a new trailer focusing on some of the 29 tracks present within Cruis’n Blast. Not only will racers have to deal with the competition but also the environment itself — from tearing through the city streets as an alien invasion rips through town in Space Attack, to avoiding the falling debris tossed by a massive tornado in Twister Terror.

Take a look at just a sample of the 29 tracks in the game with this track showcase trailer.

Cruis’n Blast was originally released in arcades in early 2017. This Nintendo Switch port promises up to four-player split-screen action, as well as nearly 30 tracks, and over 20 unique vehicles, from hot rods and blazing fast vehicles to more fantastical rides such as a dinosaur and unicorn.

Author
Phil Stortzum

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A Future Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Update Could See Eivor Travel to Skye & Meet Kassandra

2 years 7 months ago

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla may have been released nearly a year ago, but developer Ubisoft still has big plans for the game moving forward. After its first major DLC expansion, Wrath of the Druids, which saw Eivor travel to Ireland, The Siege of Paris is set to take them to Francia next month. Beyond that, we might even see them travel to the Isle of Skye in Scotland to meet with Kassandra, no less, a familiar face to anybody who has played Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.

That’s according to a passage of dialog exchanges between Eivor and a seer, which were discovered by well-known Assassin’s Creed leaker j0nothan. It appears to be lifted from the start of a main questline in which the seer explains to Eivor that Edyt and people from her settlement on Skye have been experiencing nightmarish dreams. The seer then suggests that Randvi may be involved because she saw a vision of what appeared to be her likeness while “asking the spirits for clarity and vision.”

So how is any of this related to Kassandra, you ask? Well, if you’ve ever compared Randi and Kassandra’s likeness then you’ll know that the two bear a striking resemblance to each other. More to the point, if you have finished Odyssey’s storyline then you will remember that after taking possession of the Staff of Immortality she herself became immortal. It is an element to the game’s storyline which is continued in Valhalla after Kassandra passed it on, linking the two games and opening the door to a possible return of its protagonist.

Author
Alex Gibson

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These Jujutsu Kaisen X Haikyuu Nendoroid Crossovers Are Perfect

2 years 7 months ago

For anime fans, Nendoroids are great collectible items, as they not only have a lot of cute variations of their favorite anime, manga, or video game characters, but they also come with multiple parts and expressions that can be swapped out. Swapping those pieces out doesn’t just have to adhere to each figure, though, as their designs allow for many cool crossover looks.

As a result of the ability to combine Nendoroid pieces, Reddit user Yoffayr just created an amazing crossover between two of the most beloved, yet completely different, animes currently: Jujutsu Kaisen and Haikyuu. As you can see in the image below, the results are both hilarious and adorable.

Author
Andrew McMahon

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Jet Set Radio’s Beat Joins Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania’s Roster

2 years 7 months ago

SEGA and the official Super Monkey Ball Twitter account shared that Jet Set Radio’s Beat will join Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania’s roster.

Beat will be available to unlock as a playable character through normal gameplay on every platform. In addition to that, when players select Beat to play as, instead of collecting bananas in Banana Mania’s stages, he will fittingly be able to collect colorful spray cans, a nice touch, an ode to the classic SEGA Dreamcast game.

Alongside SEGA’s Twitter announcement of Beat’s addition to the Banana Mania roster comes a new trailer focusing on the new playable character. You can view this trailer below.

The original Jet Set Radio launched on the Sega Dreamcast back in 2000, and this inline skating game focusing on grinding and graffitiing has since become a classic on the system. The game would spawn an Xbox sequel in 2002 called Jet Set Radio Future. Jet Set Radio eventually saw a high-definition remaster on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, and iOS-compatible devices.

Author
Phil Stortzum

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Fall Guys Gets Double Crowns and More on Its First Anniversary

2 years 7 months ago

Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is celebrating its first anniversary with double the Crowns for players when winning games, along with the return of some classic rounds for a limited time. The game was originally released on PlayStation 4 and PC back on Aug. 4, 2020, and was an instant success, especially for initially being one of the free games on PS Plus.

Fall Guys is no longer free and costs $19.99 on Steam and on PS4, but it’s discounted to $11.99 on the PS Store until Aug. 19.

Author
Rafael Monteiro

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Ghost of Tsushima: Legends Releasing as a Standalone Later This Month; Update Adds New ‘Rivals’ Mode

2 years 7 months ago

Ghost of Tsushima’s excellent multiplayer mode, Legends, which was unexpectedly added to the game this time last year, is to be released as a standalone package later this month, coinciding with the launch of Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut. When it does, it will feature a brand new game mode called Rivals in which two teams of two will compete to defeat waves of enemies.

The standalone version of the game will be available to download on the PlayStation Store for $19.99, while owners of Ghost of Tsushima will receive the new update free of charge. Cross-generation play is supported.

An article over on the PS Blog details Rivals gameplay loop, which features a progression system throughout each session that allows you to upgrade your character to battle each wave. Using a currency called Magatama, which you harvest from defeating enemies, you can, for example, buy “Shades to block your opponents’ purchases, Curses (health drain, exploding bodies, etc), Hwacha fire, and more. Once you’ve spent enough Magatama, you’ll unlock Final Stand waves.”

The launch of Director’s Cut will also coincide with a fresh update for Legends, whichs adds new features, including “some changes based on feedback from the community.” Survival mode has been shortened, for example, and new weekly Survival Nightmare challenge variants are being incorporated. There are also new cosmetics in Legends for players who’ve earned them in Jin’s story and New Game+.

Author
Alex Gibson

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Valorant Now Has its First Mobile Clone, & It’s Called Project M

2 years 7 months ago

You know a game is successful when huge mobile game companies like NetEase have entire teams dedicated to cloning it, and that’s exactly what Project M is to Valorant. Revealed earlier this week as its first beta goes underway, Project M, whose name is presumably a nod of the cap to Valorant’s original designation of Project A, is a tactical 5v5 shooter with hero abilities.

But it really is a Valorant knock-off in every sense, with an identical bomb plant/defuse gameplay loop, similar-looking Agents, all with very samey abilities — from the Sova-like arrows to the Sage-like ice wall. Even the maps look the same, and the sound effects for each frag are an equally obvious imitation. It’s all pretty shameless stuff, honestly.

Of course, Valorant borrows more than a little from popular shooters like Counter-Strike and Overwatch, but at least there was some originality in its implementation. Here it’s quite literally budget Valorant on mobile.

Update: Official trailer added below. Beta test period, which runs from Aug. 4, 10:00 a.m. (GMT+8) -Aug. 6, has now apparently closed after having already reached its 1000 player cap. The game is only available on Android.

Author
Alex Gibson

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Closed Beta Dates For Age of Empires IV Revealed

2 years 7 months ago

Developers at Relic Entertainment announced the closed beta for the newest Age of Empires game begins on August. 6 and will run for 11 days. They sent the reveal on their official Twitter account after they showcased the Abbasid Dynstasy and Navel Warfare trailers a few days before.

Players are needed to help test out the game and give feedback to the developers to help with the official release of the game. Bugs are needed to be found and reported to help them fine-tune their existing systems.

Author
Anthony Assante

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Horizon Zero Dawn Fan Is 3D Printing Beautiful Machine Figures

2 years 7 months ago

Despite the fact that they’re machines, there is no denying that Horizon Zero Dawn is home to some pretty beautiful creatures. These include everything from majestic deer-like mounts to terrifying building-sized birds.

In order to truly put into scope just how cool these machines look, one fan has been going out of their way to bring them to life via 3D printing.

As you can see in their most recent post to the Horizon Zero Dawn subreddit below, user MarkelangeloStudios has been hard at work over the past couple of months creating figures of everyone’s favorite machines from the game.

Author
Andrew McMahon

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Street Fighter’s Cammy and Guile Arrive in Fortnite This Week

2 years 7 months ago

Epic Games has announced Street Fighter’s Cammy and Guile as the latest pop culture characters to arrive in Fortnite, and they’ll hit the Item Shop later this week.

The two iconic, blond-haired fighters will hit the Item Shop on Saturday, August 7 at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT.

Guile will come in his classic green fatigues and also comes with a ‘Glistening Guile Variant’ and K.O. Back Bling.

Fortnite Street Fighter Guile

Cammy will also come with a classic outfit, as well as her ‘Tactical Cammy Variant’ which dons her in camo pants and a dark brown crop top. Players will also get the Borealis Backer Back Bling as part of the bundle.

Author
Chris Jecks

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Which K-On Light Music Club Member Are You? Take the Quiz to Find Out

2 years 7 months ago

K-On! still stands out as one of the best slice-of-life anime series out there, thanks in no small part to its extremely lovable cast of characters and its general wholesome vibe. The series follows five high school girls who are part of the Light Music Club, where they play at various shows and events as a band that writes their own songs.

Each girl has her own unique personality that makes her special, and all of them are endearing and charming in their own way. Yui is often seen as a little absentminded, while Mio is commonly regarded as the mature and most disciplined one of the group. The characters are fairly diverse, and you’re bound to find one that you’re particularly drawn to just from watching the show.

If you’ve always wondered which K-On character you were most aligned with, personality-wise, we’ve prepared a short quiz below to help you find that out!

(Image Credit: Animax)

Author
Zhiqing Wan

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Sony Has Secured Enough PS5 Chipsets to Achieve Fiscal Year Sales Target

2 years 7 months ago

Today, during Sony’s quarterly conference call for investors and analysts, chief financial officer Hiroki Totoki talked about the company’s ability to manufacture enough PS5 units to match its sales targets.

Asked about the ongoing semiconductor shortage, Totoki-san mentioned that the target of PS5 units to be shipped this year has been set and Sony has secured the number of chipsets necessary to achieve that target.

Earlier in the call, Totoki-san confirmed that the target for the fiscal year is above 14.8 million (which would bring the console to above 22.6 million units shipped in total since it’s release. Currently, it’s at 10.1 million units by June 30, of which 10 million have been estimated as sold-through by July 18).

He also added that the plan to achieve hardware profitability with the PS5 including its peripherals is “proceeding smoothly.”

If you’d like to learn more about Sony’s financial performance (and PlayStation’s successful fiscal year) on top of official shipment numbers for PS5 and PS4, you can check out our dedicated article.

Earlier today we also heard that sales of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and MLB The Show 21 exceeded the company’s expectations. It also talked about its efforts to acquire studios and to port its games to PC.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and MLB The Show 21 Exceeded Expectations; Sony Comments on Acquisitions

2 years 7 months ago

Today, during Sony’s quarterly conference call for investors and analysts, chief financial officer Hiroki Totoki talked about the PlayStation business.

Totoki-san explained that Sony has not changed this fiscal year’s target of shipping more than 14.8 million PS5 units, which is the number of PS4 units shipped in the fiscal year after its release.

Sony believes that the gaming market has expanded significantly over the last two years. Total gameplay time for PlayStation users in the first quarter of the fiscal year (between April and June 2021) decreased 32% year-on-year, but it was 18% higher compared to 2019, which Sony sees as a “steady growth” overall.

Sales of first-party software decreased year-on-year during the quarter due to the comparison with The Last of Us Part II. That being said, sales of all games launched by Sony between April and June including Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and MLB The Show 21 exceeded the company’s expectations.

In particular, MLB The Show 21 contributed “significantly” to sales and profits during the quarter thanks in part to strong DLC sales.

Totoki-san mentioned the fact that MLB The Show 21 was sold on platforms other than PlayStation, following the “Initial success” seen by Horizon Zero Dawn and Days Gone on PC.

He also added that PlayStation Studios is accelerating investments to strengthen its production capabilities, mentioning the acquisition of Housemarque as an example and that seven of Sony’s thirteen studios have been acquired.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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PS5 Shipped 10.1 Million Units as of June 30 & PS4 Is at 116.5 Million; PlayStation Profit Down YoY

2 years 7 months ago

Today Sony announced its financial results for the first quarter of the fiscal year 2021, which ended on June 30. First of all, we get an update on PS5 and PS4 units shipped during the latest quarter.

2.3 million PS5 and 500,000 PS4 units were purchased by retailers worldwide, which means that the grand total for PS4 as of June 30 is at 116.5 million units shipped. PS5 has shipped 10.1 million units in its lifetime. Incidentally, we also recently learned that the new console sold through to customers 10 million units by July 18 according to Sony’s estimates, so this is a good chance to compare shipments with sales estimates and get a confirmation that the consoles are basically flying off the shelves.

Below you can check out an overview of the performance of the Game & Network Services business (which includes both PlayStation and PlayStation Network), with all the relevant figures including software sales and more.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Genshin Impact Gets New Trailer Introducing New Character Yoimiya, The Queen of The Summer Festival

2 years 7 months ago

Following the launch of version 2.0 of Genshin Impact and its new region, Inazuma, Mihoyo released a new trailer introducing one of the new characters.

We get the introduction to Yoimiya, a talented pyrotechnician also known as the “queen of the summer festival.”

She will be available via the game’s gacha soon, on August 6. We’re likely to see a few more trailers by then.

You can check her out below, both with English and Japanese voice acting, depending on your preference.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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The Wayward Realms Is a “Grand” Open-World RPG From the Elder Scrolls Devs

2 years 7 months ago

The Elder Scrolls series set the bar pretty high for the open-world RPG genre, and there’s nothing more exciting than finding out that some of the series’ key developers are working on a new IP within that same genre. Dubbed “the grand RPG,” The Wayward Realms is a new open-world RPG from Ted Peterson and Julian LeFay, lead developers of Elder Scrolls Arena and Daggerfall.

Not much is known about the game just yet beyond a few screenshots and a brief description of what to expect from it:

“The Wayward Realms is set on a group of over one hundred, realistically scaled, islands, known collectively as the Archipelago, where scores of factions vie for influence and power. Kingdoms strive to maintain their dominance, upstarts seek to earn a place at the top, and dynasties set generational plots into motion. Should the player earn a position of prominence, they may change the course of history.
However, they must first prove their worth battling rivals, mercenaries, monsters, spirits, and demons. On their quest for fame and fortune, players will venture through strange lands, delve into foreboding dungeons, and traverse kingdoms full of humans, elves, orks, dwarves and a few other unusual races.”

According to the Steam description, The Wayward Realms promises to be a true role-playing experience where you can shape your character however you’d like, and make decisions with concrete consequences.

There’s no set release window for The Wayward Realms just yet, but we’ll keep you updated as more info comes our way.

Author
Zhiqing Wan

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Street Fighter V Reveals Luke & New Gameplay for Akira from Rival Schools & Oro; Release Date Announced

2 years 7 months ago

Today Capcom and Twitch Gaming showcased a new look at upcoming content for the popular fighting game Street Fighter V: Champion Edition.

First of all, we get to see Oro’s V-Skills and V-Triggers. On top of that, we also take a look at a full Oro vs Oro match.

We then learn that Guy and Cammie are going to be released in Fortnite on August 7.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Activision Blizzard Pledges to Improve Working Conditions During Latest Earnings Call

2 years 7 months ago

Activision Blizzard has today pledged its commitment to improving working conditions within the company during today’s Q2 earnings call to investors. The subject has been a hot potato following the state of California’s filing of a lawsuit, which cites sexual harassment, bullying, unfair pay, and more issues uncovered after a two-year-long investigation.

Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard kicked off today’s call by underlining the company’s commitment to improving its work culture. “I want to start by making clear to everyone that there is no place in our company for discrimination, harassment, or unequal treatment of any kind,” he said.

“We will be the company that sets the standard for this in our industry,” he then continued before pledging that additional resources are being issued to its compliant teams to that end. Kotick reiterated that Blizzard prides itself on taking a “variety of steps to ensure pay is driven by non-discriminatory factors.” Further, that the company “remains focused on providing the very best health care,” and that it understands that these workplace initiatives are crucial to delivering sustainable growth.

Blizzard is apparently taking “all necessary actions to foster a culture that is supportive and welcoming of all employees” and “decisive action will be taken” as internal investigations into the recent allegations continue.

Today’s accompanying press release also made special mention of the initiative; Bobby Kotick said:

Author
Alex Gibson

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Activision: Next Call of Duty “Really Robust Game at Launch;” “Seamless Experience” for Current and Next-Gen Consoles

2 years 7 months ago

During today’s financial conference call for investors and analysts, Activision Blizzard executives talked about the next Call of Duty game.

Chief operating officer Daniel Alegre talked a bit about the game (which is being developed by Sledgehammer Games) during the prepared remarks, including the confirmation that it’ll be cross-generation and it’ll involve even deeper integration with Warzone.

“Our teams remain hard at work on our next premium Call of Duty release, planned for the fourth quarter (Editor’s note: Activision reports financials by calendar year, so this means between October and December 2021), from a setting that our fans know and love, to an incredible amount of content in development, including an extensive live ops schedule. We believe this release will be incredibly well-received.

In addition to launching a great, seamless experience for both current and next-gen console players, we’re continuing to integrate Warzone and engage our direct relationship with our player base through even deeper content integration between premium and free experiences and substantial innovation coming within Warzone itself.

Our teams cannot wait to unveil what they have been working on.”

Later in the call, Activision president Rob Kostich talked more about the game.

“We do feel really good about what Sledgehammer id doing leading to release in the fourth quarter of this year. The studio itself has never been bigger and stronger, now with its team in Foster City, Melbourne, and also now in Toronto.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Activision Blizzard Announces Financial Results as Overwatch 2 Has Passed an “Important Internal Milestone”

2 years 7 months ago

Today Activision announced its financial results for the second quarter of the calendar year 2021, related to the period between April 1 and June 30.

According to the press release, said results are defined as “strong” and contributing to a record first-half of the year in terms of both income and income.

You can see a summary below.

Activision Blizzard

The press release also included the traditional comment by Activision Blizzard chief executive officer Bobby Kotick

“With respect to our financial performance, we are pleased that the company continued to deliver strong results in the second quarter, and we are raising our outlook for the year. We remain intensely focused on the well-being of our employees and we are committed to doing everything possible to ensure that our company has a welcoming, supportive and safe environment where all of our team members can thrive.”

We then read a list of highlights illustrating the performance of Activision’s games and financial situation. Interestingly, we learn that Overwatch 2 has passed an “important internal milestone in recent weeks.”

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Physical Version of Doki Doki Literature Club Plus Delayed to September 21

2 years 7 months ago

Serenity Forge, the team responsible for co-developing and publishing Doki Doki Literature Club Plus alongside Team Salvato, announced on Twitter that the physical versions of the game would be delayed. This likely includes all versions of the physical game, whether it’s the regular boxed edition or the premium physical edition.

Serenity Forge cites “unforeseen delays with manufacturing and shipping as a result of Covid-19” as the reason of the delay.

Author
Ed McGlone

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5 Great Games You, Probably, Never Played

2 years 7 months ago

Guardian’s Crusade

Great Games You, Probably, Never Played

The PS1 was the vessel for arguably the golden age of JRPGs. The console was packed to the brim with absolute gems. In fact, even lesser-known games that could be considered “cult” classics, such as Vagrant Story, Vandal Hearts, and The Legend of Dragoon are generally just properly considered classics at this point. In order to really find the hidden gems, you have even a layer below those games.

When you dig deep into PS1’s JRPG mine, one of the diamonds you might come across is Guardian’s Crusade. Way back before Senran Kagura, when Tamsoft was still a fledgling developer, they tried their hand at a JRPG known as Knight and Baby in Japan. It was brought over to North America by Activision (strangely enough), and localized as Guardian’s Crusade.

The game follows a young Knight who comes across this mysterious cute pink, blob, monster, baby…thing, that is drawn to a faraway tower. Feeling a sense of duty to protect it, the Knight and Baby go on an epic journey that determines the fate of the world. Come on, it’s a 90s-era JRPG, of course, those are the stakes.

Author
Ed McGlone

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So Long July 2021, These Were Your Best Games

2 years 7 months ago

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD

ancient flower, skyward sword HD

Nearly a decade after its original release on the Wii, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword saw a much-improved remaster on the Nintendo Switch, fixing a myriad of issues that the original game possessed.

Apart from the obvious high-definition upgrade, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD features a plethora of significant quality of life upgrades to make for a better, more enjoyable experience. Such examples include the ability to play either with the standard motion controls that utilizing the gyro functionality of the Joy-Cons or new analog controls, using the right analog stick to slice and slash enemies with Link’s sword.

Author
Phil Stortzum

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Microsoft Flight Simulator Minsk Airport Announced; Nanki-Shirahama, O.R. Tambo, & Alicante Get New Screenshots

2 years 7 months ago

Third-party developers had quite a few reveals to make today about upcoming airport add-on for Microsoft Flight Simulator.

AmSim announced Misnk National Airport (UMMS), the hub serving the capital of Belarus. Despite the name, it handles both national and international flights, but recently quite a few airlines like Lufthansa, AirBaltic, Austrian, and LOT have suspended operations to Minsk due to a certain incident.

That being said, you can check out the trailer below.

Next comes Gate15Scenery, which released new work-in-progress images of its scenic Nanki–Shirahama Airport (RJBD) in Japan.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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