Eugene Schmidt | BarrelRolled

Wasteland 2: Director’s Cut coming to Switch; What do you get?

July 25, 2018 by Eugene Schmidt

Wasteland 2: Director's Cut is coming to Switch.

Wasteland 2 is a sequel to Wasteland 1, which is a spiritual predecessor of the Fallout series. Wasteland 2 features some team-based RPG action that focuses on having alternative solutions to pretty much everything int he game. For example, if you need to get across a checkpoint, you can persuade the guards, pick the lock, herd animals to distract the guards, or just run and gun. The game offers multiple branching paths for every situation in the game. That’s what makes it kinda special. But it’s not that rare nowadays anyway.

You have a wide range of skills in your squad and you can choose to use them at your disposal. How you choose your actions affects the outcome of the entire game. It’s one of those games where everything you do literally does something later on in the game.

Player decisions seem to be the new trend nowadays.

Wasteland 2 is already available for purchase. However, Nintendo is releasing Wasteland 2: Director’s Cut, which includes extra perks, VOs, improved graphics, and a new precision strike system similar to the Fallout series style. Wasteland 2’s 30th-anniversary bundle was also recently announced and includes Wasteland 2, Wasteland 1: The Original Classic, and Wasteland: 30th Anniversary Edition Remaster which will include a remaster of the classic 1988 game.

Wasteland 3 is also in the works and will be announced in 2019 for other platforms.

Steam Bans over 90,000 Steam Accounts

July 21, 2018 by Eugene Schmidt

Valve has now banned over 90K Steam accounts in an apocalyptical purge that spanned over the past few days. This is all from Valve’s VAC (Valve Anti-Cheat) system. VAC is Steam’s proprietary anti-cheat system built into the majority of their first-party games and just a few third-party titles. It works by a complex process of monitoring gameplay data and banning any possibles signs of third-party tools or hack tools. It’s just like Punkbuster which is used in many popular games like the Battlefield series.

Valve’s swinging of the banhammer is nothing new. They come in waves and this time around they found over 60K players that were abusing games. SteamDB shows a data graph that depicts the huge and beautiful spike in user bans as Steam continues the cleansing process.

VAC bans are usually a one-time thing and there’s no way to restore your account back to fully active. Banned players lose a number of account privileges, such as playing on VAC servers, gifting other players, uploading content to the Steam community, voting on Workshop content, and more. They can still buy games, of course.

The biggest hit would be the loss of item trading. Games like CS: GO is one of many games where items fetch top dollar and are protected by VAC. Some items can be worth thousands of dollars. Players who were banned won’t be able to trade their items with other players. Valve will continue to ban hackers so if you have anything of value, don’t get caught or else risk getting slammed with Steam’s giant banhammer. It’s probably not worth it.

You can see some nice graphics depicting the ban here on SteamDB.

Classic Skype is being killed off; Users need to upgrade to new Skype

July 19, 2018 by Eugene Schmidt

Skype has long been the go-to VoIP program and now has a confusing distribution. You have the Classic client which dates back to the days before Skype was bought by Microsoft. And then you have a modern version which is the one equipped on today’s computer by default. Microsoft hasn’t really pushed for universal development across its Skype apps across all platforms- Windows, macOS, Linux, and mobile.

Just last week they’ve released a new version of the application which allows for some new features.

It can now allow video chat with screen-sharing in full HD up to 1080p with a maximum of 24 people at once. It also allows @mentions and chat alerts with full file sharing up to 300MB of content. It’s also easier to find historically shared files with a built-in gallery like a phone’s album.

Microsoft also plans to add integrated call recording, read receipts, and fully secure audio and video calls. They’ll also be adding support for the NDI API to allow Skype to be used as an audio/video source on streaming platforms like Twitch.

In August of this year, they’ll be ending support for the Classic version. Users will be forced to upgrade in order to continue using Skype. Perhaps this will speed up development now that they just need to focus on one platform rather than two. Some features are way overdue.

Chrome Browser getting a new UI overhaul with Google’s Material Design Theme

July 19, 2018 by Eugene Schmidt

The Chrome Browser is getting a major UI redesign soon. New changes have already been live in the Canary build. The new version is focused on Material Desing across all its products for a similar look and feel. It’s officially dubbed the Google Material Theme after already being debuted in Android P and Gmail. Now it’s going to roll out to the Chrome Browser.

The tab and address bar are underway for some significant changes. The tab bar now shows a rectangular shape with rounded corners and tab separation is also different. If you’re using a single tab, there’s no distinct tab shape at all. The focused tab is white and the background of the tab bar is also white so it blends into one bar. If you’re using only a single tab, it makes sense.

When you have multiple tabs, then the background switches to a light grey and then background tabs will get vertical pipe separators rather than their own tab.

Getting a new tab has also been replaced with a huge plus button rather the current blank, unlabeled button. On Macs, it’ll be on the left-hand side instead of the right.

The address bar is rounded now just like on Android phones. The autocomplete drop down is a rectangular box instead of a bar. A new account button for Chrome Sync is also more apparent and shows your profile picture instead of the name.

Material Design is Google’s new theme and they’re really pushing it out. It’ll roll out to Windows and Mac platforms soon after it gets into the Stable channel for release.

The Princess Guide confirmed for release in 2019; Get the details

July 13, 2018 by Eugene Schmidt

NIS America just announced that it’ll be released The Princess Guide to the Nintendo Switch and PS4 sometime next year. It was previously called Your Four Knight Princesses Training Story and has renamed to fit a Western market. It’s developed by Nippon Ichi was released March 8th in Japan. It was part of NIS America’s lineup at the Anime Expo this year.

The game is basically an action RPG where you play as a knight whose job is to tutor one of four princesses in a land with spawling monsters. The selection of princesses varies in personality and style. You can choose from Alpana, who’s a dragon princess. Or Liliartie, who’s a merchant full of greed. Depending on your playstyle, each princess offers something new to the table and every princess can be trained by scolding or praising them for their actions.

Your actions determine their skills on the battlefield when you encounter enemies. You can command her directly on the field and see how your choices affected her outcome.

The game got some modest reviews in Japan so far. Nippon Ichi wasn’t announced at NISA’s press event earlier this year, so this game is a definite surprise. This is their first game that’s been confirmed to release. Anyone who likes this kind of “princes maker” game should be in for a treat- not to get it confused with the Princess Maker games.

There will also be a collector’s edition for both consoles.

Netflix getting rid of user reviews – permanently

July 12, 2018 by Eugene Schmidt

User-written reviews on streaming giant Netflix will soon dissipate into thin air. Based on a report from CNET, Netflix has plans to completely remove user-generated reviews from its platform this summer. It’ll take place in a few different phases- by July 30, writing reviews for shows and movies will be halted. In August, existing reviews will be completely wiped from the servers.

Netflix stated that the reviews had “declining usage over time” and therefore have become obsolete. Therefore, they’ve decided to remove the written reviews and stick with the thumbs up/down system. It’s also been reported that they’ve notified any user who has used the feature recently.

The ability to write and read user reviews have been already limited to the desktop version of Netflix. They don’t show up in any of Netflix’s apps across any platform, but the rating system is still intact on both the desktop and apps.

Previously, they used a star rating system which was replaced with a thumbs voting system. They claim that it’s easier to use the thumb system and it’s more accurate for personal recommendations of shows and movies, which may increase user engagement. A report from Variety says that the company saw a whopping 200% increase in ratings when they switched to the thumb rating system.

Netflix has also been testing a new subscription tier in Europe. It’s called Ultra and it allows an account to watch Ultra HD content for just about $20 USD.

Microsoft’s “Surface Phone” Andromeda Will Have Dual Screens and Hinge

July 8, 2018 by Eugene Schmidt

Recent patent filings and leaked timelines from Microsoft have surfaced and it seems like they’re working on a new dual-screen phone with the codename Andromeda. APIs on the W10 preview provide some more evidence and clues to what it can do. The new “Surface Phone” will likely have two screens and be the first mass-produced phone of its kind.

WalkingCat, a Twitter user, found an API for devices that support dual screens and a hinge. Applications can check the positions of the hinge and the screens- it can be concave, convex, flat, full, or simply shut. This suggests that it’ll be a full 360-degree hinge similar to convertible laptops like the Lenovo Yoga. It’ll likely have various functions depending on the positions.

However, rumors have it that the software giant wants to have a phone similar to the Surface Pro with a brand-new form factor just the like the laptop. Andromeda’s form factor is expected to be like a smartphone with the same form factor as the Surface but on a smaller level.

Whether or not the form factor rumors are true with its hinge and dual screens, they still need to create something that’ll garner attention from the public enough o buy it. What’s the point of having two screens if you have no applications being developed for it?

Tinder beefs up security in response to “disturbing vulnerabilities”

July 7, 2018 by Eugene Schmidt

Tinder has beefed up security in its popular “dating” app due to a letter from Oregon Senator Ron Wyden asking for the app to fix security loopholes and other privacy and data incursions.

Match Group, which owns Tinder, has responded to Senator Wyden by documenting recent changes to the app as of June 19th. Jaren Sine of Match writes that “swipe data has been padded such that all actions are now the same size.” Other issues on Tinder were called out by a research team at Checkmarx stating that it had “disturbing vulnerabilities” and the possibility of privacy invasion and blackmail.

The vulnerabilities, found in both the app’s Android and iOS versions, allow an attacker using the same network as the user to monitor the user’s every move on the app. It is also possible for an attacker to take control over the profile pictures the user sees, swapping them for inappropriate content, rogue advertising or other type of malicious content (as demonstrated in the research).

While no credential theft and no immediate financial impact are involved in this process, an attacker targeting a vulnerable user can blackmail the victim, threatening to expose highly private information from the user’s Tinder profile and actions in the app.

In February, Wyden addressed the issue and requested Tinder to pad data to obscure it as it moves from server to app and vice versa. Tinder has hardened security in response to Sen. Wyden. Sine states in a letter to Sen. Wyden:

“Like every technology company, we are constantly working to improve our defenses in the battle against malicious hackers and cyber criminals.”

Tinder is now safer to use, but that never means full privacy. At least they’re making strides to a more protected platform.

Microsoft is developing technology to automate retail stores

July 4, 2018 by Eugene Schmidt

A recent report from Reuters states that Microsoft is looking to fight Amazon and compete in the retail space. The computer giant is working on a new technology that removes casheres and checkout lines in stores that’s very similar to Amazon’s tech used in its Amazon Go brick-and-mortar retail space.

Microsoft’s technology allows customers to place items in their carts and tracks it. It’s unknown how it works exactly, but the company has already shown it off to some retail giants like Walmart. It’s rumored to be linked to the Kinect for Azure project, which was detained at Microsoft Build in May which adds to Kinect’s capabilities and also includes a computer power and sensor device with a camera that can detect depth and spatial presence, such as tracking movement of customers’ hands when they grab an item.

Selling this tenchoology in order for stores to compete with each other is like shelling shovels to the gold diggers. While Microsoft and Amazon don’t compete directly in the retail store world, they’re definitely direct competitors in the cloud computing space, with Amazon taking the lead.

This technology is designed to help other retailers compete with Amazon as they expand into the physical world. Retailers who want to use this tech and adopt it have a better chance to compete with Amazon Go, which is currently run automatically without cashiers and lines. It’s expected to launch new stores in San Francisco and Chicago.

Kickstarter Campaign: Flip Grip lets you play Switch games vertically

June 30, 2018 by Eugene Schmidt

Fangamer, maker of video game collectibles, is seeking Kickstarter funding for a new device called the “Flip Grip.” It’s a Nintendo Switch holster that lets you play select games in their vertical orientation. It was announced by Retronauts podcaster and classic gamer Jeremy Parish. He’s working with Mike Choi on the development of the device.

It was teased in March as a way to hold the Switch and the Joy-Cons (both of them) comfortable with the screen vertically mounted. The vertical aspect ratio allows use of all the screen’s real estate and some games benefit from this, such as re-release arcade games, shoot ’em ups, and even pinball emulators. 21 Switch games support vertical play with at least 7 on the way. Some games include Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, Stern Pinball, Gunbird, and Ikaruga.

The device uses a piece of durable injection-molded plastic to lock the Switch screen in a holster that’s about half the width of the Switch and has two rails on both sides to hold the Joy-Cons. The grip partially covers the Switch’s vents, but the devs say air flow won’t be an issue. The headphone jack, game card, and SD card slots are all still in full access, but charging it will be an issue. Also, the system’s UI won’t rotate before you launch the game, so you’ll have to tilt you head in the meantime to start it up.

It should be available by October and is already designed and ready for delivery. The campaigns hopes to raise $45,000 with $12 per person, and Paris seems to be delivering more than he can promise. Regardless, we’ll have to see how it turns out. It’s already reached over $80,000 at the time of this writing. Overdelivery is always good.

Via ArsTechnica.

New Oculus Rift software requirements; Windows 10 only supported OS

June 29, 2018 by Eugene Schmidt

Oculus has recently announced some new changes to the Rift’s software requirements and recommended specs in order to run it smoothly. The hardware hasn’t really changed, but there are a few things to note.

You’ll still be able to get the same VR features and functions you have today, including things like responding to platform notifications, interacting with friends on the platform, managing your device, and running VR apps that don’t require Windows 10. You can still use Windows 7 and Windows 8 with most of Rift Core 2.0’s core functionality, but things like Oculus Desktop require Windows 10, as does the ability to run Dash as an overlay.

First, Windows 10 is the only supported OS that meets the minimum requirements in order to run the Oculus Rift to run its required software. Windows 7 and 8.1 will both work for the basic software. Oculus states that this is necessary in order to “take advantage of the latest technology.”

Older versions of Windows aren’t actually being updated anymore other than security patches anyway, and over 95% of the userbase use Windows 10. Thus, the change isn’t really that big of an issue.

Physical hardware remains the same- an Intel i3-6100, 8GB of RAM, and 1050Ti or higher. Or Ryzen 3 1200/FX-4350 and an AMD Radeon RX-470 for the AMD crowd.

Rift Core 2.0 features a new UI, multitasking, and a Home panel.

World of Tanks: Mercenaries launches on Xbox One and PS4: What’s new?

June 26, 2018 by Eugene Schmidt

World of Tanks: Mercenaries, Wargaming’s popular tank battle game, has released on Xbox One and PS4. The story to it isn’t exactly what you’d expect. It’s shifted for the new mercenary additions to the lineup. In this world. WWII is still ongoing and the Axis and Allied nations have both gotten weary from war.

New tank crews have decided to become “bounty hunters” to the highest bidder, and that’s where the player takes control. Mercenaries will have new single-player campaign missions to experience some new tanks which can be unlocked by completing contracts for the bidders. Each contract consists of anywhere up to 8 levels, each with multiple tasks and subtasks to complete.

There’s a new War Stories Campaign titled The Heist where players will have to steal nuclear material from a US-Soviet facility. You’re paired with AI and you need to dodge tank destroyers, turrets, and other nasties as you make your way across the wasteland of shells.

If you complete all of them, you’ll get a new free garage space for a new tank, a new mercenary tank, and a new commander for multiplayer. The new tanks are part of a Mercenary faction that’s a separate entity from the current Allies and Axis nations.

Other changes have been made in the new patch including map improvements.

Super Mario Party’s online mode is just for minigames – nothing else

June 19, 2018 by Eugene Schmidt

Nintendo’s upcoming Mario Party game on the Nintendo Switch will be getting an online mode, which many fans are excited about when it was announced at E3 during the reveal.

There’s a catch though: it’s just for minigames.

During the Treehouse: Live presentation where the game was presented, the online feature was debuted as “Online Mario-Thon” and has players competing in 5 randomly selected minigames and scoring points. It’s not the first time they’ve done this. Mario Party 5 had a “Minigame Decathalon” mode where players would compete in 10 random games just like this.

The Switch version is the same thing with a few extra features like an online leaderboard and ranking system that rewards for playing. All games had local multiplayer, but this will be one of the few games that have online play. After all, no one wants to lag out or disconnect or simply can’t play fairly.

Super Mario Party will contain over 80 new minigames that use the Joy-Con’s motion sensor capabilities, which many games on the Switch don’t really utilize at all. The game will continue the older style fo the board with some updated features to the game.

Stay tuned for updates as they roll out on this title.

GreedFall trailer shows off historic European themes

June 18, 2018 by Eugene Schmidt

A brand new and awesome RPG made by Developer Spiders is coming soon, and they’ve just released their trailer for GreedFall.

It shows off a nice blend of the game’s historic 17th century Europe mixed with both magic and fantasy elements. It depicts the story by showing mercenaries, bounty hunters, and settlers all running away from a place of pollution and settle on a new remote island filled with beaming magic. It’s known as Teer Fradee and has plenty of mysteries for the explorer to embark on- but it’s also filled with dangers.

You meet your relative there who plans to be the governor of a new colony on the island. It’s a game full of exploration, politics, and magic.

So far, the game looks very pretty and authentic to the time. Costumes, weapons, and buildings are all reminiscent of popular designs during that time period with Flemish paintings. The game will have full combat, diplomacy, and plenty to explore. Developer Spiders allow full customization of the character with both gender and class-less leveling. There will be over 100 skills and your actions shape the world you play in. Companions and crafting will also be present.

GreedFall. is scheduled and available available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

Paradox Interactive buys out Harebrained Schemes

June 14, 2018 by Eugene Schmidt

Paradox Interactive has announced an agreement to acquire all of the shares of Harebrained Holdings Inc, which owns Harebrained Schemes, LLC.

It was purchased at a price of 7.5M USD at the time of purchase. It’ll be set on June 7th, 2018. Harebrained Schemes was founded in 2011 with industry veterans Mitch Gitelman and Jordan Weisman. They created eight titles in seven years, which includes the recent BATTLETECH which was a collaboration between Paradox Interactive and Harebrained Scheme. The team then understood the possibility of further collaboration with Paradox which could bring them more success, and thus the decision was put into motion.

Harebrained Scheme will still operate with their own internal management and creative teams developing the games they know how to do well. They’ll merely be a new division of Paradox Interactive which will let them get distribution and business experts on board with some financial and professional support.

Paradox Interactive is a global pioneer in the development of PC strategy games that date back to 1999. They’ve created games like Crusader Kings, Europa Universalis, Pillars of Eternity, and Cities: Skylines. And they did it just by partnering with various studios just like Harebrained.

There will be a Q&Afeatureing Weisman and Fredrik Wester, CEO of Paradox Interactive, on their Twitch channel in the near future. Stay tuned for more games.

What’s new in the Kingdom Come: Devlierance 1.5 patch; From the Ashes DLC info

June 12, 2018June 12, 2018 by Eugene Schmidt

Warhorse Studio’s Kingdom Come: Deliverance released patch 1.5, which fixed a ton of bugs and issues in the game. Over 200 to be exact. Since the game was launched, it’s been plagued with many performance issues that have now been patched up and fixed.

It’s come quite a ways:

The main features and perfrmance updates allow the game to run smoother and stop carashing and running into RAM issues. Some other notable features include:

Henry can now wash away his sins by buying indulgences in churches.
Physically simulated women’s clothing added.
We scattered 16 new lore books around the world.
Any forgotten or despawned quest items will now be moved to the gravedigger’s chest and the player will be notified via new quest “Lost and Found”.

Other fixed issues included guards not dropppig halberds, lighting, CPU bugs, and loaidng times. All this ws fixed in the newest update and it’s a good time to play the game again if you gave up on it because of the buggy gameplay.

There’s also a new DLC coming called From the Ashes which will be shown off at E3.

The CEO of Warhorse states, Martin Fryvaldsky, says:

We are all very proud on the performance of the game and delighted by the feedback we get from our fans every day. With the latest patch we are improving the game even further and look forward to the player’s reaction to it. And to tease a bit – fans can expect some further news around our upcoming DLCs at E3 2018.

Stay tuned for news at E3.

Subnautica partners with The Whale and Dolphin Conservation

June 9, 2018 by Eugene Schmidt

Subnautica is an awesome ocean exploration game.

Subnautica, published by Unknown Worlds Entertainment, is partnering with Valve to help benefit The Whale and Dolphin Conservation based on a news post on the game’s Steam Community page.

The organization has been focusing on cetacean-based research for over 20 years. They’re currently not on Charity Watch, and Charity Navigator doesn’t rate them as they’ve only brought in about $500,000 last year. They’re a nonprofit and detail all the money donated to them and how exactly it’s spent. The WDC still does all the legwork even without the recognition for it.

Subnautica is an awesome underwater exploration game where you need to harvest resources, build structures, and sustain yourself. It features detailed artwork, an “endless” ocean, and captures the feeling truly being alone. It’s currently on sale for 20% off MSRP on Steam until June 11, 2018. 15% of profits will be donated to the WDC throughout the sale.

The partnership between Subnatucia, Valve, and the WDC should help gain more exposure to their organization.

XCOM 2 getting new content pack?

June 8, 2018 by Eugene Schmidt

XCOM 2 is rumored t be getting a new expansion called “TLE” and is currently set to be released soon speculates ResetEra.

There’s a thread on Reddit which has an image showing off “XCOM 2 – TLE” and “TLE CONTENT” both of which are further backed by a recent change made to the game on Steam DB and a specific build going to QA. This hints that the game is getting some final touches before going public.

The War of the Chosen expansion for XCOM 2 was shown off during last year’s PC Gaming Show at E3 and had a ton of new content for players. But then, the game has gone into a dormant state. This E, we just may hear some more news about the game and get some deja vu.

Right now, there’s no other confirmation of anything. E3 is almost here, so XCOM 2 may roll out some content- or at least announce it soon.

New Diablo game confirmed by Blizzard

June 6, 2018June 6, 2018 by Eugene Schmidt

A new Diablo game has been confirmed by Blizzard!

A new job posting for a dungeon artist on their careers page confirms the game is in development.

Since they just went out and about with it, we can safely assume that this isn’t speculation nor a rumor. It’s pretty much fact. The only thing is that we have no idea what kind of game it’ll be- a truly new Diablo entry? A remake? A clicker? Who knows.

“We’re working on a new, unannounced Diablo project. Are you a skilled Dungeon Artist? Come work with us, and together we will build something exceptional.”

The job posting mentions that they’re looking for someone who can work on dungeon design with composition, detail, mood, and “gameplay space is readable.” The posting also hints at a variety of different dungeon designs, so it’s safe to say that multiple dungeons and environments will probably be made for the game.

Assuming this isn’t a remake, it’ll be the first new game the series since 2012. It looks like this debunks the port of Diablo III to the Nintendo Switch as rumor had it.

The Diablo series was first released in 1997 by Blizzard and was positively received. Diablo II and III later were released. This game will likely be confirmed at E3. At this point, Blizzard has not posted any other news regarding the new title. Stay tuned for updates.

Fallout 76 will be an online survival RPG

June 5, 2018 by Eugene Schmidt

Fallout 76′s reveal took the web by storm and lots of questions were thrown by the fanbase.

Specifically, a report by Jason Schreier on Kotaku said that it’ll be “an online survival RPG that’s heavily inspired by games like DayZ and Rust.” He said that game is an experiment entry into the Fallout series.

The original plans for the game were a multiplayer version of Fallout 4 with the objective being to bring the entire universe online. It’ll contain a story and quests, but will take hints from the base-building feature in Fallout 4 and other games.

Based on Vault 76, the lore is that it’s a control vault and had no long-running experiments integrated into it and was meant to be unlocked 20 years after the war. The main objective of the vault is for players to make their mark on the world and rebuild things from the ground up after the destruction. This would also provide one of the earliest looks into the history of the Fallout universe.

The dev team includes Bethesda Game Studio’s main office in Maryland but also the Austin location, which used to be called Battlecry Studios and was acquired by Bethesda. They’ve only released multiplayer content for Doom so far.

No other details have been released yet, but the game should be revealed in full at E3 on June 10th. Some spare info reveals that it’ll be on all current-gen consoles and PC- except the Switch, which isn’t surprising.

Is Temtem is the Pokemon MMO we’ve all been waiting for?

June 3, 2018 by Eugene Schmidt

Crema, the developers of Immortal Redneck, is developing a Pokemon MMO-like game called Temtem.

They got the sources to crowdfund it and it’s supposed to the MMO every Pokemon player has been waiting for. It’s very similar to Nintendo’s monster-catching game. You’ll travel across many lands to find 8 Dojo leaders and lots of Temtem trainers. You need o capture creatures in the form of a digital card and then use them to fight other Tamers and their monster as well. This is just what you’d expect.

However, the game also has trainers all around the floating island each with their own Temtem monster in Heart Gold-style format. The trailer shows off players going into battle and trading from the overworld, and the game has been designed as an online-focused game.

The characters, UI, and layout are all made for online gameplay. Some game mechanics have also been improved. If you breed the same monster repeatedly, it’ll net you diminishing returns. Battles are also 2v2 encounters and there will be no RNG elements as well.

The game is still in crowdfunding mode on Kickstarter. You can expect some very generous goodies for very generous backers. At $70,000, the game will be funded. Everything from an appearance in the game to your custom creature is possible. There’s already a Steam page for curious players if you’re interested in the game.

Agony censoring extreme content; beyond “Adults Only” rating

June 2, 2018 by Eugene Schmidt

Agony is a game developed by Madmind Studios and has been heavily censored due to the controversial nature of its content.

It’s so bad that the dev team no longer allowed it to be planned as an Adult Only game due to legality. They announced that it would be banned and they’d be sued if they kept it the way it was. However, they were able to get some content approved by PEGI and similar rating organizations.

Agony was originally a failed Kickstarter campaign that didn’t get the funds needed to complete the game. It has you avoid monsters in an evil place and you need to escape it by following a goddess. It’s a horror first-person survival game released on Steam, Xbox One, and PS4 on May 29th.

Now, only a few seconds from two out of seven endings will be censored with some other unlockable scenes. The following will still be included in Agony:

Gore
Brutal Sex Scenes
Lesbian and Gay Sex Scenes
Genital Physics
Eye Gouging
Heart Plucking
Children Heads Exploding
Setting Fire to Martyrs and Demons
Intense Violence
Strong Language
Drugs

But the rest will be cut out.

They released a comparison video on May 30th, which showcases the differences of what got removed from the original version.

GTA Online getting new music? DLC? New update coming June 2018.

June 1, 2018 by Eugene Schmidt

Rockstar posted an image on their page that looks like some kind of promo art for a concert in Los Santos, their fictional city. It consists of a lineup of electronic artists- Solomun, Tale of Us, Dixon, and The Black Madonna all ready for Summer 2018.

The GTA Online community is all ripe with a lot of activity about the flyer all with their own theory on what it could mean. The Black Madonna also tweeted their own version of the flyer, which only adds to the mystery.

New music is awesome, but this could be a new radio station or new tracks to GTA Online’s playlist. Or it could be a new DLC for a GTA Online nightclub stream, similar to Gunrunning and being a Motorcycle Club owner. Supposedly, it’ll be released in June– whatever it is. Stay tuned for updates.

Image via Rockstar.

Destiny 2’s new Iron Banner emote costs as much as the base game

May 28, 2018 by Eugene Schmidt

Destiny's future may now shift gears with Activision gone.

Activision and Bungie have been getting plenty of flack regarding the Eververse vendor in Destiny 2.

While it was in the first game, microtransactions weren’t really an issue with the community. But then, the new Iron Banner $10 emote is just making the fire between the developer and gamers worse.

Before the expansion The Taken King came out, Bungie announced that there would only be a cosmetic microtransaction marketplace in Destiny. The store named Eververse featured some emotes, shaders, and horns for player vehicles. This wasn’t really adored by gamers, but it was acceptable and would help fund the game’s development. Most players ignored it and just went with eh regular grind.

In Destiny 2, Eververse was a bigger thing. Now with revamped loot and leveling, players were given a free loot box ever level gained. This is just free access to what would be blocked behind a microtransaction, though some people believe it’s invasive to the game’s ethics of making it fair for all players. Some decisions even cause player campaigns to surface over the internet.

While the game doesn’t offer anything that’ll really break the game other than some buffs and faster sparrows, the expansions have offered some pretty good loo that can only be claimed from Evergreen. You need to pay $9.99 for an emote that’s a direct reference to a PVP event in which you can’t earn it from. But then if you think about it, Destiny 2 itself can be found for as low as $10. That means an in-game emote costs as much as the game itself.

This will probably only fuel the fire between the community and Bungie. #RemoveEververse

We Happy Few banned from release in Australia due to “drug use”

May 26, 2018 by Eugene Schmidt

Indie survival We Happy Few has reportedly been banned in Australia due to drug use.

The Australian Department of Communications and the Arts gave the game a “refused classicization” rating which means it’ll basically be illegal to distribute in Australia. The reason has to do with drug use, which is obvious if you’ve played the game. It takes place in an alternate timeline back in history and is based on the roles of denizens who take a fake drug called Joy that keeps them calm and relaxed in order to forget about WWII.

Players play as 3 different protagonists who decide to stop taking the drug and need to traverse the world as it really is rather than the illusion that Joy makes it. It’s also a part of the gameplay; if you don’t take Joy, it makes the game significantly more difficult because guards will catch you easily. Completing objectives also gets difficult as a result of that.

The game was banned because it’s possible to take Joy during the game. And thus, this is “drug use.” The report does acknowledge that drug use is optional and that there are “alternative methods to complete the game,” but it also notes that “gameplay requires the player to take Joy to progress,” which is doubly confusing. Australia has a rating classification which states that “drug use related to incentives and rewards is not permitted.”

Other titles that were banned include Outlast 2, Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number, and South Park: The Stick of Truth, which all got the ban hammer from Australia’s Classification Board. Whether or not developer Compulsion Games and publisher Gearbox will try to release a censored version of the game is still unknown, but it’ll likely be difficult given the game’s mechanics.

As for the rest of the world, We Happy Few will be rolling out in mid-2018. Players who have bought the game in Australia will likely receive a refund.

Age of Wonders: Planetfall shoots for the stars in 2019

May 25, 2018 by Eugene Schmidt

A new game called Age of Wonders: Planetfall is in development.

It’s made by Triumph Studios and published by Paradox Interactive. The game is the next in the Age of Wonders series and the developer hopes that it’ll bring all the combat from the previous games back in this fantasy setting. The news was released with a new trailer as well, which you can see here:

From the trailer, we can see that it’s definitely a gorgeous game. There are also a few snippets of gameplay that looks amazing with a ton of different things to manage. if you like turn-based strategy, Age of Wonders is a hidden gem in the genre. Triumph wasn’t to make a game that expands upon its predecessors and employs the core principles of the game. While this is a new futuristic setting for the series, they’re sure that it’ll remain the same and fans will feel right at home with it.

Dutch-based developer Triumph is known for this series and Overlord series also. Paradox is also a well-known company in this genre with games like Crusader Kings.

Planetfall offers players everything they’re accustomed to. You can build, fight, negotiate, and build up your city to a utopian society with advanced technology. The game will use their own engine which was also used on Age of Wonders III. this will be the first title to be published by Paradox Interactive, and Triump is “thrilled” to be working with them.

The game will release in 2019. Stay tuned for updates!

Metro Exodus delayed until 2019

November 6, 2018May 23, 2018 by Eugene Schmidt

Metro: Exodus has been pushed back to early 2019.

The latest game showcasing the adventures of Artyom in post-apocalyptic Russia has had its release date pushed to Q1 next year based on a Tweet from their official account.

The game will be the newest installment of Artyom and a group of people who travel far from the Moscow Metro on a train called the Aurora. It’ll expand upon the original mechanics of Metro: Last Light which did the same for Metro: 2033. Metro: Exodus will be continued in the story from the Redemption ending of the previous game.

It’ll still feature a linear storyline, but it’ll take place in wider areas for the player to explore.

A news post on the Steam Community page for the game had the release displayed as Fall 2018 which would’be been the original release. The Tweet says that they’re trying to make the game “its absolute best.”

Players will have something to look forward to even with the delay. As the Tweet states, there will be new gameplay trailers showing off some new environments during this year’s E3 event. Stay tuned for updates on this AAA title soon.

SUPERHOT VR announced for PC and PS4

May 16, 2018 by Eugene Schmidt

SUPERHOT JP will be the newest game in the SUPERHOT saga of games.

The gameplay will be pretty much the same with its classic rhythm slow-motion combat with a new variety of Japanese environments like Toky alleyways, trains, castles, and karaoke bars. You’ll be fighting the red baddies in lots of different locations across the country.

The Japnese devs at Game Tomo say the game will have about 18 regular levels and about 3-4 endless lives. There will be new weapons including a bow, and the game modes will be the same. Players can also expect new menus, UI, and even a storyline. The game will also have new abilities like see-through shoji screens and new items.

The gameplay and artwork will be the same as the original SUPERHOT.

SUPERHOT JP will take place in Tokyo for development with the original team helping out. A JP release will come first then more countries following. No price nor release date has been announced yet.

It’ll be available on the PC and PS4. VR may or may not be included.

Rainbow 6 getting a new map – what’s new in the update

May 15, 2018 by Eugene Schmidt

The popular FPS is getting another content update even though it’s a pretty dated game now.

They just keep on releasing more and more maps, weapons, and content for this game as the playerbase and community remains pretty stable over time. Ubisoft announced that Rainbow 6 Siege will be getting a new map based on a Tuscan Villa. And it’ll be named “Villa” as appropriate.

Villa is a part of the upcoming Operation Para Bellum update which will include two unknown GIS Operators. It’ll be the most competitive map ever made by Ubisoft and features staircases, tunnels, and plenty of nooks and crannies. The floors will also be destructible.

Operation Para Bellum will include a new internal gadget, buffs for Echo, and adjustments for the Clubhouse map as well as dropshotting. There will also be a new system to Pick and Ban which allows for an “extra layer of strategy between teams” because each side allows the other to counterpick during the banning phase. This will allow some interesting combinations the 6th Operator pick is chosen and teams will have to react to it accordingly.

Villa will be the next location as it’s owned by the Vinciguerra, a family rooted in crime and smuggling art pieces. They’re trying to rid their documents and save their prized valuables before the counter-terrorists investigate the villa.

Stay tuned for more news on the latest Rainbow 6 Siege update on the 20th of May during the Pro Finals.

Dragon Ball FighterZ Co-Op mode, character balancing, and new content

May 11, 2018 by Eugene Schmidt

Bandai Namco has announced an update to its most recent fighting game Dragon Ball FighterZ.

It’ll be a free content update arriving May 9th with two new features and improvements as well as gameplay patches.

DBFZ is the newest fighting game which launched earlier to commercial success. It’s been praised with awesome graphics and looking just like the TV show.

The most exciting thing is the co-op mode. Patry Battle will allow up to three players to play together in co-op and fight epic bosses. And the game will be host to a monthly competition where players can duke it out and get points for their Z-Union. There will also be many various gameplay changes from Training Moe to character balancing.

Self-damaging attacks no longer affect the combo damage displayed. Goku’s Black’s medium and heavy versions of Fierce God Kick won’t lock down a knocked out opposites, and the damage scaling of Vegeta several Ki-Blast moves has been matched with a single Blast instead.