Games

Microsoft’s Game Pass may be coming to PC

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Microsoft's Game Pass may be coming to PC 1

Microsoft recently had a conference call for its Fiscal Year 2019 Q1 earnings. A transcript from the call at SeekingAlpha noted something pretty exciting for PC gamers who want to get a piece of the action. Satya Nadella, an employee at Microsoft, said that “bringing Game Pass to the PC is going to be a big element of that.”

The Xbox Game Pass is a subscription service that allows players to pay $9.99/month and get unlimited access to a rotating library of games. The service has added in new game monthly, and many of them are console exclusives. Players also get all first-party titles on launch day as part of the payment plan.

Eurogamer reports that Game Pass may be on PC soon enough. The transcript reads:

“So given that structural position, we are going to make sure that we keep increasing the strength of the community. You see that already with Minecraft going to all platforms and that increasing the intensity of the community and you’ll see us do more of that. Obviously, bringing Game Pass to even the PC is going to be a big element of that.”

The program has been very successful since its debut on June 1st this year, and it seems like a good move to move it to PC to capture more of the market. But questions like what games? PC games only? Does it include console games? And will it be a separate version compared to the console version? Hopefully, we’ll see some answers to these burning questions as we get more details regarding the news.

Kingdom Hearts III will be playable (again) at XO18

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Kingdom Hearts III will be playable (again) at XO18 2

Microsoft just announced that one of the biggest upcoming third-party games will be presented at XO18 next month. The game none other than Square Enix’s Kingdom Hearts III, which will have its own presentation and show and will be playable for all those in attendance at the event. Attendees will be able to play a working copy of Kingdom Hearts III at the event.

The announcement came yesterday via the Xbox Mexico Twitter account. Fans weren’t that surprised, as the news was expected since Kingdom Hearts III has been playable at every major convention ever since E3.

Kingdom Hearts III will release next year on January 25th for PS4 and Xbox One. XO18 launches next month with a special episode to show it off planned for November 10th on Xbox’s own program- Inside Xbox. Maybe we’ll finally see some more details about the game’s storyline at the event next month. Sit tight for updates.

Vampyr confirmed for Nintendo Switch

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Vampyr confirmed for Nintendo Switch 3

After Vampyr‘s somewhat successful launch back in June of 2018, Focus Home Interactive has announced today that Vampyr is now planned for a Nintendo Switch release via an earning’s report for their company. The game was positively received on consoles and was regarded as a fresh breath of action RPG gameplay.

Vampyr was originally released for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Focus Home said that plans for Q3 of the publisher’s fiscal year include taking the game over to the Nintendo Switch. The action RPG’s developer said the following statement that can be found in the report:

“In Q3, the Group will continue to maximise the potential of the Vampyr licence,” said Focus Home in the report. “After the game’s impressive success on PC, Xbox One and PS4, it will be Nintendo Switch’s turn to welcome the DontNod title to reach an even wider audience.”

At this point, no other details of when Vampyr will release on Switch has been announced but based on the Q3 report, it’ll likely be available sometime later this year, as this makes up Q3 2018. There should be news regarding the game soon enough. It’s likely just a port rather than a Switch version with exclusive Vampyr content.

Focus Home will announce the details soon. Stay tuned for updates regarding the game.

Treyarch speeds up tier progression in The Black Market; Raises server tick rate to 30hz

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Treyarch speeds up tier progression in The Black Market; Raises server tick rate to 30hz 4

Treyarch has released a new update to Black Ops 4′s new progression system to make it easier to level up for players. The Black Market allows players to unlock emotes, sprays, skins, and battle through 200 tiers of leveling. This system is currently only available on the PlayStation 4 and is limited time, so Treyarch has decided to basically increase the level curve.

Progression is mainly based on time played rather than performance, so just by playing the game will unlock you the goodies even if you’re a total beginner (read: noob) to Call of Duty games. However, players have been complaining that the progression system has been way too slow.

The game would take about 400 hours out of your life in order to unlock all 200 tiers and the first wave of this system lasts just 52 days. This would mean you’d have to play BO4 a full 8 hours a day- every day. That’s about 22 games per day.

Treyarch said that the earn rate for unlocking the tiers “did not perform as we intended” and they’ve updated the leveling rate to make it faster. Though the final speed isn’t confirmed yet across all modes, they said they’ll adjust it as needed. They’ll also be adding ways to accelerate the progression via event and challenge-based tier skips in the near future. Players have reported that the system is working a lot better now and seems more rewarding.

Treyarch has also recently lowered the server tick rate to 20hz from 60hz in the beta test. Then they increased it to 30hz just a few days ago. Wha this means is that players will get a more responsive game experience. A higher tick rate creates a faster signal sent to the server from the player, which means “faster” server reactions every second. Treyarch states:

“We are carefully monitoring overall performance to ensure that these updates are working as expected before completing the next phase of updates.”

Overwatch launches “World Cup Viewer” tool for World Cup Series

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Overwatch launches "World Cup Viewer" tool for World Cup Series 5

Overwatch, the world’s most popular arena shooter, has officially launched its world cup series kicking off next week with a Top 8 bracket. Blizzard Entertainment, the world-renowned developer and publisher of games like Starcraft, Warcraft, Diablo, and World of Warcraft, announced a new tool that allows fans to watch the Overwatch World Cup in a number of different ways.

The tool is simply called the Overwatch World Cup Viewer. A new developer update video that was released a few days ago has game Director Jeff Kaplan talking about what the Cup Viewer does and how it can help enhance overall entertainment for eSports Overwatch fans.

Viewers can take control of the in-game camera and watch the gameplay from a variety of different angels like first-person and third-person. Players essential become their own broadcaster instead of having someone else do it for them. This will allow a free cam that can be used to watch the game- pretty much a spectator mode for viewing the game.

Players can even slow down the shots with slow-mo and even access an overall map which displays HP, location, and Ultimate status.

The Overwatch World Cup Viewer will have a beta release during the Overwatch World Cup semi-finals and grand finals at BlizzCon 2018. Kaplan says that the tool will be available for PC players only, but eventually may be used on consoles depending on the usage and future of Overwatch- with the game becoming a competitive force in the eSports world and used in home copies of the game as a basic setting.

Overwatch will begin the official world cup next week with a Top 8 bracket. The game is available on PC, Xbox One, and PS4. You can get more details about the Overwatch World Cup Viewer here and try it out for yourself soon enough.

And you can learn more about the tool here in this dev update video from Overwatch and get some commentary about the tool and how it was created and developed:

Tropico 4 and Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy added to Xbox One Backward Compatibility list

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Tropico 4 and Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy added to Xbox One Backward Compatibility list 6

This month will ring in two new titles for the Xbox One Backward Compatibility list. The two titles are pretty random and have no logical reasoning behind them- at least from a consumer’s perspective.

Usually, when games join the list, there’s some logic to it. For instance, last week’s additions were the entire Crysis series going backward compatible on the Xbox One. And the week before that, the older Tomb Raider games were added.

But this week, Xbox gets Tropico 4 and LEGO Star WarsII: The Original Trilogy. If either of these games tickle your fancy, you can now play them on your Xbox One as they’re the newest games to join the party of backward compatible games.

LEGO Star Wars II joins the LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga, which was already part of the list and makes no logical sense. Tropico 4 marks the first Xbox 360 era Tropico game that’s been added to the Xbox One.

Regardless, Microsoft has been coming through with its Xbox One Backward Compatilbity list, which is leagues ahead of Sony. This may be why Sony is filing for backward compatibility via emulation for the next-gen PS5.

 

 

PlayStation Online ID change testing live; Bugs, warnings, and fine print

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PlayStation Online ID change testing live; Bugs, warnings, and fine print 7

Select PSN users have already begun getting emails containing their voucher to join the PlayStation Network Online ID change service preview that’ll go live with the System Software update version 6.10 for the PS4.

But for these early guinea pigs, there’s a ton of fine print. Some of the notable defects include changing your PSN Online ID not matching your games on PS4, PS3, and PS Vita not supporting the name change. Players may lose access to content, including content that was paid for like in-game currency and DLC, save data, leaderboard data, and trophy progression.

This comes straight from ResetEra where a user named Azdoune has posted this information to the public. Users can revert back to the original Online ID, but only once during this review period. Users have already reported some name change problems during this testing segment, but that’s what it’s for.

Other PSN users will get to change their ID when the testing is complete in 2019. The name change has been a long-time requested feature for the PSN for years and was just recently confirmed by Sony.

The details of the PSN Online ID change can be seen here:

Change Online ID Overview
As part of the System Software 6.10 preview, we are rolling out the upcoming Change Online ID system feature. As a preview user you will be able to change your Online ID using the new system tools.
To use this feature please ensure you have a clear understanding of the implications of changing your Online ID and the software’s restrictions – described in the following sections – before software installation. If you are unsure, do not download and install the Preview Programme software.

Important Information Before Changing your Online ID:
Not all games and applications for PS4™, PS3™, PS Vita, and other PlayStation® systems support the Online ID change feature. If you change your Online ID:
• You may lose access to content (including paid-for content) that you have acquired for your games, including content like add-ons and virtual currency.
• You may lose your progress within games, including game saved data, leaderboard data and progress toward trophies.
• Parts of your games and applications might not function properly, both online and offline.
• Your previous Online ID(s) may remain visible to you and other players in some places.

Change Online ID Restrictions During Preview:
The changes during the preview will adhere to the following structure:
• First change is free for all users.
• Second change will be charged at €9.99 / £7.99 (PlayStation®Plus subscribers receive a 50% discount).
• If your previous Online ID violates any of the current Terms of Service, you will not be able to revert back to your previous Online ID.
• You can revert to your previous Online ID once per account during the preview period.
• Sub-Accounts cannot utilise the Change Online ID feature.
• After you change your Online ID, it may take a few hours for some services and applications to reflect the new ID.

If for any reason you have issues after changing your Online ID you can revert back to your previous ID at no charge. However:
• you may only do this once during the preview period;
• changing back to your previous Online ID may not fix all issues (you may not recover all or any lost content, progress and functionality; and
• if you want to change back, do so as soon as possible because changing back to your previous Online ID may affect content, game progress and functionality associated with your new Online ID.

No Man’s Sky Halloween update “The Abyss” coming soon

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No Man's Sky Halloween update "The Abyss" coming soon 8

Hello Games just released their biggest update for No Man’s Sky earlier this year with the NEXT program. This was the update that brought the game back on track and earned the gameplay hours from fans that previously exited the game. Next week, Hello Games announced that the first titled update following NEXT will arrive next week and will be related to the timed holiday event- Halloween.

Hello Games’ Sean Murray announced a new update called The Abyss which is completely free for No Man’s Sky that brings a “handful” of members at Hello Games to the table. They’ve been working on this update for a while and it’ll go live next week across all platforms. Murray said it’s just one small step in the larger content plans they have for NMS.

He hinted that it’ll be related to Halloween:

“Focuses on some of the eerier elements of No Man’s Sky, in keeping with the theme of this season.”

There’s no confirmed date as for when The Abyss update for No Man’s Sky will go live, but we’ll hear from Hello Games regarding the patch sooner or later. You’ll find details about it here as soon as it goes up.

The update will be free for existing players and will be out for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Just looking at the update art gives it away that the patch will be something dark and scary with the neon lights and background. But what the update contains, we’ll have to see next week. Stay tuned.

Jade Raymond leaves EA; Samantha Ryan taking over

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Jade Raymond leaves EA; Samantha Ryan taking over 9

Jade Raymond, one of EA’s most recognizable names has left the infamous publisher yesterday. Raymond was the studio head and founder of EA Motive and she was revealed to be stepping down from her position.

She previously worked for Ubisoft and helped create Assassin’s Creed games and founded Motive Studios back in 2015. Since then, the developer has helped with Star Wars Battlefront II and Visceral’s Star Wars project before they shut down. Right now, Motive Studios is working on an unknown title.

EA released a statement to Game Informer regarding Raymond’s departure from the company and mentioning that Samantha Ryan will be taking over as Motive’s head of studio to fill Raymond’s previous position:

EA Studios is focused on bringing more creative new games and content to players. Laura Miele and her team have taken several steps internally to better support our game makers in this pursuit, such as expanding Samantha Ryan’s portfolio to lead additional studios, including Motive. Samantha is known for driving creative design and supporting game teams so they can bring their visions to life. She is a deeply experienced game-maker with a gameography that spans from The Sims to Batman: Arkham City to No One Lives Forever to the highly-anticipated Anthem.

With this change, Jade Raymond has decided to leave Electronic Arts. In her time with us, Jade helped to build great teams, and our projects underway at Motive and other studios continue unchanged. We’re appreciative of all of her efforts, and we wish Jade all the best as she moves on to her next adventure. We are driving greater creativity into everything we do across EA Studios, and we’ll look forward to sharing more in the months to come.

Right now, Raymond hasn’t announced what she plans to do next as a  public statement of her own. Stay tuned for updates regarding Raymond’s future plans- provided she announces them publicly.

Agony UNRATED confirmed for Switch; Details for UNRATED version released

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Agony UNRATED confirmed for Switch; Details for UNRATED version released 10

Agony UNRATED was being teased for a few days and has been confirmed for release on October 31st, which is perfect for a game like this. The Kickstarter page went live yesterday with all the news and details regarding the game’s update.

The UNRATED version will be free for all backers. Backers will also receive the game two days prior to release. Agony owners will get a 90% discount for UNRATED, as reported by Madmin Studio, which is both the publisher and developer. They wrote the following on their Kickstarter page:

“We are aware that the premiere of our first game was disappointing for many players, as numerous technical errors and censored content effectively distracted from the game. We would like to apologize for the mistakes we made and to compensate players for a long time waiting for the UNRATED version, making it available at a significantly lower price.”

There were some legal issues the game developer was having earlier regarding a contractual obligation. Now, they seem like they’re in the clear.

Here are some features to the UNRATED edition that you get:

  • Improved character models
  • New enemies and threats
  • Deep character development system
  • New lighting system
  • New environment – the Forest
  • Tons of fresh, uncensored scenes
  • World map and minimap
  • Technical improvements

Agony UNRATED will only be released on the PC and Madmind will consider console release depending on sales. This is because the game is an “AO” rated game, which retailers won’t carry, thus the need for sales. A Nintendo Switch version will be released in 2018 and will be ported by Ultimate Games, however.

Fortnite’s Pumpkin Launcher returns for Fortnitemares

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Fortnite's Pumpkin Launcher returns for Fortnitemares 11

One of the earliest limited time weapons ever released for Fortnite is finally coming back to Fortnite Battle Royale for this Halloween season. The Pumpkin Rocket Launcher is on its way back to Fortnite for the first time in a whole year. The first release of this weapon was back in October of 2017, and now players have a chance to pick it up again once more.

Eric Williams, Design Lead for Fortnite at Epic Games, hinted that characters will get something pretty nostalgic if they remember the sound effects. He tweeted a message that only old-school players who were playing Fortnite since last year’s Halloween event will understand:

Both the “thoomp and WAAAH” sound effects were symbolic of the Pumpkin Launcher. Players who played during that time will remember that this is the weapon that started a whole rocket riding trend in the world’s most popular Battle Royale game with players standing on rockets due to its whacked-out area of the collision which exposed a bug in Fortnite.

The weapon will be released as part of the Halloween event going on in Fortnite, called Fortnitemares. Players will get a limited number of days to get limited cosmetic items, modes, and map changes. You can check out a post by Epic regarding the schedule for Fortnitemares here. Players who’ve played last year will get the feels once again.

 

PDP announces exclusive Super Smash Bros. Ultimate GameCube Controllers

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PDP announces exclusive Super Smash Bros. Ultimate GameCube Controllers 12

PDP is releasing Nintendo Switch GameCube Controllers that’ll arrive just in time for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

The exclusive controllers will feature Mario, Zelda, and Pikachu and will arrive November 23th, which is just before the game’s release. Most SSB fans will agree that Super Smash Bros. Melee with a GameCube controller is meta and probably the best SSB experience you can get, therefore it makes sense to release SSB-themed GameCube Controllers for the next Smash entry.

Nintendo formally announced their own first-party Smash Ultimate edition of the controller, while peripheral company PDP has already announced pre-orders for their own GameCube controllers- that are wired.

Players can choose between the three characters to duke it out on their next-gen console.

PDP also talks about how the C-Stick on the pad can be swapped out for a full-size version for personal preference so players won’t have to feel worried about wearing out their C-Stick like in the Wii U days. The controller features a full 10-foot cable and old-school grip for an almost near replica of the GameCube Controller.

They’re priced for $24.99 on Amazon with a release date on November 23rd. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will roll out on December 7th on the Nintendo Switch.

 

New Call of Cthulhu trailer released: “Preview to Madness”

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New Call of Cthulhu trailer released: "Preview to Madness" 13

Publisher Focus Home Interactive has received a lot of fan excitement over the news of their upcoming game Call of Cthulhu. The game rolls out on October 30th for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. They released a new trailer showing off some short footage from the game called “Preview to Madness.” Like the former games, the trailer has some Lovecraftian ambiance to get your appetite ready for some insanity.

There was a previous video released last month with an hour-long gameplay segment. The developers did insert some discussion points while talking about how the game was made to provide the viewer some insight into the game.

Focus Home Interactive and Cyanide Studio, the developer, released yet another gameplay video showing Edward Pierce’s investigation of the Hawkins Mansion.

You can see the newest trailer that teases the perfectly-crafted Call of Cthulhu Lovecraft gameplay here:

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 – Get a free Pack-a-Punch weapon

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 - Get a free Pack-a-Punch weapon 14

Black Ops 4‘s Pack-a-Punch weapons are pretty much necessary for reaching the higher rounds of Zombies. In Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, the Zombies in the later waves show no mercy and any player who’s experienced it firsthand will tell you stories. Pack-a-Punch weapons are a necessity later on but are rather difficult for players who are just starting to play Zombies.

The IX Zombies map has a secret trick that anyone can perform to give you a Pack-a-Punch weapon as soon as Round 3 and it doesn’t require the Pack-a-Punch machine.

Here’s how to get a Pack-a-Punch weapon:

First, you’ll need to launch into a game of Zombies on the IX map. Use filters to find a game suitable.

Then, you’ll need to unlock your banner. Do this by walking over to the rolled up banners immediately when you spawn. They’re to your left.

Melee the rope holding the banner and it’ll unroll. You’ll then be presented with a new challenge. The challenge will be a random one, but pretty easy such as killing zombies with grenades or using your specialist weapon.

When you’re done, go to the altar in the middle of the map and you’ll get an extra life. Then a second challenge will activate. Complete it also.

Then, repeat the process again and you’ll be presented with a free Pack-a-Punch weapon. Complete the third challenge and go back to the middle of the arena and a Strife will be waiting for you. The upgraded Strife will have full auto and special damage to be used as a backup weapon in later rounds.

The nice thing about this backup is that you’ll be able to take down more zombies with ease.

Here’s a video that demonstrates how to get a free Pack-a-Punch weapon in detail by Zombie player GregFPS:

Tekken 7 sells over 3M copies; World Tour Finals announced

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Tekken 7 sells over 3M copies; World Tour Finals announced 15

Bandai Namco’s Tekken 7 has confirmed a whopping 3M copies. The announcement was made by Tekken’s Game Director/Chief Producer Katsuhiro Harada on Twitter this morning.

Tekken  now has totaled over 47M copies total in its long-running series. Compared to Street Fighter, it’s slightly in the lead with just a mere 45.8M copies. Tekken 7 received positive praise overall with its fluid combat and movement mechanics. Bandai is a giant in the fighting space, with games like Dragon Ball FighterZ and SoulCalibur VI both under its belt.

Tekken 7 will also have a Season 2 pass at this year’s EVO FInals, which will have balance changes, new characters (Anna Williams, Lei Wulong, and Negan from The Walking Dead), and the Tekken World Tour Finals are in December which will surely have more announcements soon.

Treyarch releases hotfix after first major BO4 update; Patches loot bug

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Treyarch releases hotfix after first major BO4 update; Patches loot bug 16

Treyarch has announced a new update on top of yesterday’s first major patch. A bugfix patch was confirmed for BO4’s special Blackout Halloween event. The event is now available to all PS4 users and is accessible via the Black Market. Seasonal gear is present which may be used across all modes- not just limited to the game’s blockbuster Blackout mode.

Developer Treyarch has also made a new Halloween Calling event for Zombies mode. The special event includes a new bunch of challenges in Zombies, which allows players to earn special rewards by completing them. The event will last the same duration across both PS4 and Xbox One and PC.

There’s been a host of bug fixes to the new patch, which includes the infamous bug where players couldn’t loot an enemy if their backpack was a full capacity.

You can read the full list of bug fixes for latest Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 patch as follows:

  • Blackout
    • Death Stashes
      • Fixed an issue where players were sometimes unable to loot items from a Death Stash.
  • Multiplayer
    • General
      • Addressed an issue that prevented players from earning Contraband Tier progress.
      • Addressed an issue that prevented players from earning the proper amount of Contraband Tier progress in round-based games.
      • Addressed an issue with some MP matches ending in “Game Session No Longer Available”.
      • General stability improvements in the Black Market.
    • Create-a-Class
      • Addressed an issue with Attachments applying to the GKS.
    • Special Issue Equipment
      • Resolved an exploit that led to unlimited Seeker shock mines.

New Railway Empire DLC Crossing the Andes; Get the details

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New Railway Empire DLC Crossing the Andes; Get the details 17

The latest expansion from Railway Empire has been officially released. The DLC is called Crossing the Andes and offers several new things for players to construct and cruise along great South America.

Crossing the Andes will take players to their new adventures in South America during the early 20th century. Players will encounter new investors and discover ways to cross the Andes. The mountains and jungle terrain will be difficult for even the most professional and seasoned veterans of Railway Empire.

Some other new features in this DLC are new scenarios that cover early history of railway legends in the Andes Mountains. Players will also get a new map of S. America for both the Free Game and Sandbox game modes, and more than 10 new goods like llama wool and guano. Lastly, players will get 34 new cities just waiting to be discovered with two new engines to traverse South America. Railway Empire fans are in for a treat.

These new features can be seen in a new trailer released for the Crossing the Andes (attached below). Railway Empire is the train locomotive builder game currently available for PS4, Xbox One and PC. The update is free for all current owners of the game, and the game is currently on sale for 50% for those on the fence deciding whether or not to snag a copy of the game.

You can check the game out on Steam.

UK gaming magazines GamesMaster and GamesTM shutting down

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UK gaming magazines GamesMaster and GamesTM will print their last issues on the first of next month. Future, the global multi-platform media company that publishes brands like PC Gamer, Kotaku, Xbox The Official Magazine, PlayStation Official Magazine UK, and more, has announced that GamesTM and GamesMaster are no longer being published due to sales.

GamesTM has been printed since 2002 and was originally owned by Image Publishing before they were bought out by Future. GamesMaster has been running for 25 years since 1993. The two magazines will be halted and the staff will be reassigned.

Future announced in a press release:

“Despite the company’s strong performance overall, unfortunately games™ and GamesMaster are no longer profitable parts of the business, which means that their next issues, on sale November 1st, will be the final editions,”

“The decision was an extremely difficult one, but everyone here is enormously proud of what the magazines have achieved in their lifetimes – an incredible 25 years in GamesMaster’s case – and we are currently deploying affected staff within the company.”

GamesMaster posted the following tweet:

UK readers will definitely be upset over this announcement. However, it’s nice of the publisher to assign the editors to other magazines and positions to keep their influence within the company.

Cuphead confirmed for Mac; Studio MDHR releases animated short

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Cuphead confirmed for Mac; Studio MDHR releases animated short 18

After a long-time, non stop requests from fans, the rage-inducing, retro platformer Cuphead has finally been released on Mac. And Studio MDHR went one step ahead and even released a new animated short for its release on Macintosh.

Cuphead was released a little over a year ago on Xbox One and PC and was one of the best platformers of 2017. With its new take on traditional side scrolling platformer by going backwards in time, the game was unique and offered something fresh to the platforming genre that’s often dominated by newly released games from indie developers.

While the industry is filled with platformers that release on a daily basis, only a few of them are good. Platformers seem to be a favorite amongst indie developers, but a lot of them are just rushed, sub-par creations.

Cuphead was one of the few gems that sparked some interest back into the genre. Now, Mac owners can get a piece of the action on their computers. Studio MDHR has ported the game over to Mac players with the same experience you’d find on Xbox One or PC versions.

And to top it all off, they’ve marked down the price to just $15.99- a 20% discount to celebrate Mac glory. The sale will run until October 22nd. So if you’re a Mac owner who missed out on the fun, it’s your chance to get in on the action right now.

Studio MDHR animated short features Cuphead, Mugman, and a new character with an apple for a head. The short is called “Crisp Apples” and is a silly little video as this apple guy stumbles upon Cuphead and Mugman eating apples and he freaks out. This is just what you’d expect from this developer.

Cuphead is now available for PC, Xbox One, and Mac.

You can watch the new launch trailer here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gKRzuNcwdIF

Ace Combat 7 shows off two new gameplay videos

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Ace Combat 7 shows off two new gameplay videos 19

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown Missions 06 and 07 have shown off some new gameplay videos that show off the first half of each mission and the mission briefing. Fans of the long-running series are stoked about this, as there hasn’t been a new Ace Combat game in a long time.

The video for Mission 06: Long Day shows the gameplay in a desert where you need to attack a Erusean base. The F/A-18F Super Hornet is rendered in glorious detail fully loaded with AQQM missiles and some 360 degree visuals to show off the plane before takeoff.

There’s some convos between you and your squad as you’re prisoners forced into this mission. Do fans get some backstory about the game. The player also spends a lot of time in low-flying areas so there’s a lot of dangerous flying about. The visual detail is superior to all previous AC games.

As for Mission 07: First Contact, the mission brief tells you how useless you are as a convict. Your goal is to help your allies escape by destroying enemy towers, radars, and AA turrets in a mountainous valley. You get to use the F-22A Raptor and the same set of AQQM missiles.

The area is cloudy as the weather has an overcast on the mission area. There will be clouds, light rain, and other various weather distractions making your mission slightly more difficult. You’ll see a cutscene mid-mission where drones attack and a thunderstorm also can screw with your UI.

For any Ace Combat fan, the gameplay of Missions 06 and 07 has gotten a lot of attention. Fans seem to be praising the game so far from the comments in the video and grateful for the nostalgia this game has brought them over the decades and glad that this game is making a return.

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown will be released on January 18, 2019 for PS4 and Xbox One. PC players will get their hands on the action-packed plane fighter sim on February 1st. Pre-orders will get a remaster of Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War for PS4, and Xbox One pre-orders will get Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation.

 

Sleep Tight may be coming to Europe; Developer We Are Fuzzy teases on Twitter

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Sleep Tight may be coming to Europe; Developer We Are Fuzzy teases on Twitter 20

Developer We Are Fuzzy released their first game called Sleep Tight a few months back. Sleep Tight is a twin-stick arcade shooter that was only released in North America due to a limited budget.

But We Are Fuzzy may be porting the game over to other regions soon- with Europe in its sights currently.

The news was announced on Twitter, with a nonchalant tweet saying that they’ve got nothing to announce other than they’ve been seeing a bunch of “EU shop requests” and they’re working making it happen. Fans of Sleep Tight have been asking for a release of the game in EU for a while and a PS4 and Xbox One version. We Are Fuzzy stated that they have some a “very exciting announcement coming soon” for fans who’ve been waiting.

Sleep Tight is a fast-paced twin-stick shooter game with an old-school top-down view but with modern graphics and artwork. We Are Fuzzy is an indie developer who you’ve probably never heard of, but that doesn’t mean the little engine can’t try. Sleep Tight was released on July 26, 2018 and is currently available on Nintendo Switch and PC in North America.

Fortnite’s new customization options coming in future patch (leaked)

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Some genius data miners at FNBRLeaks have discovered that Epic Games could soon be adding a new set of options to customize the Playground mode in Fortnite.

They found some info in various game files that direct suspicion to new customization options for players in the near future. Epic is looking to add custom loot rates, modifiers to move speed, damage options, and more.

A list of all customization options that’ll be released in a future Fortnite patch (Via DualShockers);

  • Friendly Fire
  • Glider Redeploy
  • Loot Levels
    • Scarce Loot
    • Regular Loot
    • Lots of Loot
  • Movement Speed Multiplier
  • Damage Multiplier
    • Half Damage
    • Regular Damage
    • Double Damage

Epic Games had already made many changes to the Playground LTM in the V6.01 update. Some changes to Fortnite in this new patch included  a series a seven customization options which allow players to change settings like starting HP, shield HP, fall damage, gravity settings, and even the time of day.

These options were added recently to the game, but the leaked options don’t have a confirmed release date yet- so we don’t know which patch they’ll eventually show up in. Stay tuned for updates.

Source: DualShockers.

Call of Duty: Blacks Ops 4 will get its first major patch today

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will be getting its major update today, when it’s just one week after its very successful release that shattered Activision’s day one sales records. After a launch like that and continued community feedback, Treyarch will be scheduling a new update today with some changes to the hottest game on the market right now.

The game sold more than $500M in just three days on the market, which made it the best-selling game on launch in Activision’s history.

Treyarch announced on Twitter that they’ll stabilize, remove, and change some aspects and features across all game modes on BO4. There will also be a special double XP weekend, starting today to celebrate the game’s first week. The specific modes where this event takes place is still yet to be announced. Zombies mode should use the double Neulium Plasma to their benefit so they can buy extra Elixirs.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is currently available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. We’ll cover the updates to the game after the first major update. See you post-patch!

 

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 still has no sign of COD points from Treyarch

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Treyarch’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 has been a massive success. The game sold more copies on day one release in Activision’s entire history. And the game is being fine-tuned with player feedback via social accounts.

The next thing players seem to be waiting for them is the ability to use their COD points (Call of Duty points) to make in-game purchases. They can buy a variety of products each giving them some unique way to stand out.

Players have been using COD points as premium currency for a year now and expect that each release of the game will allow them to buy COD points for cosmetics, weapon skins, and some unique weapons.

But in BO4, there hasn’t been any mention of COD points, even though the currency was part of the game’s pre-order specials. The special editions of the game that cost over $100 promise a large sum of COD points on launch. But players were reporting that their premium points were nowhere to be found. And right now, players can’t even check how many points they have.

Treyarch still hasn’t said anything about when players will get access, so players still aren’t sure exactly what they can buy with $100. The game has no signal of microtransactions so far, with Blackout. Zombies mode has some microtransaction details, but not much. There’s a place where you can buy Concoctions with currency earned through matches- and only this way, but other than that, there’s no mention of COD points right now.

We’ll have to see what Treyarch has planned.

Fortnite Battle Bus moves faster with V6.10 update

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Fortnite’s Battle Bus doesn’t really get too much attention, but it looks like now Epic Games is doing a major update to the Bus with their latest patch to the game.

Fortnite posted a tweet to let fans know that the Battle Bus will now travel a whole 25% faster than previously when flying.

While the Bus has gone through some minor updates here and there, this is the first time when it’s gotten praise directly- and in a tweet. Players have gotten some special ballons for the game’s anniversary and the ability to even thank the driver, but now with faster movement speeds, this will only add for more fast-paced action. This update affects gameplay because the speed adjustment will affect the game ever so slightly.

The update was announced just a single day after Epic Games detailed the new changes to Fortnite in its V6.10 update, which also was featured alongside other major changes like map adjustments and the new vehicle: The Quadcrasher.

Dota 2’s Treasure Update shows drop rates for loot crates

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Dota 2’s new treasure update will now show drop rate percentages for loot boxes. Valve is changing the way loot boxes and disclosures work in the game with players able to see in-game percentages before they buy. This is nothing new, as many games are now required to show this information in many countries worldwide.

Valve’s latest update for Dota 2 will show the exact chances of getting rarity loot, all based on the number of keys you buy. More keys mean more chances of getting the loot, to no surprise.

Countries globally have been enforcing these kinds of laws. Blizzard Entertainment recently took out loot crates for Overwatch and Heroes of the Storm. Developers have also announced many times that their games won’t contain any loot crates. Dota 2 is just another domino in the long line of games starting to feel the heat.

Besides the changes in Dota 2, there are some other updates tot he game. Dota Plus subs will get access to new a perk that allows them to recycle unwanted treasures for treasure fragments. Once six are collected from the same drop, an extra copy of the treasure and 2K Dota Plus cards will be given.

Players will now also be able to shuffle their item sets for each hero during matches.

You can get more information about this update here at Dota 2’s page.

Ubisoft’s Frédérick Duguet will take reigns as new CFO

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Ubisoft has announced a new CFO after the current one will officially retire from the company at the end of this year. Alain Martinez is the current Chief Financial Officer of Ubisoft, but will resign by 2018’s end.

Frédérick Duguet will be replacing him, who is currently Ubisoft’s Chief Financial Planning Officer and has been since 2009.

The current CEO, Yves Guillemot, made a few remarks on the change of CFOs in the coming months:

“The appointment of Frédérick as Ubisoft’s Chief Financial Officer is excellent news for the Group. His expertise, intimate knowledge of the company and deep understanding of the value creation drivers in the video game industry are all assets that will greatly aid Ubisoft in its new development phase. On behalf of all Ubisoft teams, I would like to express my most sincere gratitude to Alain for his unfailing commitment throughout his 19 years with the company. With passion and rigour, Alain has been instrumental in shaping Ubisoft’s success and the Group’s profile as we know it today.”

The transition will also be worked out as smoothly as possible with Martinez working closely with Duguet. The official start date for the CFO switch beings on January 1st, 2019. The new CFP is still undisclosed. Stay tuned for updates.

Meet Fortnite’s new vehicle: The Quadcrasher

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While the most popular battle royale game in the world certainly excels at many things (that’s why it’s so popular), it does have a few things missing- namely a huge selection of vehicles.

Fortnite does have its own variety of ways to “get around,” but vehicular combat isn’t Fortnite’s main game. Though, there has been a shopping cart and an all-terrain kart, but now they’ve announced a new vehicle- the Quadcrasher

The Quadcrasherin an ATV that seats two, with the passenger able to fire their weapon at enemies and the driver having the ability to give the vehicle a shot of adrenaline with a nitrous boost. The bike controls kind of like a tank, but has the ability to smash through obstacles and gets you across any terrain- quickly.

This thing has a ram bar with a mean face and a set of AT tires. Fuse a motorbike with an ATV and put on some funny decals and you’ve got the Quadcrasher. This thing seriously looks like something out of Halo– like the Warthog or something with one person running and the other piloting this bad boy.

You can see the new trailer Epic Games has released for the Quadcrasher here:

New Kingdom Come DLC trailer released: The Amorous Adventures of Bold Sir Hans Capon

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A new content release for Kingdom Come: Deliverance called The Amorous Adventures of Bold Sir Hans Capon was just released today. Warhorse Studios and Deep Silver released this DLC and priced it at a fair MSRP of $9.99. Players can purchase this add-on on the PS Store, Xbox One, and PC.

The DLC adds a few new features to the game. First, they’ll attempt to rescue their friends Hans Capon, who has fallen for a character named Karolina and needs your help to guide him. You’ll need a family jewel, potion, and a romantic poem to get this plan working.

A new Rattay Combat Tournament has also been added to the game for players who want to prove their combat skills in the arena. Players who rise to the top can acquire some pretty unique armor equips.

The Amorous Adventures of Bold Sir Hans Capon is the second add-on for the original game, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, following From the Ashes which was released back in July of this year. This DLC was known for allowing players to establish a village as a newly appointed bailiff starting a new bustling city.

A new trailer to promote this DLC was also released. You can view it here:

Nintendo Switch Diablo bundle revealed; Get the details

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Nintendo Europe announced that a limited edition, special version of the Switch console will be released to pair with Diablo III on the local EU markets. The pack will include Diablo III: Eternal Collection and a special console with docking base that has a custom paint job and special carrying case- all themed to D3’s getup. And the Ganondorf armor set will be paired with the bundle, of course.

There are no current reports on when the bundle may release in North America. The only news was a trailer and a few product picture show sing off the console and accessories, one of which is attached as the featured picture on this article.

UPDATE: Nintendo has announced that the Diablo Switch bundle will launch in the US at the same time as the EU market, but will exclusively be sold at GameStop.

Here’s a trailer showing off the awesome paint job:

The Switch Diablo bundle will launch on the same day the game rolls out- November 2nd. But then again, this is just for EU players. The game will be a port to console from PC back in 2012 and will obviously include extra content for the Nintendo market.

There were also rumors that the game would feature cross-platform play between the consoles, but that was later debunked by a Blizzard representative.

Here’s a screenshot of all the goodies included in the bundle:

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