Games

Former CEO of Telltale suing his own company

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Former CEO of Telltale suing his own company 1

The former CEO of Telltale Games is suing the company for a “breach of contract.”

Kevin Bruner was the originally appointed CEO in 2015 when he replaced Dan Connors. Two years later, Bruner stepped down and stayed on the board during the period which then was replaced on an interim by Connors. The new CEO is Peter Hawley, which is a former Zynga executive.

Bruner now wants to sue Telltale. He filed a lawsuit claiming that the board members wanted to replace him because they wanted to change the business model of the company. Telltale was required to provide him with support in selling his holding but then “cut off communication with him.”

The lawsuit was reviewed and it was found that “confidentiality and financial privacy override the right of public access to case records” Telltale then responded saying it was nonsense and Bruner supervised the company during its decline and tried to get rid of the case, but the judge, Roy Chernus, ruled that it required further investigation.

Bruner has been accused of imposing pretty inhuman conditions on his employees.

The lawsuit will return to court on July 17th, 2018. Stay tuned for updates.

RAGE 2 will run at 60FPS on PS4 Pro, PC, and Xbox One X; More details revealed

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RAGE 2 will run at 60FPS on PS4 Pro, PC, and Xbox One X; More details revealed 2

id Software and Avalanche’s upcoming FPS game RAGE 2 has some more juicy details announced.

Firstly, the game will be only single-player. If you’ve played the original game, it had two online modes- Road Rage which was a destruction derby FFA and Wasteland Legends which was a series of co-op missions that was available locally and online. RAGE 2 won’t have any of that.

Designer Magnus Nedfors said that the teams were only “focused on the best open-world single-player game” that they can make and that’s what they’re focused on.

Secondly, RAGE 2 will be running at 60FPS on PC, PS4 Pro, and Xbox One X with the Apex Engine which is also used in games like Mad Max, Just Cause 4, and other titles. For owners of PS4 and Xbox One base consoles, they won’t be able to achieve the 60FPS. While this is the first game that doesn’t use the id Tech engine, it does have a similar engine to their other titles with Apex.

RAGE 2 will focus on Walker, who is one of the last Rangers in the wasteland. He wants to take vengeance against the Authority for taking his homeland. Many elements will return like vehicular combat, Wingstick projectile, and enemies. It was announced in May and released with more details during the E3 conference with Bethesda.

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

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Super Mario Party's online mode is just for minigames - nothing else 3

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.

Telltale making Stranger Things game; Netflix streaming Minecraft: Story Mode

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Telltale making Stranger Things game; Netflix streaming Minecraft: Story Mode 4

Telltale is making a Stranger Things game.

The deal was confirmed between Netflix and Telltale to bring a new adaptation of the company’s previous Minecraft: Story Mode adventure game to the streaming giant. A separate deal then followed which will have Telltale make a Stranger Things videogame which will be published on PC and consoles. It’ll be the second Stranger Things entry after the mobile action-adventure game was developed by BonusXP.

Netflix reached out to TechRadar and confirmed the rumor to which then telltale posted about it on their official Twitter account.

They then went on to talk about the new partnership with Netflix and that they’re “thrilled” to confirm it. There may be other details following with their new partnership.

The game itself will likely be an episodic adventure along the lines of Game of Thrones or The Wolf Among Us. No release date has been given and neither what the game will focus on- story or otherwise.

As for the Minecraft: Story Mode adaptation, it’ll be similar to other interactive properties on Netflix such as Buddy Thunderstruck: The Maybe Pile. That’s about it for now. Stay tuned for updates.

GreedFall trailer shows off historic European themes

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GreedFall trailer shows off historic European themes 5

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.

Next-gen Xbox “Scarlett” will be a series of devices rather than a single unit

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Next-gen Xbox "Scarlett" will be a series of devices rather than a single unit 6

E3 was a huge success as it got fans excited more than ever for official reports of upcoming games.

The next Xbox, codenamed Scarlett, was released at Microsoft’s press conference which showed off a broad range of game titles and very little time for the tech powering the games. Phil Spencer, the top dog of Xbox, suggested that a wave of next-gen projects are moving forward under that same esoteric name.

He spoke on the vibrant nature of the games industry and promised Microsoft’s commitment tot he future that involves AI, cloud-based streaming, and the next Xbox console.

He used the word “consoles” which suggests that it’ll be more than a single piece of the console. This means a whole multitude of devices. The speech focused on talking about games more than hardware and fans were fine with it. Halo Infinity, Cybperunk 2077, The Division 2, and even Fallout 76.

With such diverse games, the console has nothing to show for it at this point. We’ll have to scrap the tidbits of info like usual until time tells all the details.

Paradox Interactive buys out Harebrained Schemes

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Paradox Interactive buys out Harebrained Schemes 7

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.

J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions partners with Tencent and Warner Bros. to make games

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J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot Productions partners with Tencent and Warner Bros. to make games 8

Bad Robot Productions, J.J. Abrams’ company, is known for creating many popular TV and films such as Alias, Lost, Fringe, Westworld, Person of Interest, Star Trek, and a lot more. The company announced that it would create “both large and indie-scale projects for mobile, PC, and console” and also partnered with Tencent- the popular Chinese gaming company who will provide some funding for their projects.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment division will also act as a small investor in the partnership. Tencent will hold all commercial rights to copies sold overseas.

Abrams has talked about film adaptations for games like Portal and Half-Life, which is probably a good hint at the future of games Bad Robot will create. They’ve only announced two developers- Dave Baronoff and Tim Keenan. Baronoff has credits as a producer for two Star Trek games while Keenan is an indie developer that has completed a few titles like A Virus Named TOM and Duskers.

Abrams says:

“I’m a massive games fan, and increasingly envious of the amazing tools developers get to work with, and the worlds they get to play in. Now we are doubling down on our commitment to the space with a unique co-development approach to game making that allows us to focus on what we do best, and hopefully be a meaningful multiplier to our developer partners.”

 

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

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What's new in the Kingdom Come: Devlierance 1.5 patch; From the Ashes DLC info 9

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.

 

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey description leaked on the PS Store

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Assassin's Creed Odyssey description leaked on the PS Store 10

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey had a description leak on the PS Store for just a tidbit in time.

A post was found on Reddit that had someone show off a screenshot of the game’s description. However, the only confirmation about this game is a tweet from the official Twitter account that only says “SEE YOU AT E3” in bold letters on a new logo and title.

There isn’t much about the game beyond that.

From the leak, we can see that the game will be during Spartan times where your choices affect the outcome of the game. If the description is accurate, the game will likely take place in Greece. This would be the first time a game from the AC series has taken place in this setting. It’s been mentioned multiple times already in the series.

The image for the game’s art shows off some Greek weaponry that the Spartans toted during their time in wars. Spartans would venture in the night to stealthily assassinate targets, so it’s fitting for the next title.

As of now, this is all just hearsay. Nothing is confirmed. We’ll have to stay tuned and wait for the announcement at some point during E3.

Hitman 2 being developed by Warner Bros. leaked pre-E3

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Hitman 2 being developed by Warner Bros. leaked pre-E3 11

Another game was leaked before E3 on the 4th of June.0506

It was Hitman 2. And it had a logo on Warner Bros. Interactive’s page. Since then, it’s been removed. It’s unknown if the title is just a remake or a related game to the Hitman 2: Silent Assassin game which was released back in 2002. It’s likely season two of Hitman which got a retail release with Warner Bros. this year and started releases back in 2016.

IO-Interactive is the developer which was originally a part of Square Enix before they were sold off. It got to keep the rights to the series which they’ve held onto since 2000. CEO Hakan Abrack confirmed a new entry is being developed back in late 2017, so this is probably the game he was talking about.

The official Hitman and WB Games Twitter account have also been teasing a new game. It hinted at a return of Agent 47 stating that news was coming on June 7th, and it pointed out that a game reveals referencing their pre-E3 announcement. The teaser showed off a racecar with the Hamsun brand. Hitman gamers will know that this is a makeshift oil company in season 1 of the of the original episodic Hitman title released by Square Enix.

Since 2000, the series has spanned six games and is a popular title for its stealth action gameplay. The latest title was released in 2016 and was praised for its movie-like content, but still received a mixed reception. IO-Interactive is likely to continue with the episodic content strategy as they’ve been working on it during their sale from Square Enix.

Tales of Vesperia remaster on the way?

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Tales of Vesperia remaster on the way? 12

Another rumor has surfaced that a remaster of Tales of Vesperia is on the way.

Gematsu has found a password-protected page which then claimed that it’s a remaster of the game for the 10th anniversary which will be announced at E3 this year. The game was first released back in 2008 and it’s widely considered to be the best of the bunch. It’s the 10th game in the series of RPGs developed by Namco.

It follows the story of an imperial knight who takes on an adventure to unravel a mystery behind an energy source known as blastia. Yuri Lowell is the main protagonist who’s joined by many other friends and companions during the journey.

The game had a re-release in 2009 which addicting full voiceovers, new characters, and new dungeons. The last Tales game was released in 2017. Stay tuned for updates.

Subnautica partners with The Whale and Dolphin Conservation

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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?

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XCOM 2 getting new content pack? 13

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.

State of Decay 2 fixes itself up with a huge 20GB patch

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State of Decay 2 fixes itself up with a huge 20GB patch 14

State of Decay 2 has received some positive reviews so far. Players have racked up over 600 million zombies slain in just a few weeks since the game’s launch.

I recently covered that the game garnered over 1 million players, but the game was still riddled with bugs. Now, a 20GB patch went live on June 5th, 2018 that patches a huge number of plaguing issues- no pun intended.

You can find the full list on their page, but here are some highlights of what’s new in the State of Decay 2 patch:

  • Improved game stability
  • Improved networking interactions for clients
  • Improved vehicle interactions
  • Out Of Memory crash fix
  • Networking bandwidth and CPU improvements
  • Vehicle interactions in multiplayer games to address weird “rubber-banding” and physics issues
  • Flying cars bug
  • General crash bugs
  • Bug with player HUD disappearing after NPCs are executed by zombies
  • Collision spots across all 3 maps where players or vehicles were getting stuck
  • Collision spots across all 3 maps where players were getting stuck in an infinite freefall animation loop

This should make some players very happy because they were at the point where the bugs could ruin gameplay and make the game unplayable. Now, it’s nice to see that Undead Labs are working hard on the issue.

Jeff Strain, CEO of Undead Labs, says:

Hey fellow survivors, I just wanted to drop in a quick personal note on behalf of the development team to thank you for your support and for jumping in with us on State of Decay 2. This patch today is just the beginning — we have big plans for State of Decay 2, and we’re humbled and appreciative to you for giving us the opportunity to make those big plans happen. Keep playing, keep surviving (or not, as sometimes happens), and stay tuned for more good stuff!

This is awesome for all players who’ve held off on the game. It’s a good time to get into it whether or not you’ve purchased a copy for yourself yet. Or if you’re on the fence, this should sweeten the deal!

New Diablo game confirmed by Blizzard

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New Diablo game confirmed by Blizzard 15

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

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Fallout 76 will be an online survival RPG 16

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.

Fallout 76 announced; possible online Fallout game

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Fallout 76 announced; possible online Fallout game 17

A 24-hour live stream debuted nothing but a “Please Stand By” sign, a figurine, a watch, and random things on screen from employees at Bethesda. Over 2 million viewers still watched it.

Todd appears later and thanks everyone for showing up. Then shows off a new trailer for the newest Fallout game.

Fallout 76 was announced. The trailer shows off some of the fine artwork and ends with an unknown character wearing a jacket with the logo. Vault 76 is one of the 17 control vaults and had 500 occupants at one point. It was set to be unlocked only 20 years after a nuclear war. It has been referred to in Fallout 3 Mothership Zeta and Fallout 4 in the prologue segment.

Jason Schreier, a Koatku reporter, stated that he hard about Fallout 76 being an online game developed by Bethesda in Maryland and Austin. There’s no detail about whether or not this is true. Details expected at E3 this year.

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

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Is Temtem is the Pokemon MMO we've all been waiting for? 18

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

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Agony censoring extreme content; beyond "Adults Only" rating 19

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.

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GTA Online getting new music? DLC? New update coming June 2018. 20

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.

Build your own prehistoric civilization in Madruga Works’ next game – Dawn of Man

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Build your own prehistoric civilization in Madruga Works' next game - Dawn of Man 21

Madruga Works is announcing a new game called Dawn of Man.

They’re the devs behind the space colony game Planetbase, which allowed players to explore space and colonize a wide variety of planets- each with their own pros and cons. The game had a few minor issues and wasn’t perfect, but that still didn’t make it a huge flop. It was released on PC and later ported to Xbox One in May 2017.

Madruga Works now is working on Dawn of Man, which is another colonial-type game except it takes place on a smaller, yet more detailed, scale. This time you build out and village tens of thousands of years ago back in the caveman era, or at least it appears so. Humanity is still on the brink of survival and is struggling to make it past the days with basic tools and no electricity. Players will create their own prehistoric village and guide its development and evolution over a period of 10,000 years. It’s like Spore but stuck in the prehistoric era.

Like many other games in this genre, you’ll have to gather basic supplies in order to the proposer. You can farm animals, hunt them, craft stuff, and breed out your population. Gathering materials like wood, stone, flint, berries, meat, skin, clothing, and food are all necessary to mankind.

The Steam store page shows that you can build up your village in preparation for conflict. There will likely be some PvE elements or possibly even PvP as well. The trailer shows off some raiding between players, so PvE is likely confirmed. Wild animals, humans, and other savage beasts lurk around your village and it’s up you to defend it.

The title will be available sometime in late 2018. Sit tight for updates. This time around, it may just be a hit.

Source: TechRaptor.

State of Decay garners 1 million players; Framerate and bugs “number one” priority

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State of Decay garners 1 million players; Framerate and bugs "number one" priority 22

State of Decay 2 has reached over 1 million players in just a mere two days after its Standard Edition launch.

It was launched on May 22 for PC and Xbox One. The exclusive title to Microsoft launched on the Xbox Game Pass on the same day as well. The Ultimate Edition launched on May 18- a few days prior. But the 1 million player number includes everyone who has bought the game, used copies, Game Pass users, and game sharing also. Either way, it’s a pretty decent title.

The milestone was first announced on the Xbox Wire. 675 million zombies were killed, 6 million bags of snacks were eaten, and over 6 million firecrackers and fireworks were used. Plus over 6 million player hours played. The player count is probably due to the Game Pass inclusion at launch, following Sea of Thieves back in March. Plans to launch every first-party title on release day has been upheld so far.

State of Decay 1 broke records early as well. It reached over 500,000 players in just two weeks back 5 years ago. It was fastest-selling original XBLA game ever made. Players complained about FPS and bugs, but the game is new. They’ll be patched soon enough as Undead Labs continues to work on the game and fix it up.

Microsoft and Undead Labs say:

“The team at Microsoft Studios and Undead Labs continue to work on updating the game to address these issues as our number one priority”.

Dark Souls-like Action RPG Unworthy coming out on May 29th

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Dark Souls-like Action RPG Unworthy coming out on May 29th 23

Unworthy is a new 2D Metroidvania game that plays similar to Dark Souls.

It’s the second game from indie developer Aleksandar Kuzmanovic and plays in the classical tradition of being a hardass action RPG. It’s a “hardcore combat-focused Metroidvania” where players can explore a grim universe. The game also offers a ton of weapons, unique abilities, and plenty of lands to explore.  He also uploaded a new video showing off the game as sort of a teaser trailer.

From the trailer, you can see that the game is very similar to Dark Souls. in that players must defend themselves and forge a new path in a grim world with black-and-white pixel art. The game has enemies, bosses, and plenty of hazards that can be dodged by rolling or blocking. The game also has an in-game cash shop where players can buy items and gear. The game is pretty much an indie version of Dark Souls.

Players will be controlling an unknown hero who wanders the lands in search of meaning. The narrative is similar to Dark Souls., so it’s not surprising to see indie games paying homage to it.

Unworthy will be released on Steam on May 29th with a $14.99 price tag.

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

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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

Sega confirms Yakuza 3, 4, and 5 getting remasters – 60FPS and HD resolutions

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Sega will be releasing a remaster of Yakuza 3, 4, and 5.

Yakuza 3 will be released on 8/9/18 in Japan, as reported by Dengeki PlayStation and Weekly Famitsu. The remasters will update the entire Yakuza library in order to make it playable on the PS4, but not in English. They’ll all run at a smooth 60FPS as well, and also have support for 1080p resolution. There’s no report on when the English version will release as of now.

The game will retail in Japan for 4000 yen. Yakuza 3 is the first of the trilogy to get the remaster. The other titles will come following afterward, as expected.

Yakuza 3 continues the story of Kazuma Kiryu and Haruka Sawamura as they try to forge a new life in Okinawa. Kazuma returns to the Morning Glory orphanage where they plan to hide and wait for the events of Yakuza 1 and 2 settles. Kazuma then has an encounter with Goro Majima and other characters from his past and then finds himself sucked back into the world of crime once again.

Producer Daisuke Saito believes there’s a market for remasters in Japan. Especially with the reception of Yakuza Kiwami and Kiwami 2, remastering older games is a good idea. Several reviews stated that a number of minigames and additional content was implemented for the NA release of the game. Fans should sit tight for the announcement.

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

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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

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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!

Stellaris: Distant Stars DLC update – what’s coming

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Paradox Interactive has recently announced that their awesome epic strategy game Stellaris has a new DLC pack coming next week.

Fans of the game will already know what to expect. But those who aren’t really familiar with it or have put it down for a bit may be surprised to see the updates.

Stellaris: Distant Stars will bring a new focus on discovering new and weird creatures that lie in the far reaches of space. New surprises will occur that may help or harm your exploration adventures, and new revelations will be received in this DLC pack geared towards building a backstory.

There will also be new solar systems to be discovered each with their own tale to tell. The more you traverse the galaxy, the more you’ll find in terms of new tech to implement to your ship and new resources to utilize. If you’re a fan of exploration, you’ll probably like this update. Then again, this game is all about exploration in space.

You’ll find some hidden traces of a gateway network that gives way to a hidden constellation that lies outside of your own galaxy. You don’t know what’s hiding in this far void, but you’ll have to find out by taking the dive. As you travel to this new galaxy, you’ll find some notable resources and events that’ll allow your team to learn new methods of observing and analyzing the entire galaxy.

The new DLC pack pretty much focuses on having you do what the game does best- explore. You’ll get rewarded handsomely for exploring deep space and a lot fo backfill storyline for those who care.

There will also be plenty of new monsters waiting for you also. You’ll find huge creatures that live in wide areas that are behemoths in scale. Some of them are gentle, others not so much.

Stellaris: Distant Stars will arrive on PC, Mac OS X, and Linux on May 22, 2018. Be ready to explore some real space.

Metro Exodus delayed until 2019

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Exodus will be delayed.

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.