News | BarrelRolled

Fantom’s new hard drives for Xbox One require no cables, no power

July 2, 2018 by David Wong

Fantom Drives has announced a huge new external hard drive for the Xbox One. It’s a colossal drive that holds up to 5TB of storage, and it’s called the “Fantom Drives Xbox One Storage Drive and Hub.” The name is almost as much as the capacity for your games it can provide.

Large EHDs are nothing new. You can easily buy an 8TB to a 16TB external just as you would buy a 1TB. But the cool part is that it’s built for use with the Xbox One. If you’re going to buy a huge drive, chances are that it’s not made just for console use. The drive provides “massive game storage capacity and gamer mobility” so you get a huge drive that’s also portable. It’ll be able to hold over 120 50GB games on any Xbox- without any wires or cables.

That means it’s completely integrated. It uses a USB connector built right into the device, which means you don’t need any USB cables. There’s also no need for an external power supply. It sucks juice from the power the Xbox One outputs. You can take this thing anywhere where there’s an Xbox and bring your data with you. It’s like a huge memory card. No power needed. No cables needed.

CEO of Fantom, Hamid Khorsandi, says they’re trying to provide a “highly mobile storage drive” while maintaining a similar design to the gaming system. The Storage Drive and Hub series is a new line of products which include 2TB and 4TB variants of this drive. Ther are also high-performance SSDs that come in 1TB and 2TB flavors. All drives come with triple USB ports and house a Seagate HDD inside. They’re all compatible with every Xbox One model on the market right now.

The 5TB flagship model retails for just around $250, 2TB at $120, 1TB at $110. There’s no point in buying the 1TB when you can double the storage for just a mere $10 extra. You can check out the drives on Fantom.

Fortnite physical copies now cost up to $450

July 1, 2018 by David Wong

Fortnite is one of the biggest games on the market today. It’s fun, free-to-play, and one of the most popular games on the planet. It’s even had “endorsement” by Drake.

All the success behind it comes from the fact that it’s a good game and it’s easily downloaded and played for free at no cost to the player.

However, that popularity has skyrocketed the price of the actual disc- up to $450 per copy. The hardcore fans want an actual copy of their favorite battle royale game, and they’ll have to shell out some pretty significant amounts to get it.

Gearbox Software only released a limited number of copies for consoles and PC in Europe. It was a regular $60 release that was focused on PvE “Save the World” content before the battle royale even came out in September of 2017.

Now, the game can’t be easily bought at major retailers anymore. collectors are buying a game that was once sold at MSRP, fan gear that used to be free, and tons of Fortnite swag all over eBay. A Used copy on Amazon will run you $175 without the case. An average copy of the game is $130 on eBay. The same content can be downloaded online for just $40, but that’s just for casual gamers. Hardcore fans want the actual item. This is the Standard Founder’s Pack.

“Save the World” will be free-to-play later this year, which may reduce the value of the disc. But Superfans don’t seem to be stopping. Gearbox Software still has yet to announce another actual disc re-release.

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.

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 1000 (SDM1000) can compete with Intel for lower-power chipsets

June 28, 2018 by David Wong

Details regarding the new processor rumored as the Snapdragon 1000 (SDM1000) has surfaced. You’re probably already familiar with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 850 CPUs which are used in PCs. They’re essentially a faster version of the same chip you’ll find in a typical smartphone.

The Snapdragon 1000 (or should we call it the “K?”) is built for computers from the start. It has a giant footprint compared to the previous ARM chipsets, which measure 20mm x 15mm compared to 12mm x 12mm for the 850, and would use about 12W of power across the system. It’s a direct competitor to Intel’s line of low-power CPUs.

A design found in import databases gives some new hints about what to expect from this new powerful chipset:

It could be hooked with up to 128GB storage models- two of them
It could have up to 16GB of RAM
A possible gigabit Ethernet and socketed CPU design
6.5W power draw with a total of 12W for the entire SoC
Utilizes ARM’s Cortex-A76 architecture for faster speeds (35% increase)
802.11ad WiFi
Gigabit LTE
Power management controller

The SDM1000 is still very much classified, although one of its employees mentioned working on the chip as a Windows multimedia Project Engineer. With its speed, low-power consumption, and applications, it can be a good rival chip for Intel’s related chips. ARM-powered computers are already starting to trend in the market with their cheaper pricing and on-par performance that meets demands of typical consumers.

Image via Qualcomm

We Happy Few – Pre-order goodies and instant $10 savings

June 27, 2018 by David Wong

We Happy Few is set to release on August 10th, 2018. After three years in the making after a Kickstarter project, the game is ready to launch.

If you’ve never heard of it, it’s a game where everyone is on drugs in 1960s England. The townsfolk have gone off their meds and a new government medication known as “Joy” keeps everyone in a fake state of happiness. The game has you playing as one of the few who rebel against the meds and therefore you need to suffer the side effects of withdrawal symptoms. Some countries have banned the game due to drug use.

If you preorder the game, you get to get your hands on some goodies. Gamers who pre-order will get the Jolly Brolly in-game weapon included as a code in the game package. If you preorder at GameStop or Best Buy you can also get a nice $10 off instant discount and the exclusive weapon.

The standard edition will run you $59.99 and is available for PS4 and Xbox One.

The deluxe edition includes the base game and the season pass, which is rumored to include three pieces of content for the game. It’ll run you a pretty $79.99 out of pocket.

And lastly, there’s the Time Capsule collector’s edition comes with something that you may expect- it doesn’t include the game itself. But it does come with collectible items including a sticker set, alarm clock, soundtrack, mask, handbook, lamp, and propaganda posters.

Sit tight for updates as the game approaches the launch date. The propaganda posters are pretty cool and the item that makes it worth it for any hardcore fan.

Unavowed: A new horror point-and-click coming to PC and Mac August 8th

June 26, 2018 by David Wong

Unavowed, a point-and-click semi-horror adventure game, is coming out for PC and Mac on August 8th, 2018.

The game was in development since 2017 and has been shown off at the Play NYC convention. The game is being made by the same guys behind Blackwell and Gemini Rue. They’re based in New York and called Wadjet Eye Games and are known for their point-and-click titles. A trailer was released by Wadjet Eye Games which shows off the horrific and kinda scary environment and dark tone of the game:

We can see the world’s distinctive artwork and the simple point-and-click gameplay mechanics. It’s all pre-rendered so far with no actual in-game gameplay, but we can expect to see more before the launch. The game has you playing as an unknown protagonist who basically gets possessed and goes crazy. You’re then forced to join an ancient society dedicated to stopping evil. They’re call the Unavowed.

You play through the game’s puzzles and unfold the backstory behind the clan and the society dedicated to fight the oncoming darkness. The game looks pretty crazy with the art and design of the environment and world with a retro pixel art-style look. The Steam page is already up and promises some features like multiple origin stories, branching paths, and companions to choose from. The game is also fully voiced and includes an OST with twice the resolution of a typical Wadjet Eye game.

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.

Nintendo and Microsoft found to be in a “lovey-dovey” relationship; Cross-play now available

June 25, 2018 by David Wong

NIntendo just released a new trailer that shows off cross-platform compatibility between the Switch and Xbox One. It depicts two players, one on each console. Both are working together in a rare promotion video that shows off the hardware and gameplay from Microsoft and Nintendo. As rare as this is, it’s freakin’ awesome to see.

The video ends with a weird message:

“Create Together, Explore Together, Survive Together, Better Together.”

Obviously, this is aimed towards how cooperative play across platforms can be fun. But then again, the PlayStation is still missing- to no surprise.

Fortnite was recently released for the Switch last week and it quickly was confirmed that you could like your Epic Games account to PS4, you wouldn’t be able t log in or carry anything over to the Switch. Sony responded to the controversy and just threw a blanket “sorry not sorry” message to the community:

“We’re always open to hearing what the PlayStation community is interested in to enhance their gaming experience.”

Thankfully, Nintendo and Microsoft players don’t have to worry about this issue. nintendo of America Reggie Fils-Aime said:

“What competitors do is their decision to make. We believe being both developer-forward and fan-forward is in the best interest of the game.”

This was a much more direct approach the the issue. They then took it up a notch and went on their official Twitter account and had a conversation with Microsoft, to which then Mojang joined in. Nintendo Tweeted at Xbox asking them if they wanted to “build something” now that they can “play together” to which Xbox responded with a “our bodies are ready. What are we building?”

Afterwards, Minecraft jumps in and suggests something to build to which both Xbox and Nintendo agree upon. Crazy.

Minecraft, Rocket League, Paladins and more have all been cross-play compabiel now with select systems, such as PC, Xbox One, and the Nintendo Switch. It’s a good time to be a Nintendo or Microsoft fanboy. With the start of Minecraft bonding the two rivals, this could be a new “lovey-dovey” relationship.

Currently Switch owners of Minecraft will be able to play with Xbox One players. And if you own the Minecraft Switch Edition, you’ll also be able to upgrade to the new version at no charge.

Google launches Messages for Web – text from your computer

June 24, 2018 by David Wong

Android’s default messaging client just got a new web version on the 20th of June.

Google officially announced it just last week and says that it’ll roll out to everyone over the next week. If you didn’t receive the update yet, sit tight. And if you’re curious about what’s new in the messaging app, here it is in detail.

Android Messages first began as a basic SMS app, but the new web client turns it into their ninth messaging program. Why so many? It’s Google. Who knows. They’re currently servicing Google Talk, Google Voice, Google Buzz, Google+ Messenger, Google Hangouts, Google Spaces, Google Allow, and Google Hangouts Chat.

Now, we have Messages for Web.

If you have no idea what this is, it’s basically your Messages app but an online version of it that connects to a computer so you can text from your computer.

It was first announced about two months ago when Allo was going to be abandoned. The team then moved over to Android MEssages to focus on improving the app with a mix of Allow features, like a web interface. Google would give up on building a messaging service altogether and just improve upon this SMS/RCS app.

The server-side update is live for your phone’s app and you’ll be able to simply tap the menu button and then launch “Messages for Web” and that’s it. It uses a QR-code login system instead of your typical Google Account, which means you can only log into one computer at a time. And it’s connected to your phone number, which means you don’t want to be switching phone numbers or computers.

Since it’s just a web client, there’s no direct and easy way to get a computer connected to it all the time, unlike Hangouts with Chrome.

CEO of Intel’s affair ended before he took the position in 2013

June 23, 2018 by David Wong

CEO Brian Krzanich resigned from Intel on Thursday when it was discovered that he had relationships with his colleague. It’s reported that the woman he was having an affair with still works for the company and the whole thing started over a decade ago. When she met Krzanich, she was working in a distant position as a middle manager.

Krzanich’s wife Brandee had also worked at Intel before as a process engineer before he became CEO of Intel in 2013. The affair was stopped before he took the position, but the policy that prohibits any sexual and romantic relationships with co-workers was put into place in 2011. So thus, he was still in violation of such acts. Before there was the policy, Intel already had multiple office relationships going on.

Krzanich’s resignation is not the only one in the industry. Many people of high positions have been fired or forcefully resigned across many industries as scandals and the #MeToo movement snowballed. His resignation was thought to be triggered when a current employee talked about the affair to another who then reported it to Intel’s counsel on June 14. This sparked the process and made headlines after it went up in flames.

Intel’s stock has been dipping due to this news and has dropped a few dollars to the $52 mark from mid-$55.

Nioh 2 will feature character creation and will be more “ideal” to the series

June 23, 2018June 23, 2018 by Andy Wang

Koei Tecmo revealed some info about their Nioh 2 game during the PS Live coverage at E3. It looks like it’ll improve upon its previous game with some nice RPG elements and also a character creation mode.

Game director Fumihiko Yasuda outlined the overall goal for the game stating that creating a “proper, natural evolution” from the first game was a necessary step in development. The outcome didn’t result in huge changes but rather improved upon weak areas in the original game. The team was happy over the lukewarm success of Nioh, but this time, they want to fix all the original problems and make this game a more solid version of what they had originally planned.

Team Ninja is well-known for their reaction games but Nioh was more of an RPG. It was a change of pace from what they’re good at making so the game wasn’t perfected the first time around.

The latest addition to the series will have a story that ties in the with the previous game and made in a way where new players will still be able to understand it without playing the original. A character creation option will be available as it was most requested from fans of the game. Players will now be able to modify the race, gender, and looks of their awesome ninja. The experience Team Ninja gained through Nioh will allow them to make an even better game this time around- perhaps to what they had originally planned and we’ll get to experience the world of Nioh in all its glory.

From the trailer, we can’t really see any major differences other than some eye-candy for the time being. We’ll just have to sit tight and take their word for it.

There’s no release date as of now. It’s likely to be initially released on PS4 just like the original game.

Yoshi game delayed until 2019 but “making great progress”

June 22, 2018 by Andy Wang

The anticipated Yoshi game coming on the Nintendo Switch has been delayed until 2019 based on official word from Nintendo themselves.

It was absent from Nintendo’s E3 presentation and the reason is none other than the delay. Now we know why- it’s because of the delay. Nintendo updated its US and UK sites with the game’s new release date marked as 2019. It was originally announced for the Nintendo Switch back at last year’s E3 and it was due to release in 2018. It even had a playable demo on the floor. A specific date wasn’t announced, by the rumors were that it’d be out in 2018.

Yoshi is a 2D puzzle platformer game that has the guys from Good-Feel developing it. If you’ve never heard of them, they made Yoshi’s Wooly Wolrd and Kirby’s Epic Yarn, so they know their way around creating a cute platformer.

Bill Trinen, Nintendo of America’s product marketing director, stated that the game wasn’t at E3, but development is still progressing and that they’ll “have updates later this year” and that the game is “making great progress.”

Yoshi is the working title of the game since the beginning and will likely change as we shift into 2019. If you’ve been waiting for this game, don’t worry, the mini dinosaur will be coming soon. You can still catch Yoshi in other titles like Super Mario Party, Mario Tennis Aces, and of course, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Nintendo’s anti-piracy measures “perfectly” prevents stolen content

June 21, 2018 by David Wong

Nintendo’s new anti-piracy measures seem to be doing exactly as they planned- and they’re pretty happy about it.

A Redditor, SciresM, broke down exactly how they work in a post. He says that when you go online with your Switch, Nintendo will run a check on whether or not you have data coming from an authorized game card for the title. If it’s legitimate, your console will get a unique ticket that allows you to play it online. If not, your cartridge will be banned from being able to be played online and you could be banned from the Nintendo Network. Pirated games seem to automatically trigger such a ban.

He then talks about how Nintendo “perfectly” prevents online piracy because these tickets can make it easy for Nintendo do detect when games are pirated and shared between people. They can verify the ID associated with the ticket and make sure it matches the ID for the device that’s using it. If they’re different, the game gets banned. And the tickets can’t be created or generated like serial keys.

At this point, we’re unsure if illegal games could work offline, but it seems like it’ll only protect against games being played online as they require an active connection to the internet.

This new measure is likely due to a security issue Nintendo had wehere two exploits in the hardware of the Switch was publicly revealed. Nintendo has since strengthened their stance on piracy:

“Nintendo opposes those who benefit and trade off the creative work of game developers, artists, animators, musicians, motion capture artists and others,” the website reads. “Piracy continues to be a significant threat to Nintendo’s business, as well as to the businesses of more than 1,400 game development companies that work to provide games for Nintendo systems. Most importantly, game developers and publishers depend on the legitimate sales of their games in order to survive.

“Piracy discourages innovation and new game development; it can also lead to a reduction in the number of jobs available within the industry, all of which ultimately impacts the consumer.”

Former CEO of Telltale suing his own company

June 21, 2018 by David Wong

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

June 20, 2018 by Andy Wang

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

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.

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

June 18, 2018 by David Wong

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

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.

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

June 17, 2018 by David Wong

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.

Microsoft announces new Surface Pro devices, Andromeda, HoloLens, and next Xbox

June 16, 2018 by David Wong

Microsoft will have some pretty neat future hardware, as their plans have been leaked so we can all ogle at what we have in store.

In 2019, there’s a new version of HoloLens codenamed Sydney. The documents hint that it’ll hit the market for developers and possibly commercial availability also. it’ll be a lot cheaper than the current version, lighter, more comfortable, and with an improved display. It’ll also likely use a sensor package from Project Kinect for Azure announced at the Build developer conference last May and include the newer, second-gen holographic CPU.

Next, Microsoft’s pocketable two-screen device named Andromeda is supposed to hit the shelves in 2018. It’s a product in its own market which will define a new hardware form factor. Like the Surface Pro, it’ll be a completely different piece of hardware that’s currently not in existence. It’ll have to offer similar appeal to the Surface Pro and be able to be widely used at the same time.

There’s also a new line of Surface Pro devices with codenames Carmel, Libar, and Andromeda as mentioned already. Carmel is the next device in the like of the Surface Pro. It’ll feature new Intel CPUs as Intel is refreshing their mobile processors later this year. The two CPUs in question are codenamedWhiskeyy Lake and Amber Lake- with power consumptions of about 15W and 4.5W, respectively.

Lastly, the next Xbox was confirmed to be in development and is due for release in 2020 with the codename Scarlett. It’ll likely be a family of devices rather than a single piece of hardware that keeps backward compatibility for games, as that’s what Microsoft has a history of doing. It’ll also likely just be a faster version of the current Xbox One X- to put it simplified.

Apple rumored to be ditching physical buttons on the Apple Watch

June 15, 2018 by David Wong

FastCompany released a report today saying that Apple will release a future version of the Apple Watch that’ll have touch-sensitive buttons instead of clickable ones.

This applies to both the crown and traditional single button watches that currently show the apps recently used. However, the button configuration won’t change. They’ll stay the same and the user will be able to touch each one and the watch will provide haptic feedback.

A similar change was made to the iPhone 7, which was filed with mixed reactions. MacBook trackpads did the same thing with localized feedback.

It’s also said that the change will be made to free up space in the device for other parts. This could also help with water resistance also as Apple is rumored to be working on a new biometric sensor to the buttons. This shouldn’t be surprising given their history of ditching buttons when possible.

The next Apple Watch is due for release this Septemeber. If this feature isn’t implemented yet, it’ll likely be next year’s model instead.

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.

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

June 13, 2018 by David Wong

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

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.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey description leaked on the PS Store

June 11, 2018 by David Wong

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

June 10, 2018 by David Wong

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?

June 9, 2018 by David Wong

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

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.