News

Steam Machine removed from Steam – Is Valve killing their PC console?

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Steam Machine has been discontinued?

Valve, the developer of the omnipresent Steam DRM platform, has gone ahead and removed the sales section for Steam Machines.

It was two years ago when it first launched. Now, less than 500,000 units later, Steam has removed its console competitor.

It was supposed to be a unit that competes against pricey consoles. They’re basically pre-built PC gaming consoles run by SteamOS, which is a customized version of Linux OS. It gave gamers an alternative console experience for computer games instead of buying an expensive gaming computer.

However, if you look at Steam’s sales pages now, all you’ll see are the Steam Controller, Steam Link, and HTC Vive. Only the hardware accessories pages can be reached at this point- and only if you’re in the USA or UK. Anyone else will get nothing but a 404. You can still buy a Steam Machine, but it’s not a part of the DRM anymore. Well, not connected like how it used to be.

Valve’s idea was met with praise from many gamers when it was announced back in 2013. However, it quickly went to shreds when it was delayed again and again. Even after launch, SteamOS had many issues and also has rumors that it sold customer data. Even with constant updates to it, it still wasn’t enough to get gamers to buy it.

Now, Valve is giving up on the Steam Machine and looking to promote the Steam Link instead. The Link allows players to connect their PC to a TV using Wi-Fi. Although this is nothing new, it’s a way for Steam to get their proprietary product out there and get a piece of the action. This will be their new product going forward.

 

Pathfinder: Kingmaker trailer reveals some neat features

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pathfinder-kingmaker-header-1024x576

Pathfinder: Kingmaker just got a new trailer and it looks freakin’ amazing.

It’s being developed by Owlcat Games and published by My.com. The first teaser trailer just rolled out and fills in some details about the anticipated tabletop RPG-based isometric game. We covered the announcement of this series earlier.

The trailer shows off some of the game’s lore, companions, and features. You can watch it here:

 

There’s a whole team of veterans in the RPG industry that have previously worked on huge AAA titles like Silent Storm, Heroes of Might and Magic V, Skyforge, Etherlods, Fallout 2, Planescape: Torment, and many other games. Chris Avellone is the narrative designer of the game and he’s a pretty important person in the field given his amazing work on the Fallout series.

The game will have a fully dynamic world complete with living, breathing environments such as a day/night cycle, weather patterns, and even season cycles. It’ll also have character customization and allow players to choose from seven core races and fourteen classes with up to three different archetypes. All this combination allows for many different playstyles and strategies and gives players the freedom to be what they want and fulfill their desired role.

There will also be eleven different companions available as well with unique stories and backgrounds. Players can influence the kingdom they live in and change how the people see you. It gives you a lot of freedom to fulfill and choose your own destiny, which is a pretty cool feature to have in a game based on a tabletop game.

Pathfinder has its roots as a tabletop game and is being transformed into an isometric computer game, so the transition needs to be smooth and monitored closely to keep the game’s original intent without too much of a drastic change. I’m pretty sure fans of the game will appreciate it. The dev team is working under Paizo’s supervision- the creators of the franchise and original owners. The game is based on Paizon’s Kingmaker adventure path for the original Pathfinder RPG. Players build a kingdom in the Stolen Lands and defend it against many different threats.

Pathfinder: Kingmaker will release in Summer 2018 for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Paizo has also announced the second edition of Pathfinder tabletop which will release next year in August. Stick around for updates on this upcoming title.

PlayStation 4’s TV and Video section gets a makeover in latest update

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PS4's TV and Video gets a makeover and update for an easier and centralized experience.

PlayStation has recently gotten a new makeover in the TV and Video section according to a post on their official blog.

As you probably know, the PS4 allows you to watch shows and TV through the menus using the system’s OS. The TV and Video portion have been in need of some major updates for a while now, as it was dragging behind the Xbox One.

The major update is the condensing of the video content all within a central location. All you need to do is launch the TV and Video app and you can manage everything in one screen without having to jump through different apps just to watch some videos. However, some players are used to this so the developers still let you do it the old-fashioned way if you’re used to it.

The new Featured section contains highlights from across all the video platforms. The Spotlight section does the same thing but only groups videos around a central theme- similar to what Xbox One is currently doing. For example, if the theme is action, the Spotlight may group a whole bunch of action shows and movies in one place. And the PS Vue section shows you live broadcasts that are popular in your current location in real-time. These are trending channels that you may be interested in.

You also get direct app access to the stuff you use most and a full list of available video platforms along with your PS Store video library.

The update also allows for a personalized experience on YouTube. You can tie your Google Account to your PlayStation and see suggestions on your menu based on your video tastes. Plans to do the same for other video platforms in the works.

If you use your PlayStation as a media center, you’ll be glad to know that Netflix, Hulu, and other on-demand media also have some minor adjustments to make the experience easier and smoother overall. The update should already be live for all PS4 owners.

You can get the full scoop on the PS blog.

Image via PS Blog.

Build your dream Jurassic Park in Jurassic World Evolution (news and release date)

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Jurassic World Evolution will be coming out for consoles and PC on June 12, 2018.

Jurassic World Evolution has just gotten its release date.

It’s a game being developed by Frontier Development, which you may have already heard of. They’re taking the name and making into an awesome theme park simulator akin to Rollercoaster Tycoon or Sim Theme Park. The game has been announced to release on June 12th, 2018 as shown in a teaser trailer which you can see at the end of this article.

Just by watching the trailer, you can see that the game will have lots of different buildings, dinosaurs, and attractions to get the most profit from each patron. As a theme park owner, it’s your job to balance customer happiness with tons and tons of cash! If you’ve pretty much played any theme park sim before, you’ll know how it goes.

You’ll have to build rides, structures, food stalls, attractions, facilities, manage resources, hire staff, and even control the dinosaurs when they break out of some faulty fences or a natural disaster hits and your park has dinosaurs running amok!

The graphics take on a realistic and detailed format, unlike your traditional theme park builder. This makes it a lot more fitting tot he genre. It takes facilities and tech from the 2015 film Jurassic World as you can see from the train rides and ball rides in the trailer preview.

Jurassic World Evolution was announced during Gamescom 2017 and revealed that players can breed new dinosaurs by bio-engineering them. You can see raptors, triceratops, and t-rex dinosaurs all in the preview trailer. The game also has narration by Dr. Ian Malcolm himself, which is awesome and should please a lot of fans. He’ll be your alert system, tutorial system, and tip generator as you build and expand your theme park. The game also takes on a consequence system where your decision will make sure there are consequences that result. Basically, what you do matters. It feels like a real park.

The game will be released on PC, PS4, and Xbox One- possibly because it’s same time when Fallen Kingdom comes out on July 22nd, 2018. It’s likely done to match up with the release of their next major movie.

Aftercharge will have cross-platform play on Xbox One, Switch, and PC

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Aftercharge will be available for console release soon and supports cross-platform play.

Chainawesome Games announced that their new game Aftercharge will be released on Xbox One, PC, and Switch with full support for cross-platform play between all three platforms.

If you haven’t heard of Aftercharge, it’s basically a 3v3 arena shooter. The game features attackers and defenders on maps with power nodes which are basically capture points. One team has to defend them while the other needs to destroy them. Defenders are incinvible and are equipped with weapons that recharge from the node points. This makes it so that if you’re a defender, you need to stay close to the objective points. The attackers use stealth technology that enables them to sneak around the defenders and destroy the nodes.

The game is currently in early access on Steam and is planned to get a full release soon. The cross-platform play will be awesome and ensure a larger playerbase over a diverse number of individuals who’ve mastered the game using their console of choice. Nintendo’s Switch doesn’t have many titles that offer this feature, so it’s nice to see Aftercharge added to the limited list of cross-platform Siwtch games.

Image via Chainawesomegames.

Far Cry 3 Classic Edition release date announced

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Far Cry 3 will be released on June 26th for consoles.

Ubisoft has confirmed the release date of Far Cry 3 Classic Edition in a forum post.

The news states that the game will be released on consoles on June 26th, 2018. For players who have the Far Cry 5 Season Pass, they’ll be able to get it on May 29th instead- a whole month earlier.

Far Cry 3 is probably their most successful game in the entire series. It utilizes mechanics of the previous games in the lineup and that’s probably why it was chosen to be the game to get the honor of being remastered. Far Cry 5 seems to be a whopping success, so Ubisoft continues the celebration with Far Cry 3 Classic Edition for raving fans and new players to the series. It’s probably my favorite of the bunch, but I can’t make that statement yet as I have yet to complete Far Cry 5.

Far Cry 5‘s Season Pass not only includes access to early grabs on Far Cry 3 Classic Edition, but also tons of DLC content like Hours of Darkness, Dead Living Zombies, and Lost on Mars. These add-ons are an integral part of the game as they show off the chaos of the game.

The Classic Edition is basically a remastered edition of the game. It’s a mashup of the game’s original content with newer graphics that can be compared to “high” settings on the PC edition. The multiplayer and co-op content won’t be included, however.

Players rave Far Cry 3 because it connects all the game’s mechanics with freedom of exploration and diverse gameplay. The character building and storyline is also superb. If you just got into Far Cry and missed out on this game, you need to play it. If you have the Season Pass already, then good job. You’re in for a treat.

Image via Ubisoft forums.

An indie title that tackles bullying; The Path of Motus is coming Summer 2018

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The Path of Motus is a game about bullying where words literally hurt.

The Path of Motus is a game that aims to depict the effect of hurtful words.

Before you dismiss it as some anti-bullying campaign, it’s actually a very well-done and unique little concept that’s pretty awesome. It’s designed by Michael Hicks and Goncalo Antunes- two indie developers who want to make a game that tackles the subject of bullying. Although it’s not the first game to showcase the trauma and ongoing effects of bullying in the world, it’s a unique way to represent it.

In the world of The Path of Motus, words literally hurt. The game has you playing as Motus, a kid who wants to build and escape out of a fantasy city inhabited by goblins by building bridges. Bullies are ever-present int he game and need to be dealt with accordingly. The city is full of bullies who aren’t too nice to one another, and it’s up to you to find out why the city is this way.

The bridges built in the game are done by solving a bunch of puzzles which range from simple to complex. Motus ages throughout the game and progresses from a small child to an adult. The game has many different characters to interact with that uncover the story behind the city.  There’s a whole cast of NPCs to help you uncover the story and dive deep into the background and lore of the situation.

Hicks mentioned in a post on the official site:

“Motus has big dreams of building bridges through the forest; using an art brush passed down to him from his dad, he can connect groups of nodes together to design bridges! He can also use his brush to solve “Thought Door” puzzles. Thought Doors appear throughout the game, and were designed as an emotional language to convey what Motus is thinking or feeling. While they look and behave like normal puzzles, the ideas behind how they’re solved is the key to how this works!”

The game seems to be a nice little indie adventure game that brings the subject of bullying to light. It’s like one of those educational games where you need to solve puzzles to progress while teaching you about an education subject at the same time. Typically, these types of games only focus on the teaching part which makes them tedious to play. The Path of Motus is similar, but from what I’ve seen, it actually does the game part well and has a good balance between the two subjects.

The Path of Motus will be released in Summer 2018 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

Check out the trailer:

Image via official site.

System Shock remake by Nightdive Studios is back in action

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System Shock is getting a remake by Nightdive Studios.

System Shock was undergoing a remake when they went on a hiatus for quite some time.

Nightdive Studios, the dev team behind the remake, has reported that they’re back in action and continuing the game. The remake has been dormant after a successful funding on Kickstarter because they needed to figure out how to best develop the game with the limited resources they garnered.

Now, they’ve figured it out and the game is ready to continue development. The remake’s hiatus was mainly due to the team looking for ways to improve the game over such a long timespan- feature creep, as some like to call it. Planning this out took many days and ate up a lot of cash raised during the campaign. Thus, days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. Development was then stagnant and people had to be laid off to manage the leftover funds. This required some major planning on a ticking budget.

Hopefully, the game will still be a success even on limited funds. We’ll have to see how it plays out.

CEO Stephen Kick of Nightdive Studios states:

“Our intention is to ship exactly the game that was promised, with as much of the features that were promised as we can, in a timeframe that will get it out as fast as we can.”

So far, the game looks like it’ll be released in about two years from now in 2020. The game has been pushed back and may not be good news for backers, but at least the game will be completed the right way and not rushed. Nightdive has also been collecting income from other projects, so a new campaign won’t be needed as well. A teaser version of the game will be released next month to calm the waves of backers who are eager to get some System Shock action.

The original System Shock was released back in 1994 and was a huge success at the time. It’s widely regarded as a classic game where you play as a hacker who fights a computer AI dubbed “SHODAN.” System Shock 2 was later released in 1999.

New “open-world” Star Wars game in the works based on a job posting

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New Star Wars game in the works. Perhaps an MMORPG?

EA is working a new open-world Star Wars game based on a job listing posting for their studio in Vancouver.

The job position first appeared on March 20th, 2018 and is looking for a “Lead Online Engineer” that fulfills the task of leading a “team to delivery Online features for a Star Wars Open World project. To keep this discreet, no other details about the game were given. EA probably already knows that the only people looking at their job boards are probably fans of their games. It’s likely that someone will see this post and then post it elsewhere which will leak that a new Star Wars franchise underway. However, they’re mum about the details of the game.

EA also has not commented on the news as well.

Based on their previous titles, it’s only lukewarm in terms of what to expect. If they learned anything over the Battlefront II conversely about loot crates and microtransactions, they should not make the same mistake this time around. After they pulled the microtransactions and introduced their new level progression system, the fans released some of the bitter feelings toward their greed. The new progression system only allows players to win by experience and not wallet size.

This could be anything from an AAA MMORPG to just a mobile game. Who knows?

Regardless, this is an interesting move to put out another Star Wars title so soon. We’ll keep you updated.

Image via EA.

Nintendo Switch’s best indie games of 2018 revealed

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Nindies games.

Nintendo just released their top 10 list of the best-selling indie games on the Switch.

This list is the best of the best. If you like indie games, you gotta check out these titles if you haven’t already. The games were revealed at a Nindies convention at GDC. It’s based on sales up to March 5th, 2018.

Here’s the list:

  1. Steamworld Dig 2
  2. Stardew Valley
  3. Kamiko
  4. Celeste
  5. Fast RMX
  6. Golf Story
  7. Enter the Gungeon
  8. Overcooked: Special Edition
  9. NBA Playground
  10. Shovel Knight – Treasure Trove

This list is the best so far.

Nintendo also decided to give independent developers a showcase of their own at Indies Direct.

Some games that were impressive were Mark of the Ninja Remastered, Fantasy Strike, Just Shapes and Beats, Garage, Pool Panic, Bomb Chicken!, and Lummies Remastered. Stay tuned for more details.

ARK: Survival Evolved comes to Nintendo Switch

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The popular dino MMO is coming to Switch.

ARK: Survival Evolved is going to be released on the Nintendo Switch.

As infamous as the game’s optimization issues are concerned, Studio Wildcard has already confirmed it for a Switch release at GDC 2018 today. They stated it during the State of Unreal presentation where they showed off the Switch handling the game just fine.

Jeremey Stieglitz, the lead of ARK, stated that the Switch is a good console for the game. He said that players can “go directly from hunting and taming while sitting on the couch, to forming online tribes and searching out new conquests when on the bus, waiting in line, or wherever they happen to be.”

This is exciting news for fans of the Switch who are into survival MMOs. ARK: Survival Evolved is the leading fantasy dinosaur survival game where you can craft hundreds of items, tame dozens of mounts, gather resources, form tribes, and build shelters.

The Switch version will be developed with Abstraction Games, their partner studio who previously worked on the PS4 port of it. War Drum Studios, the creators of the mobile version of ARK, also has invited players to start the beta testing of the game on phones.

It’ll be released this Fall in both digital and physical formats. Studio Wildcard posted a Tweet showing off the game on Switch. You can watch it here.

The game was previously only available on Windows after being in early access on Steam for a while. Now it’s available on Xbox One, PS4, mobile, and soon Nintendo Switch.

Target leaks details for the new Spyro game – it’s called “Spyro Treasure Trilogy”

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New Spyro is confirmed to be called Spyro Treasure Trilogy by Target.

Target has accidentally leaked some details about the new Spyro Treasure Trilogy game by answering a question about pre-orders.

A user asked target when the “new Spyro be ready for preorder” and responded that they “don’t currently have any information about when this game will be available for pre-order.” This confirms that the game is indeed coming out and the name of the game.

Spryo Treasure Trilogy is a remaster of the Spyro games. It was planned to be announced sometime in March, but no date was confirmed other than Q3 in 2018. It would be an exclusive PlayStation game as well. Activision also stated that they plan on releasing more remastered versions of classic games, like Crash Bandicoot recently.

Spyro originally came out as a PlayStation platform mascot with Crash Bandicoot. The first game was released in 1998 and was a 3D platformer where you’d explore huge worlds with lots of shiny objects to collect. Later on, many other titles followed Spryo 2: Ripto’s Rage! and Spyro: Year of the Dragon in 1999 and 2000.

Recently, the name has only been used in the Skylanders series, but it doesn’t seem like it’s taking off. Perhaps this remaster will bring it back like Crash Bandicoot’s N-Sane Trilogy. We’ll have to wait and see for little purple dragon friend’s arrival. Sit tight, Spyro fans.

Image via BagoGames on Flickr.

Make Sail coming to Steam Early Access March 30th

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Make Sail allows players to explore a procedurally-generated world and build a custom boat.

Make Sail is a game coming into Steam Early Access on March 30th.

It’s a game developed by Popcannibal and focuses on boat exploration on the high seas. It’s a procedurally-generated world so it’s always unique and different every time you sail. The game has an in-depth boat crafting system so you can create a boat to suit your imagination and play style.

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Via makesailgame.com

You can build everything from a simple castaway raft to a full-out pirate ship. Players will use ship parts they find to upgrade and rebuild their ships. They essentially get rewarded for exploring in the form of better parts and more gear.

Make Sail features boats that are “wild horses of your own design” and “rooted in real physics” according to dev Ziba Scott.

The boats can also break apart and sink as well. It’s probably the most realistic boat simulator in recent years and seems like a lot of fun because of the simplicity of it. It combines exploration, upgrading your boat, and sailing the seas all into one game with a nice crafting system that lets you build your own designs which offers a lot of creative freedom to the player.

You’ll be exploring a variety of islands and creatures as well. These are procedurally placed and completely handcrafted by the dev team. The sea is always unique and the game is always offering something new. You’ll come across new lands, animals, and boat pieces while under the forces of gravity, lift, draft, wind, shape, and weight. The game has a real physics system with water and wind effects that play out to what you’d expect in real life.

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Via makesailgame.com

Want to make a boat U-turn? Go for it? Got some tailwind? Embrace it. Choppy waters? Fare it. It’s all governed by a universal physics system that works in real-time. It combines a fantasy sea with real physics that can power your ship’s sailing method of choice- whether it be square sails, lateen sails, propellers, jets, and even energy-fields.

Make Sail has a new teaser trailer out that shows off the impressive visuals and supermodular building system. You can witness a player getting off their ship and exploring a newfound island on foot.

The game was funded back in November of 2016 on Fig successfully and will be released on Steam later this month. You can check out more details on their page as well. If you like sailing and exploration, set your sails to Make Sail!

Featured image via official site.

 

Garage, a top-down zombie slasher, coming to Nintendo Switch as an exclusive

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Garage will be a Switch exclusive.

Garage is a top-down action shooter developed by Zombie Dynamics.

The game is inspired by old-school VHS tapes and B movies. You’re a ex-drug-dealer dubbed “Butch” who’s on a mission to kill tons upon tons of zombies all over the city. Zombies aren’t the only thing trying to kill you through- the military ain’t on your side either.

It’s a pretty unique take on the genre. There are zombie games. And there are top-down Gauntlet-style games. Garage combines both into one game. It’s like Contra with zombies or something in a top-down perspective.

The game takes place in a pretty big underground parking lot that brings Butch to a hidden world infested with gory, violent zombies. The combat system has you mainly using your melee weapon with limited bullets for your guns. There are tons of mutants to fight and each one requires a special way of taking them down. You can’t just hack and slash everything without taking some damage.

 

 

Garage is a mix of survival, resource management, hack and slash, shooting, and even some minigames like racing. Every single level has tons of hidden gems that’ll greatly help you out if you explore it. And there are some pretty difficult boss fights as well.

It’ll be exclusive to the Nintendo Switch and releases on May 10, 2018. It’s nice to see the support for more “mature” titles on the Switch unlike its predecessor consoles- just like rumor had it. Good work.

Check out more info here.

Image via Nintendo.

Yakuza Kiwami 2 will use new Dragon Engine and feature a steelbook for early purchases

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Yakuza Kiwami 2 is coming out to Western players with all-new features.

Yakuza Kiwami 2 will be released on August 28th, 2018.

Sega made the announcement that the game has been confirmed for a release date in the West. Yakuza Kiwami 2 is a remake of the original Yakuza 2 using the Dragon Engine. The new engine will have a bunch of performance improvements like limited loading times, no transition periods between entering and leaving buildings, and faster combat transitions. Sega has rebuilt the localization and voice-overs for the original game and added new stuff like minigames.

It follows the life of Kazuma Kiryu after the first game. He’s again in a clan full of conflicts and must engage peace between the characters. It takes place in Kamurocho and Osaka districts.

You get an extra story that depicts the life of Goro Majima and what he did between Yakuza Kiwami and Kiwami 2 and more revelations about what happened in Yakuza 0. you also get a new minigame called Golf Bingo and the Sega Toylet games as well.

The game will be released in a special steelbook for pre-orders or purchases at launch for no extra charge. This is a nice favor from Sega- probably to build up some good reception for the game so it can do better in the West.

It’ll be available for $49.99 in the US. Even if you’ve played Yakuza 2, this remake will be a drastic improvement just by looking at the screenshots. It’s rolling out quickly after the JP release for Western fans. Although not as popular in the US, it’s still an awesome game that’s worth checking out.

Stay tuned for more game news.

HTC Vive Pro will be the world’s most powerful VR headset

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HTC Vive Pro set to release next month and priced at $799.99.

HTC announced the pricing and details about the new HTC Vive Pro, which is set to roll out on April 5th, 2018.

It was originally announced at CES 2018.

It’ll cost $799 and because of this, it brings down the price of the original HTC Vive- which is now down to just $499.99. The company releases some details about the new and standard models of the Vive on their blog. If you buy it before June 3rd, you’ll get a free trial subscription to Viveport which allows you to play up to 5 games per month from a huge library of more than 400 games available.

The Vive Pro has some notable new features. It comes with dual-OLED displays with a resolution of 2880 x 1600 pixels, which is a huge 78% increase over the standard Vive HMD. It also features integrated headphones with an amplifier that allows users to get totally immersed in the experience via nose-cancellation abilities. All this is built-in and won’t cost you by forcing you to buy additional upgrades.

Current owners can easily upgrade and still use their current stations and controllers since it supports both SteamVR Tracking 1.0 and 2.0 for easy integration.

This makes it literally the most powerful VR headset you can buy- it’s more advanced than the current Oculus Rift and may be the new standard after its release.

Daniel O’Brien, the GM for HTC Vive, explains:

“Our goal has always been to offer the most premium VR platform available and to drive adoption for VR, by lowering the price of the current Vive, we are making VR more accessible while expanding the potential market for developers. Whether you’re a VR enthusiast or new to the platform, there’s never been a better time to join the most complete VR platform available.”

 

Image via HTC blog.

LEGO The Incredibles 2 and LEGO DC Villains coming out in 2018 by TT Games

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LEGO The Incredibles 2 and LEGO DC Villains coming out in 2018 by TT Games 1

The Incredibles 2 is coming out later this year in theaters, and there’s new that a game will also come out with it.

There was an ad on the back of an instructor manual for a LEGO Juniors Incredibles 2 set that has yet to be released. In the ad, it shows the promo image with LEGO versions of the family and has a 2018 release date. The giveaway is the platforms- PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Switch. And the “LEGO GAMES” logo as well. It’s pretty obvious that we’ll be getting another LEGO game.

Incredibles 2 LEGO
Promo on the back of a manual in a LEGO Juniors set. (Via brickfan.com.)

The game was leaked back in January and Eurogamer reported that other Pixar properties will be released as well. A LEGO DC Villains game was also leaked at the same time as this game, with Comicbook.com stating that the game would feature characters like Lex Luthor, Joker, and Harley Quinn. TT Games usually roll out two games a year, so both of these games are probably the two titles for this year.

This is the first time that a property owned by Pixar has gotten its own game. Since this is the second movie, it’s likely that the game will take place between both Incredibles movies. Disney doesn’t develop their games in-house anymore and other studios do it for them, like TT Games for this situation. They’ve already worked on other LEGO games like LEGO Marvel Superheroes and LEGO The Force Awakens.

Stay tuned for more details.

Sonic Mania Plus, Sonic shoes, Sonic racing, and Sonic Adventures all confirmed

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Sonic Mania Plus will have an art book, holographic color, and new features for the game.

Sega announced that they’ll be releasing Sonic Mania Plus at a Sonic panel at SXSW Gaming.

The game is a physical edition of the original Sonic Mania, but it’s a lot more than just a remake. For starters, you get the actual disc. Collectors and Sonic fans will appreciate this for sure. You also get to play as Ray and Mighty- two new characters not available in the original Sonic Mania. There’s also a new Encore Mode, four-player mode, and a very nice holographic game package to wrap it all up in. It also includes a 32-page art book and a SEGA Genesis reversible cover as well. It’s a lot of Sonic.

Sonic Mania Plus, Sonic shoes, Sonic racing, and Sonic Adventures all confirmed 2

The whole package will be available for the PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in Summer 2018. It’ll retail for $29.99.

Strangely enough, there was even more Sonic in places you’d have never guessed.

Sega has partnered with Puma to release Sonic shoes. That’s right. Sonic shoes. It’ll be called the PUMA x SEGA RS-0 SONIC and will be available in June 2018. Gotta go fast!

The panel also revealed that there’s a new Sonic racing game coming out in a short teaser trailer. It shows distorted frames of different vehicles before showing a silhouette Sonic Racing logo. The previous game was released in 2012 and featured Sonic with other Sega characters like Gilius Thunderhead and Alex Kidd in Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. The game has been confirmed to not be a sequel to any other game and will be its own new series.

Here’s the trailer for the Sonic racing game:

And for even more Sonic, there’s a new run of Sonic Adventures to be released this year as well. It’s a five-episode run that was released on Sonic’s Twitter account where he must stop Doctor Eggman from kidnapping animals in nature. Weird.

 

The Witcher’s Geralt of Rivia (White Wolf) joins the roster in Soulcalibur VI

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Soulcalibur VI will have Geralt from The Witcher.

Rumors surfaced last week that Geralt from The Witcher series would make an appearance in an unknown game’s roster.

Geralt is the protagonist of The Witcher games where he takes on many different monsters. He’s been genetically engineered to fulfill his quest in each of the 3 games that have been released.

Now, it’s been confirmed that the White Wolf of Rivia would be a playable character in the next Soulcaliber VI. The Witcher’s Twitter account confirmed the news that he would be “joining the playable characters roster of Bandai Namco’s Soulcalibur VI, with Kaer Morhen as a new stage!”

This is pretty awesome for Witcher fans being able to play as the badass himself and will be able to take on the classic roster with his trademark attacks and moves.

Namco also showed off a teaser trailer that shows him using his dual-wielded swords in action. One is used for humans and the other is for monsters. He also uses some of his Witcher abilities like Igni, Axii, and Aard. The trailer makes it seem like he’ll be a major factor since it’s spotlighting his cameo in the roster and the fact that he takes the game’s cover art as well. Soulcalibur has been doing this for a while with other legends like Link and Heihachi Mishima and even Darth Vader in Soulcaliber IV.

Guest fighters have always been a thing for the series. And fans dig it. They’re used in the plot and pay homage to their respective series. They’re not just for show (but they are a way to make money and get exposure- of course). Luring fans of other series into Soulcaliber. isn’t anything new.

Soulcaliber VI. rolls out some time in 2018. Details have yet to be released on the exact date.

Image via Namco.

Toki Tori coming to the Switch on March 30th (on-time for Easter)

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Toki Tori is coming to the Switch.

Toki Tori is coming to the Switch this month in March.

Developed by Two Tribes announced that their infamous egg-collecting puzzle game is going to roll out on March 30 complete with HD rumble support and even a time rewind feature. The game will include over 80 levels in 5 unique worlds for players to take on and new challenges as well!

Toki Tori will run at a smooth 60 FPS and also take advantage of the video-recording capabilities.

The previous game was Toki Tori 2, which was released for the Switch earlier already in 2018. Toki Tori is the prequel to it and continues the egg-hunt craze. The previous game was released on Wii U, Game Boy Color, and 3DS. The Switch is the new home and fits perfectly with the eShop’s growing indie library and HD rumble controls.

The series is basically a puzzle game where you need to guide a bird character around a bunch of puzzles that are unique and requires a different approach to beat. you need to use a bunch of tools to solve the puzzles. You can warp, freeze, and even “InstantRock” to get all the eggs on each level. That’s the goal of the game.

The game will cost $4.99 at launch and if you pre-order, you can snag an extra 10% off as well. It’s available for pre-order right now.

Chucklefish is publishing a new strategy RPG called Pathway

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Chucklefish is publishing Pathways- an indie turn-based RPG coming out in 2018.

Chucklefish announced that they’re publishing the strategy RPG called Pathway.

It’s being developed by Robotality and it’s a turn-based strategy RPG game based in the 1930s in the German military. Your partner Morten has vanished after investigating the Nazis. So you and your team go in and find him through many different locations. It has a basic storyline but a lot going for it in terms of gameplay and strats.

The game is procedurally-generated each time you play, so it’s always different and fresh. The game takes place in a variety of locations that are yours for discovering and uncovering. They’re pretty eerie looking. The game is rendered with gorgeous pixel artwork and offers a nice storyline to go with it. It’s a pixel and hybrid technology that gives a real feeling of depth to the environment.

The OST is composed by Gavin Harrison who has experience with Robotality’s games- like Halfway.

Each time you dive into a temple, you’ll have to strategize and plan your moves. It is a turn-based strategy game so you’ll have to decide and plan strategically to take down the baddies. As you explore and encounter bad guys, you’ll be familiarized with a combat system similar to the XCOM series where positioning, weapons, skills, and roles play a huge factor in your success.

Pathways will roll out for Mac, PC, Linux in late 2018. You can check it out on Steam or check out the official site for more info. If you like TBS, you should check out this indie game for sure.

Image via Chucklefish blog.

War Child Armistice Campaign reaches $250K

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War Child gets double the support from the previous year.

War Child has raised over 250K in the second year of their War Child Armistice campaign after a press release.

If you’ve never heard of War Child, they’re a UK-based group that provides assistance to children in areas that are torn by war. The War Child Armistice campaign is the combined effort of the charity and game devs all around the world. They’ve been around since 1983 and has expanded to the USA, Canada, and The Netherlands. Lots of newer developers have heard of the good they’re doing and have dedicated some sort cash to directly help their campaign.

Some newer campaigns, dubbed RE-PLAY and HELP, will be assisted by some of the big AAA game companies. This should get their mission and goals out there worldwide with that much exposure.

In the previous year, the campaign raised $122,000 with the efforts of games like This War of Mne by 11 Bit Studios and other developers. It works usually in the form of exclusive DLC content that benefits the charity directly. Alongside direct donations and campaign efforts, the campaign is only increasing in impact.

This year, they’ve raised $260,094.82, which is double the amount from the previous year. This money will directly benefit children in war zones. They aim to solve short-term and long-term issues in areas of conflict. Some solutions include temporarily schools to provide education, reuniting families, and providng supplies.

They also aim to rebuild schools, provie vactional training, and training teachers as well.

You can check out their site for more information.

State of Decay 2 confirmed to have absolutely no microtransactions

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State of Decay 2 will follow a typical DLC setup - most likely with any microtransactions.

State of Decay 2 will be free of microtransactions.

Jeff Strain, the boss of Undead Labs, has stated in a report to IGN that the game won’t have any microtransactions. State of Decay 2 is a huge and anticipated zombie survival game that’s the successor to State of Decay.

The game is planned for release on May 22, 2018 for Windows and Xbox One. It’ll be a Play Anywhere title as well and will be available for Game Pass on launch day (which is just $10 a month).

Instead of plugging the game with cash items, it’ll most likely follow a typical setup of using DLC instead. Players can appreciate this so the game won’t offer any pay-to-win advantages to paying players (or loot crates as well).

Get more info on the launch here.

Image via official site.

Brave Neptunia to be developed by Artisan Studios

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Brave Neptunia to be developed by a Western company for the first time.

Compile Heart, the developer for the Neptunia series announced that they’re giving the task of developing a new game called Brave Neptunia to a company called Artisan Studios.

This company is based in Quebec and is working on the next 2D animated RPG. If you’re not familiar with the series, the first Neptunia is a game with beautiful art. The game has no info on their Artisan’s site. However, there is a teaser trailer floating around. It looks like some kind of 2D game with either turn-based fighting or some kind of procedural combat system. It doesn’t really look fully real-time, but it’s hard to tell from the video.

Artisan Studios is a new company that was created in 2017. They’ve made an appearance at the Tokyo Game Show and the Game Director for Brave Neptunia says that he was once employed at Kobojo, which in turn developed Zodiac: Oracnon Odyssey, which is a JRPG for mobile.

Brave Neptunia has been rumored to be planned for release on Xbox One, Steam, Switch, and PS4. There’s more info coming out in the April issue of Dengeki PS.

For fans of the game, sit tight. There’s going to be a lot more to reveal soon. Brave Neptunia should take the original Neptunia’s artwork and kick it up a notch.

Image via Artisan.

Bluepoint Games is working on another remake

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Bluepoint is working on another remake- but the title is unknown at this point.

Bluepoint Games is working another remake for its next entry.

The popular developer announced it in an interview with Digital Foundry during a video spotlight on their recent AAA hit, Shadow of the Colossus. The game was recently released on PS4 as a remake of the original 2005 game. Even though it’s just a remake, fans went crazy over it and it received pretty positive reception.

That seems to be Bluepoint Games’ track record. They like remaking stuff and porting stuff to other platforms. They’ve also worked on games like the Uncharted: THe Nathan Drake Collection, Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, Gravity Rush Remastered. But unlike many other first-party companies who port or remake their games, Bluepoint does it right. They’re probably one of the best companies that specialize in the fine art of making a game and giving enough for fans to enjoy.

Fans have been wondering if they’ll ever make a new game from scratch- and it’s not likely. At least for the next title. Bluepoint seems to be comfortable doing what they do best. The PS4 remake of Shadow of the Colossus was amazing by using recreated HD graphics and a newer control scheme that just works better than the 2005 version. It captures the same gameplay even with new graphics and controls. In other words, Bluepoints does it right.

The next game will be a remake, but the title is still unconfirmed. Given their track record, we should not be disappointed.

You can check out the interview video here:

Félix “xQc” Lengyel mutually agrees to split with Dallas Fuel

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xQc has agreed to mutually split with the Dallas Fuel and has parted with them on good word.

Félix “xQc” Lengyel and the Dallas Fuel have mutually agreed to part ways, based on a press release from the Overwatch League team.

The Dallas Fuel announced that they’ve agreed with xQc to split up after the League announcing some penalties against player xQc and two other players- and even a head coach on March 10, 2018. xQc was fined $4,000 and also suspended for four upcoming games.

What did he do? He used a Titch emote in a “racially-disparaging” manner in the show’s Twitch chat and also used the same language against some shoutcasters and other players in his own stream on Twitch. Before this incident, he was also fined $2,000 and suspended for four games as well- making that a total of 8 games and $6,000 in fines.

xQc talked about this issue on his own stream in the middle of a competitive match. He states:

“When you get signed onto a team, they sign you with a [work] contract or whatever, right? But then the league has to approve your entry, right? So the league would have to manually approve my re-entry into another team. And I don’t know about that, my dude. Listen, I think’s that unlikely, to be fair.”

He’s the first League player to leave the original twelve games of the season. The Dallas Fuel has also stated that they’ll be looking for another player to provide for the flexibility for xQc’s leave from their roster.

You can keep up with Overwatch League using their site.

Firmware version 5.0 rolls out to Nintendo Switch – get features and updates

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Update 5.0 has rolled out!

The Nintendo Switch has updated to Firmware version 5.0.

The update has added numerous new improvements to the console and some new features. Friend Suggestions is a notable one, which is an engine that automatically suggests Facebook and Twitter friends by taking data from your social networks linked to your Nintendo Account.

it also adds a whopping two-dozen ARMS and Kirby user icons for you to show off your fandom. And there’s also the ability to filter the news content from specific channels- or even your unread news as well.

With the 5.0 update, all online purchases made by your phone, PC, or tablet will also start downloading a lot quicker than before. This is an awesome new improvement because it’s annoying to download a digital game and have to wait for it. Why not just go buy it in the store instead if you’re going to wait? And you get a notification of pre-purchased games when you’re ready to be played. This is the kind of update that shows Nintendo has been looking at user metrics to improve their firmware. Way better than guessing when a game is ready by checking the status of it. Now you can launch it right away from the dash.

Controllers have also been updated as well. The Controller menu shows the grip colors if you’re using a Pro Controller.

Lastly, the Parental Controls also got removed. The default way to input the PIN uses the control stick rather than the on-screen keypad. Capture videos in the album are also restricted based on the Restricted Software settings and Software Rating Organization. Games can also be added a safe whitelist in order to override these settings.

Image via Wikipedia.

Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII to release October 12, 2018

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Black Ops IIII is set for release.

Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII has been announced and is set for release October 12th, 2018.

Publisher Activision has stated that the game is in development and has been confirmed for the rumored release date. The announcement was made after the game was teased by James Harden, pro basketball player. He was at a recent game dressed in full camo and a cap as well. The cap had an “IIII” logostylizedd in the Black Ops fashion with Roman numbers and font.

Developer Treyarch will be taking the reigns this time round after Sledgehammer Games on Call of Duty: WWII. This game will be the first CoD title to be released since CoD 2 which was released back in 2005 in the same month.

It’s unsure why these two companies used “IIII” instead of “IV” instead. But it was shown that the Birtish Museum revealed that both IV and IIII were both used during Roman times. It’s just that “IV” came into popularity in modern times as reported by Eurogamer.

Additional info will be relased on May 17th during a Community Reveal Event for fans. So far, the only information revealed is to “foget what you know” as stated on the CoD site. That’s pretty much it.

Black Ops III is still receving updates such as the Infected game mode and the Redwood Snow map also. Updates should keep hardcore fans busy until IIII rolls out.

Image via the official site.

Pathfinder Second Edition – Playtest Rulebook, new features, and updates!

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Pathfinder Second Edition is coming soon!

Paizon, Inc., the developer behind their Pathfinder Tabletop Game has announced that it’ll be getting a second edition.

There will be an open playtest for version two of Pathfinder starting on August 2nd, 2018. Players will be able to read the Playtest rulebook, a Playtest adventure, and also a Playtest Flip-Mat Multi-Pack. All of these materials will be free of charge to any player that wants to join in on the cult-like Tabletop game. There’s a whole release schedule for all the materials.

The game first premiered back in 2008. It’s been a huge success with over a decade of materials for the game. There have been adventure paths, miniatures, and even Pathfinder Kingmaker developed by Owlcat Games.

Jason Bulmahn, Paizo’s Design Director, states that:

“We’re updating the game’s engine while also adding a bunch of fun new ways to play. There is a lot to discover, but you will never be far from the game you love – the game you helped us make.”

And:

“With the new edition, we have a chance to revisit some decisions we made with the first edition of Pathfinder.” 

All of the changes will be visible on their site. The majority of them aim to improve the game and also clean up outdated rules. Playing the game in timed blocks. Fighting enemies will be measured in seconds in Encounter Mode, and Exploration Mode will be measured in minutes to hours.

Paizo also stated that players will be able to get three actions during their turn in any combination- moving, drawing a weapon, and attacking all take a single action. Casting spells take two actions (for most). Some spells can use between one to three actions such as Magic Missile. Attacks also incur a penalty after your first action but still also give you a chance to hit. The second edition will be the same as the first one in terms of the mechanics and fundamentals. They don’t want to change the game too drastically.

Paizo wants players to take advantage of the free materials. There’s even a softcover, hardcover, and deluxe edition of the Playtest Rulebook print editions between March 20th and May 1st.

Get the inside scoop here.

Image via Paizo.

 

State of Decay 2 – Standard Edition/Ultimate Edition price, release date, and news

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State of Decay 2 - Standard Edition/Ultimate Edition price, release date, and news 3

State of Decay 2 is due to release on May 22 for the Xbox One and Windows PC as a Play Anywhere title.

It’ll also be available on the Xbox Game Pass on launch day (an excellent value at $10/month).

Microsoft has also confirmed that it’ll be priced at $29.99 for the Standard Edition. The Gold Edition (or Ultimate Edition) will run you $20 more at $49.99- nothing too surprising other than it’s lower than the MSRP of first-party games developed by them.

State of Decay 2 is a zombie apocalypse simulator that originally came out on the Xbox Live Arcade in 2013. The game was awesome. The sequel will run on Unreal Engine 4 instead of the CryEngine that the former game used. It’ll also have multiplayer co-op and a lot more to get excited about for any zombie fans.

Aaron Greenberg, Microsoft GM of Games Marketing states:

“Our goal is to build a long-term relationship with the State of Decay community and to foster deeper experiences with the franchise. We believe State of Decay 2 accomplishes this goal by immersing fans in the ultimate zombie survival fantasy, and we want to give more players the opportunity to join in and experience this unique game.”

The ultimate edition includes State of Decay 2 includes early access on May 18 and also a free copy of State of Decay: Year One Survival Edition and the Independence Pack/Daybreak Pack DLCs as well- both of which will be announced at a later date.

For all fans who are looking forward to this game, there’s a lot to be excited about. The game looks amazing and offers a lot at a lower price. This is good news for those who were already planning to get this game. The Ultimate Edition is worth it if you were already looking to shell out full price. Now you can get in on the action for less than the original price.

You can check it out on the store here.

Image via Microsoft Store.