News

What’s coming in Sea of Thieves updates

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Sea of Thieves has some hidden gems coming soon.

Some users in a Reddit post have gone through and data-mined Sea of Thieve’s code to discover what features are coming up next based on a report via VG247.

If you haven’t heard about this game, it’s developed by Rare and is probably the next big MMORPG. It’s a pirate-themed online experience complete with combat, boats, and everything that entails a pirate on the seas. How could you have not heard of it?

They’ve discovered a bunch of stuff ranging from NPCs, landmarks, weapons, and treasures maps. That’s all the common stuff you’d expect from future updates anyway.

But there are some real golden nuggets you may want to tip you pirate hat at coming in a future patch you may want to look out for.

Spoiler alert: Those who don’t want to get their goods spoiled should stop reading here.

Some notable discoveries in the code include:

  • The Kraken is a threat to ships because it wraps them up and drags them underwater. This seems to be a new monster in a near update.
  • Players can soon play instruments like banjos, fiddles, drums, and ukeleles.
  • Ship customization is going all out as well- you can swap your mast, livery, wheel, cargo, and figureheads.
  • New maps are coming like the Caribbean and such.
  • Bugs patches and error fixes.
  • Besides this, users are constantly posting new discovering. You may want to keep your eye on the Sea of Thieves subreddit for new updates.

The beta will run until January 31st, so there’s still some time to mess around with the game. Or if you’re already all-hands-on-deck about it, you can pre-order it right now on their official site. The launch is scheduled on March 19, 2018 and will retail for $59.99. And it’ll be available for just Xbox One, Windows 10, and Xbox One X. It’ll also have Play Anywhere included.

You can get more info on their site.

Image via Sea of Thieves site.

Battlefront 2 new updates on the way

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SW: Battlefront 2 has some nice updates rolling out.

Star Wars Battlefront 2 got off to a rocky start with its player gouging.

DICE has since been committed to improving the gameplay experience of the AAA title after learning that you can’t just try to extract time and money from players like many, many other companies are doing nowadays. Loot crates and randomized items are pretty much the same as gambling your cash for some virtual pixels these days.

That’s probably why there’s a push towards discretions that let the players know exactly what they’re getting themselves into- such as the requirement to jot down the exact percentages of winning a particular item.

DICE has posted some improvements coming to Battlefront 2 in a recent blog post.

First, players who participated in The Last Jedi content season’s faction war may be wondering about why the First Order over the Resistance. It’s because 58% of participants chose to fight for the First order rather then the Resistance, which is why they emerged to be the winners over 10 million faction quests were completed. That’s plenty.

Second, DICE talks about a new content seasons that are underway and will be rolling soon. It’s pretty much hidden at this point, but it should be based on feedback from the previous season.

Third, there will be a new game feature called Jetpack Cargo which arrives next month in February. It puts players into an 8v8 matchup with jetpacks. It’ll be a limited-time thing. There will also be other limited-time game modes as well.

And lastly, there will be a fully-revamped progression system which is built towards what players have been asking for. There isn’t a whole lot written about it, but it does suggest that it’ll be available in March.

If you’re a fan of Battlefront 2, get ready for some awesome updates.

Read their post here.

Indie developers Image & Form and Zoink merge to Thunderful

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The two popular indie devs combine to form Thunderful.

Image & Form, a rising indie studio is merging with Zoink to create a new company called Thunderful.

The two studios have worked together before and consider themselves, partners. Instead of replacing one of them, they’ve combined to create a new label. They even have a new site designed just for Thunderful and describe themselves as an LLC that owns both Image & Form and Zoink.

However, it states that both of them will continue to create games with their own intellectual properties under their respective labels.

So it’s like these two studios have created a whole new brand which allows them to work together and develop new indie games, yet it still keeps their properties separate. It’s pretty amusing.

They’ve worked together before, and according to CEO Brjann Sigurgeirsson of Image & Form, they already work “together on a daily basis in PR, marketing, intelligence and publishing.”

These studios created games that are known for their artwork such as, Dig 2, Dig, Heist, and Zombie Vikings. Combining them together may help them create even larger and more awesome games.

As of now, Zoink is working on a game called Fe, which is an action-adventure game published by EA games. You play as a fox in a forest against the Silent Ones. The game is available next month on PC, Xbox One, PS4, and Nintendo Switch. The interesting part is that this game doesn’t slow development just because of the development of Thunderful. It seems like nothing was halted or slowed.

Image & Form is currently making SteamWorld Dig available for the Switch.

Image via Thunderful.

RollerCoaster Tycoon is coming to the Nintendo Switch

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RCT is coming to the Switch!

Atari has started a crowdfunding campaign to bring the classic theme park builder RollerCoaster Tycoon to the Nintendo Switch.

Everyone knows what RCT is. It’s probably one of the best strategy tycoon games of all time. If you haven’t heard of it, you must’ve been detached from the videogame world for quite some time (or you’re new to gaming in general). It was a very addicting game and has consumed many, many hours of my childhood (and millions of others).

The campaign is hosted on StartEngine, which many won’t be familiar with. Atari is looking for $10,000 to $1.07 million. That’s a pretty big range.

The game will be developed by Nvizzio Creation, who also made the F2P RCT Touch version. The version that they’re making shouldn’t have any mobile cash-grab gimmicks like the F2P version does. It should be a fully fleshed-out RCT game for Nintendo Switch.

If you donate to their campaign, you get some perks for this game and future developments as well.

The game is said that it’ll be an original game that’ll utilize the Switch’s portable functionality and home capabilities as well. It’ll also come with exclusive features just for the Switch. Confrimed features include a career mode, sandbox mode, and scenarios. So far, these aren’t anything special as they’ve been available since the beginning of the RCT series.

We’ll have to watch out for this one. It could be the next awesome RollerCoaster Tycoon game.

Image via StartEngine.

Coffee Crisis to be released February 15, 2018 – a cult indie retro classic

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Coffee Crisis is set to release on February 15, 2018.

If you’ve never heard about it before, it’s a game developed by Mega Cat Studios. It was originally released as a Sega Genesis cart, but now it’s available for multiple platforms- Windows, Mac, and Linux, as well as PS4, Xbox One some time later in the future.

The game first appeared from a successful Kickstarter campaign about a year ago in 2017. It rolled out as a Genesis cart with a box and instruction manual. Mega Cat Studios basically wanted to create another Genesis game without all the laws and regulations of creating one. It’s completely fan-made with no input from Sega.

The game was a success and they continued to work on new updates for the game via the circuit boards and new cartridges because the game was in a physical format and had no connection to the internet. Some updates included art, combos, and new hitboxes. It’s a real blast to the past.

Now, Coffee Crisis is the next game. It’s an action sidescroller beat ’em up with gorgeous 2D graphics. If you’ve played legendary classics like Streets of Rage and Final Fight, you’ll know exactly what the game is like. Players play as one of two characters who need to fight off an alien race in Penn State. It’s a 2-player game with 10 stages that are hand-drawn with complete couch co-op. The game also has some awesome music made by a band called Greywalker and has 12 tracks.

If you’re into indie games, this is one you don’t want to give up.

It’s already being planned for Xbox One as they’ve already begun the process and PS4 will be announced some time later. Windows, Mac, and Linux will be released on the 15th of February.

There will be also some exclusive PC features as well.

The keys for the PC version were delivered to backers in March, and since then we’ve been adapting their feedback into the game. Because of their suggestions, the PC release will have a ton of polished content and exclusive features! We’ve also started the Xbox certification process, so a cup of crisis is coming to consoles too!

Check out their campaign for more info.

Rust is rolling out as a full game – also full price

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Rust will be rolling out 2/8/18 as a full game.

Rust is finally leaving Early Access and is coming to full game release on February 8, 2018!

If you’ve never heard of Rust, it’s a survival game that takes place in the modern world. Like any other survival game, you’ll have to gather resources, craft items, and form alliances with other players in order to make it in the world. Raids and attacks are common, so you always need to be prepared for enemies looking for loot.

The game has been in Early Access for over 4 years now. Many players probably already gave up on it and just labeled it as a game that’ll never come out of Early Access and evolve into a full game. But just recently, the developer/publisher Facepunch Studios announced that it’ll finally be a full release title.

The game rolled out a while ago and redefined the survival game genre. It’s been through many, many patches and updates that changed everything from a static map to a procedurally-generated world. Lots of player feedback went into developing the game. It also regressed in gameplay features for a bit as the newer stuff needed to catch up to the old stuff.

Now, it’s fully fleshed-out with NPC vehicles, weapons, items, armor, building materials, keypad locks, and even wildlife to hunt down.

When Rust gets released as a full game, game development will continue on the game to improve. The devs also stated that the update schedule will change from a weekly schedule to a monthly schedule instead. There will also be 2 branches to get the download from. There’s a Main Branch which will include the stable monthly updates and hotfixes. And then there’s the Staging Branch which includes the newest updates (daily) as experimental features. Players can choose whichever branch they desire to play in.

The full version will bump the price from $19.99 to $34.99. So if you’ve been wanting to play Rust, now’s your chance to get into the game before it rolls out. The price increase will be immediate so now’s the time to buy.

We Happy Few delayed until Summer 2018; Stopping sales until game released

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We Happy Few will be delayed and is offering refunds for everyone who bought it.

We Happy Few has been officially delayed until Summer 2018 based on a video about the production update straight from the devs.

If you’ve never heard of We Happy Few, it’s pretty much a survival game that’s based in a world where everyone uses drugs to conform to a single unit in society. It’s a first-person game that focuses on exploration in a whole new world as a rebel. You play as a character who refuses to abide by society and you need to discover and learn more about the people behind it. At least, that’s what I last heard about it.

It’s made by Compulsion games. The reason they’re pushing it back is that they need more time to polish it up. And they’ve noticed some complaints and player feedback about the game so they’re taking the time improve the game. They also noticed that there’s not enough content in the game to justify the current price offering, so they’ll be doing something pretty cool.

Sales for We Happy Few will be paused. You won’t be able to buy the game in Early Access anymore starting at the end of January 2018 until it’s released. And everyone who currently owns the game will get a full refund if desired irrelevant of playtime (Steam has a 2-hour window to get a refund).

You’ll have to use stealth to sneak past very dangerous situations and also blend into the surrounding by being a social chameleon. There’s also a combat system if you do get caught as well. You have to explore the dark city of England in 1960s. It’s war-torn and everyone seems happy, but that’s just because of the drugs. You need to find out why everyone is so happy. The game plays with the stories of 3 different citizens each with their own perks and they’re all on the same mission- to find out what’s going on in their super happy city of England. It’s pretty creepy and gives you that eerie feeling as you play it. It features immersive and atmospheric gameplay.

The game has been out for a while now and you can give it a try as Early Access only for $50.99 USD, but the actual game hasn’t been released yet. And it won’t be until Summer 2018. If you’re a fan, be happy for them taking the time.

Overall, there’s a huge fanbase in following this game. At least they’re not rushing it and taking the time to get it right.

Gaming industry brings in $37B in 2017

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The ESA has released its report for 2017's totals.

The US game industry brought in just about $37 billion in 2017 based on a report from the Entertainment Software Association.

You’re probably wondering- is this a lot? How’s the gaming industry doing as a whole?

The ESA is a group of people that analyze and represent the “interests” of videogames and hardware producers in the US. They’re the guys behind the ESRB and E3, so they know games. They just released the overall industry report for gaming in general.

So, $37B is a good number, just to calm you down.

In 2017, that number in total revenue is decent. Software sales brought in $29.1B, which is up from $24.6B last year. This includes microtransactions and subscriptions for games. Hardware sales brought in $6.9B which is up from $5.8B last year. The industry as a whole is only getting better as more and more gamers game on.

However, not all data has been released by the ESA. Sales for the Nintendo Switch, 3DS, and PC digital sales weren’t included. This includes software sales from providers like Origin, uPlay, Sony, Battle.net, and EA. The actual number would be greater than what’s reported.

All in all, it’s been a good year for the industry, which means it’s likely been good for gamers.

Microsoft Studios gets a new seasoned veteran takeover

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Microsoft Studios gets Matt Booty as the new boss.

Matt Booty is now the CEO of Microsoft Studios.

He wears the new badge of the previous holder- Phile Spencer. Spencer was promoted to Executive VP for Games by Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella.

So, what’s Booty in charge of at MS Studios?

Well, if you’ve played any game developed by Microsoft, he’s in charge of that- pretty much. They’re in charge of developing and publishing first-party titles across platforms like Windows 10, Android, iOS, and Xbox. Some games are also released on PS4 and Nintendo Switch, such as Minecraft. Spencer is still a part of the department, as Booty will report to him and develop a strategy for their studio. Booty overseas all the other departments, such as software, hardware, and online play.

Previously, Booty was just in charge of Mojang, which is the developer behind Minecraft.

Booty had a previous history of working for companies like Midway Games as an engineer and then later CEO of the same company. He joined Microsoft in 2010 and built games for Windows Phone and Xbox Live Arcade.

He’s a seasoned veteran and believes in “great games” and that “content is extremely important.”

Either way, it’s nice to see people shifting around. This brings in new tides for Microsoft Studios and possibly new processes.

Overwatch League rolls out with over 10 million viewers in its premiere

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Overwatch League has over 10 million viewers in its first showdown.

Overwatch League has hit over 10 million views in its first week based on a press release from Blizzard. That’s huge.

In case you didn’t know, the popular first-person MOBA shooter has gone pro and is now officially hosting an e-sport tournament featuring the top 12 teams from around the globe. Europe, United States, and Asia are all included and are duking it out in one fan-fueled ladder. It’s the first season of Overwatch League and the numbers are impressive.

The tournament shows every Wednesday through Saturday with three matches each consisting of four maps each. You can only watch it on Twitch as Blizzard made an exclusive deal with them.

On the first day, Overwatch League had an average audience per minute of about 408K viewers. It corrected down to about 280K on average for the whole week. This is the combination of all viewers across Twitch, MLG, ZhanQi TV, Netease CC, and Panda TV. The duel between the Dallas Fuel and Seoul Dynasty was huge. And the Blizzard Arena in LA county in California was also sold out of tickets.

E-sports is becoming more and more popular with new games going pro. If you missed the first matchup you can watch it on demand from their official site. You can also follow the bracket online.

The second matchup is already live. It pits the San Francisco Shock against the Philadelphia Fusion. You can also keep up to date with their official app as well.

Say “hello” to the Nintendo Labo – their newest product (and it’s not a console)

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Nintendo's new Toy-Con is aiming for a more interactive experience with games.

Nintendo just announced their newest toy (not console) called the Nintendo Labo.

It’s an interactive experience for kids- as the Japanese giant would like to call it. It’s basically a bunch of cardboard pieces, rubber bands, and strings that can be put together to create a real-world object. It works kind of like a 3D puzzle, but it’s capable of a lot more and has functionality beyond just something you slap together.

You can also use the Nintendo Switch with it and even plug in the Joy-Con controllers as well. They slot right into the Labo’s pieces which allows you assemble a sort of cheap augmented reality (AR) machine. It’s actually pretty cool and I’d totally like to try it out (even if it’s not marketed for adults).

Nintendo has released their teaser trailer for the Labo and some models showcased included a fishing rod, a miniature piano, and even handlebars to a motorcycle. You’re not supposed to build it and run around with it- you can actually use these objects to help you “interact” with games. You can even go the other way around by building toys that are actually powered by the Joy-Con controllers.

So far, two different versions of the Labo have been announced. There’s the Toy-Con (hah) Variety Kit (set 1) and the Toy-Con Robot Kit (set 2). The first set comes with two remote control cars, a house, a piano, a motorbike, and a fishing rod. The second set comes with pieces to build a strap of some sort that you can attach to your back. There’s also a Customization Set which includes stickers, stencils, and tape that lets you pretty-up your creations.

Nintendo Labo will be available for a special event in San Franciso and New York City. You can sign up for it here. The catch is you need to be a kid that’s 6-12 years old (which is probably none of you).

The Labo will retail for $69.99 and will be available for sale 4/20/18. Overall, this is pretty cool and I’m interested to see how this pan out for interacting with games. Get more info here.

Second DLC pack for Assassin’s Creed: Origins announced (and first DLC is out soon!)

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ACO fans will get their first DLC soon.

Ubisoft is about to release its first DLC ever for Assassin’s Creed Origins and has added tons of free new content.

The first DLC adds a whole new area, raised the level cap, and brought some new skins. Assassin’s Creed Origins: The Hidden Ones had Bayek destroying the Roman forces occupying a slice of Egypt, and it was up to the player to control Bayek and his team to take them down. You’ll be able to craft another two levels of your gear to get even more powerful. The level cap was also bumped up 5 levels and also scattered new weapons, armor, and mounts throughout Egypt. The DLC will be available on January 23, 2018 for $9.99.

And there will be a free quest added to the game as well that’s a prequel to the entire storyline. It’s called “Incoming Threat” and will be available to all players. Lots to get excited about.

And now they’re on their way to their second DLC pack. The second ones called  Assassin’s Creed Origins: The Curse of the Pharaohs. It adds another big quest that has Bayek traveling to Thebes to take care of a plague in the area. You’ll have to slay mythical beasts as you try to solve the puzzle. On the technical side, it bumps the level cap another 10 levels (so that’s 15 from total with the two DLC packs from the original level cap of 40 for a total of 55 levels). The second DLC will cost $19.99 and released March 6th, 2018.

It focuses a lot more on the mythical side of the game.

And finally, there’s a new mode coming out that focuses on the educational side of the game instead. It’s like a guided tour that has historians talk about Egypt’s history and has no combat. It’s called the Discovery Tour by Assassin’s Creed: Ancient Egypt. This will be free for all owners and rolls out February 20th.

It’s a good month for ACO fans. There’s a ton of both free and paid content rolling out for those who’ve already beat the game. Now you have some awesome additional areas to explore, armor to find, mounts to ride, and quests to complete!

Overwatch’s new Blizzard World map is coming soon to an amusement park near you!

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Blizzard World is coming soon to Overwatch.

A new map rolls in Overwatch that’s made just for competitive play.

It’s a map where all players can jump in to. It’s called Blizzard World, which will be available on January 23. It was first announced at BlizzCon 2017 as a special map for all players. It pays homage to the other games that Blizzard is famous for- namely Hearthstone and World and Warcraft.

The map itself features several areas each paying a tribute to the other titles. It’s like wandering through a whole museum dedicated to Blizzard games. That sounds pretty awesome.

There’s a small advertisement of an amusement park ticket showing off an old-timey admittance ticket for the map.

Overwatch League just launched and was a decent success. Blizzard broadcasts it ever Wednesday on Twitch exclusively due to the deal they made.

You can also keep up with their new app for Overwatch League:

As of now, players seem to be in Blizzard paradise with the League, new map, and new skins/sprays. Good job, Blizzard.

Netflix on Nintendo Switch – is it finally happening?

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Netflix will be coming to the Switch- but when?

In case you didn’t know, the Nintendo Switch still doesn’t have any Netflix support.

America’s favorite streaming provider is still “exploring the opportunity” to build an app for the Switch. Polygon reports this from a Netflix rep and confirms that they don’t have any confirmable plans at this time. It’s still in the air.

Netflix tweeted a tweet over the weekend that pretty much just restated what the rep announced. Their CS account, @netflixhelps, tweeted that “there are currently no plans for Netflix on Nintendo Switch.” The tweet has been removed since then.

The Switch currently only has support for Netflix’s major competitor- Hulu. Nintendo hasn’t said anything about the integration. Hulu continues to be the only streaming option on the Switch, which was launched without any streaming support.

According to various comments about the case, the Switch will get Netflix soon enough. The question is when. Many customers already have access to Netflix across many platforms, including older Nintendo consoles like the Wii and Wii U. It should only be a matter of time before Switch users can start streaming their favorite shows and movies on Nintendo’s newest console.

Twitch gets exclusive rights to Overwatch League for the next two years

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You'll only be able to watch Overwatch League on Twitch...but who cares?

Twitch has locked in the third-party rights to stream Overwatch League exclusively for two years. The news rolled out that Blizzard and Twitch (owned by Amazon) have already decided to bring 20 esports categories to the leading streaming platform for gamers throughout 2018. Of course, this will allow Twitch to throw out some goodies for Twitch … Read more

Overwatch preps for Season 1 League tourney (and gives a few freebies to celebrate)

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Overwatch League is here! Get a free skin to support your favorite team!

Overwatch League skins/sprays are now up for grabs! The latest patch is now live and mainly focuses on integration for the Overwatch League. Yup, if you haven’t been following this game, it’s finally got to the point where the first season of competitive Overwatch is a real manifestation. The patch will add a whole new … Read more

Sony’s free games for January 2018

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Sony's freebies aren't that bad.

Sony’s free games for January are now live for download! It’s a new month, which means more free games. Isn’t that the gift that just keeps on giving? This month, PlayStation Plus subscribers get their hands on some decent titles. Mankind Divided is the main game for PS4 this month. It’s the highlighted freebie which … Read more

Iron Harvest will have destructible terrain and allow you to hide behind obstacles

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Iron Harvest

Iron Harvest is an anticipated RTS game coming up that features giant mechs and realistic graphics. The game is based on artist Jakub Rozalski, who wanted a game based on huge mechs roaming the earth in a WWI-wrecked landscape. The game takes place in an alternate universe similar to ours, but not exactly. Iron Harvest … Read more

Sony shutting down servers for many games – including Killzone 2 and 3

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sony server shutdown

Sony has announced that it’ll be shutting down its servers for several titles ranging across a variety of platforms. Killzone 2 and 3 are probably the most popular games out of the crew. Killzone 2 dates back to 2009 while Killzone 3 released in 2011. These games were heavily advertised and considered to be some … Read more

Teemo from League of Legends may be getting his own game

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teemo's adventure riot games lol

The tiny little yordle from the popular MOBA League of Legends is possibly getting his own game. It’s called “Teemo’s Adventure” and is developed as a standalone product by Riot Games, based on a rumor floating around that was first seen on a Chinese website. The game was apparently noticed by the AVDPA of China, … Read more

Cuphead is coming to iPhone and iPad…not.

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Cuphead on a Tesla.

  A Cuphead imposter was found on the iTunes store today. It basically presented itself as a port of the wildly-successful difficult platformer by Studio MDHR, which released the game a few months ago. It’s pretty much a sidescroller Rambo-style platforming game with old-fashioned animation and graphics. It was very well-received among its audience and instantly blew … Read more