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Swery reveals more details about his newest project: “The Missing”

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White Owls Studio is teasing its first game developed completely in-house called The Missing: J.J. Macfield and the Island of Mysteries, which is set to roll out later this year. With this year being close to over, it’ll likely surface sometime during the holiday season.

Swery was recently in the news for his The Good Life project which received decent success on Kickstarter. The game will be developed by Swery himself and staff from White Owls Studio. Arc Systems Works has been “very supportive” in giving him the opportunity to “create something entirely new” which will “blow your mind,” as Swery likes to put it. He’s known for his mind-boggling storylines and plots, and we expect nothing different from The Missing.

The game is an indie title developed by White Owls Studio and Swery. It’s an action adventure game coming to all major consoles and PC. It’s published by Arc Systems Works, which previously worked on titles that consisted of fighting games and similar genres. The announcement was filmed in their office with a humorous tone depicting cacti, stuffed monkeys, and a random White Owl. It promises a healthy dose of mystery and some speculation about the game’s release.

It was originally just known as “The Missing” and was revealed six months ago in February 2018 without any further details. The announcement trailer that was just released simply lists some details, screenshots, and the platforms the game will be released on. From what it shows, it looks like some kind of Castlevania-type action platform complete with sidescroller elements. Players will have to solve mysteries in rural settings similar to Deadly Premonition released by Swery back in 2010.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate at Nintendo Direct: New characters, amiibos, and a special edition

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Super Smash Bros. Ultimate at Nintendo Direct: New characters, amiibos, and a special edition 1

Nintendo has announced five new Super Smash Bros. Ultimate amiibo characters and a special limited edition amiibo and GameCube controller/adapter combo.

SSBU Nintendo Direct announced the news on August 8th where the new characters were revealed for the upcoming and much-anticipated crossover fighter. The characters and their respective amiibo figures will be available for purchase “in the future” according to a Tweet by Nintendo.

The characters announced were Simon Belmont, Richter Belmont, King K. Rool, Chrom and Dark Samus. SSBU is the newest entry in Nintendo’s flagship title Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighters. The game will be released on Nintendo Switch in the holiday season. Today’s Nintendo Direct event confirmed the new characters’ addition to the game.

As for when these will ship, there’s no confirmation yet. Nintendo is still being vague about the actual launch, but it’s safe to assume that they’ll be around during the game’s launch or shortly thereafter.

Nintendo’s special limited edition version of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will be released with the regular edition both on the same day, which is scheduled to be on December 7th, 2018.

T he special edition will contain a physical copy of the game, a GameCube controller themed with SSB designs, and an adapter so you can use it with the Switch. This adapter also works with any existing GameCube controllers you may already have.

Pricing for the limited edition version is still TBA, so expect more information to roll out as we approach the holidays. The GameCube controller for the limited edition isn’t exclusive by any means, as anyone can purchase the one that’s already on sale. It’ll be the same one that exists on the market today but bundled differently.

Dragon Quest XI will be a throwback to older titles in the series

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Dragon Quest XI will be a throwback to older titles in the series 2

A new trailer for the upcoming game Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age shows off the game’s gorgeous artwork and the group of companions that you’ll be playing alongside in this brand-new journey.

The game is supposed to be somewhat of a throwback to older, retro Dragon Quest games with each character in the party reflecting some older designs and personalities. Yuji Horii, developer, and creator of the series had an interview with Siliconera about each of the members of the party in greater detail.

Each character which accompanies the nameless hero, which is Dragon Quest tradition, on their journey to defeat the evil that’s wreaking havoc on their land. Horri went over how each character’s design and personality reflects an older Dragon Quest entity:

Erik is the down-to-Earth character. He’s fully governed and is a young thief who’s the first character to join the Limnitary.

Veronica and Serena are the pair of female girls similar to previous female duo Maya and Meena in Dragon Quest IV. They’re opposites in terms of personality and function for the party. Veronica is a mage and Serena is a healer. Their personalities offer plenty of content for the game’s moments with a dynamic opposing personality setup.

Sylvando is a guy who’s loud and annoying, probably because he’s an entertainer. He’s flamboyant, chivalrous, and somewhat buff. He has acrobatic skills.

Jade is a martial artist who acts as a sister to the hero.

Rab is an older character who’s somewhat of a troublemaker.

The game is the 11th title in the long-running series, which was first released back in 1986. It’ll feature many elements from the entire series due to it being somewhat of an homage to past titles, including the turn-based combat and classic designs created by Akira Toriyama and crew.

The game has already been released in Japan on the PS4 and Nintendo 3DS last year, with total sales around 3M copies. Worldwide release is scheduled on September 4th, 2018 for PS4 and Windows with a Switch version planned for release later on.

Surviving Mars Da Vinci update live on PC; What’s new?

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Surviving Mars Da Vinci update live on PC; What's new? 3

Surviving Mars released a new update this week according to a news post on their Steam Community page.

Surviving Mars is exactly what it sounds like. You need to establish a colony on the planet with just a cargo rocket and some drones and basic resources to start with and you need to expand your colony, build shelter, and explore the planet. The game doesn’t just put you alone on the planet though, you can breed humans to help perform tasks on your base in the harsh environment. You can actually expand beyond a thousand humans if you play well enough.

The game’s newest content patch is called the Da Vinci update. It allows a bunch of new features and balance adjustments to take place in the game. The main feature is Creative Mode, which allows players to basically have a large amount of capital and disable all the nasty diameters in the game in order to build creatively. It’s like RollerCoaster Tycoon on Mars with unlimited cash. It’s basically your typical freedom custom mode. Of course, achievements will be disabled if you’re playing in Creative.

Resource management has also been revamped to make it easier to harvest and utilize materials. Players can set a minimum desired amount of resources on a per-depot basis which allows adequate stockpiles of materiasl in various sections of your colony. The UI has also been improved and simplified. And power producers/consumers will now automatically connect to nearby buildings rather than requiring a tile power cable to be built.

Balance has also been addressed with some tweaks like building power consumption increases or maintenance parts changed. The Electronics Factory now uses machine parts for maintenance. Genius colonists will now grant research if you keep their Sanity high enough and Celebrity colonists will provide funding if their Comfort levels are kept well.

There’s also a Tourist trait for colonists now. Colonists will generate $10M upon arrival and stay for a few days, then leave. When they go back, they’ll bring back two new Tourist applicants. This is pretty cool because players can now establish a vacation destination on Mars and also get some additional income from it!

The Da Vinci update is already live on PC and console launches coming shortly. Another update called the Sagan Update will come next month in September with plenty of challenges along with it.

The Long Dark getting new content; Episodes 1 and 2 getting reworked

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The Long Dark getting new content; Episodes 1 and 2 getting reworked 4

The Long Dark is getting a new episode for its story mode later this year in December. Unlike the previous two episodes, Episdcoe Three doesn’t have any working title at the moment, however, players can expect a confirmed title in the coming months.

Hinterland Games, the developer, announced a release window on the Steam’s Community page. Players will also receive “Redux” editions of the first two episodes which have been adjusted and improved by Hinterland based on community feedback.

In the tertiary episode of Wintermute, players will play as Dr. Astrid Greenwood who’s on a quest to discover the secrets behind “First Flare,” which was the event which triggered the “Long Dark.” Players will interact with new characters and explore a huge new region. Details about the game are still relatively unknown, however, Hinterland has promised more info to be released as we near December.

The Redux work on the previous episodes started almost a year ago and was detailed in their developer diary. Updates to two chapters were made and include a restructuring of mission structure, newly playable inro for the first episode, new dialogue, and more. The work was done to “set up a stronger foundation” for the new content coming in December.

Also, to accommodate for the Redux work in Episodes One and Two, all progress saves for either of them will be deleted when the next episodes roll out. Hinterland suggests that you finish these episodes before it rolls out if you don’t want to lose all your progress so far. The latest update for The Long dark was the Vigilant Flame update which added a new region, cooking mechanic improvements, and more.

We’ll continue to release news about the newest update to the game as news comes out. Stay tuned.

Salt and Sanctuary released for Nintendo Switch

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Salt and Sanctuary released for Nintendo Switch 5

Salt and Sanctuary, a 2D hack-and-slash platformer released on the Nintendo Switch yesterday, the 2nd.

The game is also available on PS4, PC, and PS Vita and will also be released in digital and physical form. There will also be a collector’s edition called Salt and Sanctuary: Drowned Tome Edition which will launch sometime this “holiday” according to the developer Ska Studios. The game is being ported by BlitWorks, a Spanish developer who’s previously worked on Bastion, Spelunky, and Don’t Starve.

Ska Studios uploaded a new trailer for the game. It features some very nice artwork with plenty of hacking and slashing indeed:

It looks similar to Dark Souls with a lot of punishing combat and a few character classes. It uses a checkpoint system as you explore the world and typical boss encounters which you’ll struggle with unless you know the weak points and attack patterns. The player can also upgrade their abilities in order to unlock the world’s various zones.

The game follows a protagonist who’s been player-created. This character sails across the ocean to stop a war between two kingdoms. You’re then shipwrecked on an island and you must solve the puzzles behind an evil mastermind and survive the attacks by the hostile enemies on the island along with the traps and tricks.

Salt and Sanctuary is available now for the Switch. It has no exclusive content for this port, but if you’re looking for an awesome and distinctive platformer, you should consider this game.

 

Star Control: Origins releases Fleet Battles update patch – what’s new?

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Star Control: Origins releases Fleet Battles update patch - what's new? 6

Star Control: Origins, a space strategy indie game, just got a whole bunch of new updates in the Fleet Battles Beta patch.

Stardock, the developer, calls the update a major milestone in the game’s progress. It adds a few new ships, maps, weapons, and various improvements overall. The quality of life updates has also been implemented. The beta update is available to all players who pre-purchase the game.

The game is developed by Michigan-based company Stardock Entertainment. Star Control: Origins is the newest game in the series which began back in 1990. The game is different from earlier titles because it takes place in an alternate universe. Origins were announced back in 2016 and are available for PC via Steam on September 20th.

The Fleet Battles mode is probably the major update in this patch. It allows plates to build a fleet of starships and fight other fellers. Players can control fleet and battle enemy fleets, AI, or even with friends in local multiplayer. The game also now offers a fully integrated crafting system, which allows players to create, craft, and build, their own vessels and even share them with others in the Steam Workshop community.

A new gameplay feature has also been added to the game. Scavenging allows players to collect power-ups from destroyed ships found around the battlefields in the game. Each power-up allows players to get abilities like acceleration, restore energy, refill HP, and even get speed bursts.

There are also new ships added to the lineup in this update patch. Two new ships, the Kzinti Intimidator and the Arillou Observer, which both have their own unique features. The former is a “nimble ship equipped with deadly proximity mines and a Repulsor” while the latter can cloak. They both also have their weapon loadouts and players will receive new maps.

Performance improvements include an improved camera, UI, and multiplayer. Stardock has also released new content in the form of DLC, which add music, lore, and concept art. This is only available to players who pre-purchase the game.

Commodore 64 Mini (THEC64 Mini) launches on October 9th

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Commodore 64 Mini (THEC64 Mini) launches on October 9th 7

ThECE64 Mini (yes, that’s how it’s spelled), it’s coming out later in October. Like the Nintendo and Sega retro systems that have recently been released, the Commodore 64 is about to come out with its own spin on the retro take and jump on the bandwagon.

Based on a press release from the manufacturer, they’ve secured a release date of October 9th, 2018. It was first announced in 2017 and has now been updated with the confirmed release date.

For those who’ve never played with a Commodore 64 before, it’s a very complicated and fascinating setup. For starters, it was a home computer that used cartridges like you see in consoles like the SNES and NES. It also could run floppy discs. And it had a gigantic keyboard that had the ability to expand the capabilities of the system using add-ons. It also housed all the electronics of the system inside the keyboard, which explains the size.

PC gaming wasn’t really as mainstream as it nowadays during that time, so the C64 was one of the first systems to have a huge library of games for players to choose from and play inside the house. Some of these classics have now been ported to this system so players can experience a mini version one of the most popular computer systems ever built. For 90s kids, that’s hard to believe. But that was the case.

THEC64 Mini will come with 64 games and include a joystick. It’ll also have an HDMI cable for crisp retro gaming and USB cable for power. Updates for the computer will be uploaded via USB. There’s a flash drive attached to the Mini, which lets you add your own games to the device. They’re not as regularly as Nintendo it seems.

A number of retailers will carry the system and some already have it for pre-order. The North American version hasn’t announced any partners yet, but one can expect it to show up at GameStop, Amazon, Best Buy, or even eBay for scalpers. A price hasn’t been annoyced either, but stay tuned for updates.

No Man’s Sky Next released – Now what’s next?

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The future of No Man’s Sky is already in the works and planned after their huge multiplayer update No Man’s Sky Next arrived last week. In a recent news post on their official page, Sean Murray, Lead Developer, thanked his team for making it through the highs and lows and sticking by the game even after the horrible launch in 2016 and silence period towards the community afterward.

Hello Games has now included the community’s input in their ARG Waking Titan over the past year. They’ve let the players build and craft its own lore in the Euclid Galaxy which is built on regions on influences between fan-made factions.

Murray wants to continue this player-induced effort in the creation of the Galactic Atlas, which is a platform that’ll contain major points of interest found in the Euclid Galaxy which were nominated by the fans in a survey. Players can still continue to develop it in the new update and Hello Games will now continue their new “community season” for some fresh feedback. The studio will be weekly content and events for all players soon- free of charge.

No Man’s Sky Next is the latest update to the game. Sean Murray also jokingly replied to a tweet by PC Gamer over the excitement of the game in two years after its launch. The Next update is a free update for PS4 and PC. So if you’re looking for a reason to pick up the game again, grab it and try it out. The game also launched for the Xbox One for the first time on the same day the patch rolled out.

Staxel patch 1.3 – new quests, villagers, items, and a Friendship System

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Staxel patch 1.3 - new quests, villagers, items, and a Friendship System 9

Staxel has just released version 1.3 which includes a few new features like a Friendship System, new festivals, and a lot more content updates.

If you’ve never heard of Staxel , it’s a game where players are cohabitating an island that has graphics very similar to Minecraft. Players are free to do what they want in the world, such as building, exploring, and interacting with others. The game even lets player relocate a whole town or build a giant city if they wanted. It’s like Minecraft in an alternate dimension.

Staxel patch 1.3 - new quests, villagers, items, and a Friendship System 10

Staxel patch 1.3 - new quests, villagers, items, and a Friendship System 11

In the 1.3 update, the first update is the Friendship System. It allows you to track your relationship with the city folk and doing things like interacting with them and talking with them will only get you the occasional gift and special Friendship Quests. You can also gift them and even have one move into your home as a roommate. The villagers also now have improved interaction with each other so it feels more like a village.

Staxel also received some new content in the form of festivals. Festivals allow players to earn rare items and do special in-game events. The announcement made by the developers on the Steam page didn’t go into detail as to what they are, so you’ll have to play the game to find out.

Other content includes new quests, items, and villagers. You can check out the full patch notes for the full list of updates in 1.3. Staxel’s new patch is now available to all players.

Chrome Browser getting a new UI overhaul with Google’s Material Design Theme

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Chrome Browser getting a new UI overhaul with Google's Material Design Theme 12

The Chrome Browser is getting a major UI redesign soon. New changes have already been live in the Canary build. The new version is focused on Material Desing across all its products for a similar look and feel. It’s officially dubbed the Google Material Theme after already being debuted in Android P and Gmail. Now it’s going to roll out to the Chrome Browser.

The tab and address bar are underway for some significant changes. The tab bar now shows a rectangular shape with rounded corners and tab separation is also different. If you’re using a single tab, there’s no distinct tab shape at all. The focused tab is white and the background of the tab bar is also white so it blends into one bar. If you’re using only a single tab, it makes sense.

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When you have multiple tabs, then the background switches to a light grey and then background tabs will get vertical pipe separators rather than their own tab.

Getting a new tab has also been replaced with a huge plus button rather the current blank, unlabeled button. On Macs, it’ll be on the left-hand side instead of the right.

The address bar is rounded now just like on Android phones. The autocomplete drop down is a rectangular box instead of a bar. A new account button for Chrome Sync is also more apparent and shows your profile picture instead of the name.

Material Design is Google’s new theme and they’re really pushing it out. It’ll roll out to Windows and Mac platforms soon after it gets into the Stable channel for release.

Enter the Gungeon’s free expansion Advanced Gungeons and Dragons coming July 19th

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Enter the Gungeon's free expansion Advanced Gungeons and Dragons coming July 19th 14

Advanced Gungeons and Draguns expansion is set to launch next week. It’s a free expansion to the cult roguelike Enter the Gungeon, which is available for Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The expansion will have a ton of content which includes new items, enemies, ammo types, rooms, synergies, drop rates, and a lot more. The … Read more

Super Indie Karts “Ultra Update” races onto Steam Early Access

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Super Indie Karts "Ultra Update" races onto Steam Early Access 15

Super Indie Karts is a 16-bit kart racer that features drivers and tracks from a variety of games like Duck Game, Runbow, and Freedom Planet. The game is heavily inspired by the original Super Mario Kart with flat tracks and sharp, hairpin turns. 90s kids will remember that the original and Mario Kart 64 were the best of the bunch. And only 90s kids will be able to drown in the nostalgia of the VHS trailer for the Super Indie Karts’ Ultra Update. The update includes a whole slew of new features to the game which turns it into a more modern, yet retro classic.

Just jump around in this promo vid and you’ll see the similarity between the two games:

The “Ultra” release rolls out on July 19th and includes a whole new est of tracks that feature more obstacles, modern layouts, and an N64 design with polygonal shapes but keeps the original theme of the game. Super Indie Karts is obviously the type of indie mashup game you’d expect from a crowdfunded indie dev.

The game’s characters look the same with their original sprites but they’re on newly redesigned tracks. It sports various sets of tracks based on SNES graphics and another group of tracks in a futuristic VR-like setting. These are the main game modes.

For those who want some multiplayer action (some people only played Mario Kart for BlockFortresss, believe it or not), the game will also have a battle mode. The total number of tracks is about 50, which is more than any Mario Kart game on the planet to my knowledge (not including mirror tracks)!

Development of Super Indie Karts started in May of 2015 and has been slowly racing towards the finish. One Legged Seagull started a Kickstarter campaign. He wanted to include all the content he could before releasing the game to avoid another future sequel. Players will get the full feature upon release date, which is currently scheduled for 2018 on Steam and is currently available in Early Access.

Netflix getting rid of user reviews – permanently

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Netflix getting rid of user reviews - permanently 16

User-written reviews on streaming giant Netflix will soon dissipate into thin air. Based on a report from CNET, Netflix has plans to completely remove user-generated reviews from its platform this summer. It’ll take place in a few different phases- by July 30, writing reviews for shows and movies will be halted. In August, existing reviews will be completely wiped from the servers.

Netflix stated that the reviews had “declining usage over time” and therefore have become obsolete. Therefore, they’ve decided to remove the written reviews and stick with the thumbs up/down system. It’s also been reported that they’ve notified any user who has used the feature recently.

The ability to write and read user reviews have been already limited to the desktop version of Netflix. They don’t show up in any of Netflix’s apps across any platform, but the rating system is still intact on both the desktop and apps.

Previously, they used a star rating system which was replaced with a thumbs voting system. They claim that it’s easier to use the thumb system and it’s more accurate for personal recommendations of shows and movies, which may increase user engagement. A report from Variety says that the company saw a whopping 200% increase in ratings when they switched to the thumb rating system.

Netflix has also been testing a new subscription tier in Europe. It’s called Ultra and it allows an account to watch Ultra HD content for just about $20 USD.

Planet Coaster Vintage DLC pack coming July 10; What’s new?

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Planet Coaster Vintage DLC pack coming July 10; What's new? 17

The new DLC for Planet Coaster is set to launch on July 10, 2018, based on a post on their official site. Planet Coaster is the modern RollerCoaster Tycoon and is one of several newer entries into the theme park simulator genre. It’s developed by a team of people that features many of the same members who developed RCT 3.

So far, a few DLCs have been released and plenty of free updates keeping the game fresh since its initial release back in 2016. The new DLC is called the Vintage Pack and is a paid content release.

It’ll feature two new wooden coasters- the Zephyrus which is a fast wooden coaster and Aces Sky which has biplane carriages and navigates sideways through a huge wooden tunnel. It’ll also have five new regular rides, such as Round The World which is similar to a standard Ferris wheel, Loop Da Loop which is an old-school twin-cabin swinging inverter ride, and Test Flight which is an inverting plane that allows guest control. Hurricane and Centrum are both carnival classics that make up the remainder of the new regular rides in the Vintage Pack DLC.

There are also new machines that can be added to the park with this new update. Gumball and popcorn and even an animatronic that predicts the future can all be added throughout the park in order to keep guests happy and your income flowing. You can also set the odds of these machines in order to increase your profit margins or make the tradeoff for guest happiness.

And lastly, the pack adds a bunch of vintage scenery to the game (to no surprise) and wall sets will be available with this update.

If you’re not interested in this DLC or you’re just not a DLC buyer, there will also be a free update to the game that brings recolorable staff, photo filters, free coasters, and more. Thank the developers for keeping the game interesting and updated.

Confirmed: Rend leaving beta and entering early access July 31

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Confirmed: Rend leaving beta and entering early access July 31 18

Rend’s is set to launch on Steam’s Early Access program on July 31st. The game will cost $29.99 and will instantly allow access to all the content available. The closed alpha is now over and the game is entering the next step in its lifecycle.

Developer Frostkeep Studios laid out the roadmap for the game back in May. The jotted down the major milestones of the alpha and feedback that was taken into account. Now the game is set to launch after being developed and built based on meeting those goals and feedback reports.

The community feedback was a huge portion in shaping how the game was developed. Co-Founder and CEO of Frostkeep Jeremy Wood states that early access “marks a pivotal moment” for the studio. They actually use the program for the way its intended t be used- to garner feedback from the players and develop the game according to how the players want it to be built. Now, it’s about to be released to the masses and even more player feedback will be available for Frostkeep to analyze and build Rend around.

“Our standard for Early Access is simple: the game must be in a state such that if we were to never touch its code ever again, Rend would be considered a finished, complete game worth its buy-to-play-only price. We believe this was the original vision for Early Access and we will hold ourselves and our games to that standard. You should too.”

You can see more updates on Rend’ here. They recently posted about their new UI system and the new creatures and biomes you’ll encounter.

Here’s a developer interview conducted by TechRaptor:

Super Bomberman R’s newest update adds tons of craziness

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Super Bomberman R recently ended its contract with Nintendo Switch exclusivity and has been released on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Each platform has their own exclusive characters and Konami has decided to up the ante with some extra fun.

The game has transformed into a Super Smash Bros. style game of Konami’s past character, rather than the top-down old-school Bomberman-style gameplay. With a new take comes new surprises- the newest one being David Hayer’s reappearance in Bomberman R.

Solid Snake fans can choose from Snake and Naked Snake. Raiden, Lance, and Bill are also diving head first into the game, showing off the craziness that is Bomberman R. Owners of the Switch version can play as MAX, which is a Bomberman character that’s exclusive to the Switch. A lot of other characters from Konami’s lesser-known games such as Goemon, Gradius, and Tokimeki Memorial have also been released in the free update. Accessories for each character from Metal Gear and Contra are also available.

Danica Patrick from Sonic Racing Transformed is now available. And even weirder, WWE wrestler Xavier Woods has been added to the game with his original voiceovers. This is just plain silly. But who cares. This ain’t about lore. It’s about nonstop action.

New gameplay modes have also rolled out. Grand Prix now has a Checkpoints option which changes the game to a King of the Hill style mode where you have to rush towards locations on the map in order to gain points. Fans of the game will have a lot to keep them busy this time around. Are you super excited for this update?

New Oculus Rift software requirements; Windows 10 only supported OS

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New Oculus Rift software requirements; Windows 10 only supported OS 20

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.

Google launches Messages for Web – text from your computer

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Google launches Messages for Web - text from your computer 21

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.

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

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Super Mario Party's online mode is just for minigames - nothing else 22

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.

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

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What's new in the Kingdom Come: Devlierance 1.5 patch; From the Ashes DLC info 23

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.

 

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

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Hitman 2 being developed by Warner Bros. leaked pre-E3 24

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.

Fallout 76 will be an online survival RPG

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Fallout 76 will be an online survival RPG 25

Fallout 76′s reveal took the web by storm and lots of questions were thrown by the fanbase.

Specifically, a report by Jason Schreier on Kotaku said that it’ll be “an online survival RPG that’s heavily inspired by games like DayZ and Rust.” He said that game is an experiment entry into the Fallout series.

The original plans for the game were a multiplayer version of Fallout 4 with the objective being to bring the entire universe online. It’ll contain a story and quests, but will take hints from the base-building feature in Fallout 4 and other games.

Based on Vault 76, the lore is that it’s a control vault and had no long-running experiments integrated into it and was meant to be unlocked 20 years after the war. The main objective of the vault is for players to make their mark on the world and rebuild things from the ground up after the destruction. This would also provide one of the earliest looks into the history of the Fallout universe.

The dev team includes Bethesda Game Studio’s main office in Maryland but also the Austin location, which used to be called Battlecry Studios and was acquired by Bethesda. They’ve only released multiplayer content for Doom so far.

No other details have been released yet, but the game should be revealed in full at E3 on June 10th. Some spare info reveals that it’ll be on all current-gen consoles and PC- except the Switch, which isn’t surprising.

Fallout 76 announced; possible online Fallout game

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Fallout 76 announced; possible online Fallout game 26

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

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

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

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

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

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Is Temtem is the Pokemon MMO we've all been waiting for? 27

Crema, the developers of Immortal Redneck, is developing a Pokemon MMO-like game called Temtem.

They got the sources to crowdfund it and it’s supposed to the MMO every Pokemon player has been waiting for. It’s very similar to Nintendo’s monster-catching game. You’ll travel across many lands to find 8 Dojo leaders and lots of Temtem trainers. You need o capture creatures in the form of a digital card and then use them to fight other Tamers and their monster as well. This is just what you’d expect.

However, the game also has trainers all around the floating island each with their own Temtem monster in  Heart Gold-style format. The trailer shows off players going into battle and trading from the overworld, and the game has been designed as an online-focused game.

The characters, UI, and layout are all made for online gameplay. Some game mechanics have also been improved. If you breed the same monster repeatedly, it’ll net you diminishing returns. Battles are also 2v2 encounters and there will be no RNG elements as well.

The game is still in crowdfunding mode on Kickstarter. You can expect some very generous goodies for very generous backers. At $70,000, the game will be funded. Everything from an appearance in the game to your custom creature is possible. There’s already a Steam page for curious players if you’re interested in the game.

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

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State of Decay garners 1 million players; Framerate and bugs "number one" priority 28

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

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

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

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

Microsoft and Undead Labs say:

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

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

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Destiny's future may now shift gears with Activision gone.

Activision and Bungie have been getting plenty of flack regarding the Eververse vendor in Destiny 2.

While it was in the first game, microtransactions weren’t really an issue with the community. But then, the new Iron Banner $10 emote is just making the fire between the developer and gamers worse.

Before the expansion The Taken King came out, Bungie announced that there would only be a cosmetic microtransaction marketplace in Destiny. The store named Eververse featured some emotes, shaders, and horns for player vehicles. This wasn’t really adored by gamers, but it was acceptable and would help fund the game’s development. Most players ignored it and just went with eh regular grind.

In Destiny 2, Eververse was a bigger thing. Now with revamped loot and leveling, players were given a free loot box ever level gained. This is just free access to what would be blocked behind a microtransaction, though some people believe it’s invasive to the game’s ethics of making it fair for all players. Some decisions even cause player campaigns to surface over the internet.

While the game doesn’t offer anything that’ll really break the game other than some buffs and faster sparrows, the expansions have offered some pretty good loo that can only be claimed from Evergreen. You need to pay $9.99 for an emote that’s a direct reference to a PVP event in which you can’t earn it from. But then if you think about it, Destiny 2 itself can be found for as low as $10. That means an in-game emote costs as much as the game itself.

This will probably only fuel the fire between the community and Bungie. #RemoveEververse

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

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Sega confirms Yakuza 3, 4, and 5 getting remasters - 60FPS and HD resolutions 29

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

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

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

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

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

Age of Wonders: Planetfall shoots for the stars in 2019

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Age of Wonders: Planetfall shoots for the stars in 2019 30

A new game called Age of Wonders: Planetfall is in development.

It’s made by Triumph Studios and published by Paradox Interactive. The game is the next in the Age of Wonders series and the developer hopes that it’ll bring all the combat from the previous games back in this fantasy setting. The news was released with a new trailer as well, which you can see here:

From the trailer, we can see that it’s definitely a gorgeous game. There are also a few snippets of gameplay that looks amazing with a ton of different things to manage. if you like turn-based strategy, Age of Wonders is a hidden gem in the genre. Triumph wasn’t to make a game that expands upon its predecessors and employs the core principles of the game. While this is a new futuristic setting for the series, they’re sure that it’ll remain the same and fans will feel right at home with it.

Dutch-based developer Triumph is known for this series and Overlord series also. Paradox is also a well-known company in this genre with games like Crusader Kings.

Planetfall offers players everything they’re accustomed to. You can build, fight, negotiate, and build up your city to a utopian society with advanced technology. The game will use their own engine which was also used on  Age of Wonders III. this will be the first title to be published by Paradox Interactive, and Triump is “thrilled” to be working with them.

The game will release in 2019. Stay tuned for updates!

Stellaris: Distant Stars DLC update – what’s coming

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Stellaris: Distant Stars DLC update - what's coming 31

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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