Friday, September 30, 2016

News:: Keep Your Eyes Peeled For These Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Retailer Exclusives

Think your Rogue One: A Star Wars Story toy shopping adventure is over? Have you been to Kohl’s yet? How about Walgreens? Entertainment Earth? Here are six sets of retailer-exclusive Hasbro Star Wars toys to add to your shopping list.

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News:: There's an Overwatch tournament airing on TBS right now

ESPN choosing to air DOTA 2 for the first time was a pretty big moment in 2014, but in this era of NBA clubs buying up eSports teams, it's commonplace. That doesn't make it any less mesmerizing watching a big event for Overwatch on TBS -- I can just imagine people tuning in for a late night comedy romp only to find a screen full of apes, cowboys, and Russian bodybuilders. 

It's the Grand Finals tonight featuring Team EnVyUs versus Misfits, by way of ELeague. You can catch the tail end of the tourney now on your TV (or Twitch, you savage), which is wrapping up now with a best of five finale. EnVyUs is the favorite having tanked through some top-ranked teams (like Cloud9), but they're down right now by one match with a sort of underdog run by Misfits. Personally I'm loving the Zarya and Reaper play I'm seeing, and there's a good spread in terms of character pickrates -- Overwatch is a fun game to watch.

I'm also impressed by the production values (and the calling) especially for a game as new as Overwatch, but Blizzard is continuing to lean heavily into the eSports scene with built-in streaming, Twitch partnerships, and year-long tournaments for nearly all of its games (even World of Warcraft's arenas get some play). There's a lot of money being pumped into eSports right now, and while I see a potentially popped bubble forming, there's no shortage of cash at the moment.

There's an Overwatch tournament airing on TBS right now screenshot



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News:: Twitch Starts Phasing Out Original Subscription Plan In Favor Of Amazon-Linked 'Twitch Prime'

The game-streaming service Twitch will no longer offer $9/month Twitch Turbo subscriptions in the U.S. and other parts of the world where Amazon Prime is available, the company announced today. That’s because the Amazon-owned Twitch is now offering ad-free Twitch subscriptions as one of the many perks customers will get for $11/month Amazon Prime subscriptions.

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News:: Google's VR paint game 'Tilt Brush' will get multiplayer

Google's Tilt Brush debuted in September 2014 as a virtual reality painting experience -- immersion with the creative simplicity of MS Paint, as The Verge put it. They've added more in-game tools and hosted the odd art exhibit in the two-year interim. But as more VR headsets filter into players' hands, the game will soon get a big feature: Multiplayer. There's no release date yet, but here's a few things to look forward to while we wait.

Via: The Verge

Source: Google blog



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News:: Track: Bring Da Ruckus | Artist: Wu-Tang Clan | Album: Enter the 36 Chambers

Track: Bring Da Ruckus | Artist: Wu-Tang Clan | Album: Enter the 36 Chambers

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News:: Killing time: My year in Inaba

[Despite killing time sometimes literally being a big theme in Persona 4, TurboJasper proves to us that it is far more important in the grand scheme of things then you'd normally think it would be. ~Strider]

It's a rainy Friday night. The bus to my part-time job isn't coming and I am soaking myself to the bone waiting. I decide to treat my self to a meal at Aiya and call it a night.

Killing time: My year in Inaba screenshot

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News:: Hell yes, here's a game about owning a Shiba Inu

I had a great Shiba Inu friend for about two years.

He was a troubled dog. Skin allergies. Didn't get along with other dogs. He even bit my lawyer once! But we'd been fast friends; he loved me and I loved him. Unfortunately he moved to Arizona and I don't have the kind of money required to pick up an obscure, purebred pup (or the luck to have a rare adoption chance pop up), so Shiba ownership is not something I can count on anytime soon.

Especially with my new friend of a couple weeks needing quite a bit of attention herself. Support your local animal shelters!

Shibas, beyond being a beloved internet meme dog, need a lot of work. They're stubborn, smart, and not recommended for first-time dog owners. And that's what Year of the Dog, "a slice-of-life game about living with a Shiba Inu in San Francisco," is about.

"You are placed in the role of a reluctant rookie dog owner, tasked with taking care of a Shiba while his real owner (your partner) is abroad for a year. Each chapter of the game recounts a snapshot from a month of that year, as your bond with the dog grows as you learn how and what it means to care for another living being."

Of course, you are free to abdicate responsibility and just enjoy adorable gifs instead.

Hell yes, here's a game about owning a Shiba Inu screenshot



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News:: Twitch Prime debuts at TwitchCon

TwitchCon 2016 kicked off in San Diego today, and several announcements were made during the keynote address about Twitch's partnership with online retailer Amazon. Among these, Twitch announced that it'll be offering a new service called "Twitch Prime," and that all members of Amazon's existing Prime service will be included.

Benefits of the service include a free monthly Twitch channel subscription as well as access to some free digital games and in-game bonuses. Current Prime members can access the bonuses by linking their existing Twitch and Amazon accounts at the Twitch Prime website.

Starting today, Twitch Prime members are eligible for a new Hearthstone character, the Night Elf Priestess Tyrande Whisperwind. Redeeming the code also grants a new card back. They can also download Streamline for free and gain access to 24 pieces of gear, equip the Bomb King weapon skin in Paladins, and reskin the Ymir boss character in over-the-shoulder MOBA SMITE.

The current bonuses will be available until November 6, and Twitch has promised a constantly updated slate of goodies in addition to the 20% off new releases that Amazon Prime members already receive.

Once your Amazon and Twitch accounts are linked, you can check what's being offered by following this link

Twitch Prime debuts at TwitchCon screenshot

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News:: Twitch rolls out video uploads, clip editing on iOS and Android

While Amazon-linked Prime features are the big news out of TwitchCon, the livestreaming service is bringing some long-promised new features to users. Starting today, users can upload videos directly to Twitch. That means streamers can apply their video editing and production skills to archived clips for their audiences, without having to take them somewhere else, like YouTube. The feature was announced at TwitchCon last year, but at least it's here now in beta form.

Source: Twitch Blog (1)



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News:: Hit Dating Game Mystic Messenger Makes A Game Out Of Emotional Labor

The Korean dating simulator Mystic Messenger has become somewhat of a sensation among over a million women worldwide. It’s an “otome” game (literally, “maiden game”) that offers female players a harem of anime boys to court. These suitors are all charming in their own ways and all have their particular emotional needs. And, goddamn, are they needy.

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News:: $15 Dragon's Dogma graces giant RPG PC game sale

RPG lovers unite. This weekend you're graced with a giant sale on all things RPG PC games, from the excellent port of Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen, to the spiritual successor Wasteland 2, and even old triple-A titles like Dragon Age: Inquisition are on tap for under $10.

In fact, take a look at Tropico 5 Complete. It is now only $8.72 for the Steam copy which, hmm, alright... not quite an RPG there. Alright, so a few other titles are also a bit of a stretch to fit into the genre, but everything listed in the Top Picks section below is at a new historic low.

Conversely, games in the "More Picks" section are tying or approaching new lows (i.e. we don't have enough accurate historic data to consider these "new" lows). If none of the deals below strikes your fancy, you can browse the full list of 85 games here.

Must use coupon: VIP3

Top Picks:

More Picks:

$15 Dragon's Dogma graces giant RPG PC game sale screenshot



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News:: We're learning more about the NES Classic Edition

The NES Classic Edition has begun its initial manufacturing run, and some folks in Madrid got hands on with one of the first ones off the assembly line. Spanish-language site GameReactor posted some high-quality images of the upcoming console, including comparison shots with the 1985 original.


The NES Classic Edition is less than a quarter the size of the original NES.


The console itself takes up less space than a single game for the original console.


The controllers are approximately the size of the console, not tiny like the Famicom Mini


As you can see, the controllers are virtually identical to a vintage controller from 1985. Without seeing the plug end, there's no easy way to tell them apart.


The ports on the front match up with those you'll find on the bottom of a Wii Remote. The new controllers can also be plugged into a Wiimote to control Virtual Console games on the Wii or Wii U.


The back of the console shows an HDMI port and a mini-USB, presumably the power source.

Unfortunately, we've also learned that those controller cords are only three feet long. I, for one, do not miss the days of tripping over wired controllers, but it looks like that's the future we're in for. If you're planning on picking up a NES Mini, you may want to invest in a nice, long HDMI cable.

We've already listed the games that will be appearing on this console, but a video from Nintendo UK let us know that the mini console will also offer some different display modes. In addition to pixel-perfect mode, the console will also have an optional CRT filter that adds blur, as well as a 4 by 3 mode that slightly distorts the picture, the way it might look on a vintage Panaphonics, Magnetbox, or Sorny. Each game will also allow you to create four suspend points to help get past difficult sections.

The NES Classic Edition comes out November 11 in the US, and it's probably going to be huge. This is one situation where pre-ordering might be a good idea; it certainly beats wading into a melee at Walmart on Black Friday, snatching one out of a 300 lb. woman's Rascal Scooter when she isn't looking.

Photo Gallery: Mini NES compared to the original [GameReactor]
NES Classic Edition controllers are roughly 3 feet in length [GoNintendo]

We're learning more about the NES Classic Edition screenshot

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News:: What Are You Playing This Weekend?

It’s the weekend! I have so many chores to do: laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning the bathroom—which means I’m going to think about doing those things and then just play some video games instead.

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News:: Fuck up the KKK in Mafia 3

A lot of games have let us dispense of nazis with hot-leaded-justice, but what about groups that have since perpetuated the Nazi's occult-lunacy-derived racial superiority? Sure, the KKK existed before the Nazis, but Mafia 3 is set in 1968, which is already third-wave Ku Klux Klan.

These are the folks that planted 15 sticks of dynamite at a black church in Bimingham, Alabama in 1963, killing 4 girls and injuring 22 others. They also kinda of got away with it. None of the four men responsible were even tried until one, Robert Chambliss, was tried and convicted in 1977, 14 years later. Another died before he could be charged, and the other two didn't receive their life sentences until 2001 and 2002. After Y2K and everything!

They're terrorists with really high opinions of themselves and, as you can see in the brief segment at 2 minutes into the video on Mafia 3's combat in general, you can fuck 'em up next week when Mafia 3 comes out.

Fuck up the KKK in Mafia 3 screenshot



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News:: Twitch announces ad-free streaming for Amazon Prime members

Today at Twitch Con 2016 in San Diego, Amazon and the world's biggest livestreaming platform announced a new perk of their deepening relationship. It's called Twitch Prime and starting today Amazon Prime members get ad-free viewing on Twitch, plus exclusive deals on new releases and "free loot" like skins, characters, boosts and even free games.



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News:: The Sims 4 Players Who Are Being Haunted By Glitch Ghosts

In this week’s episode of The Save Files, we look at the ridiculous ways people have tried to exorcise ghosts in The Sims 4, a mystery within Binding of Issac, and the latest on Resident Evil 7's finger.

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News:: XSEED is bringing Nitroplus Blasterz to PC this winter

Nitroplus Blasterz: Heroines Infinite Duel is a PlayStation exclusive no longer. XSEED is bringing the Examu-developed 2D fighter to Steam this winter, and that's sure to make some of you happy.

In his review of the PS4 version, Kyle noted that he wasn't familiar with most of the roster given its visual-novel origins (a feeling I can definitely relate to), but it didn't end up mattering too much.

"Nitroplus Blasterz is a fast, smooth, strategic, and generally entertaining fighting game that has found a happy medium between accessibility and depth," he wrote. "Provided a decent-sized community builds around the game, this is a fighter I could see myself enjoying for a long time to come."

What's new for PC? At the very least, "new victory animations for some fighters, animated stage backgrounds, and menu settings in training mode which are now saved from the player's last play session."

XSEED is bringing Nitroplus Blasterz to PC this winter screenshot

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News:: Final Fantasy 15's car radio has tunes spanning every numbered Final Fantasy game

Final Fantasy 15 is, among many other things, a road trip with your bros

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News:: See How Forza Horizon 3's Graphics Really Compare To Other Driving Games

Forza Horizon 3 has as pretty fired up over its photorealistic graphics and extensive list of cars. But to get a really direct comparison of how it visually stacks up to other driving games, you’ve got to try the same car and conditions in each virtual world back-to-back-to-back.

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News:: Oculus App Update Is Murdering Battery Life on Samsung Phones

The Samsung Gear VR is one of the easiest ways to experience virtual reality, but some users are learning that convenience comes with its costs. Owners of Samsung phones such as the S6, S6 Edge, S7, and S7 Edge are reporting that Oculus app is destroying their phone’s battery life.

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News:: The Purge is coming to TV - batten down the hatches!

Of all the film franchises that are currently raking in the big bucks, The Purge is possibly the most surprising

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News:: Microsoft has even more Gears-centric Xbox One S bundles

To go along with that decked-out Gears of War-themed crimson Xbox One S, Microsoft has a couple of other, more affordable system bundles on the way.

Microsoft has even more Gears-centric Xbox One S bundles screenshot

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News:: Gears of War 4 on disc needs an 11GB day-one patch, plan your launch marathons accordingly

Be advised, non-connected and/or impatient Gearheads: physical copies of Gears of War 4 will require an additional 11GB of data to be downloaded before you can start playing

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News:: Friday Night Fights - Do it for her

Nobody ever said life was easy. Mike is busy, Pixie is busy, and Occams is currently away in another dimension (I assume). Seeing as how I finished packing to go to my in-laws' place today, I could spare a moment to get FNF up. It's too bad Mike probably won't be able to join us though due to said circumstances taking him away from FNF, because he just got Monster Hunter Generations too. I even advised him on how to fight Amatsu because nobody online really knows how to hunt Amatsu.

In these uncertain times of difficulty with life and questionable American elections, it's important to think of what gets you through the day. Like Rem, who is clearly best girl. I mean, it's a fact at this point. She ran away with a victory in character polls at nearly 49%. I refuse to acknowledge any other contenders. Just play games with the community with knowledge that Rem is best girl.

Friday Night Fights - Do it for her screenshot

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News:: Save A Whopping $55 On These Popular Mackie Reference Speakers

These Mackie CR4 reference speakers sell for $150 on Amazon, where they carry a 4.4 star review average, but Adorama will sell you the pair for $115 today, which is a match for the best price we’ve ever seen. Plus, a $20 mail-in rebate is available to effectively take them down to $95.

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News:: Paladins will probably do pretty well for itself on consoles

With its open beta newly available on Steam Early Access, Paladins: Champions of the Realm has stepped into the spotlight. This is a team-based shooter from Hi-Rez, the studio behind SMITE and Tribes: Ascend, and I don't think it's unfair to say the game's main draw is its free-to-play nature.

That'll be especially important on consoles where this specific kind of multiplayer experience can, at the right price, do very well for itself. Hi-Rez has announced PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of Paladins and is now offering closed beta signups for both platforms (PS4 here, Xbox here).

"From day one of development, Paladins was designed with console in mind. We've enlisted some big-name console gamers to make sure the control scheme feels just right. Name any big-time multiplayer shooter that you enjoy most on console and Paladins stands right there alongside them."

Paladins is Coming to Console! [Paladins]

Paladins will probably do pretty well for itself on consoles screenshot



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News:: Deadspin It’s Probably Time To Start Worrying About Sammy Watkins | The Muse Artists Call for a Boyc

Deadspin It’s Probably Time To Start Worrying About Sammy Watkins | The Muse Artists Call for a Boycott of Kelley Walker’s ‘Irresponsible and Offensive’ St. Louis Exhibition | Gizmodo Massive Earthquake Along the San Andreas Fault Is Disturbingly Imminent | The Slot ‘Check Out Sex Tape,’ Presidential Candidate Tweets at 5 AM |

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News:: Gears of War 4 gets 2 new Xbox One S bundles in white and teal

If you want to pick up an Xbox One S and Gears of War 4 together and you don't want your new console to look like it narrowly survived a bear attack, Microsoft has some more options for you

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News:: PlayStation 4 Slim price thins to $269.99 after coupon

If you can't wait for Black Friday to pick up a new PlayStation 4 Slim, there are discounts out already. Today you can use a $30 off coupon code at Jet.com (recently acquired by Walmart). This is a coupon limited to "new customers" only and will slash $30 off the PS4 Slim. It's the lowest price to date for the Slim that we've seen.

For those who have bought things in the past from Jet, you'll need to at the very least make a new account to get the code to work. Interestingly enough, Jet doesn't typically allow promo codes like this to work on console deals so this was a pleasant find this morning (e.g., the same code won't work on the new Xbox One S consoles).

While code SHOP10 isn't valid for most video game systems at Jet, another notable console deal the code qualifies on is a Wii U Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Console (dropping it also to $269.99). The Wii U deal isn't exactly the greatest sale price for a system this "old," but we haven't seen a discount on the Mario Kart 8 bundle in over six months so we figure a mention wouldn't hurt.

This is a solid deal for a PS4 this fall. It's not quite the fire sale those in the UK received just a day ago on the older PS4 model, but 10% off an already margin-thin machine is always a good bet.

PlayStation 4 Slim price thins to $269.99 after coupon screenshot



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News:: The Art Of Total War: Warhammer

It’s always a pleasure when I get to showcase the work of an entire team on Fine Art, and doubly so when it’s a game that I really, really like.

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News:: Avatar: The Last Airbender Is One Of The Greatest TV Shows Of All Time

When people talk about the current golden age of TV, they’re usually referring to big, serious dramas like Breaking Bad or The Wire. I am here today to tell you that Avatar: The Last Airbender, an animated show about a group of magical kids who ride around on a flying buffalo, deserves to be counted among them.

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News:: Miyamoto once said Mario is 24 or 25 and what's even real anymore?

Come to think of it, I've never before tried to guess Mario's age specifically. Have you?

I've always considered him to be in some vague late-30s or early-40s gray area, if not older, going off the 1993 Super Mario Bros. film. That's a wide range! So you can imagine, then, that word from creator Shigeru Miyamoto about Mario being firmly in his mid-20s comes as a huge shock.

This uncomfortable detail has bubbled up out of a 2005 interview with Miyamoto, recently and horrifyingly shared again, in which the designer states: "Normally when you create a character and present him to the world, all the details get filed in: what's his favorite color? What kind of food does he like to eat? But aside from the fact that he's about 24-25 years old, we didn't define anything else."

So, Mario is younger than me. I am not okay with this.

Mario is only 24 years old, according to creator Shigeru Miyamoto [Ars Technica via NeoGAF]

Miyamoto once said Mario is 24 or 25 and what's even real anymore? screenshot



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News:: This Guy Recreated No Mans Sky in Doom

It includes randomly generated planets, conversations with aliens, and even the center of the universe.

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News:: Rumors That Battleborn is Going F2P Are False According to Gearbox CEO

Pure PlayStation writes,"Battleborn isnt a bad game. It just got released around the same time as Overwatch and Paragon for those that dont know. As such there wasnt much hope for the Gearbox title to be a commercial success. Battleborns underwhelming performance is a sure bet for the rumors about it going free-to-play. This was especially thrust into the limelight today after a Kotaku piece. According to them, an anonymous source said that Battleborn will be going F2P and has even tried already before a few times. Gearbox CEO, Randy Pitchford, was none too pleased about the story and clarified that the report was false. Additionally, he called it reckless."

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News:: CCP Games on EVE: Valkyrie PlayStation VR Launch & VR Cross-Play

PlayStation VR early-adopters will go head-to-head with Oculus Rift pilots.

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News:: MSs Spencer Doesnt Look At PC As Competition For Xbox Scorpio Like Sony Does

Microsoft's Phil Spencer on the upcoming Xbox Scorpio, Sony's suggested PC migration and Spencer's different view on that.

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News:: The Analog Circle Podcast: Will no 4K Blu-Ray player hurt PS4 Pro sales?

In this episode I will be talking about the possible price of the NX,when the Playstation Experience is happening,how PC game players can get Gears 4 for free,the Nintendo 64 emulator being available on Xbox One. This and more on Episode 37.

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