Wednesday, October 26, 2016

News:: A Few Good Mods For Mafia III

Open-world games benefit massively from thriving mod scenes, and while Mafia III is no Grand Theft Auto V, it’s seen a trickle of mods since launch. Here are a handful of good ones.

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News:: More footage for Sonic Mania emerges

I'm not overly familiar with Kinda Funny Games, but they uploaded a 26 minute video of Sonic Mania that shows off a new zone along with Tails and Knuckles. I'm really happy to see that both characters look similar to their classic counterparts and I plan on taking Knuckles almost exclusively.

Along with Tim Gettys playing the game, Sonic Mania producer Lola Shiraishi is present. She gives some comments about the team behind Mania, their goals for recreating the classic vibe of the Genesis games and what she likes about the older titles. This may not be the most informative piece, but seeing more of the game is a plus.

More footage for Sonic Mania emerges screenshot

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News:: Which PlayStation Plus games are free in November?

The month after PS Plus members got Resident Evil for free was bound to be a bit more low-key by comparison, but it still doesn't disappoint

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News:: Nintendo expects to sell 2 million Switches in the first month

While Nintendo's earnings didn't look so good this quarter, President and CEO Tatsumi Kimishima apparently has a rosy outlook for the launch of his company's next-gen Switch portable console. According to the Wall Street Journal Tokyo correspondent Takashi Mochizuki, Nintendo plans to ship 2 million Switch consoles when it goes on sale in March 2017.

Via: Gamasutra

Source: Takashi Mochizuki/Twitter



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News:: Not a whole lot is on the horizon for the 3DS and Wii U

We've talked about at lengthy what's left for the Wii U, and...it's not really a whole lot.

It gets even slimmer when you factor the 3DS into the equation too, as not much is slated for the rest of the year outside of the almighty Pokemon. In fact, a lot of it is padded by regional releases that have already hit other countries, or titles merely published by Nintendo.

For the US on 3DS in terms of first party, we have Mario Party Star Rush (which we've seen very little of lately), Pokemon, Mario Maker, and Animal Crossing: New Leaf - Welcome amiibo (I'm sure most of you haven't even heard of this, and that's because it's basically an amiibo card update). On Wii U there's...Zelda: Breath of the Wild for 2017, and Project Giant Robot, which...still exists?

The rest of the Wii U schedule is basically several indie ports or re-releases outside of Shantae. The wait begins until March, when we see just what will launch with the Switch -- I hope it's not just all of the rumored enhanced ports like Mario Kart 8.5, Splatoon 2.0, and Smash Bros. GOTY Edition. Get a look at the full lists below in the gallery.

Earnings Release [Nintendo]

Not a whole lot is on the horizon for the 3DS and Wii U screenshot

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News:: Destiny Clan Does An Absurdly Elaborate Michael Jackson Tribute

It’s Halloween in Destiny, a game about traveling the solar system destroying evil aliens and green engrams. Halloween brings with it goofy masks, novelty items, and if we’re lucky, dance routines.

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News:: These Are Your Favorite Wireless Routers

After hundreds of comments and dozens of recommendations, two competitors dominated the conversation in our hunt for the best wireless router. But there can only be one champion, so check out the competitors below, and then vote for your favorite at the bottom of this post.

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News:: Xbox One is getting a new streaming option, and it should be 10x faster than Twitch

A faster, more interactive streaming option is coming to Xbox One and Windows 10 early next year, Microsoft announced today

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News:: Scrapped Star Wars: The Force Awakens poster turns Kylo Ren into a glorious piece of art

Across the decades Star Wars fans have been treated to loads of superb artwork, and the franchise's track record for stunning posters is still going strong

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News:: Complete Titanfall 2 deals roundup for Friday's release

Better than the original? That's what EA is hoping for in round two with Titanfall 2. Thus far, early reviews and impressions are positive and aggregate sites peg it at a 88/100. If you're a diehard Titanfall fan even when the servers were slowly depopulating, this is the post for you. For everyone else on the sideline thinking about Friday's release, we've rounded up all the deals retailers are dangling to entice a purchase.

There are currently six deals of note. GMG is pulling off an $11 discount to $48.99 on the digital PC Origin copy. On console, the Microsoft Store and Best Buy are tossing in $10 bonuses making a similar overall value to PC brethren. There may be a few more PC digital deals in the coming days, but it all depends on how flexible EA is with their distribution partners.

PC/Origin Deals

  • Titanfall 2 (Origin) — $48.99 at GMG  (list price $60)
  • 18% discount, add to cart if you don't see price

Console Titanfall 2 Deals

For those going the Xbox One route, the Microsoft Store is probably the best option. There you'll get a bonus $10 Gift Code sent via email after purchase and you have two options to buy to get that bonus: physical or a download code. The code arrives instantly via email after purchase so you can begin pre-loading and start playing the moment Titanfall 2 releases. This deal at Microsoft works for both the standard edition and the digital deluxe.

Something else to keep in mind is Amazon's bundle deal of Titanfall 2 game + Xbox One S Wireless controller + Cinch Sac. This "exclusive" at Amazon gets you the game along with the new Xbox One S wireless controller for $89, which is $31 cheaper than you could find them separately. If you need a spare controller, this is a good excuse to pick one up with Titanfall 2.

Going with a PlayStation 4 copy your best bet is Best Buy. There you'll get $10 in "My Best Buy Rewards" if you're a rewards member (free membership of course). If you want a discount, that can be arranged at Best Buy for a $30 fee in its Gamers Club Unlocked program. Paying the fee gets you 20% off Titanfall 2 at checkout which reduces the price to $47.99 for the Standard Edition and you still get the $10 in Rewards bonus.

Complete Titanfall 2 deals roundup for Friday's release screenshot



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News:: Counter-Strike Adds Harsher Penalties For Repeat Griefers

As part of the latest patch to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive , Value has made changes to their policy for bad behavior. Two strikes and you are out, pal.

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News:: VR Developers Add "Personal Bubble" To Their Game To Fight Harassment

Over the last few months, several women have reported facing or witnessing sexual harassment online in VR. Most recently, author Jordan Belamire explained on Medium last week that the avatar of someone she didn’t know virtually groped her in the online mulitplayer game QuiVR. Yesterday, QuiVR’s developers responded by modding their game to prevent non-consensual touching.

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News:: Destructoid's best of Poznan Game Arena is...

Poznan Game Arena reminds me something of the first PlayStation Experience. Maybe that's mostly because of the season. The video game convention circuit squarely falls between March and August, the time of the year when publishers look to drum up hype for their fall lineup. Once September rolls around, those games are actually coming out.

That first PlayStation Experience was filled with big-name titles that were no longer important to us. It was December and we didn't need to see Assassin's Creed Unity because it had already released. That was the story for most of the notable publishers at that PSX, and, as such, it was a wealth of indies who were worth focusing on.

Our trip to Poland for Poznan Game Arena is a lot like that. Xbox had a comparatively large booth, but it was filled with Gears of War 4, Forza Horizon 3, and Dead Rising 4 (a build we had previously previewed). Different names but same story for PlayStation. And the queue of players anxiously waiting to play Overwatch.

So, we spent almost the entirety of our time in the dedicated indie area. It felt like a good decision. After all, we weren't there to see gamescom-lite; we were there to see Polish games that we'd otherwise have no idea about. As we learned, there's some neat and weird stuff happening in the Polish game development scene. Here are our favorites from Poznan Game Arena.

Destructoid's best of Poznan Game Arena is... screenshot

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News:: 4 wild stunts people actually did while shooting the Assassin's Creed movie

It's almost time for the Assassin's Creed movie to hit theaters, and we're all waiting in dreadful anticipation wondering if this will be the first good video game movie

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News:: Overwatch Season 3 starts in December, will shake things up slightly

Blizzard has the ranked season system almost where it wants it.

After a massive overhaul following fan outcry over the sudden death and confusing ranking system of Season 1, the second go-around has gone much smoother, but naturally there's more improvements to make.

Taking to Blizzard's forums, designer Scott Mercer notes that now, part of your rankings will carry over to the next season -- again, progress will not be entirely wiped. "Instead, we use your SR from the previous season as a starting point. We're leaning more towards trying to keep things fair rather than giving everyone a fresh start," he says. It's all being tested in the PTR (Public Test Realm) at the moment if you want to give it a go.

While I don't have analytics to tell me whether or not this is better to retain players long term, I do like the concept of completely restarting fresh each season. With this new system in play it is nice that people who put in a lot of time have something to show for it during each period, but the idea of having everyone begin anew is really appealing to me, as it brings in all sorts of new players who might not feel as pressured.

Overwatch Season 3 [Battle.net] 

Overwatch Season 3 starts in December, will shake things up slightly screenshot



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News:: Everybody's Gone To The Rapture Headlines PlayStation Plus Lineup For November

PlayStation Plus members can get Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, Costume Quest 2, and several other games for PS4, PS3, and Vita this month. Remember, these games are only “free” if you have an active PlayStation Plus subscription.

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News:: How much would you pay for a Nintendo Switch?

Wall Street Journal reporter Takashi Mochizuki, who has long since had a direct line in on Nintendo, is stating that the company "won't make a loss" selling the Nintendo Switch, but it's "also listening t what consumers expect...when setting price."

Translation -- we have a minimum price point set, but don't want to piss too many of you off and have another Wii U failure to launch.

But seriously, how much would you pay for a Switch? To me, this is basically another go at the Wii U tablet ("this one can work beyond a radius of 10 feet!"), which doesn't sit entirely well with me. We're coming up on just under four years of a life cycle for the console (it shipped in November of 2012), that seems to be the new normal (the Scorpio, if released in the next few years, will be roughly that -- though Microsoft isn't saying it will replace the Xbox One entirely), but so far the Switch seems to be "a slightly more juiced Wii U you can take on the go."

Which in theory is fine! I love the Wii U dearly, and will always remember it in spite of its lack of sales. But I'm worried that this will be another short term system if Nintendo doesn't handle it correctly -- and I'm extremely wary of how many people will actually want to lug that tablet around in public and play it.

Which leads me to my next point, in that I wouldn't want to pay more than $299.99 for it. I think that's what they'll end up going with, too. Anyone else have another take?

Takashi Mochizuki [Twitter]

How much would you pay for a Nintendo Switch? screenshot



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News:: I'm Loving Titanfall 2's Crosshairs

I’m working my way through Titanfall 2 and will have a review next week. For now, we need to have a very important discussion about the game’s user interface. One small touch makes it truly shine.

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News:: Today's Best Deals: Tri-Ply Cookware, Discounted Watches, Political TV, and More

Tri-ply cookware, discounted watches, and political TV shows lead off Wednesday’s best deals.

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News:: You can now get ripped off for retro trade-ins at all GameStops

It has been quite some time since a GameStop actually had retro hardware and games within its walls. Last year, the mega corporation tinkered with the idea of bringing back retro trade-ins and it looks like that initiative has gone over well. According to Nintendo Everything, all GameStop stores will now be accepting retro games.

Taking a quick glance at the retailer's website, I don't think I'd drop $54.99 for Super Smash Bros. Melee, but at least there is some kind of mainstream way to get your retro gaming fix. For as neat as Game X Change might be, the quality of its products is scattershot. I at least know, from firsthand experience, that GameStop puts a bit more pride in the condition of its trade-ins.

I'd like to get some confirmation on how much trade-ins would yield, but selling your games on eBay is always a better option. Retro games are worth a lot to the right people and GameStop is certainly not one of the "right" ones.

GameStop now taking retro trade-ins at all stores [Nintendo Everything]

You can now get ripped off for retro trade-ins at all GameStops screenshot



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News:: Microsoft Wants to Make VR Cheap and Easy With Windows 10

Do you have a virtual reality headset? Probably not, because they’re expensive and require even more expensive computers to run the complex graphics. But Microsoft wants to open up a new category of low-cost VR headsets powered by a new update to Windows 10.

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News:: Star Wars: Rogue One may have another returning cameo - you'll recognize his foul stench

 You've got to be careful when discussing Star Wars movies if you want to avoid spoilers, and that goes double for those involved in making them

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News:: Insult-em-up 'Oh...Sir!' arrives on PC, Mac and mobile

Few games are as difficult to categorise as Oh...Sir! Part beat-em-up, part smack talk generator, this weird indie title has you insulting your opponents into submission. Each match offers a central column with useful words and phrases -- clothes, smells, relatives and more -- which players take turns to pick from. String together a half-sensical slight and you'll damage your opponent, whittling down their health and resetting the word repository. Each character has a weakness too -- a trait or topic that they take particular offence to -- which you can utilize for critical hits.

Source: Oh...Sir! (Steam)



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News:: Review: Batman: A Telltale Games Series: New World Order

The saga continues.

Batman is in a jam, and now in typical Batman-related fashion, he's forged more enemies as a direct result of his own actions. What's a Bat to do? Punch and think his way out, of course.

Review: Batman: A Telltale Games Series: New World Order screenshot

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News:: Microsoft's answer to Twitch is baked into Windows 10

Broadcasting live gameplay to Twitch or Facebook isn't easy. It means setting up special capture software and navigating a mire of complicated bandwidth settings. Microsoft is trying to fix that: the next version of Windows 10 is going to integrate game broadcasting directly into the Xbox App. The streaming experience promises not only to be easy, but also to almost eliminate the communication lag between viewers and broadcasters -- but don't expect to use it on Twitch. Microsoft's Windows 10 seems to be designed specifically for Beam.



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News:: Windows 10 Gets Built-In Game Streaming This Spring

The Xbox One has built-in game streaming, so why not Windows? During today’s Windows 10 event, Microsoft announced that Beam interactive broadcasting technology would be built into the operating system with this spring’s free Creators Update.

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News:: Hometown feelings platformer Night in the Woods is coming January 10 for PC, Mac, Linux, and PS4.

Hometown feelings platformer Night in the Woods is coming January 10 for PC, Mac, Linux, and PS4. If you aren’t familiar with the game, it has two excellent free sidestories you can check out. (Spoilers: You will cry. I cried, anyway.)

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News:: Dolby Atmos audio is coming to Xbox One S

One of the gripes audiophiles have had with the Xbox One S is that despite the console's Ultra HD Blu-ray drive, is its lack of support for next-en audio standards. That changes sometime in the future with a free update adding Dolby Atmos playback (via bitstream). It's not nearly as dramatic as Sony adding 3D Blu-ray playback to the PlayStation 3 via an update in 2010, but for audio geeks this is pretty big news. And this is why buying a game console is a better idea than a standalone Blu-ray player: constant updates adding new features, rather than something static that may never be updated. Now to drop $1,500 on a soundbar to hear it.

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News:: A live Skyrim concert with bonus Oblivion and Morrowind music is coming to London on Nov. 16

The first live orchestral concert dedicated to the music of Skyrim and other Elder Scrolls games is just three weeks away

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News:: To Really Appreciate Red Dead Redemption, Listen To It Closely

I don’t think people say that Mass Effect “feels like sci-fi,” or The Witcher “feels like fantasy.” But people do say that Red Dead Redemption “feels like a Western,” and I’m compelled to agree. Why? Listen to the game.

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News:: Keep Your Gadgets Organized With This $7 Grid-It Organizer

Grid-It organizers use a criss-crossing arrangement of elastic straps to secure your sundry power cables and gadgets in your bag, and you can pick up a large one for just $7 today with code 65238V95. I’ve owned one of these for years, and never leave town without it.

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News:: Somebody's Making 'The Ultimate Gaming Deodorant'

Why settle for one of the dozens of stink-suppressing products available at your local supermarket when you can have Plus Five, a deodorant aimed specifically at your favorite hobby? Practicality? Convenience? Okay, I can see that.

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News:: Bethesda's 'everyone experiences [our games] at the same time' policy is wildly inconsistent

So as you may have heard, Bethesda recently went public with their "we won't send out early copies" policy. This is something that many of us writers have been expecting since they took that route with Doom, so it doesn't come as a big surprise.

Yet, it's important to not only read between the lines, but read the actual words Bethesda used. Gary Steinman, Global Content Lead, notes "While we will continue to work with media, streamers, and YouTubers to support their coverage – both before and after release – we want everyone, including those in the media, to experience our games at the same time."

Read that again -- "we want everyone, including those in the media, to experience our games at the same time," -- why then, are there heaps of positive coverage YouTube videos out in the wild? Because despite the spin, this business move is not for you.

Bethesda's 'everyone experiences [our games] at the same time' policy is wildly inconsistent screenshot

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