Tuesday, November 15, 2016

News:: Ubisoft pulls 'seamless multiplayer' from Watch Dogs 2 due to lag and crashes

If you pick up Watch Dogs 2 today, you'll be able to play with a friend in co-op by sending them an invite, but an issue affecting the game's wider performance and stability has led Ubisoft to temporarily strip out part of the multiplayer experience. The so-called "seamless multiplayer" feature is currently inaccessible, despite the company's expectation that it'd be fixed in time for launch today.

"In order to eliminate this issue at launch, we have decided to wait to launch the seamless multiplayer feature until this issue can be fixed, and to make sure it doesn’t impact the core gameplay experience," said a Ubisoft rep. "Through our testing, we've found that players encountering seamless online are also affected by this lag issue, hence our need to temporarily shut down seamless multiplayer for all. The Watch Dogs 2 development team's priority is working on fixing this issue."

Zack reviewed the game for us, and was able to get in early enough to try the seamless functionality before it was taken down for repairs. Here's what we're missing out on for the time being:

"When starting single-player missions, you will sometimes find yourself being hacked and thrown into a small session of hide-and-seek, in which you have to scan NPCs until you find the actual player who's trying to steal your data. Another mode is Bounty Hunt: when being chased by the police in single player, another person might be enlisted by the cops to try and track you down. It adds an extra thrill to being hunted, and is fun on both sides. This can be frustrating if you just want to play solo, but you could turn it off. I found it easy enough to ignore when I wanted to play alone and jump in when I wanted to ruin someone's day."

Ubisoft pulls 'seamless multiplayer' from Watch Dogs 2 due to lag and crashes screenshot

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News:: Sims 4 Babies Will No Longer Get Stuck, And Other Great Patch Notes

The Sims had a new patch today and it’s a treat to read about. Take a walk with me as we explore some of the most fun patch notes in video games.

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News:: Indie Games’ Most Cryptic Mystery Apparently Just A Frog Fractions Teaser

One of the most cryptic, arcane mysteries in indie games has led its investigators to videos of the Frog Fractions developer tasting soups. Frog Fractions is an “edutainment” Flash game with an upcoming sequel that, many now think, the years-long mystery is teasing.

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News:: Even the Ezio Collection has a day-one patch

I know I shouldn't be surprised by this, but Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection has a day-one patch on PS4 and Xbox One. We've come to the point in our lives where a remaster of an eight-year-old game has a patch. Considering this is Ubisoft, I'm mostly surprised the patch doesn't include major game features.

For starters, there is a PS4 Pro update that allows "dynamic 4K scaling" on the console. Seeing as how the title doesn't run at 60 FPS on either system, I don't think 4K should have been the priority. The other updates aren't uniform between each system, with both PS4 and Xbox One patches fixing unique bugs.

What happened with the switch to x86 architecture? Shouldn't both system basically be the same entity? I'm so confused at how this generation of consoles has created software incompatibility that shouldn't even be present. With PS4 and Xbox One sharing the same kind of hardware as a PC, why are we even getting crappy ports to any platform?

Tirade aside, the list of fixes are below. At least Ubisoft got rid of the game-breaking glitches that were present in the original Assassin's Creed II.

Even the Ezio Collection has a day-one patch screenshot

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News:: That leaked game trailer inside Watch Dogs 2 is for a real game, sources say

Brace yourselves, because this is about to get so very, very meta

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News:: Hatsune Miku's Biggest Rhythm Game Comes West In January

With more than 200 songs and over 300 costumes to collect, Hatsune Miku: Project Diva Future Tone is so big Sega had to split it into two rhythm games, and both are coming to North America and European PS4 on January 10.

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News:: Newly Free EVE Online Aims To Prevent Exploits and Harassment

Today’s a big day for the ever-churning vat of intergalactic intrigue that is EVE Online. It just went free-to-play, which means a big influx of players to disrupt the universe’s precarious balance of power. I spoke with the game’s executive producer, Andie Nordgren, about how corporations are already using that to…

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News:: Today's big Battlefield 1 update brings much-needed changes

DICE is rolling out a meaty fall update for Battlefield 1 across all platforms, and I've definitely got some late nights ahead of me trying to squeeze in more time with this game. Some of the changes (find the full pdf here) are expected but still very much appreciated. Here's what stands out to me:

Today's big Battlefield 1 update brings much-needed changes screenshot

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News:: The Concourse Government Employees Have A Lot Of Thoughts About Working For Donald Trump | The Slot 

The Concourse Government Employees Have A Lot Of Thoughts About Working For Donald Trump | The Slot Where Does the Left Go From Here? | Gizmodo Why Doctors Are Advising Kim Kardashian to Avoid a Third Pregnancy | Jezebel We Made Joan Crawford’s ‘Nourishing’ French Banana Salad and Only One of Us Barfed |

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News:: Titanfall 2 is already at the $29 Black Friday price

Black Friday continues to start earlier and earlier online despite all the ruckus about closing retail stores on Thanksgiving. A prime example arrived in the past 24 hours thanks to an aggressive Walmart early Black Friday kick off (which Amazon quickly price-matched). Titanfall 2 is now only $29.96, a giant 50% off for the late October release.

The deal has been selling like hot cakes as the PS4 copy is now sold out at Walmart whereas at Amazon, Titanfall 2 for the PS4 is backordered until November 18.

This discount of course beats out the recent deal from Target for $35. If the price looks right to you, we'd suggest acting fast as the deal will likely sell out/expire within the day.

Titanfall 2 is already at the $29 Black Friday price screenshot



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News:: Go get yourself some Sombra right now

Overwatch just got its 1.5 update today on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. That's the boring way to phrase what has had players excited for months: Sombra's finally here.

Sombra, an offensive infiltrator, has fully rolled out on all platforms. She's a hacker who can disrupt her opponents' abilities, cloak herself to stealthily slip behind enemy lines, and teleport with the help of a special grenade. Chris has a more detailed breakdown from when he went hands-on at BlizzCon.

The update has some other interesting additions, too. Arcade is introduced with its special new game modes (and specific rewards like Loot Boxes). The Ecopoint: Antarctica map is also included for use in some Arcade modes. And, Blizzard notes that season 3 of competitive play begins on November 30; season 2 ends on November 23. But, that's overshadowed in most people's eyes because Sombra esta aquí!

Overwatch PTR Now Available -- November 7, 2016 [Overwatch]

Go get yourself some Sombra right now screenshot



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News:: Toy Time Plays With Pokémon Sun And Moon's Z-Ring 

In what seems like an obvious effort to stay competitive with Level 5's monster collecting sensation Yo-Kai Watch, Pokémon Sun And Moon get their own interactive wrist toy in the form of Tomy’s Z-Ring bracelet. Let’s see how it works.

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News:: FIFA 17 patch adds updated faces such as Coutinho, plus Pro Clubs and Journey tweaks

EA has dropped a second title update for FIFA 17, just after a month after its first patch added proper Premier League presentation

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News:: These are the 5 biggest changes in Battlefield 1's fall update

Battlefield 1 just received its first big update with changes in store for nearly every facet of the multiplayer war game

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News:: It's Xbox's 15th birthday, but you're the one getting the presents

On November 15, 2001, a little - well, not little - black console called the Xbox debuted in North America

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News:: English rain inspired the Google Daydream game, 'EarthShape'

When Mike Bithell was a kid, sitting in the backseat of his parents' car as the cloudy English sky soaked the roads, he would draw lines in the window's condensation, attempting to "catch" raindrops as they slid down the pane outside.

"I honestly don't know what the point was, but that little activity would keep kid-Mike occupied for hours," Bithell remembers. "When I was trying to think of accessible family game mechanics, I remembered that and imagined how much more fun my little game would be if the raindrops reacted to the lines."

Fast-forward a few decades and Bithell is a successful independent developer building a launch game for Google's new mobile VR headset, Daydream. His past games include the award-winning platformer Thomas was Alone and Volume, a futuristic Robin Hood-inspired stealth title starring Andy Serkis, the actor who brought Smeagol to life in the Lord of the Rings movies. Volume: Coda just debuted on PlayStation VR -- stealth, Serkis and all.



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News:: After 13 years, EVE Online goes free-to-play today

For 13 long years, EVE Online has subsisted solely on a subscription model. All those capsuleers were paying $15 per month for access to New Eden's universe. That changes today.

In late August, developer CCP announced that the November update would introduce a way to play EVE Online for free. Clone states are way this is being done. Non-paying players have access to Alpha clones, accounts that have full access to the game but earn experience at a lowered rate. Still, Alphas can train, use a specific set of skills, and partake in all the economy (trading, mining, etc.) that defines the game.

Subscribers have more powerful accounts in exchange for their monthly fee. These players have Omega clones, which are marked by unlimited skill progression and rapid skill training. Basically, these function the same as EVE Online accounts had before it went free-to-play.

At EVE Online's Fanfest earlier this year, executive producer Andie Nordgren sort of foretold the move by telling us that the game gets a ton of new players, but that most of them quit shortly after starting. The idea seems to be that maybe more of them will stick around if it doesn't cost them anything.

A few months ago, Nordgren said "We know that the mandatory monthly subscription is a big barrier for new players. It's also one of our most common cancellation reasons for those who leave EVE. At the same time, EVE was very much designed as a subscription game from the start, and it has been a challenge to find a way to change that without also messing with the fundamentals that we really love."

Alpha and Omega clone might be the key to changing the game without messing with those fundamentals. We won't be sure for a little while. But, the experiment starts today.

After 13 years, EVE Online goes free-to-play today screenshot



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News:: 'Minecraft' game-making tutorial teaches kids how to code

Microsoft knows that Minecraft can get kids into programming, and it's banking on that strategy again this year. It just teamed up with Code.org to introduce the Minecraft Hour of Code Designer, a tutorial that teaches young newcomers (6 years old and up) how to create a simple game. The Designer uses a drag-and-drop interface to illustrate familiar code concepts, such as object-oriented programming and loops, while letting imaginations run wild in Minecraft's blocky universe. You can make chickens that drop gold, and otherwise set rules that are as logical or ludicrous as you'd like.

Source: Microsoft, Code.org



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News:: The Moment That Makes Morrowind A Masterpiece

Skyrim: Special Edition is a mess. It’s full of glitches, and even if the base game offers interesting stories, the remaster misses the mark. The Elder Scrolls can do much better. In fact, it already has. Let’s take a look at the series at its best. Let’s talk about Morrowind.

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News:: Hidden files in Modern Warfare Remastered may point to future DLC

Data mining is a hot craze with modern gamers. People love to pick through game files to find missing, hidden, and future stuff lurking within their game of choice. Modern Warfare Remastered isn't free from that, despite being a remake of a nine-year-old classic. It looks like there are a bunch of hidden guns within the game files for the remaster, a lot of which are from Call of Duty: Black Ops.

Reddit users Semyel and Tails found fully completed models of a shovel melee weapon, Black Ops' Galil, and Modern Warfare 2's Striker. While some people seem to be jumping to the conclusion of microtransactions, I think this has more to do with Call of Duty still using the same damn engine from the original Modern Warfare.

To me, this just looks like left over junk files that Raven didn't bother to remove. This is similar to what Rockstar did with the Hot Coffee nonsense all those years ago; the average consumer doesn't have the means to access these types of files, so it becomes easier to hide them instead of removing them.

Then again, Semyel and Tails also found data suggesting a weapons dealer will be added to the game. That sounds more like the kind of microtransaction-laden thing I'd expect from Activision. I guess even when most of the population would rather just buy the remaster, the publisher is thinking about how to nickel and dime the people it already held at gunpoint.

More Hidden Shit - MWR Shovel Weapon + More! [Reddit]

Hidden files in Modern Warfare Remastered may point to future DLC screenshot



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News:: Tips For Playing Watch Dogs 2

Watch Dogs 2 is out today. It’s a really big game full of stuff to do. It even has dogs for you to watch!

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News:: Play Heroes of the Storm starting today and grab your Genji skin

Blizzard has a brilliant plan for injecting some folks into Heroes of the Storm -- funnel them in from their most popular game, Overwatch.

From now until January 4, you'll be able to participate in the "Nexus Challenge," where 15 Heroes games or more will net you the Oni Genji skin in Overwatch. If you opt for 30 games or more you'll get five Heroes characters as well as a mount and 30 day Stimpack (XP booster). You can play quick match, ranked, unranked draft, or co-op vs. AI to satisfy the requirement (the latter is what people will probably do the most if you're rushing it, as it's the quickest way).

Note that you need to do this with a friend, but if you're completely alone there's plenty of help available online. Just check out a community like this one and people will be more than willing to direct you towards an in-game chatroom to reach people, if not directly in said communities.

Play Heroes of the Storm starting today and grab your Genji skin screenshot



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News:: Watch Dogs 2 Will Patch Out 'Particularly Explicit' Genitalia

Watch Dogs 2 is all about grit, but players didn’t expect to see realistic male and female genitalia on NPCs. That’s right—flaccid, full-detail, unabashed genitalia. In a video game. Woah.

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News:: Overwatch's Big Sombra Update Is Now Live

Professional advocate for every shade of purple (and also hacker) Sombra is now available to play on Overwatch’s live servers.

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News:: Run from snow with Mario in December

I know all of you have been waiting to hear this, so let me cut to the chase! Super Mario Run will be launching on December 15, 2016 for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. To get all six worlds, the game will cost $9.99. Along with pricing, Nintendo released a new introduction video and the full list of 151 countries the game would be releasing in (along with a website).

The game has three modes which offer something different. World Tour is the standard game that you'd expect (rescue Peach, blah blah), but the other two sound more like mobile game features. Toad Rally is something of a time attack, with elements of the Coin Rush mode from New Super Mario Bros. 2. Finally, Kingdom Builder has you placing iconic Mario items around to build your own kingdom (I honestly really love builder games).

Despite my sarcastic tone, I am genuinely intrigued by Super Mario Run. It doesn't look like an immediate classic, but the level of polish is outstanding for a $10 game. I also really like the simple one purchase unlock, so hopefully the microtransactions only amount to frivolous nonsense. I'm still not sure why this couldn't be done on the 3DS, though.

Run from snow with Mario in December screenshot

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News:: New Ghost in the Shell footage of Major being made is very Westworld-like

Earlier this week we got a proper look at the live-action Ghost in the Shell flick

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News:: Mario 64 has some deep lore regarding King Bomb-omb

An image has begun circulating the interwebs regarding the fate of one King Bomb-omb, the first boss and first star on the very first level of Super Mario 64.

King Bomb-omb resides on the top of the mountain in Bomb-omb Battlefield, requiring the player to mount several obstacles to get to the top and defeat him. One such obstacle is a pit of two rolling balls which, if given facial features, would resemble the King himself. 

Largely unnoticed by the gaming community, and most certainly myself, is that on every star after the King's defeat, the aforementioned ball pit has three rolling balls, and the bomb-omb at the start of the level tells you the King was a "dud."

Just what implications could this have on the canon of Bomb-omb Battlefield? Could he be a fake? Has his defeat doomed him to a Sisyphyean fate, forever rolling? This sort of lore expansion reminds me of that green thwomp in Mario Kart 64 and the Hell Valley sky trees of Mario Galaxy. What other secrets lie hidden in these seemingly simple Nintendo games?


Archived 4chan post

Mario 64 has some deep lore regarding King Bomb-omb screenshot

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News:: US Game Deals: Save $800 on an LG 4K HDR TV and grab Madden 17 for half off

We're kicking off today's selection of gaming and gaming-adjacent deals with an $800 discount on a 4K, HDR TV, perfect for your entrance to the world of 4K gaming

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News:: Dishonored 2 : The Kotaku Review

Dishonored 2 is a depressing slog of bodies and misery. It is confusing and jumbled, full of half formed ideas, and ready to break at the slightest touch. But, in spite of itself, it works.

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News:: Birthdays The Beginning is out in March in the west

I feel like Birthdays The Beginning is not on a lot of people's radars, but it should be. The adorable looking sandbox game from the creator of Harvest Moon looks pretty great, in that you can not only impact the wildlife and the structure of the world, but the entire ecosystem as well. Plus, unlike other world creation games on PS4, it doesn't have an obnoxious and ultimately overhyped marketing campaign.

And while we didn't have a set release date, NIS has finally spilled the beans -- It'll drop on March 7 in the US, and March 10 in Europe. It's slated for the PS4 (physically and digitally) and PC by way of Steam.

Birthdays The Beginning is out in March in the west screenshot

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News:: PS4 Pro, Sony 4K TV bundle and more HDTV deals before Black Friday

Don't save up too much for your next 4K Smart TV because with the trend in TV prices lately we're seeing some massive price drops. Some 4K Smart TVs are even under $400 now, and this week we're even seeing a PS4 Pro + TV bundle deal that's available at multiple retailers.

B&H Photo is joining in with Best Buy and hawking the latest PS4 Pro plus a Sony 55-inch XBR-X700D 4K Smart TV for only $998. The XBR-X700D is a recently released 2016 model from Sony with Motionflow XR 240 technology... which doesn't mean it's the best TV in the world for gaming, but at least they're trying in the tech mumble jumble. It's a $900 unit elsewhere online, but with this bundle you'll save $300 if you were to buy both separately.

HDTV Deals

5 More Decent TV Deals

As mentioned prices are collapsing on 4K TVs in late 2016 as we near Black Friday. We're now looking at big screen 4K Smart units going for as low as $350 on a 55-inch Westinghouse.

Slightly more budget? Jump up to a name brand LG TV from February 2016 will run you $549 on BuyDig's eBay page (historic low by $101 - a deal that just popped up this week).

If you don't mind going a bit smaller Sam's Club is offering a 43-inch 4K Smart TV for $228.99. You'll need to be a member for that price, but you can still buy if you're not if you don't mind subjecting yourself to a 10% extra cost to $252 - which is still a ridiculously good deal.

PS4 Pro, Sony 4K TV bundle and more HDTV deals before Black Friday screenshot



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News:: Sources: Ubisoft's Watch Dogs 2 Teaser Is A Real Sci-Fi Game -- But It's In Trouble

The “leaked Ubisoft trailer” inside Watch Dogs 2 is for a real sci-fi game called (or code-named) Pioneer, sources say. But Pioneer is running into troubled development and may not be announced as soon as Ubisoft had originally planned—if it comes out at all.

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